This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, with a mini-series within it entitled “Focusing on the Word”. We are walking our way through the first half of the first psalm. Let’s get back to it. The Bible says:
(Psalm 1:1-3 KJV) “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
(Psalm 1:1-3 ERV) “Great blessings belong to those who don’t listen to evil advice, who don’t live like sinners, and who don’t join those who make fun of God. Instead, they love the Lord’s teachings and think about them day and night. So they grow strong, like a tree planted by a stream—a tree that produces fruit when it should and has leaves that never fall. Everything they do is successful.”
Today we will continue to focus in on the line: “bringeth forth his fruit in his season”, or “a tree that produces fruit when it should.” Yesterday I shared a message about God’s timing. Today I feel led to flow in the same vein.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. What and when are not the same thing.
a. God will often reveal “what” He is going to do. But knowing “what” and knowing “when” are two different things.
b. You might think you know the “what”, but my experience has been that when God finally manifests it, His idea of the “what” was far greater than mine. He has a way of exceeding our expectations beyond measure.
c. You won’t know “when” something is going to happen unless God reveals it to you. God operates in His timing. So wait on God and don’t move until He opens the door. If you move before His timing you will be operating without His grace.
2. Your clock of expectation must be set to God’s time of manifestation.
a. Solomon said, “God gave us the ability to think about his world, but we can never completely understand everything he does. And yet, he does everything at just the right time.” (Ecc 3:11 ERV). God’s ways are above our ways. When we operate with human wisdom and not divine discernment, we are not sure why He has not done things He promised us. But when God finally does what He promised we are able to look back and realize that God did it AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME!
b. WAIT is a four-letter word for most of us, but it is something we must do, because God’s best will not manifest before it’s time.
3. When you learn to trust God’s timing you can truly enter into His rest.
a. The highest level of faith is rest. When you are truly in-faith you are also in-rest. You are not worried. You know it’s already done in eternity and it is only a matter of time in the earth.
b. There are things God has revealed to me about my future that have not happened yet. I know they will happen. The fact that God revealed them to do me gives me to know that in His mind they have already happened. It is a done deal. The issue is settled. There is no room for doubt. It’s just that knowing “what” and knowing “when” are two different things. As believers we must learn to distinguish the two.
c. Faith is about being sure and certain that God will manifest what He promised. Remaining in-faith is about resisting the pressure we all feel — when days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and sometimes months into years — to GIVE UP on our faith.
d. I have friends who love me, who have nothing but good intentions, and who sometimes pressure me to get out ahead of God. For them certain things are taking too long. They and I both know some of things I am called to do, but I can’t do them until I am released by God. If I get out ahead of God I will be operating without His grace and that is a dangerous place to be. I am at peace. I have entered into God’s rest, and I cannot allow my friends to cause me to lose my rest and get out ahead of God, just because God is not moving as fast as we would want Him to.
e. You will bring forth your fruit in your season. You can’t force to move before His time.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016 by giving my attention to Your Word. Your Word has taught me about Your timing. You will make sure that everything happens at just the right time. So I learn to discern both Your will and Your timing. Success comes when I get in sync with the unforced rhythms of Your grace. This is how Your will is going to be done in my life, on earth, as it is in heaven. Unforced, unearned, and most of the time even undeserved. I simply yield, connect and flow with Your grace, in Your timing. I bring forth my fruit in my season. As You reveal things to me about my future, I know those things are already done in eternity. For me, it is simply a matter of time. So I enter into Your rest. I know it’s already done. I resist every inkling to fear or doubt. I don’t accept any pressure to perform or to make it happen. I only move when I am led to move. I only say what You lead me to say. Living this way I am able to live in peace, enjoying divine rest, experiencing Your best in the fulness of time. I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
