Make God Your Source In Hard Times -Archbishop Benson Idahosa

Psalm 23:1-5

1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

 

When I was called upon to preach at the Oral Roberts University Annual Meeting, the Lord gave me this scripture, Psalm 23. I know everybody is facing one problem or the other. No matter how big you are there must be something troubling you in your heart. The Lord gave me this scripture verse for you.

You and I have no right to delay the vision which God has given to us. He gave me so many things to consider in life, among which are projection, setting life’s goal and plans for your life and/or ministry. God gave me seven words from the letter “P”: (1) Prepare for something. (2) Plan for something. (3) Propose for something. (4) Preserve for something. (5) Pray for something. (6) Project for something. (7) Propel for something.

Very many Christians plan but they do not propel. They spend years dreaming of their plans, and keep binding and losing the devil’s hand from their progress, promotion, health and finances. But this one thing I know: the devil can have no hand in your finances, if you do not give him the key to your safe.

Do you know that a Shepherd without a shepherd like a sheep without a shepherd that always goes astray? What do I do to succeed? The Lord directed me to preach from Psalm 23, and I started to read but when I got to verse 4 the Lord asked me to stop, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil”

Every life and ministry has a valley, any man that pitches his tent in the valley, that refuses to walk through it, will never make it; he will live and die in that valley. Never give up when you are down because: (a) The Lord is our success. (b) He is our strength when everything is turning against us. (c) He is our light in darkness. (d) He is El-shaddai, the Lord Almighty.

If you have a financial valley, walk through it. No matter what valley you are in, tell it to God and be ready to leave the valley for the mountain top because there is success, victory and financial breakthrough on the mountain top. We can always say like Daniel “devil you brought me to the lions’ den but I will tell you that lions seal up their mouths when they see the children of the Almighty God.” Even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, no evil shall befall you. God can change any situation for His children’s sake. You can also render the power of death, poverty and set-backs powerless.  

You have to project and propose. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego projected and proposed; they knew the God they were serving will see them through and the Lord really performed His miracle. Three men were thrown into the burning furnace and behold four men were found in the fire dancing, singing and praising the Lord. King Nebuchadnezzar recognized the fourth person and he said, “He was like the Son of God.”

Don’t ever grumble when you are in trouble because without trouble there is no triumph. Say to those things bothering you, “I can handle this. God will play His part and I will play mine.” God said in the book of Hebrews that “He will never leave me nor forsake you.” Just say to God, “you keep your part of the contract and I will keep mine.” Even when situations kick you up and down, keep saying to yourself, “I know my God is able.” Pray for your plans, make plans for the future, and when you are pushed here and there, hold fast to God. When everyone around you is talking downward, you talk upward. If you can take away all your limitations and delay and move from that valley of yours, and say, “God I want to go the mountain top,” then the solution to your problems will come.  

Make your way in the valley. Tell whatsoever valley you are in or that is disturbing you to make way. Say to the valley of shame, “Make Way!” To the valley of problems, “Make Way!” To the valley of depression, “Make Way!” To the valley of frustration, “Make Way!”  To the valley of set-backs, “Make Way!”  To the valley of troubles, “Make Way!”  And tell the valley of laziness to make way.

Put off the coat of begging, laziness, depression etc. Hurry to the Master and say, “I have come Lord, let us do it together.” The Lord said, “My yoke is easy and my burden light.” The day you discover that you are not the one that gave birth to yourself or the one that called yourself, you will live to rejoice all day long. But the day you take your burden off God, you will finally end up not making a head way in life. You can change circumstances with your activated faith and rise to the top.

The word of God has not given us permission to be poor. If you know Jesus, there is a standard of life to which He will bring you. People are going into robbery because they want to get rich by all means. The money that you will make in this world that will send you to hell, may God not give it to you. Die without, than to die with and lose heaven. Wealth is the gift of God. Whatever God has designed for your life, no man can change it. God will make your life “time” to stand still for you to catch up.

