By TIMOTHY L. MELTON, PASTOR
Cherokee Pentecostal Holiness Church
(Transcribed by Myra D. Colgate)
Read Isaiah 61:3,2,1, and 4.
Uncomfortable situations, in a place one may not want to be in, could be nothing more than being placed in training to become that tree of Righteousness that God has called us to be. One should never refuse to live while learning. Understanding what God puts a person through is because He knows what the evil one is like and we should never refuse to live while learning to overcome the devil’s manufactured plots which can bring emotions to a boil but may not be happening because of any sin in one’s life.
God may just have to rock one’s world to train a person in how to overcome a tough circumstance. It’s because He knows what that person is to become even if the person doesn’t see it yet. I’d always asked the Lord, especially early in ministry, to show me where I’d be in 20 years, but He didn’t do that. However, He did have a wise man say to me, “If you saw where’d you be, it would probably scare you so badly, you might never choose to make it to that place.
We don’t know or see what’s up ahead of us, or what we may have to go through. Some things we go through only to finish. We need to stay on the path He’s planned, so we can have a successful, rewarding life. I can tell people this, though, hold on because God’s working on a Masterpiece that is called “you.” Amen. Here’s what He said, “That they might be called the Trees of Righteousness. Then He went on to say, “The garments of Praise are for the spirit of heaviness.”
In other words, “that He might be Glorified.” In talking about heaviness, one must see and understand, there are some places where we may all have to learn what will be needed later. It could be we must learn how to put on a garment of Praise for the spirit of heaviness in that next place. Sometimes must go through that type of place in order to get through it while also staying on the path one must travel. It’s what we all must do.
What will turn things around? This is one thing I know; quitting is never the easy or right option to choose in one’s life. There are some experiences in life we go through to get us to the right places. Always know what a person should want to go through.
One question, is the garment of Praise for any spirit of heaviness? I’ve had heavy times in my life and I know we’ve all had them, too. But I’m sure everyone wants me to tell what will turn around things for all of us. Does one say, “I don’t see how anyone can bring me out of this? I don’t see any way out of what’s going to bring me to the end of my days.
There’s one thing I do know. There was the time I’d lost a job, and the Lord gave me another one, and I was even making $3 more per hour. It was a lot of money in those days, (the 1990’s.) God gave me that raise, but at the same time, I wrecked a car, and yet, at the same time, a whole family got saved. At that same time, the other man’s whole life began falling apart. As one looks back at what God did afterward, I want everyone to realize as I share what happened, we literally saw it fly away.
Remember there’s now a whole city that needs what one has, but God needs one person to go through what they’ve had to go through, walk the path that one’s had to walk, deal with what one’s dealt with so another can become what one may be trying to help others become. Amen.
How many realize one can’t go there unless they know where someone’s going? I love it when somebody’s said, “You can’t get there from here.”
The child in the other wrecked car had hit his head. They flew him to another city, but by the time they got him there, the injury had been healed by God. The child was my nephew. I saw it with my own eyes. I got to be there! Put on the garment of Praise! When it looks terrible, when it looks bad, whatever one is going through, just start dancing, declaring the Lord is Faithful. The Lord told me I could trust Him. I k-n-o-w He’s going to bring me out. I’m not dancing to be seen, but because it’s all right! God has got this thing!
