382-You Can Expect Good Things to Happen#
382-You Can Expect Good Things to Happen
(jp text group - shalom organized)
Jeremiah 29:10-14:
10 "For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I caused you to be carried away captive."
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank You and praise You for preparing such a wonderful time for us. We come before You seeking truth and revelation. Your word is established in heaven, and Your promises will surely come to pass. No matter what difficulties we encounter, we can call upon You. You said that if we call upon You and pray to You, You will listen to us. If we seek You with all our heart, we will find You. We come to seek You with a longing heart, and You provide for us in due time. You know the needs of our brothers and sisters, and we commit this time to the Holy Spirit to lead and renew us. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
The topic of sharing is: You Can Expect Good Things to Happen
The children of God are always people of hope. No matter what happens, God will surely make a way for us and will keep us; the outcome will definitely be good. The world may not have such hope. When they encounter disasters, they do not know what to do next; but we are different. The One we look up to loves us, and He is faithful; He will surely save us!
Today's passage is God's promise to the people of Israel. At that time, the Israelites were still slaves in Babylon. Why were they slaves? You can understand this by looking at the prophetic books. God was willing to bless the Israelites, but they were unwilling to follow God's ways, and in the end, they were plundered by their enemies and became slaves in Babylon.
God told them that after seventy years, He would surely look after them! This is the righteousness that God showed to the people of Israel under the Old Covenant. Because they sinned, sin must be punished; therefore, God set a time limit of seventy years. Once the time is fulfilled, God said, "I will look after you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place."
They are now slaves in Babylon, and God gives them a very certain hope: after seventy years, you will return to your original place and rebuild your home. If we encounter such situations without God's promises, we might be completely disheartened and despairing. Once we become slaves, wanting to regain freedom seems almost impossible. But God is the Creator of heaven and earth, and through the prophet Jeremiah, He told the Israelites at that time, "You will surely return."
Jeremiah 29:4-7:
4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters, that you may be increased there, and not diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.
This is God's promise to them. As mentioned earlier, although they made mistakes, God did not say that they would have no hope and could never stand up again. God said that even if you are taken captive, do not lose heart; you can live there temporarily and pray for the city where you have been taken captive, seeking peace, and God will also grant you peace there.
God's righteousness and God's love have always gone hand in hand, with grace and mercy together. God is gracious, and He is also an absolutely righteous God. Since they made mistakes, they must pay the price; this is a characteristic of the Old Covenant. If you read the five books of Moses, you can see that no matter what they did, God's promise is that He will never forsake them. Even in the land of captivity, God wants the people of Israel to understand: "The thoughts I think toward you are thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Some people may ask: Why would God allow such things to happen, letting them become slaves living in Babylon? God has always been willing to bless His people, but the people are unwilling to follow God's ways. Since God has written these in the Bible, He hopes we can understand these things and not walk the old path of the Israelites, but live according to God's word in everything; this is God's intention.
The thoughts He has toward us are always thoughts of peace and not of evil; therefore, in Christ, we have eternal hope! Even if they made mistakes and became slaves, God said: "You will call upon Me and pray to Me, and I will listen to you." Of course, besides coming out of captivity, because there is a time limit, when the time comes, God will naturally lead them out. Besides that, even as slaves in that place, when encountering problems, they can still pray to God, and if they seek God wholeheartedly, they will surely find Him.
When Jesus preached, He also quoted this scripture: "You will seek Me and find Me; knock, and it will be opened to you." The people realized that they truly needed this God. When everything was smooth sailing, they did not want God. The Israelites were in such a situation; when everything was peaceful and good, they worshiped idols, opposed God, and did all sorts of things that displeased Him. Later, when these problems arose and the environment changed, God gave them hope: "You can call upon Me when you encounter problems, and I give you a hope that you can expect good things to happen at any time, even in the land of captivity; this is our God!"
If there is a conflict with someone else, we might not want to contact them again and may not want to pay attention to them anymore; God is not like that. Even if we offend God, He will not forsake us. When we encounter difficulties, we can still call upon Him! The hope of the world is that it may happen or it may not happen. When encountering suffering, they may feel that it might pass, or perhaps it will not; it is a vague kind of hope. Hope is not faith; hope is the expectation that good things will happen in the future!
