Zoom Out And See God’s Big Picture.

God has an amazing plan for our lives. But at times we can get so engrossed in the now, the present

and forget that God is moving in our lives.

We need to learn to regularly take a step back or zoom out.

I was given a picture of this as I played a game. The game is called, Guess The Picture.

And the point of the game is to decipher a magnified picture as quick as you can.

The game is best played with a group of people.

In the beginning, you can’t make out the picture because it is magnified to the max but when

the game starts the picture begins to zoom out and the picture gets clearer and clearer.

And that’s what happens when we are so zoomed in. The picture makes no sense because

it’s a blur.

But as we take a step back and look at the answered prayers, the breakthroughs, the things

God has done for us, we begin to realize that God really is in control. He knows exactly what

we are going through. Taking a step back strengthens our faith as we see God’s faithfulness.

But also remember that God is working through the tests and trials we face. They are not

meaningless or pointless.

Think about a an image for a moment.

What makes an image? Pixels right.

An image is comprised of millions of pixels.

But this is the thing, without pixels, there is no image. A picture cannot exist without pixels.

Pixels play a very important role in the formation of a picture and that is the same in our lives.

The difficult times, the trials, the tests, all have a purpose. We are learning to trust God more.

We are experiencing His faithfulness and greatness in the hard times.

We are growing in the midst of intense opposition.

So don’t disregard what you are going through today. It’s not meaningless or pointless.

God is working in the midst of the tests, trials and hardships. Trust Him.

As I close I want to remind you that God is at work in your life, even in the times when it doesn’t

seem like it. Take a step back and see His hand in every aspect of your life.

And if you like what I write and want to support me financially you can now do so by buying

me a coffee or two. I have signed up with “Buy Me A Coffee” and it’s an easy way to support me.

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God bless you friends

Rolain

Hope is not lost because God is with us…

“Then He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 

Our bones are dried up and our hope is lost; we are completely cut off. Therefore prophesy and 

say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold I will open your graves and cause you to come up

out of your graves, O My people; and I will bring you [back home] to the land of Israel. 

And you shall know that I am the Lord [your sovereign Ruler], when I have opened your graves

and caused you to come up out of your graves, O My people.” 

Ezekiel 37:11-13

 

I love reading the story of the dry bones coming to life. But I love it even more now because I saw

something I hadn’t seen before. In the scripture above God tells Ezekiel the meaning of what just

happened. The Israelite’s had lost hope. They thought they were doomed.

But God wanted them to know that hope was not lost even in the bleakest of circumstances.

 

They thought all hope was lost,

 

“Behold, they say, Our bones are dried up and our hope is lost; we are completely cut off.”

 

But hope was not lost.

 

Are you in a place where you have lost all hope? Are you in a place of despair, in a place where you

can’t see a way out. I am writing this to tell you that it’s not over. As dark as things seem

the Lord will make a way for you. Don’t be afraid to hope again.

 

The Lord will breath life into your dead situation. You will live again.

The Lord is not going to sit idly by as the enemy kills, steals and destroys.

There is hope for you friend!

 

The Lord asked Ezekiel a very important question in the valley of very dry bones;

 

“Son of man, can these bones live? 

 

The answer to that was a resounding yes! The dry bones would live again. You will live again!

Hope in the Lord today. Your situation is not hopeless. The Lord is turning it around.

 

“Thus says the Lord God; Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your 

graves, O My people” 

 

Don’t abandon hope. Put all of your trust in Him and see Him do the impossible in your life.

Watch Him bring the dead back to life and turn darkness to light in your life.

 

Bless you friends

 

Rolain

When you are having a bad day…

“This is the day which the Lord has brought about; 

we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

The day ahead didn’t look good. I had just got up and was thinking about the day.

The problems I had were big and I had no answer to them. But as I got into my quiet

time Psalm 118:24 stood out to me. I know it was God speaking to me.

Even though I had big problems I was at peace knowing God was in control. And that’s

what Psalm 118:24 is talking about. There will be bad days because we live in a broken

world and because we have an enemy but because God is the Creator He has filled our

days with goodness, mercy, peace, happy endings, breakthrough, healing, victory and

the list goes on and on.

