A Time To Move Forward

October 24, 2008

Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command. 1 Chronicles 12:32

Like Issachar’s tribe, God wants to sensitize us to His timing. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes that “there is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven” (3:1). It’s essential to understand the times in order to prepare for God’s calling.

God is bringing the nations to our doorstep and we must rouse ourselves. We’re getting ready to expand as a church, despite the fluctuating economy. It’s the right time to move forward. The church is not subject to the world’s ebb and flow because “we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28). When darkness encroaches, we’ll step up and bring the light. “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

Get Alone With God: 1. In Prayer 2. In Quietness 3. In the Bible 4. In Praise. Esther prepared for her “such a time as this.” There are things that God wants to do through your life that you must prepare for. Between birth and death you have this thing called life, which is your season on earth to champion the cause of Christ: to manifest the love of God, to exhibit kindness, to press on through the battles, to achieve the great accomplishments for which you’ve been set apart.

Above all else, we must be sensitized to God’s timing and to what He is saying. During the dark time in her nation Esther relied on prayer and fasting. In the next month or so, some of the most significant decisions are going to be made for our land. We must pray now. Don’t lethargically wait to see what happens. Be an active doer of the Word. There are people attached to your obedience to pray big prayers, to avoid sin, to press on and not grow weary in well doing. As you push aside distraction and seek God in prayer, what was meant for harm God will turn around for good (Genesis 50:20).

Let’s move forward,

Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2008 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.