Pastor Scott Reece

We've all been there…sometimes it seems like a dry and weary land where there is no water. There is nothing for you to "hold on to" and the days seem empty with no sense of hope or expectancy. But at the same time, all of us have been in that place where you "know" something good is about to happen, or something has been promised to you and it's about to be delivered! I think we can all safely say that we enjoy the latter more so than the former. One of the worst things in the world is to lose hope and to have nothing to live for. What do you do when life seems to be at a dead-end, and all sense of expectancy has departed? What do you do when your dreams have been crushed and purpose in life seems to evade you? What are the issues that rob us of our expectancy and how do we get it back? Glad you asked!

Deal with Unresolved Sin

I realize that sounds a bit presumptuous. I'm not assuming that the reason people lose their sense of expectancy is because of unresolved sin, but I am also aware that the effects of hanging onto the residue of rejection, bitterness, and hurt can be just as detrimental as unforgiven sin, itself.  Times like this demand an honest self-inventory, self-assessment and a determination to let go of those issues that have plagued you. Surrendering your hurts, unresolved feelings and perhaps even taking advantage of a skilled, godly counselor can help you move beyond those particular "sticking points" from your past. The payment for your sin has already been paid and you are no longer liable for it. Remember, God doesn't use condemnation, He uses correction with His children.  If you are feeling condemned, that the work of the enemy, not your Father. You can never cover up the effects of your sin by ignoring it, denying it, excusing it or blaming others…you must confess it.  Once you confess it, you are forgiven, so let it go!

Don't Let your Past Define You

I can't even begin to count how many times I have made this statement, to hundreds of people.  The enemy specializes in chaining us to the events of our past and our failures. Every time we are about to make a breakthrough, he simply jerks on the chain and brings us right back to that moment of failure and we see ourselves through that particular situation. It's time to lose the ball and chain of the past and

move into your divine freedom and destiny. Ever noticed that the windshield on a car is a LOT larger than the rearview mirror? Everything that God has for you is in front of you, not behind you! Your best days are those that you have yet to live, and the time to leave your past in the past, is now.  Isaiah 43:18, tells us to "stop focusing on the former things and to forget the old things". God is doing a new work in you.  Just because you remember issues that happened in the past, doesn't mean that you have to relive them.  When your mind drags up former memories, deal with it right then. Declare Jesus as Lord over your past, make your confession of forgiveness and release and set your mind to the new thing that God is doing in your life now! Just take a few moments to deal with it and put it in it's proper perspective, so that your memories no longer control you.  Remember…that was then, this is now!

Stay Current in the Word and Know Who you are in God

Lamentations 3:23 tells us that "His mercies are new every morning!" God longs to fill you to overflowing with a sense of His purposes and with expectancy, but you have to make yourself available to Him on a regular and consistent basis.  It's in the life of His Word that you will discover who you are and what your life is about. One of the primary tools of the enemy is to separate you from the source of the anointing, which is His Word. If the enemy can succeed in isolating you from a steady diet of the Word, you will become susceptible to his lies and a primary target for the arrows of deception that will cause you to see yourself in a way that is contrary to God's will for your life.  Psalms 119:11 says "Your Word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." The Word not only keeps you from sin, but it keeps sin from you! His Word becomes a shield and a shelter in which you can safely fashion, form and develop into the person that God has called you to be.  Make a commitment to spend time with God everyday. If you get sidetracked, clear your head and jump right back in until it becomes a part of your daily routine, habit and discipline.  You may not hear God "speak" to you every single day, but the daily investment of the Word will begin to shape you into the person that He has destined you to be and will serve to create a spirit of expectancy in your heart.

Let Go of Pre-conceived Ideas

Over the generations, Israel has held to a very particular view of who the Messiah will be and what He will accomplish in their nation. They have fully expected the Messiah to establish an earthly kingdom, defeat all of the enemies of Israel and restore the temple, bring peace to the world and end all war, and be anointed as King of Israel.  This view based on their interpretation of scripture has actually caused them to miss the Messiah. Israel missed the fact that their real enemy was not natural, but spiritual and Jesus died to set them free and establish them as a people who would propagate the covenant around the world.  Their pre-conceived notions have blinded them to the truth. What about us? How many times have we held to a certain set of beliefs that our life had to move in one particular direction and it caused us to miss what God really wanted to do? Being closed-minded will keep you in the dark and will keep you from moving forward in the new things and the new season that God wants to bring you into.  God is sovereign and just because He did things on way in the past, doesn't mean that He going to do it that same way in the future. He has a perfect plan for your life and submitting means that you are open, flexible and willing to go and do anything that He pleases.  I am reminded that my life is one of divine appointment and as I live my life in the service of the King, I am at His pleasure and His purposes in life!

Believe that God has an Amazing Future for You!

Listen to Jeremiah 29:11…"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." It has been said that the richest place on the earth is the local cemetery. It's full of dreams, hopes and aspirations that were never realized. It's full of songs that were never sung, stories that were never written and lives that were never lived to the fullest. This is your day, and this is your season! You must rise up and step up to the possibilities of life that are before you. You can lost in the past and in your regrets, you can feel sorry for yourself and live your life in comparison, or you can get a Word from God, rise up in faith and step into your destiny, one day at a time! God has an amazing plan for you life, but I know of many people who are not living in the future and the hope of God for their lives. Listen, God's word over you is yes, and amen! He is for you and not against you.  His Word declares that you are the head and not the tail, you are above only and not beneath, and that He desires to bless everything that you put your hand to, Deuteronomy 28:13.

The prayer of Jabez was that God would bless him and enlarge his territory, that His hand would be upon him and that he would be protected…God granted him his request, and He desires to grant yours. God's plan and purpose for you is that you walk in divine favor and peace.  God's plan for your life is that you would rise up and fulfill His will and that you would make known His Word for your generation.  Today, let faith and expectancy arise in your heart. Just say no to the lies of the enemy and yes to the promises of God!

Your Best Days are Ahead of You!

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