(Be blesssed by this revelation released through guest blogger Lance Wallnau…the DWOD for Oct. 22, 2013)

May the FAVOUR of the Lord our God be ours. PROSPER the work of OUR hands!  (Psalm 90:17)

Before the fall, Adam was placed in a garden that was the perfect merger of communion with God and perfect work. The Garden was the territory of man’s dominion, and in this garden he walked with God in the cool of the day. Everything that Adam put his hand to became productive in his assigned territory.

The environment recognized his authority and cooperated with him. He was given dominion over all forces within the sphere of this assignment. It appears that the garden was an expanding project that was meant to fill the earth with God’s glory and dominion. There were adversaries, as we know, because of the existence of a serpent. Adam was to rule over all that militated against his work.

When man fell, the ground was no longer cooperating. Part of the curse was “sweat” related to work, “thorns and thistles” instead of a garden of lush productivity … and death in the dust of the earth. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you will eat the plants of the field ; by the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Gen 3:18-19)

Now behold another moment in a garden when God fixes the situation. Jesus, whom the Bible calls the “SECOND ADAM“, heroically wrestled the hosts of hell in A GARDEN called Gethsemane. The second Adam lies prostrate on the ground as He SWEATS “great drops of BLOOD” mingled with perspiration … and REVERSES THE CURSE. Where does the blood fall? Into the ground! “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:44)

Within hours of His triumph in the garden, a rough Roman garrison will weave a crown of thorns and beat it into the head of the “Second Adam”, and His noble brow will be pierced with the thorns of the curse. Mankind, vexed with the worries and sweat of earning their bread, is being dealt with finally and forever in this often overlooked aspect of Christ’s atonement.

When the gruesome execution on the Cross is complete and the last drop of blood shed, Second Adam will be laid in a GARDEN TOMB, but the body of the Messiah will not suffer decay like other sons of Adam, because this Adam NEVER SINNED! Death will not hold Him…dust cannot claim Him. He who was the author of life rises triumphant on the third day.

He appears to the disciples as they return toiling all night in search of a catch of fish that never materialized. The Master tells them to let down their net, and suddenly they are nearly sunk under the weight of their catch. The Second Adam once again demonstrates His power to break the curse of fruitless toil over His disciples.

We have celebrated the power of the Atonement in all other respects as far as sin and death are concerned. It is the last part of this great atonement we will witness in the Last Days. While some men toil to “buy and sell” under the mark of a beastly economic oppression, others will demonstrate the “powers of the age to come” by showing the power of the Kingdom.

The ATONEMENT delivered us from sin, demonic oppression, sickness, death AND labouring with thorns and the sweat of our brow.

Access to Paradise is restored. God has a garden for you in your assigned sphere of work. Walk with Him in the cool of the day, and WATCH as earth itself cooperates with the children of the Second Adam. All creation is longing for the manifestation of the sons of God.

The Last generation of the sons of Adam will reveal the secret to “no sweat” in the service of God who promised to give you FAVOUR and PROSPER the work of YOUR HANDS!

(Dr. Lance Wallnau is a world-class trainer and consultant whose students span the globe. From bestselling authors, pastors, and billion dollar CEO’s, he has helped to transform the lives of thousands. Please check out his resources at www.lancelearning.com)

(Be blessed by this DWOD for Oct. 16, 2013 by guest blogger, Barry Adams who celebrates the 31^st anniversary of his marriage today. Congratulations!)

Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers (Hebrews 2:11).

In 1 Peter 1:15-16, we read the following exhortation: But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

If we look at this command to ‘be holy as God is holy’ in our own natural abiility, we will most certainly feel completely overwhelmed. For in our hearts we know that the truth is, no matter how good we can try to be, it is simply not possible to live up to God’s standards in our human effort.

James says that if we keep all of the law every day of our lives and just make one tiny mistake, it is as if we have broken the entire law. (James 2:10) The road to holiness is definitely not based upon on our natural ability.

Romans 3:10 clearly tells us that there is no one who is righteous…not one. I think that I would be safe to say that in most Christian circles, we would agree that holiness is not produced from our own actions but on Christ and on His shed blood alone. Hebrews 10:10 tells us: “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

While we may all agree that Hebrews 10:10 is a theological truth, how does it work out in our lives on a day to day basis? Do we live each day knowing that we are completely loved and accepted by God no matter what we do? Do we live knowing that there is nothing in all creation that can separate from His love even when we mess up? Do we know at the very deepest part of our being that there is nothing that we could ever do to make God love us more than He does right now? Do we truly believe that that we are holy even as Jesus is holy even when we fall down?

