TAKE YOUR EYES OFF YOUR PREDICAMENTS!

Last week we saw that many Christians fail to receive their miracles because they refuse to take the limits off Jesus.  

This week we will discover that one of the reasons why many Christians fail to receive their miracles is because they refuse to take their eyes off their predicament.

So today, we want to look at the second step to receiving your miracles - “TAKE YOUR EYES OFF YOUR PREDICAMENTS!”

Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Isaiah 26:3 says, “He will keep Him in perfect peace whose heart is stayed on Him [His Word; His promises].”

Here is the truth: To receive your miracle, you must completely take your eyes of your predicament and see the one who is able to do the impossible (Lk. 1:37; Jer. 32:27).

In the natural your circumstances may appear to be impossible. But God’s law supersedes the laws of nature.

What is predicament? Predicament is a difficult, unpleasant or embarrassing situation from which there is no clear or easy way out.

Let’s look at a few examples of predicaments:

a) Perhaps you or someone dear to you has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, or AIDS.

b) It might be it’s a child whom you see is moving away from you and the Lord.

c) Maybe you have a marriage in which things are just not working out as expected.

d) Maybe in your office you’ve been denied promotion for so long.

e) Maybe your business is suffering a major setback.

Your situation has remained the same in spite of the fact that you have cried, waited on the Lord, studied the Word of God, memorized the Word of God, confessed the Word of God, and you have prayed even in the Holy Ghost?

Know this: Your cheque book may be saying, “You will never get out of debt.” But God says, “He will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Etc.

Maybe you are in a wheel chair and your senses are telling you that you’ll never get out of that wheelchair. But God’s Word says, “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses” (Matt. 8:17). “And by the stripes of Jesus, you have been made whole” (1 Pet. 2:24).

You should realize that the storms of life come to everybody. They may come in the form of sickness, financial difficulty, barrenness, fear, family problems etc.

Realize that it is not these storms of life that defeat you, but your reactions to them. As the floods come and the winds blow, if you can consider your God instead of your circumstances, if you can look away from your Goliath and look unto Jesus Christ, God will rise up and do amazing things on your behalf.

The Bible says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all (Ps 34:19).

If God said it, He will bring it to pass because He’s a supernatural God. He is able! In Isaiah 55:11 God said, “So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Here is the point: your problems are hindrances to your seeing the ability of your God. If you keep your eyes on your problems, the devil will use those problems to defeat you and accuse the Word of God – (i) the written Word, and (ii) the Living Word.

So, victory over that situation in your life is in keeping your eyes on the bigness of your God and His unequalled and unlimited ability.

Satan knows that if he can just get you to keep your eyes on your problem, you will not be able to see the solution that God has already provided for you. This is one reason why people give up and live lives of mediocrity, defeat, despair and frustration.

With your eyes fixed on your predicaments you will rely on your natural resources instead of believing God to supernaturally intervene and deliver you. 

Examples of people who took their eyes off their predicaments and focused only on Jesus Christ abound in the Scriptures:

1. Apostle Peter. In one instance, Jesus commanded Peter to walk on water to come to Him. And he did but when Peter began to look at his predicament, he lost sight of Jesus and began to sink.

Any time you keep your eyes on your predicament you’ll lose sight of His promises, and as a result you’ll begin to sink.

What was Peter’s predicament? “But when Peter saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me” (Matt. 14:30).

2. Apostle Peter. In another instance, Jesus instructed Peter to lower his nets. Peter refused to consider his predicament. Rather he considered Jesus and His Word (Lk. 5:1-9).

Peter said, “Never the less at Your Word. Never the less, if God said so, I believe it.”

It is easy for you to think that your dreams are too big. But you should always have this kind of attitude: “What is not possible with men is possible with God.”

3. Prophet Elisha considered not the predicament of the city of Samaria. He considered the God Who cannot be limited by anything (2 Ki. 6:24 - 7:2).

The king of Israel could not see God as an unlimited and all-powerful God. He heard about how mothers in Israel were conspiring with each other to boil and eat their children. He became so enraged at that condition that he began to accuse God and His servant, Prophet Elisha. The situation was so bad that he forgot all the miracles God had performed for the nation of Israel as He led them out of captivity from Egypt.

Yes, you may condemn the king of Israel for his action. But what about you? If you will be honest with yourself, there have been times in your life when you faced your own desperate circumstances and in one way or the other have either forgotten God or have limited Him in some way in performing the miracle you need. At such times when the circumstances of life seem to overwhelm you, you do not see God as He is – in all His power.

The people of Israel faced a time of hopelessness. There was nothing that could be done to change the situation. The king of Syria came to Samaria and besieged the city until there was a great famine. The famine was so bad that people began to do things they wouldn’t normally do.

