When the Dust Clears

When the Dust Clears

When you are standing on the promises of God, you can have days where things are so clear. Maybe God has given you a personal prophetic word or message and you receive such comfort and encouragement. Whereas your situation looked bleak and hopeless one word from God can cause Hope to arise and spring forth.

The most beautiful feeling in the world is the Lord’s assurance. Holy Spirit has a way of providing us with continuous assurance. My grandmother would sing “Blessed Assurance Jesus is Mine, oh what a foretaste of glory divine, heir of salvation, purchased of God; born of his Spirit washed in his blood; this is my story this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.” She would sing this song over and over. Big Ma was making a declaration of her faith in Jesus. She was reminding herself of her true identity and plowing her way through by repeating the words in the song.

The Lord gave me the word, “when the dust clears” recently after a very challenging time of my life where the instruction given just didn’t make sense. I thought, Lord this makes absolutely no sense. After my pity party ended, I obeyed God quickly and received the word of the Lord with gladness. I drew strength from a book I read a few years ago titled, “When Obeying God Makes You Look Stupid” by Shavon Sellers (She’s married now and her name is Shavon Smith).

Everything is great when you can see clearly. Clarity allows you to actually see that what the Lord said is coming to pass. However, when the storms of life or the circumstances in day to day living occur your blessed assurance is challenged and your faith is confronted. The message of the Lord will be tried. The word will be tested. Yes you have the victory in whatever it is that God is giving you but the adversary the enemy is in between the promise and the receiving or partaking. You have it but the battle happens between the hearing or seeing and the fulfillment. You may have to go through some stuff in order to get to the fulfillment center to pick up what belongs to you.

You know the saying the devil is in the details. We do wrestle! We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but we do wrestle. When you are placed in the ring in a wrestling match you need to know as much as possible about your opponent. You need to know their character, traits, tactics, weapons of choice, how they move.

What is your enemies mo·dus op·e·ran·di. Mode of operation is a particular way or method of doing something, especially one that is characteristic or well-established. We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers, the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6).

When Holy Spirit first gives you that promise, the thing you have been waiting expectantly for, your hope and joy is on another level. Your faith is ignited and you’re excited. You are encouraged about your future. You have affirmed and confirmed. Destiny and purpose are about to collide and you’re optimistic. You are prayerful and know the importance of prayer. But when it gets cloudy out and the storm (fear, doubt, intimidation) is coming, what are you going to do?

“And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing.

And he said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. 1 Kings 18:41-46. Elijah prayed, prophesied and released his faith in the situation.

We have to do the same thing. Just because you pray and have faith in the word of the Lord coming to pass it does not mean that is the end of the story. You will have to continue to pray and seek God because the battle may intensify. The intensity of the fight may be in direct proportion to the magnitude of the assignment. Elijah told his servant look 7 times. Seven is a number of completion and rest. “For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. (Prov. 24:16). I said that to say, Stand on what God gave you until it is complete. There was no sign of Elijah’s prophetic word coming to pass during the first 6 times that his servant looked for the manifestation.

“And he (Elijah) said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel (Repeat 1 Kings 18).

The Heaven Was Black with Clouds and Wind

Now when you are out there and when it’s windy the dust is blowing, you can’t see clearly. You might even have to close your eye to protect them. When it (the promise God gave you) is cloudy and the wind is blowing dust and debris everywhere—it’s an uncomfortable feeling when you cannot see clearly. It can be painful and blinding.

Then Ahab goes and tells Jezebel…Now the news is traveling and it seems like all hell has broken out in you; within your heart, in your mind. Your thinking is acting up and out. You can’t see clearly—you’re distracted by the wind blowing the dust, in your face. What happened to your ‘blessed assurance’, you are a heir of salvation, you’re born of his Spirit and washed in His blood. Where is your song? What happened to your testimony your story? Why are you doubting, now is not the time to shrink back and run, you are in the heat of the battle.

You Can Run But You Can’t Hide

(from God)

Elijah Flees Jezebel 1 Kings 19:

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” (We may feel discouraged, intimated and defeated and say something like, God forget about the promise. The word you gave me is too much-the intensity of the battle is too much for me.)

5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.”

8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God. God knows how to strengthen you for the journey to your promise. You may not see it today but Holy Spirit will navigate you to the fulfillment center. The Lord is with you and you will not fail. You will not give in and fold.

The Lord Speaks to Elijah

9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (Put your name in place of Elijah). 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

When the raging wind stops, you can hear better. When the dust settles the air clears and you can see clearly. Listen, you do not have time to be hiding out in a cave. While the battle is going down, tune in rely on your hearing aid (Holy Spirit). Listen for the low whisper of assurance. Quiet the noise and chatter so that you can catch the low whisper. The still small voice contains your instructions to win the battle. You might hear a soft spoken voice a more sure word of prophecy saying “Put on the whole armor of God”.

The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Eph 6:10-18

Wait on the Lord

I exhort you to focus on the journey, the process……not the outcome. The outcome is already secured. The outcome is victory in the thing that God has promised you, when you obey his instructions. You cannot get distracted or discouraged by the intensity of the battle. You cannot get overwhelmed by the duration of the battle; God has a set time for the fulfillment of His promise. The enemy has a variety of tactics and weapons of choice to use against you. One of his time tested and proven weapons is offense. Replace your urge to get offended with Proverbs 3:5-6. Another tactic is the battlefield of your mind where your thoughts and reasoning are attacked.

We must guard the high risk areas like our heart. Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do. Guard your heart above anything else you have, because it determines the kind of life you will live. Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. Our heart is a main target because it consists of our soul, mind, emotion, will and our conscience.

We have to position ourselves to Wait. I know it is not the easiest thing in the world to do. We have to wait until the dust settles and we have clarity.

• “When the dust settles” means “after things calm down”
• The dust stirred up by some activity is no longer in the air
• After or once the dust settles -When matters have calmed down, as in The merger is complete, and when the dust has settled we can start on new projects. (Google.com)
• Think of the dust as turmoil, noise, doubt, or commotion
• “When the dust clears” is a way to say when everything’s finished and the results are seen

When I prayed about ‘when the dust clears’–“Wait until the dust clears”. When opposition to the promise comes we must wait on the Lord and be of good courage and He will strengthen our hearts (Psalm 27). Keep things in their proper perspective! What is dust? Dust is made of fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind, volcanic eruptions, and pollution. On a dusty road when wind blows, a cloud of dust is created that obscures the view. One has to wait for dust to settle for a clear view. (google.com)

As I thought more about waiting for the dust to settle for things to become clearer. Holy Spirit reminded me of the importance of being rooted and grounded; firmly planted on the Word and promises of God. I was reminded how the process and outcome is based on how I choose to respond to the word and promises of God. I am gleaning from Jesus parable of the four soils.

Mark4

[1] And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

[2] And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

[3] Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

[4] And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

[5] And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

[6] But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

[7] And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

[8] And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

[9] And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Four Soils

[10] And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

[11] And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

[12] That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

[13] And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

[14] The sower soweth the word.

[15] And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

[16] And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

[17] And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.

[18] And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

[19] And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

[20] And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

When the Dust Settles

When the Dust Clears!