“And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.”
Genesis 15:13-14
God tells Abraham what is going to happen to his descendants. God tells him that they will go through great affliction for four hundred years. But God gave him the promise that after the four hundred years that He would bring them out. In fact, God said, “Not only will I bring them out,” but “I will bring them out with great substance!”
Sometimes when you are in the heat of the battle all you need to know is you will come out of what you are in. Sometimes you don’t have to know how you are coming out or when you are coming out. You just need to know that you are coming out.
Personally I have been through some things that the devil told me I would never come out of. In fact, there has been a time when I was like Israel. If God did not bring me out I was not coming out!
“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say;
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us:
Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us.”
Psalms 124:1-3
Nobody likes going through trials and afflictions. But if you are going to go somewhere you will go through some things. In fact, the thing that qualifies a person for great promotions is great tests. If you want great substance prepare for great afflictions.
A person will never be great until first they are lied on, talked about and falsely accused. You will never enter your destiny with out a fight. In fact, all Hell will break loose against you when you get close to your promise being fulfilled.
But regardless of what you go through you have the promise that God will bring you out. You also have the promise that regardless what the weapon is that Satan forms against you, it will not prosper!
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”
Psalms 34:19
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.”
Isaiah 54:17
If you want to know who is going somewhere and who is going to be great, look at who is going through affliction. Look at who is being persecuted, lied on and slandered.
If you are being talked about, lied on and false accused: get ready; you are in line for a blessing. If people are becoming jealous of you and working against you, what is really happening is God is setting you up for greatness. God is positioning you for the greatest blessing you have ever known. A ridiculous battle means you are getting ready to experience a ridiculous blessing!
I know you may not understand why you are having to go through what you are going through, but God will take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it to your good. In fact, the Word of the God says that ALL things (not some) will work together for your good.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”
Genesis 50:20
God is positioning you for a break through. He is setting you up for greatness. Your set back is preparing you for a come back. You are coming out of what you are in and you are going to come out blessed. You are going to come out with more than you had when you went in.
Like Joseph in the Book of Genesis people may be trying to destroy you but remember there is only so much that people can do. There is only so much that people can take from you. There are some things that people just cannot take from you. They can not take your praise. They can not take your destiny and they can not take your blessings. When God says you are blessed—you are blessed! Regardless of what people say or do against you.
Not only is there only so much that people can do against you, the truth is, there is also only so much that Satan can do against you. When Satan attacked Job there was only so much that God would allow him to do.
“And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand…”
Job 1:12
When satan attacked Job, he could have cursed God and died like his wife suggested but instead he chose to worship God.
“Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
Job 1:20-22
He boldly made the declaration that in spite of what he was going through he would not remain in the affliction that he was in. He also declared that he would not only come out but he said “When I come out I will come forth as gold.”
“But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
Job 23:10
Regardless of what you are going through make the declaration that Job made. Declare you will come out of your affliction and you will come out as gold! Just as God brought Job out, He will bring you out.
Going back to the story of Israel. The children of Israel went into affliction just like God told Abraham that they would. They were in bondage to Pharaoh and they needed a deliverer.
After four hundred years of affliction the children of Israel made the decision to call on the Name of God. Once they cried to God in their affliction God raised up a deliverer, a man by the name of Moses.
Moses in obedience to God goes to Pharaoh and commands him to let Gods people go. But Pharaohs heart was hardened and he refused to obey the voice of God. Moses returned to Pharaoh time after time and each time Pharaoh would harden his heart and refuse to let them go.
In fact, the more Moses went to Pharaoh the harder Pharaoh made life for the children of Israel. The closer they got to their deliverance the worse things seem to get. The closer you get to your deliverance, your breakthrough and victory the more Hell will come against you. As Dr. Mike Murdock says, “An increase of demonic activity against you is a sign that Satan has discovered your purpose and you are about to walk into the greatest season of your life!” Satan does not want you to come out of your affliction. Satan does not want the promises that God gave you to come to pass. If Hell is hitting you, you need to get excited because God is getting ready to move on your behalf, bring you out of what you are in and then reward you for your faithfulness.
