Healing "Preliminaries"

We have been looking at what is involved in getting started in moving in God's power/authority and victory. Sometimes people sit back and wait for "the anointing" to hit them, planning not to move out until God first anoints them. But the best way to get anointing for the task is to move out in faith and take some risk. We see this in the story of Jonathan and his armor bearer in 1 Sam 14:1-15. They were surrounded by an overwhelming enemy army. While other soldiers cowered in fear, they decided to take a risk and see if God would give them a victory. So the two of them went to an enemy garrison, looking for a victory from the Lord. God honored their faith and gave them an incredible victory.

Let's look at a few lessons from this story...

Initiative

God loves it when we take initiative, and God honors our initiative. I like 1 Sam 14:6. "Jonathan told his armor bearer, 'Lets go across to those Pagans. Perhaps the Lord will help us for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle no matter whether He has many warriors or few'." These guys didn't sit around and do nothing.

I want to give you some clarification. We hear about waiting on the Lord, waiting on God. Do you realize that the posture of waiting doesn't mean inactivity? Some of you think, "I will just sit back and wait for God to do something and then I will do something." In my church, we like to sing the song Stand Back. (The chorus goes like this: "Stand back and let God move.") Basically "stand back" doesn't mean that you do nothing, it means that when God begins to work, don't mess with Him.

Let God do what God does. Don't try to put the hands of man in there and try to control and manipulate things. You stand back and let God do it. But that doesn't mean that that's inactivity. I mean waitin doesn't mean that you are doing absolutely nothing. Because there is so much that God is already given us to do that we know to do. And that's what waiting is -- it's a posture of being aware of what God is doing to be able to seize the moment whenever it happens.

Jonathan didn't just sit back and say, "I will just wait until some army comes and attacks us, then I will go ahead and get aggressive." He wasn't in a defensive posture. He was in an offensive posture. Jonathan did this because he knew two things. First, he knew that it was the nature of God to defeat his enemies. Second, he knew that God is not limited by the number of people who show up for the battle. Jonathan knew those things, so he acted on what he already knew.

There's enough that we already know that we can get started. Scripture is filled with so many things of obedience that we can go ahead and begin doing. If somebody comes up to me and says, "I really don't know. How do I find out God's will for my life? How can I move in that direction?" The first question I would ask them is this, "Are you doing what you know to do? Are you already being obedient to what God has told you to do? Because if you aren't, why should God give you more until you are already obedient to what He has given you?" That is the principle that is in the Word of God. When you are faithful with a few things, God will put you in charge of more things.

You need to begin taking initiative in your walk with God.

If you are wondering where to start, try this: start with the obvious. We all have obvious things. Things we already know to do in obedience. The Bible is filled with command after command. It is filled with a whole lot of to do's in it. Are you doing all the to do's in the Bible? If you are not doing all the to do's in the Bible, that's a good place to start. Start with the obvious.

So, what is "the obvious?" Well let me ask you this -- those of you who are married, how is your marriage? For some people, that is the obvious place. How are your relationships? Do any of your relationships need attention? How about your spiritual health, how is that doing? How is that going? Are you growing in the Lord? Are you spending time with God on a regular basis every day? Do you have a quiet time? Are you talking to Him? Are you praying? Are you reading the Bible? I am talking about on a regular time, a daily time with the Lord. Are you spending time with God? That is the obvious.

We all have the obvious things in our lives. Do you have any addictions, compulsions or behaviors that you need to be addressing? Is there anything you have been putting off or have been avoiding? Most of us don't have to think very hard to come up with an obvious one. If you think you are perfect, then start with pride -- we all have things to work on, areas for improvement. None of us are perfect. None of us are there. All of us have some obvious things in our lives that we can begin working on. If you don't know where to start, then start some place. Start with the obvious. That's where you can begin.

And if you will start somewhere, you will find that God's power will come right behind you as you take a step in His direction. God will empower that as you take the step. I love that sixth verse where Jonathan said "Let's go across to see those pagans." I want you to see some key words in that verse. "Let's go across to see those pagans. Perhaps the Lord will help us." In other words, if I do something, God will do something. If I'll do something, God will come through. If I don't do anything, then we won't see it. How can God help me if I don't go? How can God help me to take those Philistines, if I don't go to them?

Do you understand what I am saying? Jonathan did not say, "God, just give me the power, let me see it now. Then, once I feel it, then I will climb and take those guys. Or maybe You can take them out while I look at them -- knock them out. I will pray against those Philistines. Take them down, Jesus, take them down. Knock them to the ground. They are still standing." If Jonathan had said that, God would have replied, "You have to get up and you have to go."

If I will do something, then God will do something. Have you noticed that the promises in the Bible are conditional? "If My people, who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then," God says, "I will hear from heaven. Then, I will heal their land. Then, I will forgive their sins." God is going to do it when you do it. "If My people..." and then God comes through.

It could be one of the reasons we are not experiencing the power of the Lord is that we are not taking the initiative to get started with what we already know to do. When we do, then God will come through. God says that He will.

I am not talking about activity for the sake of activity. Nor am I talking about being busy for the sake of being busy. I am talking about taking the things that you know you need to address and begin to get started on those things. I mean, we can nail your foot down to the floor and you can go around in circles and be busy, but not go anywhere. Activity does not mean that you are going somewhere. In fact some people hide behind their business. "I mean, I don't have time, God. You know my schedule. You mean quiet time? It is going to require 15 or 20 minutes. You know, I have a schedule to meet. You know, that's my sleep time." We are so busy sometimes, we can hide behind our business. I'm not talking about being busy or staying busy. I am talking about doing the right things, getting started with the things that we need to get started with.