If you are anything like me, you may struggle to believe that these things are true from time to time. Maybe it is easier to believe that I am holy on the good days when I read my Bible, pray and maybe witness to others. But what about on the bad days? When I am discouraged, fearful and not full of faith, do I believe that I am still absolutely loved and set apart for His purposes at these dark and lonely times?

The remnant of the orphan heart in us struggles to believe that the love of God and His extravagant grace and mercy are more than enough. The orphan part of our belief system that has not yet surrendered to love still believes that we have to do something in order to be accepted. After all, an orphan does not carry within themselves a sense of where they come from and who they belong to.

I know that this is a poor example, but our son Steve will always be an ‘Adams’. He was born into our family and will carry our name no matter what he does in life. He didn’t do anything to earn being part of our family, he was simply born into it.

I think this is but a shadow of what it means to be born into the family of God. When we become born again, we inherit everything good that is in God’s family—Jesus’ holiness, His righteousness, His relationship with God… everything!

To walk in holiness is not to live by a set of do’s and don’ts in our lives, but to simply live out of the spiritual DNA that God has already deposited in us by His Holy Spirit. We are His kids! We are holy because He is holy! Not because we could do anything to ever earn it, deserve it or sustain it.  I believe that our God and Father wants to love all of the remaining orphan beliefs right out of us and convince us that the shed blood of Jesus is enough. Period.

Dear friend, I pray that you will know that God already sees us as holy because of your union with His firstborn.

(Barry Adams is the humble vessel chosen by God to bless the world with the revelation known as the Father’s Love Letter. Along with his wife Annelise, Barry ministers the Father’s Love all over the world. Today’s DWOD is from a post he wrote for A Son’s Life Blog)

(Be blessed by this DWOD for Oct. 15, 2013 by guest blogger, Os Hillman)

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Ps 30:5).

When a measured assault enters our life we often respond in two different ways. The pain caused by the assault drives us to a place of either embracing the pain or we embrace anything that will make us feel better. That becomes the entry door to a false lover. Men and women each seek to avoid pain in different ways. Larry Crabb has summarized these two unique strategies often used to avoid deep pain:

All of us are trapped by addiction to a desire for something less than God. For many women, that something less is relational control. “I will not be hurt again and I will not let people I love be hurt. I’ll see to it that what I fear never happens again.” They therefore live in terror of vulnerably presenting themselves to anyone and instead become determined managers of people. Their true femininity remains safely tucked away behind the walls of relational control.

More common in men is an addiction to non-relational control. “I will experience deep and consuming satisfaction without ever having to relate meaningfully with anyone.” They keep things shallow and safe with family and friends and feel driven to experience a joy they never feel, a joy that only deep relating can provide. Their commitment is twofold: to never risk revealing inadequacy by drawing close to people and, without breaking that commitment, to feel powerful and alive. Power in business and illicit sex are favorite strategies for reaching that goal.

(Shattered Dreams, Waterbrook Press, Colorado Springs, CO 2001, p.95)

Many times we seek to deal with our pain through various forms of addictions designed to resolve the inner pain we feel. All addictions represent a counterfeit desire for genuine love and intimacy. We conclude these lesser desires are legitimate needs instead of Band-Aids of our fleshly soul. These addiction lovers become isolation chambers created for ourselves designed to mask our pain.

Every human being has a desire to be loved. When we do not feel loved because of some event in our lives we seek to reconcile this emotional pain. So, if you are fighting any kind of addiction–over control of people, sex, drugs, alcohol, workaholism, shopping, overeating–you are seeking to fill a void only God can fill.

Pain has a useful purpose in our lives. Facing it, rather than medicating it, allows us to move to a place of discovering a capacity for a different kind of joy. That is the purpose of pain. We must let inner pain do its work by experiencing it fully.

It feels like a contradiction to actually embrace the pain, but it is the only remedy for moving past it so it can yield its purpose in our lives. Otherwise we will remain unaware of our deeper desire for God and be driven toward a false lover.

