In a dream the other night, I was watching a gathering where a woman was beginning to lead worship. She was describing her situation which was bleak and dry. I saw a rock sticking out of the ground as she described a hardness of soil and things not going well. And yet in spite of this, she began to speak of her faith in God and her unwavering hope in His promise to come through. She was standing alone, and yet her faith was resolute in a God that would not let her down. She began to weep and I woke up feeling the depth of her cry in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation.
Ever walked into a room and felt the atmosphere change or feel a charged atmosphere? This sensation often stems from subtle cues like body language, tone of voice, or even unspoken emotions in the room. Such moments highlight how humans are attuned to nonverbal signals, shaping our perception of social dynamics and interpersonal interactions. In the Bible, this is also referred to as discernment.
One of the most frequent questions I hear from believers is, "How do I know if I'm really hearing from God?" It's a question that reflects both hunger and hesitation, the desire to hear Father's voice coupled with uncertainty about discerning it clearly. The good news is that clarity about what Father is saying comes through a practical discernment process that transforms how we hear and how we walk out Kingdom purpose on earth.
There is a dimension of Malachi 3 that is consistently overlooked. While we focus on the tithe and the promise of overflow, there is a broader context—one that reaches beyond personal blessing to the world's experience. God's people were never meant to survive like other nations. They were intended to be a model nation. A demonstration of life under God's rule, echoing God's declaration to Abraham that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through him. And their life would reveal God Himself. In Malachi, God wasn't only correcting giving habits. He was intent on restoring their global witness, making them a clear testament to His faithfulness once more.
Real prophets are not required to make life better for you! They are made to respond to God about us. You don't play with them or the other 4-fold ministry gifts that are called to help His Body. They each one have to work at what they each are called to do, be it local or beyond, to make a difference. They are people with a ministry and when each one does their calling, THE BODY WILL FUNCTION AND PROSPER!!! God places them across the lands, and they often are drawn to like kind.
Are there difficult circumstances in your life that you are facing? Financial, medical, family, or even legal issues that seem like a mountain looming before you? Fear and anxiety will only add to the mountain. And, if you speak those words of fear, it will make things worse. I assure you; I have done it myself before I learned to STOP speaking words contrary to God's will. What I do, when I see that mountain, is to turn my eyes to the Word of God. God's will is for us to live in victory over every financial, medical, or relationship mountain. So I look to Jesus and His Word and turn my eyes away from that mountain!
With so much exposure going on, when should we answer or critics (especially in response to the gifts of the Spirit)? While I understand that preachers and pastors cannot always give people an answer—I myself don't have time to read nor answer all the comments on my media feeds—there are times when we should explain our actions. It may not change the minds of those who are hell-bent on critiquing us, but it may clear up confusion for those in the middle.
Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. (Hebrews 12:15 NLT) If we consider what were some of the practical factors in Christ's crucifixion, we realize that His sufferings were caused by men's fickleness, bigotry, fearfulness, jealousy and treachery. In love He bore all these for us. And these may well be the factors which challenge the reality of our love to God.
Control. Many of us, myself included, have wrestled with control issues. We love the feeling that all is well because we've done a good job of ordering our lives. The problem is that having control is the opposite of trusting God. The Gospel of Matthew invites us into a story about a mom who wanted the best for her two sons. Who can blame her? I can sure relate—can you? Her two wonderful sons, James and John, were followers of Jesus, and their mama was proud of her boys! She approached Jesus with what I imagine she thought was a wonderful request; she asked if her two sons could sit at the right and left hand of God in the kingdom to come.
We all have times in life when it seems like we've hit a dead end or things aren't turning out the way we hoped or expected. However, I've learned from experience that when we feel stuck, discouraged, or disappointed, that's not the time to throw in the towel and give up! I realize this isn't easy. There have been times in my life when I've felt discouraged and even wondered if I could hold on and keep going to get through the pain to the place of victory. Through these experiences, I've learned that when you're in the middle of a painful situation, it can often feel like God isn't doing anything about it. But it's vitally important to trust Him during this time, because He is working in your heart to make you more like Christ.
Follow Up
