Chapter One – The Hand Stretched Still
Hear the word of the Lord: though many wander, though rebellion rises, and though hearts grow weary in the wilderness, the hand of God is still stretched out. The prophet Isaiah declared it, and the Spirit repeats it in our generation: though Israel spited His love, still His hand was stretched. Even now, though nations rage, though men seek security in governments, banks, and vain philosophies, His arm of mercy has not been withdrawn.
The wilderness wandering was the testimony of a people who preferred their own counsel above the Lord’s. Yet, when Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, He showed the higher way: “Not My will, but Thine be done.” This is the wisest prayer under heaven. For when man clings to his own wisdom, he destroys himself; but when he yields, the Father raises him higher than he could ever imagine.
Consider disturbances and divine shakings. They are not curses, but chisels. They strip away false reliance—on wealth, on health, on human order—and they pour us from vessel to vessel until all our trust is fixed in Him alone. Did not Nebuchadnezzar learn this in his madness? He who strutted as the lion of Babylon was reduced to eating grass like the ox, until he confessed that the Most High rules among the kingdoms of men. And the same Spirit declares today: governments shall rise, systems shall fall, but My kingdom is unshaken.
The lesson is this: keep your eyes upon the Lord, and not upon your problem. For magnified by fear, the problem grows monstrous, but magnified through faith, God eclipses it until the problem shrinks to dust. As Abraham glorified God before any evidence appeared, so you must stand, declaring victory before the manifestation is seen. This is the faith that pleases heaven.
O people of God, understand: not every wound is punishment, not every delay is denial. Some of the greatest saints suffer long, yet are radiant with faith. Paul on the Damascus road, David in his psalms, Jacob wrestling in tears—all were met by the One who stretches forth His hand still.
So let the Spirit instruct you: meditate on His Word, give yourself wholly to purity, faith, love, and righteousness. Reject the poor spiritual diet of strife and petty grievances, and remember how much you have been forgiven. Release others from small debts, for you have been released from a mountain of sin.
The hour is late, but the promise remains: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11). Seek Him with all your heart, and He shall be found.
Chapter Two – The Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken
Lift your eyes to the horizon, for the kingdoms of men totter like sandcastles against the tide. Yet the kingdom of our Lord is steadfast, eternal, and sure. Do not fear the prophecies of doom declared by the world, for the true doom-and-gloom is heard nightly from the news. But we proclaim a greater hope: the return of the King, the renewal of all things, the kingdom where there is no more pain, death, sorrow, or war.
Do not be surprised that storms arise, for even meteors have struck the earth, even nations have burned, yet the plan of God marches unshaken. The Antichrist must come, the rebellion must be revealed, yet nothing delays the Rapture of the Bride. Watch, therefore, for in an hour you think not, the Son of Man shall appear. Blessed is the servant found ready.
The Spirit teaches, searches, and knows the deep things of God. He does not deal with you as a mass, but as a child—each unique, each different, each beloved. Just as children and grandchildren carry different personalities, yet are treasured all the same, so the Father deals with you according to your need.
Do not fix your worship on idols—whether wealth, ambition, or ideology—for man is made to worship, and if he bows not to God, he will bow to another. Even now the mark of the beast is foreshadowed, and the nations are driven by lust for idols of power. But those who meditate on the Word, those who lift up Christ as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness, shall not perish but have everlasting life.
Be not deceived by spiritualizing away the truth of Scripture. The Word is living, sharp, eternal. Jesus is the Christ, the Rock upon which the Church is built. No philosophy, no allegory, no earthly kingdom shall prevail against it.
Yes, sorrows will strike, graves will open, and tragedies will come. Some of you have seen gore, despair, and death with your very eyes. But even there, grace abounds. David’s psalms sang of Messiah amid grief, and from his pain, prophecy was birthed. So too, your sorrow can be a stepping stone into higher horizons.
Take courage, child of God: discipline your heart, not for merit, not for reward, but for love. For the Church’s mission remains unchanged: to proclaim Christ, to evangelize, to carry His name to the nations until He returns.
Therefore, let the true King reign. Let faith rise where despair ruled. Let the Spirit guide where confusion clouded. And let hope anchor you, for His hand is stretched out still.
The Story of Priscilla
There was a woman named Priscilla, who lived in Akron, Ohio. Her life echoed the very word of prophecy just spoken. In her thirties, she had a good job at a tire company, steady income, and a sense of security. Yet when the company downsized, she lost it all in a single week. With bills mounting, friends slipping away, and her health faltering from stress, she felt like Nebuchadnezzar—stripped of sense, living like an exile in her own city.
But in that season of wilderness, she heard a simple word from Jeremiah 29:11 in a small Bible study: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord…” It struck her heart like lightning. Could God still have a future for her, even here in Akron, when her plans had burned away?
Priscilla began to pray differently: “Not my will, Lord, but Yours.” She stopped asking for her old job back and started asking for God’s plan to be revealed. She let go of bitterness toward those who had overlooked her. Slowly, doors began to open. A neighbor invited her to join in serving meals at a homeless shelter. There she rediscovered joy, pouring herself into others rather than nursing her wounds. Within a year, she found new employment—not in tires, but in nonprofit work, where her skills blessed many.
Her testimony spread. People remembered her despair, yet now saw her radiant with faith. When asked how she endured, she would say: “God poured me from vessel to vessel until I learned my trust must be in Him alone.”
Thus, Priscilla of Akron became a living witness that His hand is stretched out still, and that disturbances are but stepping stones into His kingdom.
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