(Reprinted by permission from the author. Os Hillman is an international speaker and author of 15 books on workplace calling. To learn more, visit http://www.MarketplaceLeaders.org/)

(Guest blogger Lance Wallnau provides the DWOD for Sept. 21, 2013…be blessed!)

 IF YOU WANT TO RAISE THE DEAD…

If you want to raise the dead, you need to put some people out of the room.

When Jesus was called upon to raise a young girl from the dead, the environment was not conducive to what He wanted.

But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.(Mark 5:40-42)

Once the right people were with Him, He raised Jairus’ daughter back to life.

Sometimes Jesus raised the dead in public, but in this situation He took control of the pessimistic atmosphere by making sure the right people were with Him.

This lesson was not lost on Peter. When he was summoned to pray for a beloved women, Tabitha, who had died, “Peter sent them ALL OUT of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.”(Acts 9:40)

For those who operate in this realm, faith and unbelief are conditions that affect the atmosphere surrounding a miracle. Some ministries pick up on whoever is around them. Connecting with the force of faith in a given situation may require you to adjust the proximity of people around you. You need to be with the right people and sometimes the right person is NOBODY, just you and God.

If this applies to the raising of the dead, it probably applies to any area of life where you need to reverse the situation in a supernatural act of faith. Could be a wayward loved one, marriage or business. You are not being mean or lacking faith-–you are being smart.

When Peter was near execution in prison there was a prayer gathering in a house, most likely John’s dwelling. As they prayed in one accord, their faith touched something and Peter broke out. All the church was praying, but one group of close-knit members was the key to the miraculous jail break.

The point? Know that faith can be strengthened by the right people in the room. The bigger the issue, the more selective you need to be about who is with you. Create a climate conducive to faith. And likewise, create a climate conducive to breakthrough with a child, spouse, negotiation, business, healing or miracle.

And if need be, put some people out of the room, out of the house, out of the office—and do business with God.

(Dr. Lance Wallnau is a world-class trainer and consultant whose students span the globe. From bestselling authors, pastors, and billion dollar CEO’s, he has helped to transform the lives of thousands. Please check out his resources at www.lancelearning.com)

(Guest blogger Lance Wallnau provides the DWOD for Sept. 21, 2013…be blessed!)

King David wanted the blessing of God on his administration so he transported the ark to his capital in Jerusalem (I Chronicles 13). On the way home something went wrong.

The ark was being transported on a cart driven by oxen and when the oxen “stumbled” a man named Uzzah reached out his hand to “steady the ark” and the Lord struck him dead. This was unauthorized contact.

God prescribed that the ark was to be carried on poles, born on the shoulders of Levites, not oxen. Shoulders represent government and God has ordained who He wants to carry the weight of His glory and government. When leaders stumble, the Lord deals with it, and does not need man to keep His throne from falling over.

David was perplexed and decided to drop the ark off at a nearby Levite’s house. The Levite name was Obed-Edom. In the end this lowly guy will be handling 2.5 billion in the temple treasury.

Read on…

As it turned out, Obed-Edom just happened to be at the right place at the right time. For THREE MONTHS the anointing was on his land. People came to see the place where the Lord’s presence was being hosted. A clear blessing was on this property.

Even David heard the news update about the unusual increase that was happening at Obed-Edom’s house and how “the Lord blessed his household and everything he had” (1 Chron. 13:13). His family was blessed. Children and grandchildren multiplied, crops and fruit bearing trees supernaturally increased and livestock multiplied.

When you invite God’s presence to dwell in your house, you can expect your house and your life to be blessed. And the blessing did not stop once the ark left because God’s presence leaves a permanent change in your life.

Obed-Edom got a leadership promotion as well. Later we see him with sixty-two associates who work for him doing important temple business. He becomes a leader in the house of God. But his leadership began with HOSTING GOD’S PRESENCE IN HIS OWN HOUSE! –THAT’s what I want you to catch.

God does not care about your “I.Q.” He cares about your “I CARE” regarding the thing on His heart. God is looking for those who are willing to be moved by what moves Him.

The last time Obed-Edom is mentioned, he is the keeper of the Temple Treasury. (II Chronicles 25:24) King David entrusted him with gold worth 2.5 billion dollars. This is often the last stage of spiritual promotion, when God gives leadership, sacred assignments and resources or great wealth for their accomplishment.

