This Is Not a Time to Give-Up!

This Is Not a Time to Give-Up!

By Carol Doyel –

In a three-day training I attended on “A Journey to Transformation” presented by Larry Lane, based on extensive research work done by The Sentinel Group in Lynnwood Washington, one of the topics they covered was time, and the idea of “incrementalism.” The concept being that we often use programs with step-by-step processes that can take weeks, months and even years to implement with the assumption that time is on our side, similar to the famous song “Time is on my side” by the Rolling Stones, performed in the video below. 

But is time really on our side when it comes to revival and reaching a lost and hurting world?

fall scents for your home

After two days of teaching on “Transformational Revival” – what it means, why we need it, do we really want it, preparing for it, and the personal and corporate cost of revival, I was left wondering – what can I do, what is my part, what are you saying to us in this hour Lord?

As I thought about what we had talked about, I remembered a prophetic word that the worship leader shared at the end of worship one morning, which was, “This is not a time to give-up.”  I felt the Holy Spirit confirm the word, that this indeed, is not a time to quit or give-up on what God is doing, or the work that we are called to do, individually or collectively as the body of Christ.

Whether it is serving at your local church, leading a small home-group or Bible study, or maybe it’s speaking to people all over the world or missionary work that takes you to third-world countries that God has called you to…whatever it may be, the point is this is not a time to walk away or “give-up” on what you believe you are called to do. But rather – this is a time to as 2 Peter 1:10 (NKJV) encourages us to: “be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.”

I want to encourage you, if God has called you to preach, teach, minister, give, or go to the Nations, He is faithful to “make you complete in every good thing to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight…” (Hebrews 13:21). The key is that we are carrying out “good things” thoughtfully, prayerfully, and obediently. 

When we are faithful to seek God’s will for our life, He will also show us when we’re to do the good things that we are called to do. So there are really two things we must do, first we must discern God’s will by diligently seeking Him, and secondly we need to ask Him to reveal His divine timing. My experience of moving out, doing or speaking something before the appointed time, can be disastrous. I believe this was the case when Kind David attempted to move the ark of God and Uzza put his hand out to hold the ark, which aroused the Lord’s anger, and he was struck dead. You can read more about God’s will and timing in an article I wrote titled, The Place the Lord Your God Chooses – Where You Will Find Rest.

I have asked God, why while doing something good was Uzza struck dead?  There is a clue found in 1 Chronicles 13 in v.4, “Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.” The whole assembly of people agreed to move it and David even states that “if it is of the Lord,” then it would seem that bringing the presence of God back into the midst of the people would be a good thing. Wanting the presence of God is not a bad thing, but the way we go about it is very important to God. Unfortunately, the Israelites did it without seeking God first (1 Chron. 13:2). They failed to inquire of the Lord, and ask Him when and how they were to do it. It even states that they carried it on a “new” cart. I’m not so sure God needed to be carried on a new cart.

It seems that David was more concerned with what was right in the eyes of the people than God. They had “not inquired of it” – referring to God’s presence, since the days of Saul. I sense some presumption on their part and the lack of preparing a place, which under the new covenant would be our hearts as the later temples compared to the former temple, which is to be a dwelling place for God’s manifest presence.

God had an appointed time for the Ark to be taken to Jerusalem, which you can read about in 1 Chronicles 15. This time they inquired of the Lord for the prescribed order in which it was to be moved, and prepared a place for it as 1 Chronicles 15:2-3 states, “Then David said, ‘No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever. And David gathered all Israel together at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place, which he prepared for it.”

In addition, 1 Chronicles 15:12-13 states that this time David instructed them (the priests and Levites) to “sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. For because you did not do it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.” Which tells me they had not sanctified themselves before attempting to bring in the presence of God the first time.

We need to take time to seek God for His timing and order for things, and recognize the importance of sanctification and preparing our hearts for the presence of God. However, I agree that we have to be careful not fall into a mindset of “incrementalism” – believing that things have to happen step-by-step, through programs and processes that we or that “man” comes up with rather than the pattern God reveals to us, which can be found in the Word.

A reoccurring word that I keep hearing lately is, our God is a god of suddenlies. He can change things instantly, given we are willing to do His will and our hearts are right before the Lord. 

A good example of a sudden change is when Jesus’ mother, Mary – said to Him, “they have no more wine” and Jesus said, “Woman why do you involve me?” and went on to say, “My hour has not yet come.”  However, Mary wisely responded by telling the servants, “do whatever he tells you.”  And Jesus then instructed them to fill the jars with water and we know that Jesus then changed the water to wine. So, although Jesus said that His time had not come, in the next verse His ministry was “suddenly” launched, as John 2:11 (NIV) states, “What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.”

We must not fall into the mindset, that although it may not be God’s timing right now, that things can’t suddenly change at any given moment. Like Mary, we have to be willing to do and encourage others to “do whatever he tells you.”  We have to be listening and watching and doing whatever the Spirit tells us to do.

I believe Jesus knew it was time to launch His ministry because He was one with the Father, and He was listening to the Father who must have decided, the time is now, so He immediately did what the Father told Him to do. God does not need to fill us in on all of the all the details of His plan. Our part is to trust Him and to step out in faith when He tells us to. Not an easy task – but if we know His voice, and we’re listening to Him, He is faithful to reveal His will, as well as the divine order and timing…at the exact moment we need to know.

God is not sitting up in heaven waiting for us to mess up so He can punish us! NO – He is Immanuel, God with us.  He wants us to follow Him. He has always been and always will be with us, when there is no more wine left we need to turn to Him and ask, what do you want me to do now Lord? And He will show you what to do and the appointed time to do it.

As I drove down the freeway through downtown Los Angeles, I kept thinking about time and began asking God, Lord what are you trying to show me about this hour and time? And I heard, the time is now, the time has come. And as God often does, words and phrases began to jump out at me, words like “immediate” and “now” and even the “perfect time to” and many others as I drove along the highway.

I have to confess, words like this make me a bit nervous, but when it comes to lost souls, broken families and communities, a Nation that is moving rapidly away from God, and a World on a brink of destruction, it may be exactly what God is saying – it occurred to me that God was not saying it softly, but He seemed to be saying it very loudly. We do not have any more time to waste doing things that do not matter eternally, this is a time to “do whatever He tells you” – This is not a time to give-up!

 

Carol Doyel is Editor-in-Chief and Founder of LivingBetter50.com. She is a graduate of The Full Gospel Bible Institute and has a passion for women’s ministries, issues and lives. She and her husband of 26+ years have three grown kids and four grandchildren. They currently reside in southern CA. Her desire is to inspire women to live better physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 thought on “This Is Not a Time to Give-Up!”

  1. This is a wonderful article! It reminds me to always seek His Will – His Timing – His Order and in doing so we as a church are bowing down to the authority of God as He knows what is best for us and the season in which we move or rest. I am challenged to rest in Him, yet also be prepared for the suddenly. The immediate call to go out and move forth to the Nations. And at the same time to be a living epistle walking in love and bringing hope where ever my feet tread. Let’s pray fervently for revival and seek Him always as there are many who are lost and just need to feel His love and faithfulness. As children of God we each day get to be light and salt to those around us. Wow… Yes, the time is now to love and bring hope, yet I am certain all our questions regarding life will unfold as we stay in His presence, knowing He is near. Praise God!

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This Is Not a Time to Give-Up!
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