No matter how bad our days get know that God is in control. He will make a way for you

through the trials and hardships of the day. When you get up declare Psalm 118:24.

When I got to the end of my day I realized God had sorted all the problems I got up

thinking about. As I gave Him each problem He helped me and came to my rescue.

The enemy’s plan was to mess up my day but God stepped in and delivered me.

Find God in your day for this is the day He has made.

Bless you friends.

Rolain

What power does worry really have?

“And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit)

to his stature or to the span of his life.”

Matthew 6:27

 

How powerful is worry? I am not talking about the negative effects of worry, like stress, depression,

mental illness and so on. Those are all the negative effects of worry that we are well acquainted with.

But what good things can worry really do?

The bible tells us there is nothing good about worry and it also shows us just how powerless worry is.

I am thinking like this because just the other day I was worrying and stressing about something.

After some time I realized worrying had accomplished nothing. There was no progress made, even a

little progress.

But instead of something good coming out of it the more anxious and fearful I got about

my situation!

 

“Does worry add anything to your life? Can it add one more year, or even one day? 

So if worrying adds nothing but actually subtracts from your life, why would you worry

about God’s care of you? 

Luke 12:25

 

The bible commands us not to worry. It reinforces the truth that God knows what we need

and will take care of us always. No matter what happens we will always have what we need.

Think about all the great things God has done, like creating the heavens and the earth,

all the animals, sea life and so much more and think about how much effort it would take

Him to grow an extra strand of hair for you or add an inch to your height. He would do

those things as an afterthought or with His eyes closed but the word shows us that worry

can’t even do something as minuscule as that.

 

After all, is said and done we cannot expect worry to help us with anything we face. There is never

a time worry is good for us. Worry cripples our faith in God. It brings in doubt and fear.

It always makes things worse for us.

 

The word tells us,

 

“Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, 

what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. 

Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent]

than clothing?” 

Matthew 6:25

 

We need God’s help because worry can feel so powerful, and real. It is in those times we

need to call on Him. Worry knows there is an answer for us but blinds us to it.

Its mission is to get our focus off God who is the way out and get us to panic, fear,

and be anxious. It wants to kill faith in the life of a believer. The less we walk in faith

the happier it is.

But we must choose faith no matter how real the threat of failure seems to be.

When it seems like that breakthrough is not going to come to pass we must keep trusting.

 

You may be feeling overwhelmed with the troubles you are in but stay in faith. God will

pull you through.

It may seem like He is late and the enemy is upon you but God will rescue you. He will not

abandon you and leave you helpless.

You might be on your last cent and have no idea where the next dollar is coming from but

He knows. He is the One who makes a way when there seems to be no way! Take heart.

 

Lord help us to walk by faith more and more in our daily life.

Help us to choose faith over worry, fear, and doubt always!

 

Blessings to you friends!

 

Rolain

God is not deaf, so tell Him what you going through…

“As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon

will I utter my complaint and moan and sign, and He will hear my voice.” 

Psalm 55:16-17

 

When we pray God listens but not only does He listen, He responds (He saves)!

Don’t hesitate when you are in trouble.

Don’t hesitate when you are confused and looking for answers.

Don’t hesitate when you are fearful.

 

Bring your requests to Him with full assurance that He hears you and will save you.

 

I was in trouble a few days ago and armed with this revelation I prayed. I asked God for help and

He heard me. I know He heard me because He helped me. The trouble I was in He fixed.

I don’t know where you are today but let me tell you that God hears your prayers.

God is not deaf. He knows what you need. He knows the battles you are facing.

He knows your every desire.

The enemy, on the other hand, wants us to believe that God doesn’t care, that He has forgotten about

us. But it’s not true.

Pray to Him always, no matter how small or insignificant you think your request is.

And if you don’t get an answer then go back to Him and ask Him why. There is always a reason

for unanswered prayer.

 

“O You Who hear prayer, to You shall all flesh come.”

Psalm 65:2

 

Because He hears our prayer we go to Him. He wants to hear our prayers.

