Just Listen

Genesis 25-28

Like the potter who skillfully molds the clay with the intention to edify and glorify, so does the father with profoundness. It is His desire to shape us unto the transforming of our minds. The mindset that He wills for us to have is for an assignment far greater than petty disputes, financial burdens, and fear. There is a great cry in the wilderness for salvation that beckons to our soul, and we, the army of God, have souls to set free. If you would halt the frivolous commotion and submit to the Lord in silence, you will hear him speaking. At the sound of his voice you will feel fire in your bones and a shift in your heart as He speaks with authority. This will is His promise for your life.

There is destiny no matter where you are. There is a power that determines the course of your events. There lays, along your journey, some event that has been established but awaits the manifestation, and this is your destiny within or outside the wilderness. When we choose to live according to God’s will, we are also called for a certain time, which was predestined before the beginning of time. This time was predestined to give glory to God.

God searches our hearts and he knows the mind of the spirit. (Romans 8:27) 1 Corinthians 2:9-12 tells us that our eyes cannot see, our ears cannot hear and we are not able to comprehend what God has in store for us. The only way we can know the will of God for our lives, and thus understand our purpose, is to walk in the spirit. God communicates with us only through the spirit because he is a spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us the fruits of the spirit: Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Of all these things the spirit gives life! These are things we all seek, but we spend time finding other things to fill our void. Romans 8:5 teaches us that we are of the spirit once we begin to mind the things of the spirit. Verse 6 goes on to tell us that to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. When we are carnally minded we are enemies of God and cannot please God. Only the people who walk in the spirit are children of God. Therefore, God urges us to set aside our worldly desires and seek him; then, he will begin to uncover some of his mysteries—we will begin to understand his word and his will for our lives.

::::When the mountains and the seas formed in the beginning to be A miraculous creation; the sign of power in God's salvation I wondered what dirt shaped in human form Packed with power when this child was born The glory the earth held its breath to see The thoughts the Father thinks towards me-- A miraculous creation; the sign of power in God's salvation Flavor in the ghetto. The streets peppered with unbelief With just a pinch of salt you can succeed Your wildest dreams are no longer nightmares It's a good thing because you've taken all you can bear And this gift, a miraculous creation; the sign of power in God's salvation, this cup fills and pours out Breaking every demonic chain and destroying doubt Proving what God's love can really do Making this earth tremble under his marvelous moon And when all the evil is consumed Righteousness thrusts it way to full bloom And when the seas part and mountains move, This vessel will have done all he can do. This vessel will have done all he can do.::::
There is Power in the Blood, Chéri Monique Langston

 Jacob, the youngest twin of Isaac and Rebecca, took that long journey to discovering his purpose. He was much like us in the sense that he was forced out of his comfort zone, despised for his inheritance, and at one point, bewildered by his next step. Before any of these came into play, God ordained him to father a mighty nation that was greater than his brother’s. God’s plan was set in stone, but Isaac had his own agenda. It was tradition to pass the inheritance to the eldest son; therefore, Isaac intended to bless Esau. Rebekah was determined to make sure the blessing was given to Jacob because of the promise God made to her when Esau and Jacob were in the womb. It is also necessary to mention that Esau despised his blessing in exchange for food; therefore, whatever blessing his father intended to give him, he willingly handed it over to his brother.

It is obvious that Isaac’s desire conflicted with God’s will. In reality, it seemed like Isaac would have his way, but, regardless of what his plans were, destiny had the final say. God’s desire for our lives is stronger than our own will. Unfortunately for Isaac’s will, Isaac’s eyes were so weak at the time that he could no longer see clearly. When the time came to bless Esau, Isaac asked him to hunt some game and bring back some food that he liked so that he could give Esau his blessing before he died. When Rebekah overheard Isaac’s request to Esau, she sent Jacob to find two goats and she prepared a meal for Isaac and gave it to Jacob to give to his father. Before Jacob went to his father, she used the goatskins to cover his hands and the smooth part of his neck, for Esau was hairy and was identified by his hairy skin. 

When Jacob went to his father, Isaac took precautions with the aid of his other senses. He listened and perceived he was talking to Jacob, but when he touched Jacob he perceived he was talking to Esau. Isaac was deceived and he proceeded to bless Jacob. Sometimes, we cannot see the way God chose for us, but, if we listen closely, he reveals his secrets to us. Most of the time, we are too caught up in our own plans to hear the plans that God wishes to share with us.

It is often argued that when God’s will prevails it contradicts with free choice, but the choice we are forced to make is between life and death. We choose life if we choose to let God’s will reign in our lives, and we choose death if we decide to forfeit God’s will and live a life according to worldly standards. The path that God chose for our lives is a blessing. God does not call us because He needs us; he calls us because He wants us. God has compassion on his people because we are His creation, and He created us to worship him with service and obedience. Paul said in Ephesians 4:12 that we are called for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of Christ’s body (the church). For this purpose we are given gifts and the anointing to accentuate our gifts. Our hope is to be more like Christ as we all work together. As our focus narrows in on our true destiny, we find ourselves perplexed about what He truly expects from us. Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 2: 10 that God has revealed his secrets unto us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. What we have to understand is that the spirit does not communicate with our mind, but with our spirit. It is important to walk in the spirit because our spirit knows everything we need to know about our destiny. Without the spirit we are ignorant, which explains why some people are unfulfilled, wandering aimlessly from one disaster to another, and drowning in their tears at night.

When Jacob was given his father’s blessing, the circumstances caused Esau to rage in anger and jealousy. Isaac and Rebekah feared what Esau would do to Jacob, so they sent him away to Paddan Aram toward Rebekah’s father. According to their wisdom, Jacob was escaping death, but God sent Jacob away to bless the earth.

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed."
Isaiah 55:12, 13 NIV

While Jacob was on his journey, I picture him mirroring the same essence we bear when life takes an unexpected turn. The scripture reveals to us that Jacob never liked to explore the wild or leave the tent. He felt safe and secure in his tent, while Esau was elated by the wooded fields. Now, Jacob found himself wandering in the wilderness toward Haran, and the bible says, “When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set.” It is important that we stop and hear a word from the Lord. Our spirit speaks, but we get so caught up in life that we forget to listen. I am not sure if Jacob’s intention was to hear God speak, but when he stopped and let his mind rest, God spoke to him in a dream and shared with Jacob the plans that he had for him. God didn't leave Jacob ignorant or misguided, but He promised to follow him where ever he went and vowed to bless the earth through him and his many descendants. In response, Jacob thought to himself, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”

Jacob learned a valuable lesson upon the rock he laid his head on. When God revealed his secrets to Jacob, he realized that God was with him all along, so he called the rock Bethel, meaning “House of God.” When his father blessed him, God was there. When his brother sought to kill him, God was there. When his mother sent him away, God was with him. Through this epiphany, we can finally rest assured that circumstances that we don’t understand and fears and disappointments that seem unbearable are the tribulations that were promised to bring us glory in Ephesians 3:13. Tribulations are necessary for the justification process God promised we would go through in Romans 8:30 in order to be more like Christ. Jacob was blessed upon that rock and in return he worshipped God. He set the rock up as a pillar before God and poured oil on top of it. Then, Jacob made a vow to God,

"If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." Genesis 28: 20-22

It is important to learn how to praise God while we are on our journey, because God is certainly with us. We come to the temple to meet God where He is and to give Him praise while we are in his presence, but God is not limited to the temple. When we are unsure, He is there. When we are afraid, He is there. When we reach an obstacle, He is there showing us the way through it. When we finally reach our destiny and the promise he made to us, He is there to open the door and guide us through, but first, we must stop and listen.