With God, there is no possibility, maybe, or probably; God's promises are yes and amen. Because of Jesus, we can positively expect good things to happen; this is biblical hope. You can have this beautiful expectation; God's promises are unchanging at any time.
When the world tells you not to have too much hope, saying that the world is like this, and people's hearts are corrupt! Business is hard to do, and family ties are gone; you must live for yourself, and if you don't live for yourself, you will perish! The world has suffered too many blows and no longer holds any hope, but God's word tells us that at any time, you can expect good things to happen! Just focus on God's promises, Hallelujah!
Because our God is the God of peace, if you are in pain, you truly need to have beautiful hope. Believe that God is the God who heals, and Jesus is the God who heals us. Before having this faith, you must first have hope, which means seeing that God is willing to heal you, and you can easily receive this healing, Hallelujah!
A couple of days ago, a sister told me that during the process of listening to the sermon, her heart problem was healed. She used to have an irregular heartbeat, but it no longer beats chaotically because she believes that the God mentioned in the Bible is a faithful God. She believes that God is a healing God, and during the sermon, she laid hands on her heart and prayed, and she was healed.
It may sound easy to say, but the fact is this: you can expect good things to happen; just place your expectations on God's promises, and things will develop according to God's promises. Do not have two kinds of expectations, such as wondering if it will work or trying God's words first; do not have such thoughts. Believe that God's promises will surely be fulfilled! In the Lord Jesus Christ, there is positive and active hope, Hallelujah! How do we receive these? It is not because we have behaved well or performed well that God gives us, but because of Jesus.
1 Peter 2:24-25:
24 Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
This passage makes it very clear that Jesus Christ bore our sins in His own body on the tree; this is a fact. Because Jesus bore our sins on the cross, we believe that He took our place for our sins, and we can live in His righteousness! Some people always emphasize what it means to live in righteousness. It is very simple: you have God's righteousness, God's blessings, peace, and promises, which can freely come upon you, including healing.
We live in the righteousness of Christ, and by His stripes, we were healed. This is a completed action, not a future action. Many people's prayers use the future tense: "Lord, I am sick; please heal me..." This sentence sounds fine, but it is in the future tense. They do not know when God will heal them. If they do not see results after praying for a long time, they may give up, thinking that God may not heal them.
It is not like that! The original text uses the completed tense: "by His stripes," indicating that He has already borne those stripes for us, and you were healed. Because Jesus has already suffered the stripes, you have already been healed. We are drawing from what Jesus has already accomplished, so you can expect healing to happen to you immediately! This is related to our faith and reception. Many people say they believe they can be healed today; some say it may take two or three days because their illness is more serious! This depends on each person's level of faith and how much they understand Jesus. In any case, you can have positive hope, Hallelujah! Believe that this promise is something you can draw from. If you are in pain, you can expect healing to happen to you, Amen!
You were once like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. We are no longer drifters, with no home; we have a covering, Jesus Christ, a provider, Jesus Christ, a Shepherd who will care for all our needs! Even if no one can understand you, and no one loves you, Jesus still loves you! Even if many people do not recognize you, Jesus still recognizes you! You are no longer a lonely person; you belong to Christ, Hallelujah!
At any time, do not place your focus and hope on people; place it on Jesus. The focus must be adjusted correctly to expect good things to happen, to expect positive things, good things to happen to you. Many people have been hurt because they placed their gaze and focus on people, and as a result, they no longer believe in people. Some people have been hurt in relationships and no longer believe in relationships. Some have been deceived while dealing with others and no longer trust people. Brothers and sisters, this is all because the focus was wrong.
But Jesus will never deceive you; you will always have hope in Christ. Some people say they used to have a lot of hope in God, but in the end, God disappointed them greatly! Where does the reason lie? Perhaps the hope was mixed with human expectations, not biblical hope. The hope of the world is that something may happen or may not happen. If we use this vague, indecisive hope, we may not see good results; biblical hope is that it will definitely happen, Amen!