Notice, things get worse for the children of Israel before they get better. Things also got worse for Job, Joseph and even Jesus. But in the end God always did what He said and brought them out of what they were in.
Regardless of what you are going through remember, God is for you and not against you and He will deliver you out of your affliction. It may not look like it. You may not feel like it. But what you see and what you feel has nothing to do with it. If God said it you can believe it. If God said you are coming out then get ready to come out! Whatever God said will come to pass!
“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
Numbers 23:19
God told Moses, “Tell Israel that I am getting ready to not only deliver them but that I am going to also bless them. In fact, God told Moses to tell them that He was going to give them favor in the sight of the Egyptians and that before it was over the very ones who had persecuted and afflicted them would bless them.
“And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty.”
Exodus 3:21
God was about to bless Israel greater than they had ever been blessed. God is getting ready to pour out a blessing upon you greater than anything you have ever experienced!
People laughed at you but you stayed faithful. You could have quit but you refused. You could have walked away but you chose to stay with Christ and now God says “It’s Pay Day!”
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Galatians 6:9
Before the children of Israel walked out of Egypt, the Egyptians, the very ones that afflicted and persecuted them, blessed them. The very ones who they had served for four hundred years were giving them silver and gold and costly garments.
“And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:
And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.”
Exodus 12:35-36
Just as God gave the children of Israel favor, God is getting ready to give you favor. The very ones that talked about you and tried to destroy you will bless you. The very ones that worked against you will begin to work for you. I know you may not see it at the present time but things are about to change. God is getting ready to flip the script. A new chapter is getting ready to be written in your life story and it is going to be the greatest chapter!
You are getting ready to enter in a season of divine favor. God is getting ready to reward you for your faithfulness. God is getting ready to place some stuff in your hands. In fact, God is going to bless you with some things that you will not even have to work for!
Like Ruth in the Bible you are going to stumble on to some blessings. God is going to give you handfuls on purpose. You will not even know how or where the blessings that you are going to receive will come from.
“And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:
And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.”
Ruth 2:15-16
Notice God promised to bring the children of Israel out of their afflictions. But God said before you experience your total victory you will find yourself in a situation that looks hopeless.
Just as God promised, Israel was delivered out of their affliction. But just as God also said, they found themselves in what looked like a hopeless situation. They found themselves looking at the Red Sea with no way in the natural of crossing it. And to make things worse Pharaoh and his mighty army was coming toward them determined to take them back into captivity.
They found themselves in a place where to the north was their enemy, to the south was the desert, to the east was the Red Sea, and to the west was the land of Goshen. They were in a place where it seemed there was no way out. Israel decided again to cry out to God. Here Israel is in what looks like a hopeless situation. Their enemy is pursuing them, determined to take them back into bondage. It is a fearful thing when the thing you were just delivered from is trying to take you back.
In the natural it looked like Israel was going to go back into Egyptian bondage, back into afflictions—BUT GOD!
God said I am going to give you a miracle! I am going to fulfill my promise to you and take you into a place of freedom and liberty, but there are a few things you first have to do.
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
Exodus 14:13-14
1. YOU CAN NOT BE AFRAID.
God said, “Do not be afraid.” It would be hard not to be afraid when your enemies are pursuing you, determined to take you back into bondage. Today it is hard not to be afraid when you receive a bad report from the doctor, have bills due when you do not have the money to pay them. It is hard not to become fearful when your children are on drugs, your marriage is falling apart, etc.
What you have to understand is the first thing the devil will try to get you to do when a problem arrives is become afraid. Satan knows that fear will stop the hand of God from moving on your behalf. But just as fear will stop the hand of God, faith will cause the hand of God to move for you!