So today make your requests to Him known.

 

Bless you!

 

Rolain

Is Jesus ever late?

“[As for me] I am poor and needy, yet the Lord takes thought and plans for me.

You are my Help and my Deliverer, O my God, do not tarry!”

Psalm 40:17

 

Is the Lord ever late?

As I think on this question there are things I am trusting Him for. Some of those things

are things that need to happen in the next few days and the next month. Some of the other things

have passed the timeline I made for them.

 

Is the Lord ever late?

 

As I continued to meditate on Psalm 40:17 Jairus came to mind.

His daughter was really sick and if nothing was done she would die. He decided to go to Jesus for help.

If there was anyone who could help He could. (Mark 5:22)

Everything seemed to be going well. Jesus had agreed to go to see his daughter but on the way,

some of his friends met him and told him not to worry the Teacher any longer. His daughter

didn’t make it. She had died.

Jesus was late?

But when all seemed lost, when it seemed like Jesus was late something incredible happened.

 

“Overhearing but ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not

be seized and struck with fear; only keep believing.”

Mark 5:36

 

Jesus continued on to Jairus’s house and brought his daughter back to life!!

When it seemed like He was late, He really wasn’t.

Help us, Lord, to wait on You when all seems lost, even when it doesn’t seem to make sense!

 

The last story that came to mind was of Lazarus and his sisters. (John 11)

He was very sick and on the brink of death so his sisters sent for Jesus.

He loved this family very much. (John 11:5)

So you would think Jesus would go immediately but He didn’t.

 

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [They were His dear friends, and He 

held them in loving esteem.]

Therefore [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He still stayed two days longer in the same 

place where He was.” 

John 11:5, 6

 

By the time He got to Lazarus, He found out he had been dead for four days! I think it’s almost definite

that the sisters thought Jesus was late, extremely late! I can imagine them seeing their brother getting worse

and worse and feeling so powerless. Where is He? Why is He late?

That’s what I think they were asking themselves.  And eventually, their brother died.

What emotions were they going through?

 

I can identify with that because there have been things in my life I have been trusting God for that haven’t

come to pass yet and it’s been years, like over fifteen years of waiting on the Lord. Earlier in my walk with

Him I thought He didn’t care. I thought He enjoyed seeing me suffer. I thought He enjoyed getting my

hopes up only to crush them but I was so wrong. As I have grown in my walk with Him I have begun to

understand that the Lord is never late! His word shows us this truth so powerfully. There are so many stories

of Him coming through for His children at just the right time. Their idea of early might have been

wrong but God always came through at the right time.

 

What are you waiting on Him for, today?

As we ask the Lord to not tarry may we understand that He is never late. He comes through

at the right time. It may not be when we expect it but it’s at the right time.

He knows what you need. He has heard your prayers. He will not ignore you and He does not delight in

getting your hopes up. He wants to give you what you are trusting Him for.

Don’t lose heart and give up. The Lord will not tarry.

He loves you!

 

Bless you

 

Rolain

 

 

When nothing seems to be happening, keep praying…..

“And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is

heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his

name John.”

Luke 1:12, 13

 

This scripture spoke to me deeply today. As I read it something jumped

out at me. Something I didn’t see before.

We know the story of Zacharias and how he didn’t believe the angel Gabriel.

We know because he didn’t believe he would not be able to speak until his son

was born.

 

But there is something else in that story that we need to see and learn from.

 

“Do not be afraid, Zacharias for your prayer is heard; “

 

Zacharias had prayed for a son! His wife was barren and well advanced in years (doesn’t

that sound familiar??)

 

“And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances

of the Lord blameless.

But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.”

Luke 1:6, 7

 

The word doesn’t tell us how long they were praying for. All we know is Zacharias prayer to YAH

for a child was heard!

 

That really encouraged me to keep praying! Time has passed but that doesn’t mean YAH has

forgotten about me.

It doesn’t mean He has forgotten about US!

He has heard our prayers……period!

Why it hasn’t come to pass yet, only YAH knows. But don’t lose hope, don’t give up.