It will definitely happen. Just like what was said earlier, if you truly believe that by Jesus' stripes you were healed, no matter what others say, no matter what the report says, believe and declare with such firmness, and you will surely receive! What is feared is believing God's word on one hand while also believing what others say on the other, and in the end, not believing. Many people end up disappointed, saying: "God deceived me." God will never deceive us! He has given us Jesus, allowing His only begotten Son to take our place for our sins; why would He deceive us?
God is the God of peace, the God of health; this is His nature. He will not deceive us! Since others have received, we can surely receive too. Because it is not based on our performance or achievements, it is because of belief! Therefore, we can expect good things to happen, Hallelujah! Everything we receive is through Jesus. Is Jesus healthy? You can receive health through Jesus. Has Jesus succeeded? Does Jesus have wisdom? Read God's word and let His wisdom become your wisdom! Jesus bore our sins on the cross, so we can receive everything that Christ has, God's promises, no matter how many there are, are real, and we can receive them freely through Jesus.
2 Corinthians 1:20-21:
20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God.
This passage is very clear: all the promises of God, no matter how many, are Yes in Christ. This means that through Jesus Christ, God's promises become real; you can expect this promise to happen in your life.
Why did God write those good things, those promises, those hopes, and those future matters in the Bible? It is to hope that those who see these promises will receive them; otherwise, why write them down? When reading the Bible, do not think that the promises are for someone else, for others, for those with great faith, or for pastors; they are for you! If you see them, then they are yours! No matter how many promises there are, through Jesus, you can receive them, Amen!
This point must be remembered. Do not listen to one person and believe it, then listen to another person and believe that too. You must personally see how those promises are stated! Hold on to these promises; do not follow the crowd. Some say this is false, this cannot be believed, this is not for you, this is for those with great faith... If you receive it this way, you will naturally miss out on that promise! God has so many promises; believe and you will receive!
I will give a simple example. The Corinthians in the Bible had very little understanding of God, and their biblical knowledge was not much, and their behavior was not very good. But they had one thing: they were particularly eager for spiritual gifts, and God gave these to them because they pursued them in this area. We hope everyone can be rooted in the truth and use various gifts; that is better. I just want to tell everyone that the Corinthians grasped this and believed it was for themselves, and they received it, and God indeed gave it to them, Amen!
With so many promises and blessings, whatever you think is yours, just draw from that promise, and you will see God's glory, Amen! The one who blesses you and cares for you is our God. These blessings in Christ, God can give you. Do not limit God's promises and blessings with a legalistic mindset. If you think this is impossible for you, then you will not see it. Why do some people have great faith? It is because they believe more; they can expand their imagination in Christ, and God will fulfill what they ask for in their lives, Amen! We should also believe in God's blessings; God's promises come to us this way. Do not be half-hearted, believing half of what people say and half of what Christ says; this will diminish God's power, Amen.
You must believe that through Jesus Christ, He is willing to give you all His blessings! Wisdom, power, peace, health, He is willing to give you, and He desires your life on earth to be abundant, and you can also become a blessing to many. Expect good things to happen to you. If you are lying in bed sick every day, how can you tell others that God is the God who heals, that God is the God of peace? If you are poor and have nothing, how can you tell others that God is a rich God? Therefore, you can first expect God's good things to happen to you. Say, "Lord, through me, let me proclaim Your virtues and help more people know the goodness of Christ," Hallelujah!
Those who do not believe in Jesus can still have a positive and optimistic view of their lives, which will still help them. For example, some success theories, which they call positive energy, can also help people and may lead some to small achievements to some extent! As believers, we should have such assurance and joy because God is a real God; He is the Lord who created heaven and earth, the Lord who loves you, and you believe in Him. These good things should indeed come upon you. You will become the best witness of Christ, and no matter what environment you are in, you can rely on Christ to get through peacefully, Amen!
Jeremiah 32:39-41:
39 Then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good, but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. 41 Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.