The Bible said that an ass’s head was sold for 40 pieces of silver, and a cab of dove’s dung was sold for 5 pieces of silver. The condition became so desperate that they resorted to boiling their children to eat. But finally God intervened and the children of Israel received a miracle because of the prophetic utterance of the prophet of God, Elisha.

To alleviate the pain and pressure of the moment people usually try to place the blame of the ugly situation they are facing on someone else or upon God.

This was the situation the king of Israel found himself. A terrible tragedy had developed in his country. People were starving to death. Fear gripped his heart because if something didn’t happen soon Samaria would be destroyed. He kept his eyes upon the circumstances instead of taking this great need to the supernatural God with whom nothing is impossible. And the longer he kept his eyes on the existing conditions, the more he became enraged at the prophet of God. He began to accuse Elisha and blame God for the famine.

All that the king could see was those mothers boiling their children, the people eating donkey’s head and dove’s dung. All he could see was the misery and the trials they were going through.

In the heat of the trial the king lashed out in anger, tore his dress, and said, “God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day!” And he sent his messenger to kill Prophet Elisha.

Now, consider the king’s reactions to the circumstances he faced:

1. His eyes were on the circumstances,
2. He was fearful,
3. He blamed God and Elisha for the circumstances,
4. He was angry, and
5. Finally, he took matters into his hands by sending a messenger to kill the Prophet of God, Elisha.

What were Elisha’s reactions? Before the king’s messenger reached his house, God had already supernaturally revealed to Elisha that the king had sent someone to come and kill him (2 Ki. 6:32).

Not only was Elisha facing possible death due to the famine in Samaria, he also faced death at the hands of the king’s messenger.

The question is: How did Prophet Elisha respond to these circumstances?

1. Elisha was not afraid because his eyes were not on the famine or the king’s messenger.

2. Rather his eyes were on a supernatural God:

·         Who had multiplied the small oil in one little container until it filled many barrels and was sufficient to pay the debts of a widow woman (2 Kings 4 was sufficient to pay the debts of a widow woman (2 Ki. 4:1-7);

·         Who fed the children of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years;

·         Who led them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night;

·         Who parted the Red Sea;

·         Who had given an old barren woman a son, and when that son died, that same God raised him from the dead (2 Kings 4:8-37).

·         Who had multiplied 20 loaves of bread and a few ears of corn to feed a hundred men, with plenty to spare (2 Kings4:42-44);

·         Who had defied the laws of floatation and caused an axe head to float on water (2 Kings 6:1-7);

·         Who sent horses and chariots of fire to protect him from the king of Syria and his men who had surrounded him (2 Kings 6:8-18);

Elisha knew that the same God Who had responded to all these other needs with a miracle, would do the same for him now. Therefore Elisha met his circumstances with a Word from the Lord. He did not point any accusing finger at God. He did not ask God why He had allowed these circumstances to come into his life. He did not wonder if it was God’s will to deliver him and the people of Samaria from impending death due to famine.

Rather Elisha spoke the Word he received from the Lord, and God set in motion the events that would bring about a miracle. Elisha boldly faced the terrible conditions of the famine, and the king’s messenger who came to cut off his head with a Word from the Lord by saying, “Hear ye the Word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.” (2 Ki. 7:1).

Elisha knew how to face his circumstances. He knew there was a definite Word from the Lord to meet his needs.

Having seen how the king and Prophet Elisha each responded to their circumstances, how do you respond to the circumstances that come into your life? When you face a terrible challenge which is beyond your capabilities or when you face a situation that cannot be handled by human means, how do you react? Are you immobilized by fear that forces you to keep your eyes on your circumstances or do you totally look away from your circumstances and fix your eyes on Jesus?

Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

Know this: as long as you concentrate on your problems, things will never change. In fact, things will grow worse because those problems are hindering you from seeing God as He really is. But when you take your eyes off your problems – your husband’s drinking problem, your wife’s habit of nagging, your son’s smoking problem, that doctor’s negative report concerning your health, your joblessness – and keep them on the God Who is unlimited, you will begin to see things change in your favour.

4. Virgin Mary. God promised virgin Mary something that was naturally impossible. Mary did not consider her circumstances, she did not know any man. But she considered the infallibility of God’s Word.

God gave Mary a promise that was naturally impossible. But Mary did not consider her circumstances – she did not know any man. But she considered the Word of God (Lk. 1:27-38).

Therefore, in Luke 1:38 Mary came into agreement with God saying, “Be it unto me according to thy Word. Let it happen to me just as You have said.”

5. Abraham (Rom. 4:17-24). How did Abraham handle his predicament? Romans 4:19-20 says, “And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb

20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.”

How did Abraham handle his predicament? The secret is “HE CONSIDERED NOT HIS PREDICAMENT. RATHER HE CONSIDERED OUR GOD.”

