Too often we lose sight of the fact that it is not our abilities that give us the ability to prosper and succeed -- but it is God who blesses, God who empowers. In Genesis Chapter 1, we see where God created the heavens and the earth. But notice verse 2, "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of he waters. "
Notice what it says: The Spirit of God moves in darkness. The Spirit of God moves in empty wastelands. The Spirit of God moves when there is a void. Do you have an area in your life right now that is void, without form and dark? Is there an area that is not in alignment or matching up with what God has said in His Word?
So if we are speaking -- expecting to see results -- without moving, then we cannot expect to see the fulfillment of promises. Simply put: You cannot claim the promise of God while violating the principle of God.
A great example is the life of Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1). Hannah was the wife of Elkanah, and to her shame and bitter disappointment, she had not been able to conceive. She deeply desired a child, and her own limitations became her focus. Elkanah's other wife, who was seeing God's promise fulfilled with the gift of many children, frequently provoked and tormented Hannah, bringing her to tears. Perhaps it was even unintentional, but often someone's "success" pours salt on the wound of our "failures."
So one day Hannah "stood up" (v.9), and went to the Temple to pray. There she poured out all the bitterness and hurt to the Lord through silent, tear-filled sobs. I believe it was during that pouring out of her heart that revelation hit her spirit. She vowed, "If you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then i will give him to the Lord..." (v.11) The revelation that hit her spirit took her eyes off herself, and shifted her focus to the Lord. So she gets up, wipes away her tears, straightens her clothes and heads home to her husband. notice that her situation had not changed, but revelation had motivated her spirit.
Instead of giving up, she went home to Elkanah, and the Bible says, "in the course of time she conceived and gave birth to a son" (v. 20). Hannah put God first!
First Fruits by Paula White
