The blessing needs all the time in this world to manifest

The renewal of strength for an eagle as mentioned last week is meant to prepare him for something greater, that he couldn’t do before. An aged eagle has to thoroughly go through this process of renewal for his strength with patience. It takes time for the new beak, new nails and new feathers to reappear. 

Patience with forbearance as he waits for the process to be completed, determines how long he will actually stay alive again with the ability to soar in the air. The desire to live longer instead of dying gives an old eagle the fortitude to wait, for the healing and renewal processes to bring him the new strength. 

This was something remarkably evident in the life of David, as he lived like a fugitive among his own people, who he knew he was destined to reign over as king. Saul was after his life; but David kept on declaring on the basis of his Covenant with God:

“I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The result was outstanding as David struggled to die in old age, even in the prime time of his reign as the king over Israel. He was still reigning on the throne, even as his physical body became cold. God’s Covenant love nourished David into old age, based solidly on his Covenant relationship with the Most High.

His palace officials finally had to find someone to keep him warm, so that he could remain effective and functional as the king of his people (see 1 kings 1:1-4).

He was able to do this because he was very strong in his youth; in the declaration of his Covenant promise with the Almighty God. He kept on reminding the Lord about the divine promise old age in that Covenant. As he did this God’s love nourished him through His word to give him longevity of life. 

An older eagle does the same thing also, as he waits for death to either come, or to live longer in his hiding place. By prolonging his own life in that hiding place, he has taken the course of achieving more things by soaring in the air.

A Christian who takes his or her Covenant with the Almighty God by the blood of Jesus Christ very seriously, is protected by the Lord in accordance with that Covenant oath. God honors our Covenant oath with Him, as long as we are reminding Him of it, even as we are living by it daily. 

It’s easier to be declaring whatever the promise in the Covenant says, but are you really living in accordance with it? There are a lot of Christians today who are confessing the promises of the word of God; but who are not living in the Covenant relationship with Him daily.

It’s our ability to wait upon the Lord, that gives us the benefit of long life. David declared in another place about the Covenant promise of long life, which the Lord God had promised him:

“With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭91:16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The same thing that was available to David is also available for us today, in the Covenant by the blood of Jesus Christ. The Lord nourishes us from the abundance of His love, to heal us, to strengthen us and to give us longevity of life; as we are honoring our Covenant with Him. 

We are able to become much more fruitful and productive for His Kingdom on the earth, because of the flow of His love into our lives. And His love flows into our lives, as we are watching and waiting in His presence. 

His love (agape) for us forms the basis of the Covenant that we have with Him. The Covenant by the blood of Jesus Christ binds us eternally with Him in that love. 

The Prophet Isaiah said concerning our waiting  time on the Lord, in comparison with that of an eagle:

“He (God) gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40:29-31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We wait before the Lord so as to position ourselves to inherit His Covenant promise. The Covenant promise had been given to us, but it is only from His presence that we can individually tap into what is ours in the Covenant.

But however, if any child of God is not aware of the source of his or her Covenant blessing, there is no way that he or she can get access into it. 

And a lot of Christians today are missing out of what belongs to them in this way. They are ignorant about what is truly theirs in the Covenant with God. They are not being Covenant minded at all in the way, that they are living their Christian life. 

Many are so busy running around without the presence of the Lord, to lead and guide them into their blessing. Yet, they are the ones who are always quick to declare that they are blessed; when they are indeed not walking and living in accordance with their Covenant oath with Him.

Waiting in the presence of the Lord requires a lot of patience and the ability to forebear, especially when everything else proves contrary to the word of His promise around us. 

As the Apostle Peter said:

“as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

‭‭II Peter‬ ‭1:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

His “exceedingly great and precious promises” are the Covenant promises that are ours in Christ Jesus. And by partaking of His divine nature, we are able to escape the corruption and evil of this world, so as to be able to tap into them from His presence. 

As a child of God on the earth, you are living in two worlds at the same time. This is an amazing ability that we do have in Christ Jesus, which even the angels don’t have. They can’t figure out what the Lord God had done, by giving the believers in His name that unique capability (Hebrews 2:5-8).

You are living physically on the earth, but at the same time you can also by the Spirit gain access into the presence of the Lord. Jesus had made a way for us into the presence of the Lord God Almighty. 