Refuse to allow fear to arise within your heart. The moment fear moves in faith moves out. It is impossible to have both faith and fear at the same time. I will repeat it, when fear moves in faith moves out but when faith moves in fear moves out!
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Romans 10:17
There is a big difference in faith and fear.
· Fear sees the storm-Faith sees the rainbow!
· Fear sees the giants-Faith sees the grapes!
· Fear sees the hopefulness-Faith sees an oppor-tunity for God to be God!
· Fear sees the bills-Faith sees divine provision!
· Fear sees death-Faith sees the resurrection!
Moses said, “God is going to make a way of escape,” but you can not be afraid!
2. YOU MUST STAND STILL.
Secondly Moses said you must only not be afraid, but you must stand still.
“…Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord…”
Exodus 14:13
Stand still! Moses said you must resist the urge to move in the flesh. This was one situation that the children of Israel could not get out of on their own. If God did not get them out they were not going to get out!
The first thing we want to do when we are facing a situation that looks hopeless is to try to figure out on our own how we are going to get through what we are facing. Even though we have a promise from God, it seems we still want to help God out.
Abraham had the promise from God that his wife Sarah would have a son. But things did not happen as quickly as he thought they should. He is getting older along with his wife, whose womb is already dead. Abraham begins to try to figure it out in the flesh. You know the rest of the story. Hagar the handmaid becomes pregnant. Nine months later Ishmael is born. But just as God promised, Sarah still bore a son whose name was Isaac.
Because Abraham moved in the flesh there is still conflict today between the seed of Ishmael and the seed of Isaac. If Abraham would have waited on God Isaac would have been born just as God promised, and we would not have the conflict in the world that we have today.
God will do what He promised. It may look impossible but He is a God of the impossible. He is a God that will fulfill His promise!
“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:26
3. HOLD YOUR PEACE.
“…and ye shall hold your peace.”
Exodus 14:14
In other words, “Do not talk!” Why would Moses tell the children of Israel not to talk? Because if they would have talked, I am sure they would have began to talk about how impossible it was for them to get out of the situation they were in. Remember, they are facing the Red Sea and Pharaoh and his mighty army is pursuing them determined to bring them back into captivity.
Sometimes when you are in the middle of a test, trial or affliction it is best to simply “Hold your peace.” When you are facing a situation like the children of Israel that seems impossible, if you can not talk positive then simply do not talk.
The Word of God makes it very plain concerning the power of words. The wrong words have the ability to stop the power of God from moving on your behalf. In fact, the Bible tells us, life and death are in the power of the tongue. That people are literally snared by their words.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
Proverbs 18:21
“Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.”
Proverbs 6:2
4. GO FORWARD.
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:”
Exodus 14:15
God said tell them to do what? Go forward! Where did they have to go? Toward the Red Sea.
Sometimes when you are facing a hopeless situation, when you are in the middle of a trial, test, or affliction, you have to move by faith. Even though you may not feel like it, you have to move toward your destiny by faith. The enemy would have you remain where you are. He will tell you just stay where you are and wait on God. When the truth is God is waiting on you. He is waiting on you to move by faith. To obey His voice even if He tells you to do something that you do not understand. The truth is many times in my life God has told me to do things that made absolutely no sense. But each time I obeyed, a tremendous blessing came to my life.
God said to the children of Israel I am going to bring you out of your affliction but you have to do some things. God said when you do what I tell you to do then I will deliver you from the Egyptians forever. In fact, you will not even have to fight, because I will fight for you.
“The Lord shall fight for you…”
Exodus 14:14
God said the battle will not be between you and your enemies. This battle will be between Me and your enemies! One thing is for sure, when God fights a battle you can expect victory!
Notice what God does, He takes the cloud that has been going before the children of Israel and puts it behind them. The cloud brings light to Gods people but darkness to the Egyptians. It also became a shield for the children of Israel to shield them from their enemies.
“And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.”
