Series: The Overcomer; Other Speakers
Sunday am 29 October 2017 – Johan Esterhuysen
Dan. 3:25-30; Ps. 51:17; (Ex. 32:1-20); (2 Pet. 1:5-8); (Prov. 3:5-6); Ex. 33:1; Phil. 3:13-14; Gen. 24:13; (2 Tim. 1:7)
Sometimes life seems unfair, but know that God is good. Often things do not happen according to our plans. I am not referring to inconvenient setbacks but rather about a crucible, a crushing that causes a contrite and broken spirit; those life events that we never planned that are a changing event in our lives. The good news is they have a purpose and plan in our lives. Out of brokenness comes wholeness; out of defeat comes victory. Out of death comes life.
When Daniel and his friends went through their crucible, they ended up being promoted (Dan. 3:25-30). So hang in there, your promotion is coming. Life sometimes seems unfair, but for those who trust in God, a breakthrough is coming.
When David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered, He cries out to God for forgiveness. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise (Ps. 51:17). The Hebrew word for ‘contrite’ means to be crushed, crippled and broken. These are the sacrifices of God. I want to explain the word ‘contrite’. In science, there is a ‘colloidal suspension’ when a substance is taken and crushed to microscopic proportions and suspended in a liquid. When that process takes place, it is as though the property of the substance is changed. When Moses received the Law of God it was to change governance worldwide. God personally wrote the Ten Commandments. Moses came down from the mountain and found the children of Israel serving a golden calf. There was tremendous sin in the camp of Israel so Moses took the golden calf and threw it in the furnace and ground the gold to a fine powder. He made a colloidal by throwing the fine powder in the water and made the people drink it (Ex. 31:1-20). Gold does not dissolve in water but if you make it a fine powder it dissolves and gives the water a deep red colour. In medical science, they use silver and gold colloidal suspensions to treat patients. A contrite heart and a broken spirit change the person. It makes us to look away from self and to trust in the Lord. Sometimes we need to go through that process of brokenness. This is not negative; this is what life is about. This is where we get our promotion. This is where we grow. Character is not formed in a crisis; it is displayed in a crisis. The apostle Peter says, “With all diligence add the 8 virtues to your life, so when the time of testing comes you are able to face it and come out more than a conqueror” (2 Pet. 1:5-8). The good news is that crucibles have a purpose in life, so hang in there, it does not matter if you fall flat on your face; it is whether you get up. Have you ever fallen? You have to get up! Life seems unfair, and things are hard, but two things you must do: 1) Trust in the Lord totally (Prov. 3:5-6). 2) Get your life into gear again.
When the children of Israel sinned, 3000 were killed that day, everything had gone wrong. God spoke to Moses to leave the place of defeat, failure, mediocrity and sin; to leave the place where you cannot go ahead (Ex. 33:1). As long as you murmur and complain you will never leave the place. Get up and go! One thing the Lord hates is murmuring and complaining.
Paul says we should forget the things that are behind (Phil. 3:13-14). It is your choice to forget them and move forward to the upward call which is in Christ Jesus. The time has come for us to trust the Lord and to get our lives into gear and to go forward. It is up to us to make things happen in our lives.
Abraham asked his servant to find a wife for his son (Gen. 24:13-14). When life happens and things go wrong, and you are trusting God, you have to be diligent, you have to work on your gifting, you have to work on your calling, you have study and apply yourself because promotion is coming. So the Rebecca principle happened. The servant watched her. The test he used was the ‘sweat test’. It must have taken two hours to water the camels and she passed the test. When we pass the test, promotion comes. Hang in there, do not give up. God has not given us the spirit of fear or timidity. Do not be intimidated by what you are going through. Do not operate in fear. God has given us a spirit of love, power and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). God has everything in control. Everything will work for our good. Things may be wrong, but it is temporary. God is opening a new door.
You will stay in your problem and in your corner when you concentrate on yourself. But when you reach out and see the needs of others, you will become a blessing and God will bless you.
God has somebody who is going to bless your faithfulness and your diligence. If today you are going through a crucible and things are tough, rejoice because your breakthrough is coming.