Harvest Chapel International - Kumasi

MGD: Give It Time

In this devotional message titled "Give it Time," we are shown what to do in situations when nothing seems to work in our favour, even after we have prayed.

Aired on Radio HCI Today via the RadioKing App.

Duration:: 12m
Broadcast on:: 11 Jul 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

(soft music) Temptations, hidden SNES often take us on our words. And our hearts are made to bleed for a thoughtless word or deed. And we wonder why the tests, when we try to do our best, but we understand it's better by and by. Shalom beloved, we are grateful to God for the blessing of another wonderful day. God bless you for tuning into Radio HCI today and praying with us during the startup prayer time. It is time for the word. And we are setting that God has something nourishing for us today. Presenting today's morning glory devotion from Havish Jaapul International, Diname Kumase, Abhastha and Deaconess Gilsen. Let us start on a note of prayer. Dear Father, we thank you for such a wonderful privilege to be our life and to be no other place but in your presence. We receive grace to be attentive to your word today. In Jesus' mighty name, amen. Amen. As we often do, let us kindly take our confession from Joshua chapter one verse eight. Joshua chapter one verse eight. This book of the law shall not depart from my mouth, but I shall meditate in it day and night that I may observe to do according to all such as written in it. For then I will make my way prosperous and then I will have good success. Amen. The theme for today's morning glory devotion is give it time. Give it time. And our scripture reading shall be taken from Luke chapter one, the verses five to 17. Luke chapter one, the verses five to 17. And I'll be reading from the new living translation. The Beth of John the Baptist for told. When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abidah. And his wife Elisabeth was from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah and Elisabeth were righteous in God's eyes, careful to obey all the Lord's commandment and regulations. They had no children because Elisabeth was unable to conceive and they were both very old. One day Zechariah was serving God in the temple for his order was on duty that week. As was the custom of the priest, he was chosen by Lord to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and ban inches. While the incense was being bent, a great crowd stood outside praying. While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. Zechariah was shaking and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. But the angel said, "Don't be afraid Zechariah. God has had your prayer. Your wife Elisabeth will give you a son and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his bed. For he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his bed and he will tend many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the Godly. The Lord add his blessings to the reading and hearing of his word. Thanks be to God, amen. Give it time. The story of Elisabeth and Zechariah is probably one of the most told stories of the scriptures. We may have had it time and time again. Nevertheless, kindly permit us to share from it one more time for its lessons are available and ever refreshing. It is a story that perfectly represents the lives of many of us. A story where we are introduced to the struggles of a couple whole year in year out see their earnest expectations for a child go unfulfilled. It was not that they were unbelievers nor casual believers. On the contrary, the scriptures describe them as righteous people. A couple who had reverent fear for the Lord. Being Levites, Zechariah paid his due to the service of the Lord in the temple even though his very old age. Looking at latter chapters, we believe Elisabeth was no different. One would have thought that they being believers and hailing from such a prestigious lineage of everyone, Moses's brother, would have spared them from this distress in situation. That's the apparatus for a child who would have been answered by God even before the way ever expressed. And so we have come to face their reality that being children of God does not necessarily exclude us from some of these distressful situations of life. Be it the desire of a child, seeking healing for a loved one, the set for a job, financial hardships, repetitive dead-end situations, the set for a spouse, et cetera. In such situations, we, just like Elizabeth and Zechariah, may have a thousand and one questions rooming our minds. Questions like, when shall we have our prayers answered? Have we not prayed enough? Have we not paid our dues enough? Is it because of anything we may have done wrong? It's called punishing us, that's called really love us, and the list goes on and on. No amount of logical justification we give ourselves seem to make sense or settle our own settle months. Especially when we see that some others, just around us, have their similar or even same petitions granted with our stress. For some of these people, they seem not to have half their faith we have, nor are as committed to the things of God as we are. Nevertheless, they seem not to struggle in receiving their honest heart desires. Why? Reading the concluding parts of the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth made it all other. When God finally answered their prayers and granted them a son in their very old age, it was for the fulfillment of a greater purpose, the fulfillment of a messianic prophecy given by the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 40, verse 3. They did not merely receive a child from the Lord, but one who was intentionally earmarked to be the forerunner of the messiah. Born just six months to the coming of Jesus, that this the son John the Baptist would bear witness of the light to come so that through him, everyone would believe in Jesus. John chapter one, verse six to eight. How wonderful. This is a picture well painted by God, a complete masterpiece. It couldn't have been any better. We sometimes say to ourselves that if only we had known all this from the beginning, maybe we would have acted differently. We would have been more patient and more resolute in our trusting God. However, our stance and our attitudes in our life story should not be determined by knowing the fine details of what the things at the end. God, our maker has been writing such beautiful stories ever since he made the world. The stories of Hannah, Joseph and Jesus, together with this one are but a few examples. And for even every one of them, they always end on a beautiful note, where it's all arts up and makes perfect sense. And ours will be nothing different. And so while we find ourselves in that moment of distress or anguish, we should have it at the back of our minds that God is up to something good, that God has something up his sleeve. And in the fullness of time, it will all make sense. So let us just give it time. We will understand that it's better by and by. Let us hold on. Trust more, continue our pain at you and receive grace to endure till the end. God, which we bless you. Let us kindly take our memory phase for today. Our memory phase shall be taken from John chapter 13, verse seven. I shall be redeemed from the new living translation. Jesus replied, "You don't understand now what I'm doing, but someday you will." Jesus replied, "You don't understand now what I'm doing, but someday you will." Amen. Amen. Let us kindly share a word of prayer. Father, we are grateful for bringing this truth to our hearts. Thank you for making us understand that you are working in us at far greater purpose than we can imagine. And that in the fullness of time, it will end up beautifully. We receive grace to endure such times of distress and to trust in your own failing grace. In Jesus' mighty name, amen. Amen. In today's study, we came to understand that in all situations, no matter how distressing or challenging they may be, it will always end on a glorious note for feeling a good purpose. And so, let us always learn to give it time. Amen. God, we bless you for staying all through the broadcast. We kindly ask that you keep your day right here as you go through the day, for there's a lot more spiritual goodies coming your way. Have a wonderful day, Shalom. (gentle music) (soft music)