God, through Jeremiah, continually gave hope to the people of Israel, telling them not to give up hope. Through such things, God wanted to tell the Israelites that after seventy years, they would surely return to their original land, but they must be of one heart and walk in God's ways, living in the fear of God, and not be reckless. If they obey God's words, they and their descendants will surely be blessed.
Here, God, through Jeremiah, tells them, "I will make an everlasting covenant with them." This covenant can be understood as the New Covenant, an everlasting covenant. Through Jesus Christ, we have an everlasting covenant with God. Because it is an everlasting covenant, God's grace will surely follow us and will not leave us! Hallelujah! As long as we fear God, do not depart from Him, and are willing to live according to His words, grace will come upon us. It is not a matter of exchange; it is a question of which one you are willing to obey. As Paul said, "If you obey sin, you become a slave to sin; if you obey righteousness, you become a slave to righteousness."
In our daily lives, we are actually making choices: either live according to God's words or follow our own ways. When we live according to God's words, we see the fruits that come from God's words. Of course, we can also live according to our own wisdom and desires, and we will bear a different kind of fruit. We are making such choices every day, but God hopes we fear Him, do not depart from Him, and place all our hope in Him!
"I will rejoice over them to do them good." Today, God will surely rejoice over you to do you good. He will plant you in this place with all His heart and soul, which means you will be in this current place, allowing God to bring more blessings upon you, so that many will see the goodness of Christ in you!
I believe there will be many such testimonies around you. When we see someone, we say, "Look at how blessed that person is!" God is willing to bless him like that; he has become a benchmark in that place. When mentioning this person, we say, "That person is truly blessed!" God is willing to bless us like this, and we should have such hope. You should expect to become such a person, living according to God's words, regardless of how others live; that is their business. God wants to tell the people of Israel in this place, "I will rejoice over you to do you good. I will plant you in this land with all My heart and soul, and no one will be able to uproot you," Hallelujah!
God delights in our prosperity. Jesus once likened our relationship with the Father to that of a father and son. He said, "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?" In our relationship with our children, if a child is hungry and crying, would you give him a stone? As a parent, would you be so cruel? No matter what the child's situation is, if he is hungry, you would not throw a stone at him! A stone is obviously not edible! You certainly would not do that.
If he asks for a fish, would you give him a snake? If a child wants a fish and you give him a snake, he would be scared! It would harm him, right? We would not harm our children! Therefore, it goes on to say, "If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?" This means that God is particularly willing to give good things to those who ask Him! The problem is that as children of God, we never pray to God! We rely on ourselves, pondering, exploring, and seeking, but do not seek God. This is too unfortunate!
You can expect good things to happen; it must be based on the promises of Jesus Christ! If you expect good things apart from God's words, saying, "I hope business will be better this year!" it is useless; "I hope my child can get good grades this year." This is your hope, but it has no root unless you are in Jesus Christ. The hope in Christ is the only real hope.
"Lord, I believe You will bless my child this year, give him wisdom, and grant him good grades." Then pray for your child every day, in the name of the Lord Jesus, "Grant him wisdom so that he can remember what he needs to learn." Regularly pray for your child, and hope will become real, with roots and foundations, Hallelujah! Otherwise, hope is vague and uncertain; we do not know if it can be realized. If business is not good, expect business to improve this year. "Lord, grant me wisdom so that I can have new ideas, new wisdom, and new innovations in what I do, and it will get better and better."
You can ask God for wisdom like this every day. Looking at these things, God may suddenly give you an idea or wisdom one day, innovating in what you are currently doing. Hallelujah! Perhaps one idea can multiply your business several times; this is what we seek from God, and God will surely grant it to us. God is indeed pleased to show grace to you, and He has made a covenant with you; He will never cease to show grace to you. This is God's promise to us. Since there is this promise, we should look at how to receive it. Receiving all this is definitely not based on our current achievements or boasting; it is based on belief, Hallelujah! Faith produces results.
Jeremiah 33:9: "And this city shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it."