People may be talking about you, and looking at you funny because your breakthrough hasn’t

come yet but hold on to hope. Yeshua will come through for you.

John’s mom Elizabeth said something amazing during her pregnancy;

 

“Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take

away my reproach among people.”

Luke 1:25

 

The Lord took away her reproach among the people. There was a time when people looked

down upon her because of her bareness but that all changed when YAH heard their prayers

and answered them!

 

He will take away your reproach! You may be looked down upon because you haven’t got your

breakthrough but it is coming. Keep on praying in faith and EXPECT an answer.

Zacharias prayed for a child but after some time stopped believing he would receive the child.

Let’s trust YAH no matter how hard it gets. No matter how hopeless it seems keep on praying and

believing you have your answer.

 

I want to share one more amazing scripture before I close;

 

^“And Mary said, My soul magnifies and extols the Lord,

And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

For He has looked upon the low station and humiliation of His handmaiden.

For behold, from now on all generations [of all ages] will call me blessed and

declare me happy and to be envied!”

 

That is the God we serve friends. He doesn’t enjoy seeing you being humiliated.

In the place that you are right now, He will answer you.

In your low station keep praying. Trust Him to come through for you.

Bless you friends…..

 

Rolain

 

 

 

There will be rejoicing again…….

“The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents and private dwellings

of the [uncompromisingly] righteous: the right hand of the Lord does valiantly

and achieves strength!”

Psalm 118:15

 

I love the picture this verse paints. What a statement right?

 

This verse is prophetic for me in this time. There were seasons in the past

where the sound of rejoicing had been heard in my home.

But not at the moment.

There are things I am waiting on God for, things I am praying for

and that is why this verse spoke to me.

 

The victorious rejoice, the sick woman who has had her prayer for healing

answered rejoices, the man who has finally gotten a job rejoices, a young

man or woman who has received a full scholarship to the university of their

dreams rejoices.

 

Like I said before, this verse is a prophecy, a prophecy for the person who is in the

dark right now, for the person who is crying out to God for an answer, for

a miracle!

It’s declaring that, even though things may seem to be falling apart

in your life and things may seem like they are never going to get better,

and the pain will never go away, don’t despair because the day of rejoicing will

come. The day of rejoicing will come friend.

 

The healing will come, the breakthrough will come, the answer will come,

salvation will come!

That is a promise!

Let’s read that verse again,

 

“The voice of the rejoicing and salvation is in the tents and private dwellings

of the [uncompromisingly] righteous: the right hand of the Lord does valiantly

and achieves strength!”

Psalm 118:15

 

No matter what the enemy throws at us there will be rejoicing and salvation in our

homes. No matter how hard he tries to keep us down he will not succeed. Let’s

look at another amazing passage of scripture,

 

“When the Lord brought back the captives [who entered] to Zion, we were like

those who dream [it seemed so unreal].

Then were our mouths filled with laughter, and our tongues with singing.

Then they said, among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them.

The Lord has done great things for us! We are glad!. “

Psalm 126:1-3

 

I love this passage of scripture! The people of Israel condemned themselves when

they forsook the Lord.

They were taken captive because of their unfaithfulness to God.

Their enemies thought they had won. They thought they had eradicated them

for good. But that was not the end of the story for them.

He delivered them from the land of their captivity!

He turned their mourning and their darkness into rejoicing, into laughter!

There was singing and laughter where there was once dismay, pain and crying.

Where there was guilt and condemnation there was now favor and grace!

Where there was hopelessness there was now hope!

 

This was their testimony,

 

“The Lord has done great things for us! We are glad!”

 

Your winter will end. The sound of rejoicing and salvation will be in your home!

You will not die, but live!

Believe in God’s word. No matter what you facing today believe there will be rejoicing

and salvation in your home. You will be rejoicing because God has been good to you.

There will be rejoicing because your prayers have been answered.

You will rejoice because the Lord has been faithful and continues to be faithful to you!

As I end I want to leave you with one more scripture,

 

“I shall not die but live, and shall declare the works and recount the illustrious acts

of the Lord.”

 

Bless you friends……

Rolain