But we should not miss THIS…the ark represents Jesus and the Throne of Grace. You have access to this place every day IN YOUR HOUSE! Look again at this verse–You shall be saved YOU and YOUR HOUSE! (Acts 11:14)

Salvation is not just for your soul- it is for your family, property and – economics. Check this out…The word “house” in Greek is pronounced “Oy-Kos” and is the root word for “economics.” In those days your house was typically your business. You were “Simon the tanner” or “blacksmith” or “fisherman”. Salvation covered your family, property and livelihood.

The PRESENCE of the Lord, manifest through the ark, BLESSED ALL that was connected to Obed-Edom, because salvation came to dwell in HIS HOUSE!

Let’s not let an Old Testament saint do better than you and me. We have a superior covenant with “better promises!” It’s only faith that keeps us from having more than Obed-Eedom, and faith comes by hearing.

I believe God is speaking it to His people about the family and the house and presence and prayer. How about you? Hearing the same thing?

(Dr. Lance Wallnau is a world-class trainer and consultant whose students span the globe. From bestselling authors, pastors, and billion dollar CEO’s, he has helped to transform the lives of thousands. Please check out his resources at www.lancelearning.com)

(Be blessed by this post by guest blogger, Luc Niebergall)

Holy Spirit spoke to me one day recently, saying, “Luc, when you get to the church I want you to head up to the upper room. I am going to meet you there.” When I arrived at the church, I headed upstairs to the upper room and popped in my head phones.

As I worshipped God, a cloud of glory began filling the room. This wasn’t something that you needed to see by faith with your spiritual eyes; there was a literal cloud that filled the room. Basking in the presence of Jesus, I took a seat on one of the chairs in the room when I was taken into an encounter.

I was suddenly in the heavenly courts (Daniel 7). Around me were hundreds of thousands of leaders in the church. I recognized a few of the leaders, since some were extremely well known throughout the world. Each of us looked around at one another wondering why we were summoned to this particular meeting in the courts of heaven.

Suddenly Jesus stepped onto the stage before us. He carried such authority that His very presence demanded silence. He stood quietly for a time. Then suddenly He reached behind His back and pulled something forth. What He now held out in front for us to see was a mantle.

Jesus then spoke: “This was the mantle of a great man of God who led thousands into the kingdom in his lifetime.” Jesus went on sharing with all of us all of the great feats that this man had while he was on the earth for the gospel. Then, Jesus said something which caught us all off guard, “Yet, this man only completed 80% of his ministry. The reason why is because he forgot his first love, therefore didn’t complete his mandate.”

Everyone looked at one another, wondering why Jesus was sharing information such as this. Jesus then continued, “Since my word cannot come back void, who here is willing to pick up this mantle to complete his mandate?”

Silence reigned in the atmosphere for a time, when a woman stepped up to the stage and allowed Jesus to place the mantle on her shoulders.

When she left the stage, Jesus pulled another mantle out from behind his back. “This was the mantle of a great woman of God. She led hundreds into the kingdom in her lifetime. Yet, she only completed 20% of her ministry because she forgot her first love. My word cannot come back void, so who will pick up her mantle?”

We waited again in silence until someone came up to take on the incomplete mandate. Jesus did this with numerous mantles throughout the course of this meeting.

When my encounter was finished, I was back in the upper room still enshrouded in the cloud of glory. Holy Spirit then spoke to me saying, “The most important test that any believer will face in their lifetime is this question, ‘Do you remember your first love?’”

God is raising up a generation whose greatest desire will be Him. He is calling His people into the secret place to walk in intimacy with Him. We need to allow God to stir a deep passion inside of us for Jesus. We need to remember our first love.

Pray this with me: “My God, lead me into the depths of Your heart. Consume me in each moment. I lay down any shame which may hold me back from receiving your love. I lay down my fears of rejection. I choose You. I choose Life. Teach me what it means to be Your friend. Teach me what it means to be vulnerable with You. Share with me the secrets of Your heart. Share with me the feelings of Your heart. I will not forsake You, because you are my first love.”

(Luc Niebergall lives in Calgary, Alberta with his wife Eline where he ministers as the assistant pastor of Imagine Church. Luc has a passion for revival and to see heaven invade earth across the world. You will be greatly blessed by his book: Reigning as Kings and Queens in the Inner Land, which you can order here.)

 

(Guest blogger Lance Wallnau provides today’s DWOD…be blessed!)

