Cyrus was a Persian king who ruled over a hundred years after Isaiah wrote these words found in our text. He was a man of great influence, a man God used to accomplish His purposes upon the earth.
Allow me to pause here and state that every one of us has influence. Influence means a power that causes an effect by indirect or tangible ways. It means to alter drastically or to change the course of a thing.
It does not matter who you are or what your vocation is, you are an influencer. It does not matter what your economical status, your culture, race, or age is, nor your level of education, if your life in anyway connects with others, you are an influencer, a driving force for change. And God seeks to work through you to accomplish His purposes by your hand.
Cyrus was a man of influence or power. But before he rose to prominence, many scholars believed that in his infancy he encountered adverse conditions that threatened at one time his purpose and destiny; for they believed that Cyrus was an outcast, left exposed to the evil elements of this world as an infant. But, by divine grace he was rescued from perishing by a herdsmanÕs wife because he was to be therein a type of the great Redeemer releasing GodÕs people out of their captivity.
Cyrus, who was spiritually ignorant of knowing intimately the God of Israel, because of being trained up in the worship of idols was yet called by God to manifest His purposes upon the earth.
Isaiah said in verse one of our text, ÒThus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden (or grasped) to subdue nations before himÉÓ The Lord called Cyrus, ÒHis anointed.Ó
Despite his theological or philosophical view, despite his culture, race or age, despite his background or past, God by His own omni-potency or authority called Cyrus just like many of us to greatness. And you can not afford to allow other peoples opinion of you, nor your own past failures or experiences to stop you from being persistent in achieving the destiny God called you to.
They labeled you as a failure, but yet God has called you. Branded you as a nobody, but yet God has called you and anointed you to do great exploits. Even the religious circles have turned their back on you because of their doctrinal view, but yet God has called youÉ
Whenever you attempt to bring about change because of the anointing placed upon your life, it plays on the insecurities of those who have grown accustomed to the way things are and have always been. In this way, your destiny or vision for change is often seen as a threat. But remember, God has anointed you for you to accomplish your purpose.
It is not uncommon for the negative emotions you stir up in people to be unleashed in the form of opposition. What you are convinced Òshould beÓ will be perceived by others as the very thing that Òshould not be.Ó But you must be determined to pursue despite the odds to what God is calling you to.
Regardless of whatÕs driving your critics, regardless of what obstacles you encounter, if you give up now, if you lose heart, what could be and should be will never be; at least not as a result of your labor.
Therefore, tell the person next to you, ÒYour destiny demands your diligence.Ó
It is not a matter of whether your vision or destiny is going to be fulfilled, itÕs a matter of whether you are going to be true, faithful, and persistent in the midst of trials and tribulations so that God can bring it to pass.
If you are going to quit after a couple of conflicts or unwarranted criticisms, you will never realize your dreams, manifest your vision, nor enter your destiny. Commitment and persistence is the desire to withstand every opposition.
Whenever obstacles come along by way of family, friends, church members or even foes, persistence responds with the attitude such as, ÒYou might as well give up because IÕm not going to stop until I poses that what God has promised me.Ó
I donÕt know who I preaching to, but help me preach by telling your neighbor, ÒDonÕt give up, and never take no as answer when it comes to your destiny or vision.Ó
You have to be determined to do what God has called you to do. You have to tell ÒNoÓ this belongs to me. If ÒNoÓ continues refusing you on Monday, than go back on Tuesday and say, ÒThis belongs to me.Ó If ÒNoÓ continues refusing you on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, keep going back until ÒNoÓ says, ÒHere, take it, IÕm tiered of you coming here pestering me!Ó
Many people loose out because they quit when ÒNoÓ refuses them the first time, but persistent, diligent, people overcome because they never take no for an answer, they never give up when it comes to their visions.
Getting back to the circumference of our text, Cyrus, a man of great influence - the LordÕs anointed, was a man of determination. He became King of Persia despite his past situation. I suppose his daddy disowned him. Mother abandoned him and many mocked him before reaching adulthood. That is why some historians believed he was an outcast. But yet there was something that compelled him to rise above his past.
And through the process of manhood, Cyrus prepared himself for his future by being a man of active genius, for he made himself very considerable when the king of Lydia made a descent upon him and when Cyrus repulsed the king he gained control and overtook Lydia and all its provinces. This victories battle famed his name and Cyrus was positioned afterward to his predestine purpose.
Ten years later in conjunction with his uncle Darius and with the forces of Persia he then fought Babylon until He tasted victory. This was foretold in the book on Daniel chapter five verses twenty-five through twenty-nine.
You need to realize that Babylon was no easy conquest because it encompassed an outer wall surrounding the city that is said to have been 42 miles long and 86 feet wide. It also had an inner wall 75 feet high and 32 feet wide, with 100 bronze gates that protected the city. But God according to verse two of our text declared, ÒI will go before thee and make the crooked places strait: I will break in places the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron.Ó
I am cognizant that we view walls and gates as a since of safety, but on the opposite side pertaining to our destinies or visions, they could be viewed as limitations based on there locations.
Therefore, God declared that He will by His power remove the obstacles and provide a way for His anointed. Is your life surrounded by lack, insufficiency, poverty, and walls of opposing forces and factors prevent you from pursuing your destiny?
Do you suffer from low self-esteem or self-worth? Do you lack confidence? All of these are limitations in your life and God desires to tear down the walls of limitations to set you free to do what He has called you to do.
Cyrus had great determination in overcoming these limitations that prevented him from conquering Babylon. Why, because he was anointed to release GodÕs chosen and provide the resources to rebuild the city of Jerusalem.
Tell the person next to you that ÒThat You Are Anointed.Ó
You are anointed to break every generational curse that has hindered you from manifesting your vision and entering your destiny. You are anointed to destroy the limitations that hinder your progress. You are anointed to maximize your life, your relationship and your ministry. You Are Anointed!
In the book of Ezra the first chapter, verses one through four it reads this concerning Cyrus, and I paraphrase, ÒAnd in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among youÑmay his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.Ó
Cyrus was the catalyst who enabled the Jews to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem and even paid for it after they were in captivity for 70 years in Babylon. The Jews would not have been able to do this had they been stuck under Babylonian rule. Therefore, God anointed Cyrus to get them out.
No matter what the opposition, God is for your vision and destiny. He would not have anointed you and conceived your vision and destiny in your heart if He did not intended to bring it to pass. He freely gives you all things, so hold on for your vision will impact the lives of many people. It will give purpose and direction to many peoples lives.
In fact, without your vision, some people would wander in circles with no purpose for their lives and consequently never fulfill the destinies God has for their lives.
