Staying in the Will of God
God has a plan for each of our lives (Jeremiah 29:11), but when the devil finds out, he
comes to steal, kill and destroy your plan. The Bible tells us that we are to “be sober,
and vigilant; because our adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking
whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same
afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all
grace, who has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have
suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you”. (I Peter 5:8-
10). The devil can’t stop your plan unless you give up.
God being God knows the end at the beginning. When God gives you a dream or
vision, it will take some time to bring it to pass (Habakkuk 2:2-3), which says “write the
vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that read it. for the vision is yet
for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie though it tarry, wait for
it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry”. Even though you don’t see the whole
picture, you have to draw near into God and trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-7) “trust in the
Lord Yahweh with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your
ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes,
fear (reverence) the Lord Yahweh, and depart from evil”.
Let us look at Joseph because he stayed in the will of God even though he went
through a lot of troubles. Joseph had two dreams (Genesis 37:5-10) “and Joseph
dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren; and they hated him yet the more. And
he said to them, hear, I pray you this dream which I have dreamed. For behold, we
were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright,
and, behold your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And
his brethren said to him, shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have
dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his
words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, behold,
I have dreamed a dream more, and behold the sun and the moon and the eleven
stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his
father rebuked him, and said to him, what is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall
I and your mother and your brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to you to
the earth”?
You see they understood his dream. The devil sent much problems to destroy his
dream. His brothers saw him coming to them and conspired to kill him (Genesis 37:19-
20) “and they said one to another; behold, this dreamer comes. Come now therefore,
and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, some evil beast has
devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams”. Some might say
that Joseph’s own brothers were the one that throw him in the pit, and then sold him
as a slave, but the devil was the spirit behind their plot. Remember Ephesians 6:12
says “for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places”.
Joseph was 17 years when he dreamed the dream. And after they sold him as a
slave into Egypt, the Bible says that God was with him, and even though he was sent
to prison for not having an affair with his masters wife, God was with him even in the
prison and he was put in charge even in prison. He interpreted the dreams of two
prisoners and told them not to forget him when they got out, but the butler forgot him.
When Pharoah dreamed his dream and they couldn’t find any one to interpret his
dream, the butler remembered Joseph, and he was brought out. Joseph was 30
years old when he interpreted Pharoah’s dream, and was put in charge over Egypt.
Now when his brothers were sent to Egypt to buy grain, Joseph knew them and after
getting them to bring his brother Benjamin, he revealed himself to them and said that
you meant it for evil, but God used it for good. And he was used to save his family
and they did bow down to him as he had dreamed.
Let us look at David, David was anointed king of Israel by Samuel when he was
young, however king Saul refused to give it up and for years sought to kill him. Even
though David had two occasions to kill king Saul, he refused to touch God’s anointed.
He continued to wait on God. At David’s lowest point, when Ziglak was burned and
the woman and children were taken, when even the men that were with him wanted to
stone him, the Bible says that “he encouraged himself in the Lord Yahweh his God” (I
Samuel 30:6). And David enquired at the Lord Yahweh saying, shall I pursue after
this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him, pursue for you shall surely
overtake them, and without fail recover all.
Now after king Saul was killed in battle, David was made king, first over part, and then
over all of Israel.
Let us look at Daniel, Daniel was taken captive to Babylon, and after being tested to
eat of their foods, he was allowed to eat vegetables and water for 10 days, and when
his countenance was better then them that ate the kings food, also after the king had
a dream and his magicians couldn’t interpret it and was threatened, he prayed to God
and God revealed to him the kings dream, he was elevated after telling the king’s
dream. And the presidents and princes of Babylon became jealous and sought to find
some occasion against Daniel, they could not, so talked the king into making a decree
that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty day, save of the king,
he shall be cast into the den of lions. But “when Daniel knew that the writing was
signed, he went into his house and his windows being open in his chamber toward
Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave
thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” (Daniel 6:10). He was reported to the
king and the king had to obey the decree, had Daniel thrown into the lion’s den, and
early the next morning he came to the den and called for Daniel. And Daniel
answered and said “my God has sent His angel, and has shut the lion’s mouths, that
they have not hurt me”.
Let us look at the three Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to
bow down to the golden image which king Nebuchadnezzar made and commanded
everybody to bow down to when they heard the music. They being Jews were taught
to bow down only to the Lord Yahweh their God. The king being angry heated up the
furnace seven times hotter than normal, and they said to the king “our God whom we
serve is able to deliver us, from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of
your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your
gods nor worship the golden image which you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18). They
were thrown in the fire, but after awhile the king looked in and saw four men loosed in
the fire and said that one was like the son of God” verse 25. And “the king made a
decree that every people, nation, and language which speak any thing amiss against
the God of Shadrch, Meshack, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses
shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other God that can deliver after this
sort”.
Romans 15:4 says “for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope”.
This means that if we will learn from our examples, we can accomplish the same
success.
The key that each of these examples had was that they trusted God above their
circumstances, and did not change their commitment to God in the face of death.
Let us keep our dreams and visions firmly in focus, knowing that God is not a liar; and
that as the Bible says “it shall come to pass”. And as we encounter difficulty,
remember David who “encouraged himself in the Lord”. When we lack wisdom about
any circumstance, we are told “if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that
gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not, and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).
