- Eric Gilbert
- Apr 16, 2021
- 3 min read
1) Have you considered that recovery might occur through the process of time? Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. (Exodus 2:23-24 NKJV) God uses time. It is no more than a harlot to His will. Existing in eternity, God makes time work for His good pleasure, maneuvering in and out of it to fulfill His plan and teach us what He desires us to learn. In Exodus 2, Israel, though away from their homeland, had become complacent. They lost interest in returning to their God-appointed zip codes. As a result, God allowed adversity to come throughout the process of time and then used that adversity to help them remember His covenant -- which had been there all along!
2) Have you considered that God’s provision may come in a way that is different than you anticipated? So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. (John 4:46-54 ESV) Applaud this father! He did not allow his preconceived notions to imprison his family in an adverse circumstance any longer. By faith, he submitted to God’s plan rather than his personal plot. In this account, the leader of the household had a clear picture in mind of how God could help his family: he anticipated that Jesus would come to his home and heal his son. Instead, Jesus simply sent his word and accomplished the miracle through Heaven in a way that Earth didn’t expect. When experiencing adversity, we must not box God in with our preconceived notions.
3) Are you believing God for anything for which -- if He answered your request -- it would affect your entire household? So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee. (John 4:46-54 ESV) This man’s son was suffering. Adversity had arrived at their house. However, what the enemy meant for evil, God turned to their advantage. This family’s entire household experienced salvation. If you are experiencing adversity, consider the possibility that the Holy Spirit may be using it as a setup for the amazing things he wants to do in your life.