This is also a prophecy from Jeremiah. When Jeremiah conveyed these prophecies to these people, they were still slaves, and their situation was very bleak. However, did you notice that the words Jeremiah conveyed to them were that God would bless them, which is a great hope? You should have such expectations; this is a beautiful vision. God hopes that your family and friends will know that the blessings He gives you are visible, not just spiritual blessings, but real blessings that turn the spiritual into the earthly. People around you will fear and tremble because of the grace and peace God has given you.
I have previously shared about Isaac. When Isaac was fighting with the Philistines, those people often bullied him. Isaac repeatedly yielded, and in the end, those people were afraid because they realized that there was God's grace upon Isaac. They feared because of God's grace, and in the end, they approached Isaac and said, "Let us make a covenant; I will not harm you, and you do not harm us. Let us reach an agreement."
How did these worldly people see this? They initially bullied Isaac with malice, but Isaac repeatedly yielded. However, they observed that this person could succeed in whatever he did. They knew this was not human luck; it was the blessing of the God he believed in! Isaac must have had a demeanor that made them realize he was a believer in God.
Many people, after believing in Jesus, have no difference from the world. Their actions and principles are exactly the same as those of the world. Others deceive and cheat; they do the same. Others lie; they do the same. How can they see God's blessings upon them? This is impossible unless they are determined to expect good things to happen and wholeheartedly live according to God's words. Others will see that you do things differently! There must be something about you because of the Jesus you believe in, Hallelujah!
The clothing worn by many prophets in the Old Testament, their way of eating, and their way of speaking were all different from ordinary people! Just a glance, and you would know they were prophets. Just like John the Baptist, he dressed differently from everyone else, and the words he spoke made everyone know he was a prophet, Hallelujah!
I hope everyone does not let the world think you dress strangely, knowing you believe in Jesus. I hope everyone is known for the words that come out of your mouth, making it clear that you are different. Let the words of blessing fill your home and everything you do, so that those people will fear and tremble, Hallelujah! Therefore, fear and trembling do not necessarily relate to judgment. Many people, when they mention fear and trembling, always think it is related to God's judgment and fear of bad things happening. This is also a kind of expectation!
But here, it refers to God's grace and peace, making some people feel fear and trembling because it is too great and too much, causing them to feel afraid. "Lord, I truly do not deserve this grace; You have treated me so graciously!" People around will also see that person is different; that person cannot be bullied; he is a believer in Jesus, and one cannot offend such a person. Otherwise, there will be bad results, and those around will change because of this. These are the fruits of our faith.
Romans 5:1-5:
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Those who are justified by faith know that we are saved people, reconciled with the Father through Jesus Christ. There is no longer a problem of sin between us and the Father; we are reconciled, and we have assurance. When we encounter terrible things or bad environments, we are still people of hope! We can rejoice and expect good results in any environment, Amen. We are blessed by God, expecting good things to happen. We are wise and capable; this is not surprising. It is precisely when we have nothing, when the environment is terrible, and when the future is bleak, that we expect good things to happen, and you will be different from the world! Amen.
Even when tribulations come, we should rejoice because God has not forsaken us; His promises can still be fulfilled. The fulfillment of God's promises has nothing to do with the environment we are in. It is not that when the environment is good, God's promises are fulfilled quickly; because the environment is bad, God's promises are fulfilled slowly; there is no such distinction! Even in tribulations, we should rejoice and expect good things to happen, anticipating the fulfillment of God's promises. In such environments, we do not complain, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope; hope does not disappoint. The final result is that God does not let us be ashamed; the environment shapes our character so that we can bear His greater blessings!
Take the problem of the Israelites as an example. They were reckless in the past and were taken captive to become slaves. During these seventy years, they could reflect on how reckless they had been, not obeying God's words, living however they wanted, which led to bad things happening. They could resolve to live according to God's words in the future; wouldn't that be good? Even if the environment is there, God can protect them! It is not that God just watches you suffer and does not care; no, even in this terrible environment, God said, "You call upon Me, and I will fulfill it! I am the God who hears your prayers." Therefore, at any time, you can expect good things to happen!
When problems arise, we need to receive hope from God, biblical hope, Amen! In His promises, expect good things to happen. Joshua and Caleb, because they believed in God's promises, when difficulties came, they saw the problems as food.
