There are times in our lives or even in our walk with God that such a word is needed. For someone here, it is such a time as this. Why? This is because one negative thing that is common to all men is a discouragement.
Whether it is to an unbeliever or believer; a layman or a clergy; a poor man or a rich man; the low or the high; the ruled or the ruler; etc. Any man can become discouraged, even Jesus showed instances of discouragement during His earthly life.
Over Jerusalem – Mt. 23:37-39
Over the apostles – Mt. 26:36-46
So today, God’s messages will be to assure us of His Divine backing. It’s so important for us to know this because whenever discouragement sets in, it is usually when a huge victory is about to be won.
I Kings 19: 1-4 – total victory over Baal was about to be won by Elijah. When Elijah ran away, Jezebel would have appointed new priests and prophets of Baal.
In I Sam. 17:32, David told King Saul and the Israelites “Let nobody’s heart fail because of him…”. Ordinarily, everyone’s heart ought to fail. But for Divine backing that David knew he had. What a victory for the Israelites that day!
Don’t let your heart fail.
In Ex. 14: 13, Moses shouted, “Fear not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord …”. Ordinarily, there should be pandemonium. But for Divine backing that Moses knew he had. What a victory for the Israelites that day!
Fear not.
In Num. 14: 6-9, Caleb and Joshua stilled the people and said, “The people will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them…”. The two knew that God was with them. What a victory it would have been for the whole congregation, but only for these two persons?
Don’t fear the people… God is with you. The land is yours.
May you be encouraged today. God says He will truly back you up.
I remember a scenario in my secondary school days, during the dry season, we used to have a problem with fetching water. Small brooks and shallow wells would dry up. We had to go far to where there are deep wells or bigger streams to get water. But coming back was usually unpleasant, as grown-ups could forcefully collect our water from us. Thank God for someone we called Baba, who used to come to our rescue and backed us up.
In all, your personal and family endeavours, may the Almighty Father back you up. In all your harvest time and seasons, may you come back home rejoicing.
The prophet Jeremiah says in Lam. 3:37-38, “Who is it that decree a thing, when the Lord has not commanded it…”. The bible makes us to know that such privilege is reserved for God’s children.
Job 22:28 – different version.
God’s children are able to decree things and those things will be established because they resemble God and enjoyed His backing.
Isaiah 55:10-11 (rain and snow it must first water the ground, before evaporation).
In I Sam. 3:19-21, the bible talks of Prophet Samuel that he enjoyed Divine backing all the days of his life. Something that all Israel could attest to.
– May God make you ‘grow’.
The Lord God will be with you.
May your words stand sure.
May people from far and near know that you are special to God. May God continue to reveal Himself to you the more.
Another prophet that enjoyed Divine backing in the scriptures was Prophet Elijah.
2 Kings 1:1-18.
God asked Elijah to intercept Ahaziah’s messengers and pronounce the verdict of death.
The toughest part of the story was when Elijah kept saying, “If I be a man of God, let fire come down and consume you and your fifty”. Those people were not goats and sheep. God wouldn’t have desired to kill the 102 soldiers, as He doesn’t have pleasure in the death of sinners, and possibly some of them were even righteous. But since Elijah was a man of God and had spoken, God had to back his word up with performance.
– May your words matter to God.
In I Kings 17:1-7, it was the same Elijah that decreed that rain nor dew would not fall for years, except by his words. God had to hide him from the consequence of his decree.
– The decree you make will not entangle you.
God will save you from all words of danger and utterances of anger.
May God make ways of escape for you from dangerous words.
You will not be stranded by your words or words of another in Jesus name.
Some of the challenges I have found with Elijah was that he could easily get angry and he could speak too quickly. In 2 Kings 2:1-14, I believe Elijah should have simply said what Elisha wanted was not possible. How could seeing him go translate to double portion of his spirit when all he had was one spirit?
Yet again, because a man of God had spoken, God had to back up his words. Elisha performed 32 recorded miracles in his life, and one in death. While Elijah did 16 recorded miracles.
