When you are in a transition season, you will often be tested.
“The farmer sows the word. Some are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
Others are like the seeds sown on rocky places. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
Still others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word, but the cares of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Yet others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.” Matthew 13:18-23
When I was younger, I used to tell everyone what God told me (just like Joseph with his family). In truth, I wanted approval. I wanted someone to say “oh wow, goodness, you are going to be this and that, I am so proud of you and I totally believe what God told you”.
Then as I grew up, I realize that not everyone believed me and instead they put me down and laughed at me.
There were some seasons where God told me to not tell a soul, then recently He told me it was okay to tell a few trusted souls after months of incubation. The outcome was not always what I expected. Instead, I found myself doubting the word God gave me.
“Why would you tell me it’s okay to tell people when you KNEW it would put doubt in my heart?” – Me
“To strengthen your faith and resolve”- God
It says that “trouble and persecution comes BECAUSE of the word”. So why the heck would I want to have a word from God if trouble and persecution will come BECAUSE of that word?
Because when THE WORD bears fruit….They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.
When I realized that it was just the enemy trying to shake me from God’s promises for me, I quickly forgave the people who started attacking me. I realize this was just a test for me to see how unshakable my faith was in what GOD told me.
Why would God allow it?
To make sure HIS word has taken roots in my heart and that I will not be shaken when trouble, persecution, cares of this life, deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things comes.
He is building an unshakeable people, not a shakeable people that will walk away from His promises right when other people start attacking or putting doubts in their mind.
In Genesis, Satan asks “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat of any tree in the garden?’” (this was preached by Toure Roberts here)
He first attempts to put doubt in Adam and Eve’s mind….did God really say?
The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.’”
“You will not surely die,” the serpent told her. “For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Then HE gives them a new word that contains a LIE in it.
He told them a lie so that they would STEP out of the promise God had for them. When they chose to believe the lie, they acted upon the lie.
I feel like this is not the season to have self-doubt.
God has given you a word and it is time to nurture that word and not give any opening to the enemy to abort that word.
I think that is why God often did not want me to reveal what He was doing in my life (or going to do in my life) because He knew I wouldn’t be able to withstand the accusations or opinions that came with exposure.
I pray that you would be able to withstand the testing as your rest in the perfect grace of God. You do not need anyone’s approval to walk into the WORD GOD gave you.
Whatever He has told you, protect it with your life.
People often abort what God is doing because they’ve exposed it too quickly and exposed themselves to attacks they cannot handle. Because of that they walk away from what God originally told them.
You do not need a pastor, mentor, friends or family to agree with what God has told you. You just need a word from God.
Rebekka Lien 