Turn the Page
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
PRAYER
SCRIPTURE: - Jeremiah 23:20 NKJV “In the latter days you shall understand it perfectly”.
John 13:7 “Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter”.
OPENING: - I will compare different versions of the Bible when studying because the wording will often be different and it will offer a different understanding. For example, our text in KJV & NKJV “In latter days you shall understand it perfectly or consider it perfectly”. However, some version will say “In the days to come you will understand what this means” ASV, ESV.
Today I just want to encourage someone dealing with difficult times, a difficult situation, a problem that just totally caught you off guard and you are literally dumbfounded, perplexed, confused, frustrated, angry, upset because the immediate future and circumstances are unclear at best.
QUESTION: - Have you ever read a book, the Bible, a novel, love story or anything and you get to a part of the book, and it just does not make sense. It is hard to figure out; it just doesn’t seem to fit in with everything else you have been reading up to this point. You would go back trying to figure out if you missed something, did you skip over some vital part, did you misunderstand what was happening because what you just read doesn’t make sense. However, when you turn the page and read a little more it all come together.
In John13:7 “Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter”. Jesus had poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciple’s feet when He gets to Peter, Peter says vs#6 “Lord, dost thou wash my feet”? In other words this doesn’t make sense after everything you did, everything you taught us, all the miracles we saw you perform, how you called me and caused me to walk on water and now you want to wash my feet, this doesn’t make sense to me and vs#8 “Thou shalt never wash my feet” because it just doesn’t make sense. Jesus said in vs#7 “thou shalt know hereafter”. Right now it doesn’t make since, but hold on, press on, don’t give up it will all come together after a while.
Let me encourage you:- You have given up somethings, you have turned away from things, you have been walking on this path with Jesus Christ for sometime when out on nowhere this situation hit you, this circumstance took the wind out of you, like David said your foot almost slipped. You couldn’t understand how you were doing everything according to the Word of God, you were like Job you paid tithes, offered prayers for others did everything and suddenly the boat of your life began to sink and you find yourself sinking crying out like Peter Lord Save Me!
You don’t understand why this is happening, you can’t figure it out, you’re confused, frustrated, upset, but just like when you read a book if you just turn the page. If you just keep on pressing, holding on, don’t give up. You may not understand it right now; it may not make sense right this very moment but afterwhile it will come together. Pretty soon you will understand what it all means and what it is all for. All you have to do is turn the page, hold on, press through.
In your walk with Christ there will be detours, there will be distraction, delays, and disappointments but you must keep on moving, you must turn the page understanding that there is somewhere you need to go. This right here isn’t all there is, this right here is not the end of your story, this right here even though I may not quite understand it I know I got somewhere to go and that is the next page, that is the next chapter in your life, that is the next mountain top. Have to make up in your mind, set your heart to and say this current situation was just a delay, this circumstance was a distraction, but I am determined and I know without a shadow of a doubt I have a destiny I have somewhere to go, and that place is victory.
Not only do you have somewhere to go but I have got something I need to do because this that I am dealing with right now although you don’t understand it all yet is preparing you for something to do that greater than you can even imagine. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think”. God has a purpose for you and a plan for your life. You may not understand it right now but let me say to you that once you turn the page, the next chapter in your life is going to be something supernatural, it’s going to be amazing.
Understand you are not finished, it’s not over, there is more to come, there is more to your story. As long as there is breath in your body, as long as God is sitting on the throne, as long as you can keep on pressing forward there is more to come. Just remember not to accept mediocrity but strive to progress, press forward, turn the page because there is more that God has for you.
Understand don’t let this current situation, this current problem, this thing that you don’t understand right now lock you into a place of stagnation, a place of accepting that this is it, this is all it is ever going to be, I might as well just settle for this because I can’t understand why or how come. You are a living stone although rejected by people at times you are a peculiar people chosen by God for such a time as this. You are a living stone and the purpose and job description of a living stone is to declare the praises of Him who called us out of the darkness of sin into the light of life and glory 1 Peter 2:9. The job description of a living stone is to be a speaker of praise, a declarer of truth and love and light. As living stones, we glorify the Lord in all we do 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”.
Sure things may be hard to understand right now but just turn the page, because you must understand that you are built for this, before the foundation of the world God knew that you would be at this point, He knew that you would feel the way you do right now, because nothing surprises Him, He knows the beginning from the end, He knows the hairs on your head and has them numbered, He already has the outcome of your situation and circumstances played out in destiny for He said in Jeremiah 29:11 “ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” all you have to do is just turn the page and get to the next chapter.
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are built for this. Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning – when is morning when you Turn the page. You may not understand it right now but just turn the page.
If you feel stuck in the hopelessness of this chapter, Turn the page. If the despair seems to be getting to you Turn the page.
Keep being diligent and Turn the page. Seems like you can’t figure it out Turn the page. Seems like friends are leaving you all alone Turn the page.
I guarantee if you keep Turning the page Watch God do something miraculous in your life.
CLOSING: - My wife and I have a lot of trees in and around our property and in the spring I even planted 3 more trees that are growing beautifully. We have this mulberry tree that is probably 300 years old it is enormous. About a month almost 2 months ago the leaves on that mulberry tree started to turn and it was a vibrant display of yellow and orange and green just beautiful. We are now late in the fall season; the leaves have changed and are falling off the trees. The tree that just a few weeks ago provided shade from the afternoon sun is just about empty of its leaves, the branches are dry, brittle, and many branches have broken off and that tree that was so beautiful just a little while ago and to look at it now it seems like it will never be something beautiful again. However, soon the season will change again and before you know it there will be new buds coming on the tree and soon new leaves will begin to appear, but the seasons had to turn first. The wonderful thing to understand is that the new leaves could not come until the old leaves had gone away.
Every season brings about a new change and every time you turn the page a new season in your life is ready to bloom. So, no matter what you are dealing with, no matter if you don’t understand it all right now stand like a tree planted by rivers of water. You may right now be bear and all your leaves are gone and you don’t understand why, but stay connected to Jesus, stand strong, and stand firm in Jesus and as long as you stay soon and very soon once the page has been turned there is going to be a new fruitful season in your life, a new chapter will be revealed, things will get better once you Turn the Page.
For “In the latter days you shall understand it perfectly”.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