The precious promises of God are spiritual, but you will need to be spending quality time in His presence, so that He can give you the right words to declare in inheriting those promises. 

Just because someone has promised you something does not necessarily means that you have it. What is promised has to be received. And you can receive the precious promises of God by saying them. By saying them, your faith is being released to position you in inheriting them. 

It’s possible for any child of God to grow weary of waiting, so as to inherit God’s Covenant promises. This is because, even though we do have the access into the presence of the Father by the Spirit, we however are living in a physical body that can can get easily weary and tired. 

But when we do choose to wait on the Lord for the renewal of our spiritual and physical strength, we will receive abundant grace from the Lord God, to sustain us, and cause us to prosper with the promised blessing. 

There is no waiting time in the presence of the Lord, that is ever wasted by any child of God. Every moment that is spent in His presence is precious to Him. And you must always cherish such moments also, because you are growing in spiritual strength and maturity from His presence.

Do not forget that it took Jesus thirty years on the earth, to grow into spiritual strength and maturity from the presence of the Lord God Almighty. He was a Man like us on the earth; but He had to learn obedience to God’s will like us also (Hebrews 5:8).

The blessing of not waiting 

Those who can’t wait often end up with ungodly agreements

We’d learnt from the scriptures (Genesis 16), that Abraham and Sarah were once tired of waiting also, as they were expecting the promised son from the Lord God. 

Being weary does not means that our faith is not alive or working, because faith is from the heart while weariness affects our minds. It affects our thoughts and our decision making process. But you can still believe with the heart, even while the mind is weary.

Do you know that your faith will work, even while the enemy is putting doubts in your mind? Doubts comes in the form of thoughts, that the devil will plant in your mind, to make you weary of waiting on the Lord. But as long as you will refuse to entertain them, you will receive the strength of the Lord, as you are waiting on Him.

That’s why it’s important to be speaking words to affirm our faith in God’s Covenant promises. Whatever you are saying with the mouth overrules the weariness and doubts of the mind. Everything that you are saying rules in the realm of the spirit, and it will finally become physically manifested in your life. 

Abraham and Sarah found themselves in this situation with the weariness of their mind. Sarah had talked Abraham into fathering a child through her maid – Agar (read Genesis 16). Abraham and Sarah got tired of waiting on the Lord for the promised son. 

This doesn’t mean that they were weak in faith, because their heart was still steadfast on the Lord God, even as their minds got weary.

And anytime a child of God gets tired of waiting on the Lord for His promise to be fulfilled, the arm of the flesh in such a situation will produce an “Ishmael” in that Christian’s life. 

God never promised us the blessing of Ishmael. The blessing of the Covenant to Abraham through Isaac, by the blood of Jesus Christ is what belongs to us. 

Ishmael became a hindrance to the promise of God in the life of Abraham. Eventually we saw from the scriptures how the spiritual eyes of Sarah became opened, to seeing the plan of the enemy through Ishmael (Genesis 21:8-13). 

Abraham eventually had to get rid of Ishmael, so as to protect his inheritance through Isaac. What got them into this situation with Ishmael was the absence of patience, as they were waiting on the Lord to fulfill the promise.

This happens a lot to Christians today who had prayed to the Lord, but who have gotten tired of waiting for the answer to their prayer. 

As soon as they are getting tired of waiting, they will start doing certain things in the flesh, while thinking that they are putting their faith into corresponding action. 

But what they don’t really know is that they are walking in the “blessing of Ishmael”. They are living in the blessing of Ishmael, while waiting for the manifestation of the Covenant blessing of Abraham in their lives.

Such Christians will eventually end up producing an Ishmael, as the fruit of their faith. When any child of God is living in the blessing of Ishmael, even without knowing it; such a Christian will reproduce the fruit of that blessing as harvest. 

As Paul said:

“For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:8‬ NKJV

We need to note here that, even though Ishmael was blessed by the Lord God; but he was never the Covenant promised seed to Abraham. Isaac was the Covenant promised (seed) son. 

The seed for Isaac was sowed by Abraham as he believed in God. His faith in the Covenant was counted as righteousness before God. But the Lord had also told Abraham concerning Ishmael:

“And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭17:20-21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Ishmael was blessed, but his blessing was never based on the Covenant with Abraham. Ishmael was never the promised seed of God, but of their flesh in the life of Abraham. 