Exodus 14:20
Some people do not understand why you do not get upset and mad when people talk about you and try to destroy you. What they do not understand is God has placed a shield between you and those working and talking against you. And because of that shield many times you do not even hear what they said or see what they were doing. Even if you did hear what they said and saw what they were doing, you still do not get upset because you know the battle belongs to God.
Notice, when Israel is facing what looks like a hopeless situation, God steps in and begins to change things. He caused an east wind to blow upon the Red Sea and divide the waters.
“And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.”
Exodus 14:21
God removed what had been stopping them from stepping into their next level of their destiny. He made a way where there seemed to be no way!
I love the old songs of the church, “I know the Lord will make a way for me! If I live a holy life, shun the wrong and do the right. I know the Lord will make a way for me!” God can make a way where there seems to be no way!
God made a way for the children of Israel and He will make a way for you. He will remove what has been hindering and stopping you.
God sent an east wind that blew upon the waters which created a road for them to walk on right in the middle of the Red Sea. When the enemy tried stopping them from going forward into what God had promised them, what was a road of deliverance for Gods people became a grave yard for their enemies. What became life for the children of Israel brought destruction to the Egyptians. When the Egyptians saw what God was doing for His people they said, “We better get out of here because God is fighting for His people!”
“And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the
face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the
Egyptians.”
Exodus 14:24-25
Just as God fought for the children of Israel, God is going to fight for you. God is getting ready to remove some situations for you and remove what has been stopping you. Things are getting ready to change. God is about to shift things in your favor!
You have been through some tremendous trials, tests and afflictions. You have been in the battle of your life. But because of your faithfulness God is about to bless you. In fact, He is going to bless you and give you double for your trouble!
“And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”
Job 42:10
Because of everything you have been through, because people have lied on you, betrayed you and tried to destroy you, God is getting ready to bless you greater than you have ever been blessed!
God’s eyes were upon you when you loved those that did you wrong. He saw how you had the opportunity to become bitter but instead chose to become better. He has seen your faithfulness, He watched you come to church when you did not feel like it, pay your tithes when the devil said you could not afford to. He saw your offerings when it was a sacrifice.
He heard you praise Him when everything inside of you told you not to. He heard you bless Him when some people told you to curse Him. God knows what has been done against you. He knows what people have said about you.
Because you stayed faithful God is going to bless you. Your prayers are about to be answered. Your prophesies are about to be fulfilled. What has been stolen from you is about to be restored.
People laughed at you but you stayed faithful. You could have quit but you stayed faithful. You could have lost faith but you stayed faithful and now it is your Pay Day!
You are coming out of what you have been in and you are coming out blessed. You will not come out empty handed. Just as God promised Abraham that he would bring his descendants out of captivity and when they come out they would not come out empty handed. You will also not come out empty handed. You will come out blessed.
No discussion, no negotiating, you will not settle for less than what God promised you. You have cried too many tears, put up with too much mess, gave up too many friends and walked through too many afflictions. You will be blessed!
You know what you have been through. Nobody knows how severe the battle truly was, but God kept you in the midst of it all. And God says, “The battle is now over, this is your coming out day!”
You will not come out with a bitter spirit. You will not come out with only scars proving that you have been in a fight. You will not come out empty handed.
Your enemies will not like what God is now going to do in your life but they do not have the power to stop it. What God calls blessed nobody has the power to call it cursed.
“How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?”
Numbers 23:8
God delivered the children of Israel just like He said. He also caused the Egyptians to bless them with silver, gold and costly garments.
“And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:
And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.”
Exodus 12:35-36
God is now going to unlock your wealth. He is going to unlock your future. He is going to give you your inheritance. Pay Day is now here! Your best is in your future. Your future is going to be greater than your past!
“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof…”
Ecclesiastes 7:8
The devil knows “It is your time!” Your enemies know something is about to change. What has been done against you has not prospered and now God is about to bless you! You are coming out! And you will not come out empty handed!