Numbers 14:6-9:
6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them. The Lord is with us; do not fear them!"
Joshua and Caleb thought of the promises God gave them. Although the walls were tall and the enemies were strong, when it came to fighting, they might not necessarily win. But Joshua and Caleb believed that God was still there, and His promise was to bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. They did not look at how terrible the environment was; they believed that God's promises would surely be fulfilled! No one can stop the fulfillment of God's promises unless you do not believe.
Twelve people entered the promised land to see what the land was like. When they returned, ten spies did not believe. They did not doubt that God's words were true; they doubted that God could bring them in. Today, many people acknowledge that God is a God who blesses, that He is willing to give us peace, and that He is willing to give us those promises, but they do not believe that God is giving them. They will have many reasons: "I do not believe well; I often sin; I read the Bible too little; I pray too little..." There are many reasons, ultimately denying that God loves them! How could they come to such a conclusion? At any time, expect God's promises to surely be fulfilled in our lives. Do not be like those ten spies who believed they could not enter and would die in the wilderness. Indeed, they died in the wilderness along with that generation, but only Joshua and Caleb said, "These people are our food!"
What made them say this? They saw the same difficulties, but because they believed that God's promises would surely be fulfilled! They expected good things to happen and did not look elsewhere; they believed that God would surely lead them through! Although the way had not yet come, they believed so, and they regarded those people as food, thinking that the problem was not big and would only make them stronger!
When difficulties arise in life, do not lose heart, and do not deny God because of them. You can eat them, Amen! Otherwise, some trivial matters in life will make some people tense and eventually break down. Many trivial matters cause many people great pain, indicating that they have too little practical experience. If persecution comes in the last days, many people will not believe; what will happen then? We will have even less hope!
Therefore, when encountering these small problems in life, learn to be like Joshua and Caleb, treating these difficulties as food to consume, and you will become stronger, Amen. Just keep your focus on God's promises, expect good things to happen, and firmly hold on to God's promises. No matter what others say, if they give a hundred reasons, I believe God's promises will be fulfilled in my life. "Lord, grant me methods, grant me wisdom, and let me overcome these difficulties," Amen!
Some great people in the Bible never said their lives were smooth sailing; they all encountered difficulties and problems. But those great people ate those difficulties and problems as food, and they received blessings that others did not receive! David became famous because of Goliath; everyone knows this. But why did the Israelites not receive this blessing? They did not have David's faith. They also had God's promises, but they did not have the determination and belief in God's power like David. David became famous because of Goliath!
Samson became famous for killing the Philistines! Why? Because Samson believed like that! When the Israelites saw foreign enemies invading, they sought someone to solve their problems and found that Samson was strong! His strength came from believing God's words! They grasped part of God's promises and held on tightly. Many times, the problems we encounter only enhance our character, enabling us to bear God's blessings more and to know God's goodness and faithfulness better.
Isaiah 54:1-3:
1 "Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman," says the Lord. 2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes. 3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited."
This passage can be understood as the hope given to the people of Israel by the prophet. How many people can grasp this hope? "Sing, O barren, you who have not borne!" It is because God has blessed them; those who were previously barren and childless will have many children. What is the reason? It is because God's promises have been fulfilled in them. Before the fulfillment, what should we do?
Verse 2: "Enlarge the place of your tent."
Why enlarge? If you say, "I am just one person; why enlarge my tent?" If you think this way, you will certainly not enlarge your tent and will not see God's more promises appear. If you say, "I am just living alone; I do not think about others," why enlarge? Why stretch out the curtains of my dwelling? If you do not think, God will not be able to bless you, so do not limit God's blessings; you can also expect good things to happen! Brothers and sisters, if you do not expect good things to happen, you may be expecting bad things to happen; you must choose one! Many people, when they quiet down and do nothing, start thinking about things.
They think about how someone at home has wronged them, how that neighbor has wronged them, and how many things they regret doing in the past. But what benefit do these things bring you? The more you think, the angrier and more disheartened you become, and the less hope you have. It is better to change your thinking; you should always expect good things to happen! Since we are going to think about things, let us think about God's promises, not looking at how the current environment is, but expecting beautiful results to come in the future. Do this every day, and it will be different; this is equivalent to enlarging your tent!