– No matter how difficult the pressure and demand that is placed on you; May God grant you a solution to them all.
– There is someone here, there is something that you thought will require little effort to do; the thing is trying to engulf all you have. God says He will make available to you huge reserve you did not know existed before.
– Another person, God says, what I will make out of you is by far bigger than what you are now.
One of the most sympathetic stories in the bible to me is written in I Sam. 13:1-14. The Philistines came to attack Israel with 30,000 chariots; 6,000 horsemen and uncountable foot soldiers. Israel had 3,000 soldiers, many of which had no swords.
As the 7th day that Samuel said he would come to sacrifice to God before the war was elapsing without Samuel’s presence; and more and more people were deserting him; Saul took it upon himself to do the burnt and peace offerings to God. As soon as he did that, Samuel arrived for the offering.
The words of Samuel were troubling (I Sam. 13:11-14).
The commandment of God?
When did He command me?
What was His command?
Would have established my kingdom?
Why should it not endure or last?
What would I have done? Possibly the same.
When did God seek out this man? David may not have been born yet?
When and where was he appointed a leader of Israel?
I believe prophet Samuel was speaking in future tenses. But because those words have proceeded from his mouth, God was bound to honour them. So sad for king Saul, that was the beginning of his failure.
Samuel later said that God will not change His mind in replacing Saul (I Sam. 15:27-29). Guess what? God refused to change His mind about Saul. Even though David was born about 10 years into Saul’s reign. God had already rejected him about 8 years before then.
– Despite all what has or will be said or done, may God still honour your words and prayers above any other conflicting parameters in Jesus name.
The words we speak as sons and daughters of Most High God is very powerful. It is very important that we say what will benefit us, having known that God is committed to backing us up.
God backed up the words of David when he confronted Goliath.
I Sam. 17:42-47
Goliath said he would feed David’s body to birds and beast of the field.
David said he would strike Goliath down, cut off his head, and feed the hosts of the Philistine to birds and beast of the field.
Because David was a child of God, that was exactly what happened.
– May the words you speak bring deliverance to you.
May the words of your mouth make you free.
Whatever is threatening your life will lose its head.
Whatever it is ceases to exist from now in Jesus name.
What are things that God can back up?
Heavenly dreams and visions. Just present them to God. They will happen.
Joseph – Gen. 37:4-11
Midianite soldier – Judges 7: 9-15 (Gideon and aide).
Yours will happen.
Righteous desires and aspirations. They will be fulfilled.
Hannah – I Sam. 1:11-18
David – I Sam. 17:34-37 (your servant killed a bear and lion, this uncircumcised …)
Yours will be fulfilled.
Prayer request and prophetic words of mouth. They do come to pass.
Jahaziel – 2 Chro. 20:13-17
Apostle Paul – Acts 13:8-11 (Elymas Bar-Jesus in Paphos).
May your prayer requests come to pass in Jesus name.
Actions borne out of faith and courage. They do work out.
Jonathan – I Sam. 4:1-23
Jacob – Gen. 30:31-43
May your acts of faith work out.
God’s own word regarding you. Definitely will happen. It may tarry but wait for it.
Abraham descendants – Gen. 15:13-16. Tarried for 30 years, but it happened.
Hezekiah – 2 Kings 19:32-37 (Sennacherib invasion).
May Jehovah’s words regarding you be fulfilled in Jesus name.
God asks me to say to someone here, “I will back you up”.
Your back is already covered by me.
You can lean on me.
You are only reclining, you won’t fall.
Face your front, leave what happens at your back to me.
You don’t need to see and know everything; I will be your eyes.
I am solidly behind you says the Lord of Host. Do you believe this? If you do, then:
Dream big.
Have huge expectations.
Pray without ceasing.
Prophesy self-greatness.
Act courageously.
Hold unto the word of God.
See what God will make out of your life.
The sermon was delivered on Sunday, August 18, 2019.