ARE YOU WILLING TO TRANSITION, SHIFT AND/OR MOVE?
(Are you willing to change, modify, alter, transfer, travel, and/or relocate?)
Have you been tempted to surrender your hopes and limit your dreams and visions due to the pandemic and the shaking of the world economies? But try as you might, you cannot silence the stirring within your chest that says, “Believe in spite of everything you see.”
Let me tell you about the man you see in the picture above. He was a fulfillment of a dream of mine since I was a child. When I was young, I was an avid reader, and one of the books that made a great impression upon me was the story of Paul Bunyan, a giant lumberjack of superhuman strength who was accompanied by Babe, the blue ox. When I first met Bernie, I was immediately enamored upon learning that, first, he was a lumberjack and, secondly, by the sheer size and strength of him. To me, he was the living embodiment of Paul Bunyan! And I have to admit that I halfway looked for Babe to come alongside him. My husband told me once that when he shook Bernie’s hand his hand swallowed up his shake. Yes, he’s Paul Bunyan for sure. And just recently he told Scott and I that 2020 had been a prosperous year for he and his wife, Geri. That surprised me. He was prospering in a time when others were not.
The Bible, too, spoke of a man who also prospered in the midst of world famine when the economies of the world were turned upside down. While others suffered under the events that encompassed the world, he did not. Why? Because he had made a covenant with His God and was obedient to Him. As a result, the Lord blessed him. His name was Isaac, which means laughter. Isaac laughed during uncertain days of adversity. It was recorded during that time the King of the Philistines looked out his palace window and saw Isaac “sporting” with Rebekah (Gen. 26:8). The word conveyed that they were both laughing as they were being affectionate. Just as Isaac laughed during adversity, you will, too. His name was prophetic for his time and, moreover, it is prophetic for this time in your life. Get ready to laugh just like Isaac at the devil’s taunting and roaring, who seeks to make you fear. Do not give into it, for God will take care of you. Your dreams will come true.
“ 1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech, King of the Philistines unto Gerar. 2 And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell you of: 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you; for unto you, and unto your seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham your father; 4 And I will make your seed to multiply as the stars of Heaven and will give unto your seed all these countries; and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed”(Gen. 26:1-4).
The first thing of which you should be aware regarding Isaac’s time is that there was a famine in the land, meaning there was want, scarcity, lack of food, starvation, and shortage of rain. In other words, there was a crisis that came knocking at Isaac’s door, threatening to turn his world upside down. The second thing you should be aware of is that Isaac’s prosperity depended upon him following God’s instructions that were individually and tailored just for him. Isaac was required to move, shift and transition.
I would ask you to search deep within yourself and honestly answer the following questions. The answers you give depend on whether you will prosper during this time and the days that are ahead. Like Isaac, are you ready to move? To shift? To transition? Your destiny, future, prosperity and the fulfillment of your dream may depend upon it. This is a time, like no other, for you to listen for that individual and tailored word from God designed just for you that will bring about your deliverance and those of your household as well. Get ready for a Divine intervention to bring you out of dire circumstances to a place where prosperity and blessing will take place. Destiny awaits you. Your dreams will be fulfilled. But you must listen and follow His instructions.
GOD SPOKE TO ISAAC AND GAVE HIM INSTRUCTIONS THAT WOULD DELIVER HIM FROM THE PRESENT TRIBULATIONS. The Lord will do the same for you.
God’s instructions to Isaac:
1. Go not down into Egypt. (God forbade him to go to Egypt. It could have been that God knew there would be trouble in Egypt, and He prevented Isaac from being harmed.)
2. Dwell in the land which I shall tell you of. (Go only to the land where the Lord would tell him to go.)
3. Sojourn (live temporarily) in this land. (God told Isaac it would only be temporarily.)
4. For unto you, and unto your seed, I will give all these countries. (God told Isaac that the land where he would go and dwell in would one day be his and his descendants.)
5. I will perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham your father. (Abraham’s blessings would become Isaac’s blessings.)
6. I will make your seed to multiply as the stars of Heaven and will give unto your seed all these countries. (God promised to multiply Isaac and his descendants and cause them to inherit nations.)
7. In your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. (God fulfilled His Word to bless all the nations of the earth through the Lord Jesus Christ, the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.)
Isaac’s blessing to prosper was conditional. If Isaac followed the Lord’s guidance, God promised to be with Isaac and bless him. What will God say to you? Listen for His specific word to you. When Isaac went to the place where God showed him (Gerar), he was blessed. He tilled the land, planted and reaped a bumper crop of 100fold (Gen. 26:12). He dug wells and found living springs. It was there that Isaac made his own way as a leader, stepping out from Abraham’s shadow, for “the man became great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great” (Gen. 26:13). The words, “went forward”, means the opposite of standing still or going backward. Isaac continued increasing, becoming even richer than his father, Abraham. Isaac grew in numbers and possessions. “For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him” (Gen. 26:14). God blessed Isaac when he followed the specific word God had for him.
Listen up! God will speak a detailed word to you as well; it may come in a dream, or a vision, or through a prophetic utterance, but if you wait on him, it will surely come. The word of God will change your life and your future.