We need to note here that God promised to bless the seed of the flesh from the man, who was in a Covenant relationship with Him. Even though Ishmael came out of Abraham’s flesh, the Lord God was obligated to honor that seed from Abraham’s flesh, because the Covenant had bounded Him with Abraham.

This is how Covenants work. God would had denied Himself, by not honoring what Abraham had produced by the flesh. He would had portrayed Himself as a liar to Abraham, in accordance with the Covenant with him. And that would had invalidated that Covenant, in bringing a huge disaster on all of God’s creations on the earth.

But God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19). His Covenant oath to Abraham still remains valid today, even to the descendants of Ishmael. However, it was through Isaac that the real Covenant blessing came to Abraham.

A lot of Christians today who do lack the patience to wait on the Lord, are producing the blessing of Ishmael in their lives also. This is because they have allowed the weariness of their minds, to take them away from walking by faith in the Covenant blessing of the blood of Jesus Christ. 

The Lord had promised Agar also about her son (Ishmael):

“Then the Angel of the Lord said to her (Agar), “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.” He (Ishmael) shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, And every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren, (those who are inheriting the blessing through Isaac).”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭16:10, 12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This tells us a lot about the conflicts in the Middle East today. Ishmael was a wild man, and the blessing of his life were with the manifestation of the work of the flesh. Have you ever seen or do you know anyone today, who is living a “wild life” as a Christian? 

Such a person is unstable. He doesn’t prosper in anything by faith. He believes in God alright, but he has to do other things in the flesh to make this type of blessing to work for him. And just as God honored Ishmael in Abraham, He will honor them also because of that Covenant by the blood of Jesus.

Such a Christian is wild in all of his financial dealings. When he gets into trouble, he relies on the arm of the flesh to get him out, instead of trusting in God. He believes in God, but he doesn’t really take his Covenant relationship with Him seriously. Even though he is not being faithful to his Covenant oath, God is still faithful. He cannot lie to Himself (2 Timothy 2:13).

The same thing goes concerning such a Christian in his relationship with people. He is shrewd and not steadfast in his faith with them. 

An example of this was Esau who married an Ishmaelite woman, because Isaac had sent Jacob to get himself a wife from the relatives of their mother:

“So Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭28:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Esau acted in the flesh by doing this. He was already rejected by God for selling his birthright. Anyone who is living in the blessing of Ishmael will always struggle in life. Esau was trying to satisfy his father, instead of pleasing God by using his faith. 

Esau was blessed also, but his blessing was eventually lost; because his descendants wouldn’t stop relying on the flesh to prosper them. 

There are a lot of Christians who are practicing their Christianity in this manner. They are seeing some results with it, but it’s not the very best from God that they are getting.

Waiting on the Covenant blessing 

Godly seed brings the blessing. Wait for it!

And there are many Christians today, who don’t even understand what it takes to be in a covenant relationship at all. They are seeing it as a piece of paper that can be torn apart at their own personal will. 

This is not so. Covenants are entered into with the understanding by all parties, of the curses that will follow anyone who breaks them. The shedding of the blood is the only thing that guarantees them for us. If there is no continuous remembrance of the blood in that Covenant, then it is not valid at all. It is fake.

As Jesus said while instituting the New Covenant for us:

“… This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭14:24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The blood of Jesus has made us permanently in fellowship with the Father. It’s however possible for a Christian to miss track in living by the Covenant with God; but he can always go back into fellowship with Him again, by repenting of his or her sin, and allowing the blood of Jesus to cleanse him or her. 

The blood of Jesus Christ has permanently granted us access into the presence of the Father; so that we can inherit the Covenant blessing with Abraham by faith. 

If you have failed to remain faithful to Him, by walking in the accordance with the New Covenant, the blood of Jesus can keep you back in fellowship with Him. You can now freely go into the Father’s presence and tarry there, until His presence restores you back into fellowship with Him. 

However there are a lot of sick Christians today who are not living and walking in Covenant with God. Healing is a Covenant promise of God. It belongs to them; but as long as they are ignoring their Covenant oath before the Father, after they had received Jesus into their lives, healing will continue to elude them.

No covenant is ever solid without the shedding of the blood. It’s the shedding of the blood that gives us access into the promise of the Spirit, which is in the Book of the Covenant (both the Old and the New Covenants).