God because He wants us to know about the kingdom, allows us to come to Him about
and questions. Jesus said “You have not, because you ask know”.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: February 1, 2009
God has a plan for each of our lives (Jeremiah 29:11), but when the devil finds out, he
comes to steal, kill and destroy your plan. The Bible tells us that we are to “be sober,
and vigilant; because our adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking
whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same
afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all
grace, who has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have
suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you”. (I Peter 5:8-
10). The devil can’t stop your plan unless you give up.
God being God knows the end at the beginning. When God gives you a dream or
vision, it will take some time to bring it to pass (Habakkuk 2:2-3), which says “write the
vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that read it. for the vision is yet
for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie though it tarry, wait for
it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry”. Even though you don’t see the whole
picture, you have to draw near into God and trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-7) “trust in the
Lord Yahweh with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your
ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes,
fear (reverence) the Lord Yahweh, and depart from evil”.
Let us look at Joseph because he stayed in the will of God even though he went
through a lot of troubles. Joseph had two dreams (Genesis 37:5-10) “and Joseph
dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren; and they hated him yet the more. And
he said to them, hear, I pray you this dream which I have dreamed. For behold, we
were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright,
and, behold your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And
his brethren said to him, shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have
dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his
words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, behold,
I have dreamed a dream more, and behold the sun and the moon and the eleven
stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his
father rebuked him, and said to him, what is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall
I and your mother and your brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to you to
the earth”?
You see they understood his dream. The devil sent much problems to destroy his
dream. His brothers saw him coming to them and conspired to kill him (Genesis 37:19-
20) “and they said one to another; behold, this dreamer comes. Come now therefore,
and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, some evil beast has
devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams”. Some might say
that Joseph’s own brothers were the one that throw him in the pit, and then sold him
as a slave, but the devil was the spirit behind their plot. Remember Ephesians 6:12
says “for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places”.
Joseph was 17 years when he dreamed the dream. And after they sold him as a
slave into Egypt, the Bible says that God was with him, and even though he was sent
to prison for not having an affair with his masters wife, God was with him even in the
prison and he was put in charge even in prison. He interpreted the dreams of two
prisoners and told them not to forget him when they got out, but the butler forgot him.
When Pharoah dreamed his dream and they couldn’t find any one to interpret his
dream, the butler remembered Joseph, and he was brought out. Joseph was 30
years old when he interpreted Pharoah’s dream, and was put in charge over Egypt.
Now when his brothers were sent to Egypt to buy grain, Joseph knew them and after
getting them to bring his brother Benjamin, he revealed himself to them and said that
you meant it for evil, but God used it for good. And he was used to save his family
and they did bow down to him as he had dreamed.
Let us look at David, David was anointed king of Israel by Samuel when he was
young, however king Saul refused to give it up and for years sought to kill him. Even
though David had two occasions to kill king Saul, he refused to touch God’s anointed.
He continued to wait on God. At David’s lowest point, when Ziglak was burned and
the woman and children were taken, when even the men that were with him wanted to
stone him, the Bible says that “he encouraged himself in the Lord Yahweh his God” (I
Samuel 30:6). And David enquired at the Lord Yahweh saying, shall I pursue after
this troop? Shall I overtake them? And He answered him, pursue for you shall surely
overtake them, and without fail recover all.
Now after king Saul was killed in battle, David was made king, first over part, and then
over all of Israel.
Let us look at Daniel, Daniel was taken captive to Babylon, and after being tested to
eat of their foods, he was allowed to eat vegetables and water for 10 days, and when
his countenance was better then them that ate the kings food, also after the king had
a dream and his magicians couldn’t interpret it and was threatened, he prayed to God
and God revealed to him the kings dream, he was elevated after telling the king’s
dream. And the presidents and princes of Babylon became jealous and sought to find
some occasion against Daniel, they could not, so talked the king into making a decree
that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty day, save of the king,
he shall be cast into the den of lions. But “when Daniel knew that the writing was
signed, he went into his house and his windows being open in his chamber toward
Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave
thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” (Daniel 6:10). He was reported to the
king and the king had to obey the decree, had Daniel thrown into the lion’s den, and
early the next morning he came to the den and called for Daniel. And Daniel
answered and said “my God has sent His angel, and has shut the lion’s mouths, that
they have not hurt me”.
Let us look at the three Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to
bow down to the golden image which king Nebuchadnezzar made and commanded
everybody to bow down to when they heard the music. They being Jews were taught
to bow down only to the Lord Yahweh their God. The king being angry heated up the
furnace seven times hotter than normal, and they said to the king “our God whom we
serve is able to deliver us, from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of
your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your
gods nor worship the golden image which you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18). They
were thrown in the fire, but after awhile the king looked in and saw four men loosed in
the fire and said that one was like the son of God” verse 25. And “the king made a
decree that every people, nation, and language which speak any thing amiss against
the God of Shadrch, Meshack, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses
shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other God that can deliver after this
sort”.
Romans 15:4 says “for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope”.
This means that if we will learn from our examples, we can accomplish the same
success.
The key that each of these examples had was that they trusted God above their
circumstances, and did not change their commitment to God in the face of death.
Let us keep our dreams and visions firmly in focus, knowing that God is not a liar; and
that as the Bible says “it shall come to pass”. And as we encounter difficulty,
remember David who “encouraged himself in the Lord”. When we lack wisdom about
any circumstance, we are told “if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that
gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not, and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).
God because He wants us to know about the kingdom, allows us to come to Him about
and questions. Jesus said “You have not, because you ask know”.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: February 1, 2009