In Genesis 37, there is the story of Joseph: and in verse 36 of that chapter, the Bible relates that the men who bought Joseph sold him for a profit. Even in trouble, we are bought with a price. Wealth is a gift of God; prosperity and abundance are the gifts of God.

If you don’t have God, you will lose your life and money. Today can become the beginning of a miracle in your family. God is interested in your family; the first job which man had in the Garden of Eden was marriage. Jesus’ first miracle for man was in a marriage ceremony. God is interested in the making of families. For every dream you conceive, there is a day that the Lord will bring it to pass in your life. If you discover what you are destined to become, you will recover from where you are. When you include God in your plans, you will never go into error.

The change in your life takes place when you receive God’s visitation. Start talking upward instead of downward. Begin to talk God’s way instead of man’s way. When you leave your calling and deviate from the star of God’s destiny, to branch off at Herod’s house, the star will leave you, especially if it is the bright and morning star. Focus your eyes on the cross, on a hill far away, an old rugged cross where Jesus died. He rose on the third day and now He is at the right hand of the Father. Make the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords your source, He is our soon coming King. Don’t deviate from Salvation, don’t branch off at Herod’s house. Don’t make the star stop because of Naira and Dollars. Good will is on its way to your house. God’s good intentions are on their way to your house. Only listen to the voice of God; hear Him

God speaks in three ways: (i) Audibly. (ii) By His word. (iii) To your spirit. And in every dispensation, God speaks to His people. God has never left Himself without a witness. The change of destiny starts when you change from the artificial to the natural. Your losses stop when your life is benefited by redemption. Be an ordinary man, working for an extraordinary God. Association with God terminates set-back.

Take your life from your own hand and put it in God’s own hand. Where He leads me, I will follow. Let God alter your destiny for you. If you allow God to work out your life for you, you will be better than you think. If you want to have joy and miracle in your life, attach yourself to God. It does not matter where you are now, if your destiny is marked out by God, no man can alter it. For faithfulness has a reward. It pays to serve the Lord.

The bible in John 20:19 says, “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.”

One of the biggest lessons which Jesus taught His disciples was, “Fear not!” You never know how blessed you are if you are not operating in the midst of fear. That is the reason you have to separate yourself and be in the Lord. When you lose your contact with God, you book appointments with the devil. No matter where you are hiding, God knows where you are. And when you are in the state of difficulty, Jesus will arrive; and in every situation you find yourself, the Lord will arrive. In time of torment, you need peace, in everything you need the peace of God. The power of the air does not control us but the Creator of it controls us. The time you need God most is when He comes near to breathe His peace upon you. When the need is there, Jesus is there.

Where things are rough with you, you need the breath of life from God. God is going to bring you Joy; set-backs and sorrows will not be your portion this month as you believe because He has breathed on you the breath of life. Your destiny is not in your hand and the easiest way is to surrender to God when the enemies are leading. Whether it is good or bad, God is still God. Lean on God always in whatever circumstance you find yourself. Exhibit what you preach by experiencing what you preach. Turn your back on your problems and your face to God, for whatever God did for Abraham, He will do it for you. God can because of you bless your world. God has made you heir of promise for and in your Nation. When God picks you up, everything about your life will change. The day God will open your innermost eyes, you are going to tell God to let your light shine forever. The question now is: How many things does God not have and He needs from you? None, but your praise and worship.

Jesus came to take you from where you were to put you where you should be and to extend you from where you should be to where you ought to be and find favour in the sight of God. When the devil knows that God has set a goal for you, he will try all he can within his power to upset the plans of God for your life. But if you know where you are going, you are not distracted by where you are. May God give you the power to be bold and resolute, to be strong in the power of His might. When God opens the door to prosper you, the devil opens the gate to destroy you.

But when God sets your timetable, satan cannot upset it. When the mark of God is upon you, you will prosper. What God has set for you, nothing can stop it. Even when the enemies and your friends gang up, God will smile. When the devil knocks at your door, tell Jesus to open it and the devil will disappear! May God put the speed of righteousness in your part. God has you in mind. You are important to God and He is important to you too. And whatever God has destined for you, no man can alter it. The Lord God Almighty bless you richly.