Off-Season devotionals
Delight in the Word
Psalms 119:92 NIV
If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
If the Word is not your delight during an afflicting time, you will not experience life as you were meant to. The Word can be your delight; it can bring you pleasure and enjoyment. In order for the Word to be your delight, you must read it as a dearly loved child of God. You must understand that His Word is full of His promises to you – promises for your behavior, your thoughts, your words, your family, your life, your occupation, and so much more! Instead of looking at the Word as a rule book, look at it as God’s loving promise book. For example, when you read about treating others according to love, don't look at it as a challenge or something you must accomplish if you want God to be happy with you; look at it as a promise you can count on. Recognize it as the promise that it is – if you will abide in the Word of God you will love others and treat them right. The Word will transform you. The Word that you store up inside of you will come out of you in thoughts, words, actions, and so on. The opposite is also true; however, if you ignore the Word you will never walk in love. You cannot adjust your behavior to fit into the mold of the Word; only God can transform you into His image.
The Word is everything we need for life and all that life throws at us. Trials come; we feel affliction, but we can experience joy and delight in spite of our circumstances when we abide in the Word.
An Appointed Time
Habakkuk 2:3 NIV
For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.
Lasting trials can wear on us. A spirit of depression can temp anyone who is experiencing a lengthy trial. We can find ourselves doubting God’s Word and falling for the lie of despondency. If we're not careful, we can focus more on the trial than we do on God's promises. Our faith is a fight and when we experience these carnal feelings we need to wage war against them. These feelings don't agree with the Word; they're not Spiritual. We fight the things of the flesh with the Spirit – we attack with the Word.
The Bible declares boldly that the revelation (the demonstration of the Word) will come in its appointed time – there is a specific time set aside by God for your victory! Looking forward to our appointed time can escape us when the trial becomes the center of our attention. An appointed time may not seem like much encouragement while you are in the midst of the suffering, but you must make God’s promises your focus on purpose; only they will bring life to your situation.
There is a specific time for your breakthrough. God has already procured your victory; it is finished! If we don't find out what God has to say about our trials we'll lack Spiritual hope. We must meet with God; we must open His Word and abide in His presence. Our situation is impossible without Him! We'll never experience our appointed time without His Word.
The trial you are in right now has an expiration date; you are coming out of the fire – and you won’t even smell like smoke!