His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ …cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:21, 30)

The number one lie of the enemy:

YOU ARE NOT READY YET!

Do not listen to this voice.

Remember – if it’s the truth that sets you free, then it’s a lie that holds you captive. The lie you must overcome is that you need more preparation, money, time, experience, or confirmation.

Look at the business graph I attached. (Please click on the photo that goes with this post)

The dotted line is your track and the solid line is the opportunity.

1. At first, you sense an opportunity. Your spirit gets a glimpse of something.

2. The moment arrives where you need to take action, see what works and what does not work and make adjustments.

3. You are over thinking, waiting to be certain, looking for confirmation. Over-analysis leads to uncertainty and the state of uncertainty opens the door to confusion as you entertain too many voices and ideas.

4. Failing to take action, you come down into a “wait and see” position and watch for the moment to step into action – and miss the window.

What you needed to do is assess the situation and the opportunity and TAKE ACTION: run a pilot, test your assumptions, get in the game, take some sort of action and adapt and increase engagement!

You will never feel fully ready because where you are going is always larger than where you have been.

Learn this – GOD REWARDS RISK MORE THAN CAUTION!

The parable Jesus taught about the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) is often misunderstood. The servant who feared making a mistake was punished and the servant who was aggressive about increasing market share for the Master was rewarded.

Faith involves risk.

BEWARE the confusion that breeds uncertainty when the time comes to ACT!

(Dr. Lance Wallnau is a world-class trainer and consultant whose students span the globe. From bestselling authors, pastors, and billion dollar CEO’s, he has helped to transform the lives of thousands. Please check out his resources at www.lancelearning.com)

(Be blessed by this DWOD by guest blogger, Barry Adams)

The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

In this opening verse of Psalm 27, David shouts out that he is not afraid of anything or anybody. It was not macho bravado that caused David to make this boast, but rather a confidence in his God to protect him.

We know from David’s story that he did not just talk the talk, but he also walked the walk. When all of Israel was gripped with a paralyzing fear facing a daunting Philistine army, this young shepherd boy was the only one in Israel’s camp ready, willing and able to take on the giant Goliath!

The reason why this young man wasn’t afraid of Goliath was because he learned earlier on about God’s faithfulness to protect him from every enemy while he was in the shepherd’s field . When a bear came to looking devour the sheep under his care, God was faithful to protect him. When a lion came uninvited, he too was killed by this teenage boy. David knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had nothing to fear because of the greatness of his God.

It is interesting to note that in this same psalm, King David also deals with the fear of parental rejection when he says in verse 10…Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. No matter what we are afraid of, the love of God is enough to calm every troubled heart. It is an undeniable fact that a son who knows he is loved is completely fearless. When we are convinced that God is for us, then we will be convinced that nothing can possibly stand against us (Romans 8:31).

In 1 John 4:18 it says: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” The more we are convinced that we are perfectly loved, the less that fear will have a hold on our life. It is an absolute fact that fear cannot abide where love abounds!

The more that we are convinced that we have a Father in heaven who is our protector, the more we will rest in His ability to watch over us and less in our own ability to protect ourselves. Knowing that we are loved does not insulate us from trouble in this fallen world;  but it will sustain us even in the most difficult of seasons.

I believe that it is God’s heart to persuade each and every one of us that nothing in all creation can ever separate us from His love. (Romans 8:35-39) The more that this revelation becomes real to us, the more it will eclipse any struggle or hardship we experience in this life.

My prayer today is that we would all be more convinced today of the love God has for us than when we woke up this morning. I pray that every expression of an orphan mindset that causes us to live in fear would be consumed by the ferocious love that God has for us.

May each one of us embrace the boldness of a lion (Proverbs 28:1) that causes us not to be afraid of anything or anyone. May we choose to live our lives in the secret place of the Most High, living in the safety and shelter of His wing (Psalm 91). May we echo the words of David today and declare that the Lord is our light and our salvation… whom shall we fear?

(Barry Adams is the humble vessel chosen by God to bless the world with the revelation known as the Father’s Love Letter. Along with his wife Annelise, Barry ministers the Father’s Love all over the world. Today’s DWOD is from a post he wrote for A Son’s Life Blog)

Hey everybody! Be blessed by this DWOD for Sept. 04, 2013 by guest blogger, Os Hillman.
http://www.destinywordoftheday.com/?p=1969

Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” (Exodus 4:10)

One of the greatest affronts you can commit against God is to refuse His calling that He has placed upon you. Imagine arguing with your Creator and telling him you know better than Him.