That’s why it’s written that:

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:13-14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It’s the blood of Jesus Christ that testifies to the words of our Covenant before God Almighty. The words of both the Old and the New Covenant contains the promise of the Spirit; which includes our healing, deliverance, restoration and prosperity promises. 

These are all parts of the promise of the Spirit. We had been redeemed from the curse of the law. The arm of the flesh has no hold on those who are walking in their Covenant relationship with the Father.

The Covenant blessing has to be received by the promise of the Spirit. And to receive the promise of the Spirit, you will need to wait for it in the presence of the Lord. If you are not positioned by faith in the Covenant blessing; then it’s going to be harder for you to receive the promise of the Spirit. 

There are a lot of Christians in the world today, who are full of faith and even filled with the Holy Spirit; but who are clueless about what it takes to be in a Covenant relationship with God. The Christian life to them is a matter of their personal choice, rather than being Covenant based. 

And this is why many of them are struggling in the blessing of Ishmael today. They are seeing being sick as a normal thing, while healing is theirs. They would rather get themselves into hospital and medical debts, instead of using their faith to tap into their healing Covenant blessing.

Do you know that there are even those who will measure their financial wealth, based on the amount of debts that they do owe. They are living in the blessing of Ishmael, and not in the Covenant blessing by the blood of Jesus Christ; even though they are filled in the Holy Spirit. They are not Covenant minded in their relationship with God for financial prosperity.

The absence of the knowledge about what it takes to be in a Covenant relationship, has robbed them of the promise of the Spirit. They are walking around with the “blessing of Ishmael”; which is not the best that the Lord God had made available for them in Christ Jesus. 

Are you living in the blessing or for miracles?

The blessing and the miracles are both from the Lord

That’s why it’s possible to see a Christian, who is not earning a lot of money as salary in this life today; but he is healthy and has no sickness or ailment in his body. He is not on any prescription medication; but the little that he earns as a living wage, has become the seeds in his life that are manifesting the goodness of God all over him. He has no medical bills or debts, that he has to worry or get weary about. 

He has peace and rest of mind with lots of time, to teach his children in the way of the Lord. He also has plenty of time to serve the Lord in the local Church. 

This is the Christian who cherishes his Covenant relationship with God. He has refused to compromise it, by living below his class in the blessing of Ishmael. Living in the blessing of Ishmael is far below your class as a Covenant child of God. The blessing of Abraham by faith through Christ Jesus will give some class into your Christian life. Why not go for it, by waiting to renew your spiritual and physical strength in His presence.

And there are other Christians also, who are hustling to make ends meet. They may be making a lot of money, but they are using their wealth to service their debts, and to take care of unnecessary expenses in fulfilling the lust of their flesh. 

Out of these two, which one will you rather be? Will you prefer to be living in the blessing of the Lord? Or are you like the Christian who is in the need of a miracle every day? 

The believer in Christ who spends much of his time in the presence of the Lord, waits to receive instruction and direction from his presence to live daily. 

That’s why he is blessed. He is not waiting for a miracle to be able to make it in life. He looks up to the Lord, and the Lord is strengthening him daily. His strength is being renewed daily. He is not tired and weary about life. 

Are you a Covenant keeper, or are you the Christian who will rather walk with God to satisfy the desires of the flesh? 

The blessing of Ishmael is quite distinct from the Covenant blessing of Abraham. We must remember that God never entered into a Covenant with Agar and her descendants, before blessing Ishmael. By living in the blessing of Ishmael, you are not really getting the very best from God; which can only come by keeping His Covenant with you. The real blessing of the Lord comes to those who are keeping their Covenant with Him.

The Father has His best waiting for you in the Covenant blessing. Get to know what He had promised and provided for you by His Spirit. Begin to receive them by declaring them today. 

There are over seven thousand promises in the Bible under the Old and New Covenants. For everything in this world that you need, God had provided a way for you to get them. They are not far from you. 

Believe in them with your heart and start confessing them with your mouth. Then watch as the Lord does the rest for you. Stay in your Covenant blessing and prosper in it, to live a long life on the earth.

0 Comments

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Copyright © Bible Vision International Ministries | Privacy Policy

Website Developed & Maintained by Pittman Unlimited

Log in with your credentials

Forgot your details?