What does it mean to consider the Lord? To consider the LORD means to consider (1) Who He really is, and (2) His Word. To consider Who He is means to consider (i) His Person, (ii) His ability, and (iii) His greatness.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God MUST believe that He is….”

When God says, “It will happen. It is not “if,” it is “when” it will happen.

Abraham considered not his predicament. Rather he considered His Word [promise]. I know that Abraham had God’s promise that Isaac would be born. In fact, God didn’t say He was going to do it; He said, “I have made thee the father of many nations.” He sees the future better than we see the past. He speaks as if it is already done, because in His sight it is done. Abraham’s physical senses told him that it was impossible to father a nation at his age [nearly 100 years old], yet he considered not his own body, neither did he consider the deadness of the womb of his wife who was 90 years old. Beloved, in a similar manner, don’t pay any attention to the physical symptoms you are seeing or feeling. They are fake [false]. They are real, but they are not true.

2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk not by sight (What the five senses are telling us), but by faith (believing what God has said).”

Keep your mind totally off what your five senses are saying to you - what you are seeing, what you are hearing, what you smell, what you taste, and what you are touching (feeling). The reality is that you are sick. But the truth is that Christ has taken away that sickness from you and put it on His own body. The reality is that according to the laws of nature, it was practically impossible for Abraham and Sarah to have any child at their age. But the truth is that we serve a supernatural God Who is not limited by anything. We serve the God with whom nothing shall be impossible. We serve the God whose Word supersedes the laws of nature. The truth is that He has said that none shall be barren in the land and His Word is final. Age cannot change or stop His Word from coming through.

Therefore, Abraham considered the Lord. He considered Who he is and he considered the Word of this mighty God. He considered what God said in the Word concerning his predicament. Unless your mind is renewed (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23) with the Word of God concerning healing and divine health, you won’t understand that Satan is the author of sickness, disease and everything that destroys (Jn. 10:10). Jesus purchased healing for us in His plan of redemption through His sufferings, death, burial and resurrection. Jesus came to redeem us from the power of Satan and to give us life more abundantly (Jn. 10:10).

Just agree with God. As you do so, the power of the Most High will come upon you. In other words, God will breathe on your circumstance and things will work in your favour. It may not look like it but God will surely make it good if you agree with Him.

6. Shedrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not consider their predicament. They considered the infallibility of God’s Word (Dan. 3).

Daniel did not consider his problem. He considered the magnitude of our God (Dan. 6).

7. Paul and Silas considered not their predicament. Rather they considered the faithfulness of our God (Acts 16:16-34).

8. David defeated Goliath because he considered not the bigness of Goliath but he considered the bigness and the ability of our God (1 Sam. 17).

You may be facing a problem right now that has made you fearful. I agree that it is not easy for a person to be confined to a bed or wheelchair or to be in constant pain and still be able to take his eyes of his obvious circumstances. But the truth is that it is possible. There is just no other way since we do not walk by sight but by faith (2 Cor. 5:7).

Once you understand that there are two forces at work in the circumstances in your life, and learn how to see beyond the circumstance and determine who is in control, you will not be fearful and you will be able to take your eyes off your circumstances.

Realize that God is totally good. He does not send problems into our lives. He does not send financial disasters. He does not cause marriages to break up. He does not send pain or sickness. He does not bring death and destruction.  He cannot go contrary to His Word. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to that we might have life and have it more abundantly (Jn. 10:10). It is through Jess Christ that you have been given those miracle provisions that will restore you to that abundant life.

However, there are times in your life when God will allow certain circumstances to come into your life to test and build your faith so that He can bring you to a new level of spiritual maturity. But He will never allow any problem to come into your life greater than what you are able to bear (1 Cor. 10:13). And when those problems show up in your life, God will never abandon you but will during the battle provide the solution. Hallelujah!

I am not suggesting that you ignore the problem that exists or that you run from the circumstances that you face. I am only asking you to take your eyes off that problem and fix them on Jesus.

Remember; don’t look at the bigness of your predicament, look at the bigness of your God. Your circumstances are hindrances to your seeing the ability of your God. If you keep your eyes on your problems, the devil will use your problems to defeat you and accuse the Word of God – (i) the written Word, and (ii) the Living Word. Your victory over that situation in your life is in keeping your eyes on the bigness of your God and His unequalled ability.

Satan knows that if he can just get you to keep your eyes on your problem, you will not be able to see the solution that God has already provided for you. This is one reason why people give up and live lives of mediocrity, defeat, despair and frustration. With your eyes on your predicaments you will rely on your natural resources instead of believing God to supernaturally intervene and deliver you.

My prayer is that you’ll be fully persuaded and convinced that if God said it, it will certainly come to pass. Consider your God and not your circumstances. This is the day for you to take your eyes off that problem and put them on a miracle-working God.

 

Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit!

• Your friend, I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor, HOG).                    03.02.2019