"Stretch out the curtains of your dwelling," because you know there will be many people living there, many children, and my inheritance will be great, so you must stretch out your curtains, right? Do not limit; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. First, you must adapt to what the blessings will look like when they come! You cannot even dare to think about it; you have never thought about it. What should you do? Therefore, God says, "You shall expand to the right and to the left; your descendants will inherit many nations."
The reason Abraham could have such a great inheritance is that he saw it. At that time, God told Abraham, "Look to the north, south, east, and west; all the land you see, I will give to you and your descendants." How could Abraham see? He did not ride a horse and travel around the world; it was from a spiritual perspective. Looking to the left, right, east, and west, what we can see depends on how much expectation we have for God's words.
If you expect what you are doing now to have tenfold or twentyfold blessings, then expect these good things to happen actively! When you have such expectations, let God grant you wisdom and blessings in what you do, and you will see! But if you never think, "Lord, bless me," and do not know what you want, how can God bless you? God has made it very clear: "You shall expand to the right and to the left." To what extent should you expand? Those desolate cities; do not look at the land of Canaan as desolate; it is the land where your descendants will dwell!
Take Joshua and Caleb as an example. They saw that although there were strong enemies in the land of Canaan, they had already entered because God's promises had already been given to them. In the spiritual realm, they had already seen that land as theirs. When you have such vision and such positive expectations, you can treat those enemies as food. Otherwise, how could you treat them as food when they are so strong? God's way is definitely not to see first and then enjoy the astonishing blessings; it must start from within you, Hallelujah! First, see it from within, believe it, and then you will see it outside.
Some may say, "What if I prepare for blessings, and in the end, they do not appear?" Do not entertain such "what ifs"! Some say, "I started to do what you said; I expanded my tent, stretched out my dwelling, and lengthened my cords, but nothing happened!" If you think this way, you will certainly not do it. Brothers and sisters, please note: you must expand first to see results! First, open your mouth, and God will fill you!
If you say, "I have opened my mouth, but why hasn't God filled me yet?" If you have such thoughts, it is recommended that you first meditate on God's faithfulness. "What if nothing happens?" Actually, there are no "what ifs." Because you have "what ifs," you do not believe and doubt. It is still that word: do not be afraid; always expect good things to happen. This is the reality of all the promises in Christ! You must believe this, and God will fill you, Hallelujah! Therefore, believe that you will definitely not be ashamed in the end. Start by doing your part to prepare, Amen. The hope in the Bible will never be in vain; thank and praise the Lord.
Hebrews 10:19-23:
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Do you believe that Jesus is real? Do you believe that the blood of Jesus has made you bold to enter the Holiest and receive God's abundant blessings? This is the new and living way Jesus opened for you. Do not say "if" or "what if"; just expect good things to happen! Let God grant you wisdom, give you strength, and bless what you do. You know He is governing your house; remove all those "ifs," "what ifs," and "maybes"!
With a true heart and full assurance of faith, rely on the Lord in everything. Where there is lack, let God bless you there! Hold fast to the promises God has given us, acknowledging the hope He has given us, and do not waver. At any time, do not waver; God's word is like this. We do not need to compare with others: "Look, the people around me have not received." Do not compare; just because God said so, I believe so. Believe that He who promised is faithful, and you will surely see, Amen!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for renewing us and helping us through such words. We are loved by You, and Your promises are faithful. We can actively hope for good things to happen! Jesus, You are our High Priest, handling everything for me before God. I can have hope for all the promises; this hope is not something I made up; it is what Your promises say, and I believe it!
As the new week begins, bless what I do, grant me wisdom in communication; grant me wisdom to govern my house and what I do! The Lord I believe in is unshakable at any time, Hallelujah! You are the faithful Lord; what You say will surely come to pass! I am willing to make Your words the standard of my life! Grant me strength, and I expect to have more beautiful testimonies in my life, Hallelujah! All glory be to You; in the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!