Life after the “foretaste” is meant to be a time of
desperation and deep hunger to get to the place where God is taking you http://thespirittalk.blogspot.co.za/2017/03/foretaste-preparation-for-fullness-of.html?m=1.
You’re not supposed to allow anything to keep you away from that divinely
appointed destination called “The fullness of time”. I advise that you go back
to part 1 in order to understand this.
Last week I found myself thinking about that documentary I
saw of the starving African boy who was so hungry that he stooped down to eat
soil in order to avert the symptoms of hunger. I found myself trying to
understand what was going through his mind and while I was thinking, I got a
revelation from The Holy Spirit. See, that little guy knew what it felt like to
have food in his stomach. This was a personal feeling that no one outside his
body could fully understand until they went through it themselves. He had a
foretaste and he was desperate to get to that feeling he once knew.
This kind of desperation never makes sense to others. I was
secretly disgusted to see him eating soil, I even cringed and wished he could
stop it but he was after the only thing that could get him to experience
fullness- he was desperate.
One’s character is best prepared for the fullness of time
during the “desperation” phase. the devil knows this and he will do everything
in his power to stop you from desiring all that God has for you. I want to
share with you some of the strategies that the devil uses to get you to abort a
God-endorsed mission. A lot of people think that since its God’s promise, the
devil won’t try to interfere-wrong! Every time you chase after positive change,
you invite attack from the enemy.
There is a man in the bible by the name’ Nehemiah. He had
totally moved on from his community and now had an important job, serving as
the Persian king’s cupbearer. When he found out about the state of the Jewish
community in Jerusalem, that they had no wall and gates protecting their city,
he was moved with compassion subsequently availing himself to the Lord as a
helping hand. He was after positive change.
The Lord sanctioned the rebuilding project but the devil
hated the idea.
HOW THE DEVIL TRIED TO STOP NEHEMIAH:
- Mocking voices of discouragement (Nehemiah 4:1). The devil hates it when you’re encouraged and full of zeal because he knows that great change is followed by those two, he needs you discouraged and feeling inadequate. The devil used Sanballat and Tobiah to this effect. Sometimes these voices can even come from within your mind. Nehemiah countered the attack by prayer, please note that he didn’t fight back, he understood that this was a spiritual attack and it required spiritual weapons.
- Confusion (Nehemiah 4:8). Still Nehemiah prayed against this attack and set watch against his enemies.
- Loss of strength and a demoralizing perception of the situation at hand (Nehemiah 4:10). I love how Nehemiah responded He positioned armed men around the builders, to fight on their behalf- while they build. This is one of the core functions of intercessors. They watch your back while you are busy and they support you by fighting off your enemies. You need armed men positioned all around you, not just any kind of friends.
- Strife (Nehemiah 5). The devil used the Jews against each other because he is a champion of “divide to conquer”. He used a scarcity of resources (famine) in order to fan the flame of contention. The devil also uses this maneuver to get you to ask for help from the wrong sources, to get you to partner with his agents that will seemly have what you lack. Don’t enter into agreement with anyone God hasn’t approved.
- Distractions (Nehemiah 6). Here Nehemiah’s adversaries kept on inviting him to “meetings” where they planned to harm him but Nehemiah was well connected to the Holy Spirit who revealed the heart of their motives to him. When you’re in pursuit of the best of God, you will suddenly get invitations from old friends who don’t belong where you’re headed, phone calls, memories and dreams that are just there to deter your focus. Yield not unto temptation, REMEMBER THE PRICE and keep on saying no!
- In the same chapter we see more of the enemy’s desperate attempts from lying and instilling fear, to using false prophecy Yet Nehemiah did not budge. Instead, the project was seen to completion. When all the enemies of this project saw this, they were “disheartened in their own eyes”.
learn from Nehemiah today, as you chase after
the fullness of God’s promise. Remember that constant communication with God
will give you advantage over your enemy. You don’t have to explain your
desperation to anyone (they won’t understand anyway) just keep chasing after
what you know God has prepared for you.