That is exactly what Moses did when God called him to be his spokesperson to Pharaoh.

God and Moses got into an “I know best” competition. The LORD said to him, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.’ But Moses said, ‘O Lord, please send someone else to do it.’

God actually relented in the argument. Can you imagine that? But He’s not happy about it.

Then the LORD’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite?” God has to use Aaron as Moses’ mouthpiece.

Have you ever not pursued something because it had to be perfect? There is a fine line between doing things with excellence and being a perfectionist.

Perfectionists become argumentative with God. They refuse to step out in faith and obedience because they care too much about what others think if the results don’t turn out perfectly.

I battled these same demons when God led me into a writing and speaking ministry. “Lord, I am weak in grammar and you know I’m an introvert.” Then He reminded me “…for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).

When God places His anointing on you He uses whatever level of skill you have to fulfill His purposes in your life. This is why you need not fear moving into an unfamiliar area if He calls you there.

What is God waiting for you to do? It may be time to step out. He specializes in “cliff-catching.”

(Reprinted by permission from the author. Os Hillman is an international speaker and author of 15 books on workplace calling. To learn more, visit http://www.MarketplaceLeaders.org/)

(Be blessed by the DWOD for Sept. 03, 2013 used by permission of the author, Peggy Kennedy)

“Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you–guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in you.” (II Timothy 1:14)

“How can I know…?” 

Many times these words of Abraham have been echoed by those following the ways of the Lord and responding to the direction of the Lord with a sincere heart of obedience.

Abraham is too far into his journey with the Lord to deny the Lord’s Presence and purposes.  Yet, he is still too far from the fulfillment to be confident that what the Lord has declared will come to pass.

In Genesis 15 Abram (not yet newly named “Abraham”) has an amazing conversation with his God.  He hears the wonderful commitment of God to be his shield and very great reward. (v. 1).

However, Abram responds from the agonizing reality of his lack and self-disqualification.  The conversation moves out of Abram’s tent to the wide open skies and the Lord restates the divine dimension of what He will do. Even this glorious promise cannot satisfy.  Abram, like many of us, asks “…how can I know?”

Something very supernatural is about to happen, yet the scene is one of unusual divine dynamics.  The Lord instructs Abram to bring him a heifer, goat, ram, dove, and young pigeon.  Abram cuts all but the birds in two and arranges the halves.

From our vantage point of knowing the scripture we see what Abram may not have been privileged to see.  v. 18 summarizes this by saying, “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram…” The word “covenant” contains the picture of “cutting”.

As the sun is setting the Lord causes a deep sleep to come upon Abram.  He rolls back the curtain of time and projects forward with supreme accuracy to what is ahead for Abram’s descendants.

The experience crescendos as a smoking firepot with a blazing torch passes between the halves.  The Lord had taken the initiative to declare the covenant and His fiery Presence sealed it.  We know from the record of scripture that all of this happened just as the Lord said.

However, there is an element that is essential to Abram and essential to us! After obeying the Lord and presenting the sacrifice to the Lord, but before hearing the full divinely declared intention, birds of prey are actually attracted to his sacrifice.

Their swooping wings and devouring mouths were more than a distraction.  These birds of prey were putting his obedience at risk.  They were seeking to devour what he had brought before the Lord.

They were intending to consume the sacrifice and negate the promise. They wanted more than the morsels of meat.  They were salivating to consume his divinely-purposed future. 

How important to realize that the Lord God in all of His might and power does not come personally nor even send angelic hosts to scatter the birds.  It is Abram who rises up with a tenacity and a perseverance to chase away anything that would devour his destiny! 

The Lord will empower us to do the same! The word of the Lord to Abram contains what is at stake for us:  “…know for certain…”

The promises of God must not be carelessly nor apathetically exposed to the enemy. Even in the midst of waiting, take the initiative to deal with the devourer.  Rise up and chase the birds away!

(“Peggy Kennedy carries a powerful anointing to consistently bring the Word of the Lord in a way that is both powerful and timely…mantled to walk in a heavenly grace that brings people of diverse backgrounds together in unity”—Matt Tapley. To sign up for periodic revelations from Peggy, please visit. www.TwoSilverTrumpets.ca)