"For many of My people who have gone through a down time, I am beginning to pick them up! And for those who have gone through a valley time, I am beginning to bring them to mountain top! This is not the time to 'give in' or 'give up', but this is the time I am 'picking you up'! Look to Me therefore, and like Jacob, your tenacity will also pay off!"
Indeed, people of God, whatever the Lord has put in your heart (or has spoken) for you to do, this is not the time to give up, but this is the time to pick up! And no matter what 'down time' you've gone through recently, this is the time to receive a fresh hope and new strength from the Lord! Be it in your family, career, business, or God-given ministry, He will give you the wisdom you need moving forward, and He will cause you to walk in favor again! Yes, He hasn't forgotten you, even though the enemy tries to make you think so!
By the way, 'down time' here means 'time when things aren't working or functioning as it should', and 'pick up time' here means 'time when things are improving, recovering (from a fall/problem), or looking up again'. So, shout out loud to yourself: "Things are picking up again!" Say it again, and again! Say this into the spiritual realm around you! Say this over your life, and over your every situation! Not saying for the sake of saying it, but saying because the Lord says so! The truth is when you agree with what He says in the 'inside' of you, whatever 'outside' of you will also begin to agree!
Therefore, declare:
- this is the time to pick up the pieces (when you fall);
- this is the time to pick yourself up (when you are down);
- this is the time to not look back, but look forward;
- this is the time to not give in (under pressure from this world);
- this is the time to not give up (whatever the Lord has spoken to you).
Let's look at the Scripture now, and see an example in someone named Jacob. As you know, this same Jacob eventually became Israel. From the name that means 'grasping the heel' (which is a Hebrew idiom for 'deceptive behavior') or 'supplanter', he was later named 'prince with God', or put it plainly, 'ruling with God who fights for him'! To the Hebrews, a change of name means a change of character. Through those years, Jacob went through much, of course, before he was finally named Israel. As a matter of fact, he had his share of 'down time' too those days. After escaping from his brother Esau who wanted to kill him for stealing his (Esau's) birthright, he went to his mother's homeland only to find himself being taken advantage of and 'played out' by his uncle Laban for twenty years! (Genesis 31:38-41) In other words, the 'supplanter' was now being 'supplanted'!
It all began when Jacob met Rachel, the love of his life! (Genesis 29:16-20) It was supposed to be the beginning of the best days of his life, but what could have gone wrong?! The 'deceiver' or 'supplanter' had finally 'met his match' in his own uncle Laban, and he got 'outfoxed' this time! He was made to work for seven years, and another seven years for the love of his life, Rachel; and then another six years for his uncle's flock. So, all in all, twenty years!
'Rachel' ('rawkhale' in Hebrew), by the way, means 'ewe' or 'female sheep', a symbol of innocence and beauty. It can also mean 'to journey', and here, Jacob was supposed to have found his purpose (or meaning) in life when he met Rachel - someone he would 'journey' in life with. People of God, maybe the Lord had shown you the beauty of His plans (and purposes) for your life too, but things just aren't happening at the moment. Well, the same it was with Jacob at that time. Things didn't work out the way he had wished initially; and instead of Rachel, uncle Laban gave him Leah (Rachel's older sister)! Not only that, through those years, Jacob worked for uncle Laban like a slave! In fact, his pay was revised ten times through those years! Not pay rise, but pay cut!
But Jacob didn't give up. He kept going and going in spite of it all. People of God, things may not have borne much fruit at the moment, but if you do not give up on what the Lord has put in your heart to do, you'll soon begin to see lots of fruits. And when the fruits come, THEY COME! You'd better prepare a whole lot of baskets to 'contain' them all! You see, Jacob could have given up, thrown in the towel, and accepted his 'fate' to be enslaved by uncle Laban the rest of his life. But somehow he didn't. He kept believing and believing. Now, that's tenacity! And you know what, the Lord even gave him wisdom and favor to make a way of escape! Yes, no doubt he was the 'bad guy' in his earlier days, but what mattered more to the Lord was his willingness to humble himself and be changed! Everyone deserves another chance! And so do you!
Whatever your situation may be at the moment (and no matter how dire it may be), as long as you do not 'give up' on what He has spoken to you, He sees you a winner! Just as He saw Jacob a winner! The Lord will know how to turn things around for you. Choose therefore to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, and He will know how to lift you up (1 Peter 5:6). The Scripture says 'By humility and the fear of the Lord, comes riches, honor and life' (Proverbs 22:4). Indeed, things are going to pick up again in your life! Take this, declare this, and receive this by faith. Amen!
