How many times can you look back, in life, and see that there was a special person that spoke into your life or something spectacular happened to you and you just knew God was apart of it? Maybe it was a word of encouragement that was spoken or maybe it was a word of direction on which road to take or maybe it was a miracle you experienced first-hand. I can tell you I have had a few of those instances in my short life. I call them God moments. There is no other explanation other than it was God. We all experience them! God used someone or something to get your attention. However, our reply or response determines the next step and the process to the promise. It also can determine the outcome of the visitation. When Zachariah entered the temple to perform his duties as priest, he experienced a visitation from the angel, Gabriel. According to Luke 1:6, Zachariah was a righteous and blameless man of God who walked in the commandments of the Lord. He was good! He had favor with God! He was doing everything he knew to do while working for the Lord when he experienced this visitation. First, he was troubled and fearful! Why? He was a priest. You would think he would be used to these kinds of moments. However, the angel told him in Luke 1:13 to "Fear not for they prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John." Then, the angel went on to explain how great a promise was coming in his life but Zachariah questioned and doubted the word that was being spoken to him. Zachariah's response caused his mouth to be shut until the promise was fulfilled according to Luke 1:20, 63-64. If he hadn't doubted the promise, how would the story have been different? Only God knows. Mary was visited by the angel later in Luke 1:26-27 and was given a promise. Her story is similar but her outcome is different. It is similar in the fact that she too was first fearful. She was also highly favored by God. She also questioned the angel but instead of doubting the promise, she embraced the spoken word with full submission and humility according to Luke 1:38. Zachariah kept asking how and even though Mary did ask how, she said "Be it unto me!" or in other words, "Yes!" Zachariah's mouth was shut for a season and Mary was called blessed. The reply or response dictates the next move. I do believe it is alright to question things but I also believe that we are to be sincere and willing no matter the word or task being asked during the visitation. The Lord will never ask us to do something that He will not equip us to do. Will it be easy? Probably not. Will it be uncomfortable? Probably so. We just have to be prepared with the right mindset and heart set for the best possible result no matter the process. Do not let the uncertainty, stress, frustration, or hardship of the process discourage your heart and mind. We also have to remember that God is always with us and he sends us visitors or gives us visitations to direct or remind us of his plan. The response is an opportunity to continue God's plan! So, how do I do this? How do I keep on keeping on? How do I know what to do? What do I need to do? Pray for those God moments (they will come when you need them most), fast consistently, and study the Word of God fervently. Be sensitive to the Spirit. Surround yourself with Godly mentors and others that lift you up, pray for you, and encourage you. Don't give up. Just keep trying and live intentionally with purpose each day. We all fail and falter. Know that no one is perfect and we are all fighting or struggling with something. We all get off course. Just get up, dust yourself off, and remind yourself that even Jesus endured some tough life situations. He was tempted in Luke 4:2. He was rejected and thrust out of the city in Luke 4:29. He endured yet overcame! Remind yourself that he knows. He can relate to you. Just pour your heart out each day and think on things that are of good report. Do not let negativity have any space in your mind. Count your blessings. Embrace the visitations and accept the opportunity! Let God shine through you. Be a vessel of honor for the Kingdom. Say "Yes!" no matter the process.
Personal Testimony: A while back on July 4, my husband and I were in a church service celebrating Freedom Sunday feeling so discouraged and very low. We had been feeling that way for a while. We put on a good face to everyone around us but we were struggling. Though we prayed, fasted, and continued in the faith, we were in need of a visitation or a God moment. We were longing for a word to direct us on what to do and praying for a change to take place. We prayed for God to move us or change us. We desired to live for God and be pleasing to God but we were also searching for relief. It just felt like everything and everyone was against us. Nothing seemed to be in our favor and we couldn't do anything right. We didn't feel that we could take another rejection or another hit in life. Nevertheless, God's presence was so strong in that service and God moved in a mighty way. My Beau and I were praying and seeking the Lord after the message. During that moment of prayer, God used the visiting minister who knew nothing about us to bring us a word of encouragement. The minister described and painted a perfect portrait of how we had been feeling for a very long time. All we could do was weep because only God could have known our feelings and thoughts during that time. We were blessed with a God moment, a visitation. I wish I could tell you that everything changed from that moment on but it didn't. We still struggle with some things and we are still praying for a change. We believe that something good is on it's way in God's time! I wish I could tell you that the process has become easier and life's questions have become clearer but they haven't. We still do not understand it! I can tell you that our response was "Okay God, you know and thank you for being aware." Thank you for knowing exactly what we need when we need it. Thank you for this moment and your word! We may not like this process but your will be done! We know that we are not alone, you have a plan for this and us, and it will all work out to where you receive all the glory! Our answer is "Be it unto me!" or "Yes!" We refuse to settle for anything less than his promise and his will! We are giving God an opportunity to show up and show out! We are blessed in Jesus Name!
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