Last week, we talked about the fact that hope deferred is simply that – deferred, as in delayed! We talked about the crushing disappointment that comes when it appears that God has not kept His word and we dissected that challenge in the lives of of Biblical characters like Daniel, Joseph, Abraham and Sarah and Zechariah and Elizabeth.
Yeshua’s disciples after His death paint another poignant picture of hope deferred. Yeshua had promised to establish His kingdom. He had said they would do “greater works” than even He had done. And now He was dead. Even though, in His last days, He had warned them plainly, they stand as another example of ones who knew only “in part.” They had absolutely no grid for such a thing as resurrection and could not fathom that what looked like the end of Yeshua’s life and ministry was only the beginning.
After a devasting time when I stepped out on a word from God that did not come to pass, the Father said to me:
My ways are not yours, you know. Yes, this is wiping out the last visage of hope within your soul but remember…. In My kingdom, death is always unto life. The death of your imperfect faith marks the birth of Mine. Remember, the power of your will. Child, this is nothing but an opportunity to overcome. If you choose to hold to My word above your circumstances, My word will first conform you. Then it will conform those circumstances. That is how it works. That is how it must work, for it is a spiritual law. Do you think that this took Me by surprise or happened by mistake at this time? No, but every detail of your life is carefully orchestrated by My kindness, wisdom and foreknowledge. Yes, every hair on your head is numbered. You now have the opportunity to create by living out of the person you will be. This is all that this is, child… an opportunity. If you refuse it, I will still love you 100%. If you let it pass you by, I will still use you and will flow through you into the earth. If you choose to calibrate your being to the natural realm, you will be no less close to My heart, for nothing can separate you from My love. But this day, you have the opportunity to choose to be either a victim or an overcomer. Draw upon My grace to choose wisely.
Then two angels came and took me by the arms to a graveyard in the heavenly realm. At first, I protested that there is no death in heaven. They both started laughing, asking where I heard that. This grave was for me to bury my seed of hope. It was very small, so it didn’t require a very big hole. I dug a small hole, buried my seed and instantly, an ancient-looking tombstone appeared with the stereotypical R.I.P. etched on it… Rest In Peace. Interesting. I had chosen a supernatural life, and so natural hope had to come to an end.
Death is necessary and unavoidable, but in the kingdom, death is always and only UNTO resurrection and ascension. When you are in the middle of hope deferred, though, you may not be able to see past the death of your dream. It is then that you must trust the nature of the One who cannot lie and who IS Life. The tiny seed does not need to see past its death in order to multiply. It only has to die.
We often hear the miracle stories of others, assuming that their manifestation happened quickly, easily and without sacrifice. In today’s society, we like things quick and easy and, when they don’t come that way, think that we have made a mistake or that God has not answered our prayers. We forget the dire circumstances surrounding Biblical miracles. I love the fact that God gives the whole story, even the ugly details, instead of presenting Biblical miracles in a neat little package. As I already mentioned, Abraham and Sarah received their child of promise – but only after lots of drama, disappointment and the passing of over 25 years! Often, many years and many disappointments stand between the promise and its manifestation, and only those who remain steadfast will eat from the fruit of that manifestation.
The muscles developed in the contending will be necessary for the stewarding. And the bigger the miracle, the greater the preparation!
When God told Paul Yonggi Cho to build a church that would seat 10,000 people, he was frightened. And everyone he talked to was frightened, too. They all said it was impossible. To make matters worse, God told him to sell his own house and give the money as a seed for the five-million-dollar project. It was devastating for his wife, but she finally agreed. They government would not even accept their application for the land, because the church was not “dignified.” God then orchestrated a series of events, where the vice mayor became a believer and ended up helping them secure the property. In a world where everything is easy, the story would have ended there. Instead, a series of devastating economic events in the nation caused the contractor to increase the cost. All the banks closed and many of the people in the church began to lose their jobs. Cho could barely even pay the interest on the loans. He could no longer pay his church staff or himself. Bills and lawsuits began to pile up on his desk, and church staff and members began to jump off the sinking ship. He and his family had nowhere to go, so they were forced to live in an unfinished portion of the building, with no running water, no heat in the winter and no food. He began to feel sorry for himself, thinking that he had heard his own voice instead of God’s, and even contemplated suicide. In desperation, he cried out to the Lord. News of his desperation began to spread, and people from all over began to sacrifice to help raise the money. Women sold their long hair to make wigs. Couples sold their homes and moved into small apartments. Widows gave their only set of bowls and chopsticks. Money began flowing in, and within less than a year, he paid all the outstanding debt and had all the money needed for the project. He writes:
Many people think that when you have faith, everything will flow easily, with few problems encountered. But it is important to remember that this is not so.
Hope deferred must be overcome in order for you to manifest your miracle, and thankfully, our God is an expert at overcoming! Remember, it is His Spirit living through you, easily accomplishing those things that are impossible for you. One of the ways He does this is simply by helping you to remember.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit (whom my Father will send in my name), he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have told you.
-John 14:26, NMB
During times of disappointment and times when circumstances have not yet lined up with Divine truth, it’s easy to lose focus of the promises of God or to forget them entirely. Enter Holy Spirit. His job is to help you remember, and He is very good at His job! He will remind you of Biblical promises, as well as rhema words that God has spoken specifically to you. He will remind you of Biblical characters who received victories similar to the one you have on the way. He will remind you of past victories and times that God displayed His faithfulness in your life.
You can co-labor with Holy Spirit in this process by writing down the promises and reminders that encourage you the most, saying them aloud daily. You can walk through Biblical stories with your imagination, putting yourself in that person’s shoes…from struggle to glorious triumph. And of course, you can imagine your way past hope deferred and into victory, literally feeling by faith the joy of your manifested miracle!
I hope that this has encouraged you today and reminded you that, in God’s economy, death is always and only UNTO resurrection and ascension. May you be overtaken by tangible reminders of the faithfulness of God today!
-Virginia