Post Type: BOOKS
“What is it that you are building out there? Take it down and build it properly”
I woke up with this impression on my heart from a divine encounter one early morning, several years ago. I had recently started out in ministry and had engaged a contractor to build an office on my dad’s property. I opted for the cheapest way to get the project done and as at this point, the walls were raised up almost to the roofing level. In the divine encounter, God revealed that there was a natural water way running through the land and the office building project was in its path. When the contractor came in that morning with the construction crew, I had terrible news for them. Neighbors who had observed the progress of the building were all astonished when they saw the demolition in progress. It was not long after we had rebuilt the project with reinforced foundations that a very heavy down pour of rain unveiled the natural waterway that would have destroyed the previous building had we gone through with it. Though personally it was a traumatic experience, I have learned throughout scripture that God always takes down what looks like a failure and starts over. A typical example is during the lifetime of Noah; God destroyed all creatures through a flood and started afresh with those who were preserved by the Noah’s ark.
The common midlife story for many people on earth today is often that of shattered aspirations, broken dreams and hope deferred. Our human nature, endowments, community, natural resources, fault lines and creator altogether constitute the design of how we prosper in life. Developing an insightful relationship with the visible and invisible world around us is the key to a meaningful, fulfilling and enduring impact. The story of Joseph in the scriptures unveils his unique insights by which he made a significant impact on his world as well as the inevitable transitions that most people have to go through from divine promise to physical manifestation. These three phases of transition in Joseph’s life were: the Pre-Manifestation era of his life that is prior to his appointment to the palace, the Manifestation period when Joseph became Prime Minister and Egypt experienced abundance for seven years and the Post-Manifestation era characterized by seven years of drought. We find several examples of this pattern in the scriptures that paint a similar picture:
Abraham is promised that his biological offspring will become a great nation, but then he goes through the process of time before Isaac his son of promise is born and ultimately the fullness of the promise become a reality.
Israel as a slave nation in Egypt is promised the Land of Canaan, but then they go through the plagues in Egypt and a wilderness experience before they finally possess the Promised Land.
King David is anointed king over Israel as a teenager but then he goes through a period of persecution from King Saul before his ultimate coronation as king of Israel.
While we go through the wilderness experience of our calling and destiny, the first question is: what should we be doing in preparation? The scripture tells us that Israel was delayed in the wilderness for forty years when they could have possessed the Promised Land after a forty day journey. An entire generation died on the way not being able to inherit the promises of God so it was their offspring that possessed the Promised Land.
After conquering territories in the Promised Land, some Israelite communities were unable to hold on to their inheritance and remained victims of oppression from their heathen neighbors. The question here is: how do we conduct ourselves in order to hold on to our blessings?
In the story of Joseph we see his influence extended beyond the borders of Egypt as people from several nations were impacted by the wisdom of God evident in his life. The question here is: how do we enlarge our coasts and expand our influence when we come into our season of prosperity and God makes a way?
…Read more in the book ‘Manifestation Plan’ by Kenneth Walley available for purchase at www.cibunet.com and other online bookstores.
