God’s promises are fulfilled with perfect timing. And he proves that he is utterly trustworthy in every circumstance.
God’s promises in the Bible are always fulfilled. And many of God’s promises have already been completed, particularly in the life of Jesus.
But did you know that the Lord also gives promises to you and me?
In this post, I’ll talk about my recent personal experience of God’s promises fulfilled, that happened in the last few weeks!
I’ll explain how the Lord intervened with perfect timing and how there’s always more to it than meets the eye.
God’s Promises: A Bit Like Brexit?
My recent personal spiritual journey feels a bit like Brexit in microcosm. And if you know what that word means, you’ll have an insight into how my brain works!
For my US readers and those who don’t live in the UK (or for anyone else who has had their head under a bushel over the past couple of years), Brexit is a term coined to describe:
The process of the United Kingdom of Great Britain leaving the European Union [Ed: yawn].
IMO, Brexit has seen more intense debate and convoluted political manoeuvring than any other issue in recent memory.
It has involved many arguments, claims and counter-claims and has divided the nation. And that division has often completely cut across traditional political party lines.
Being British, we keep getting worked up about it, while simultaneously feeling completely bored and apathetic towards the whole thing.
Most of us, including our politicians, have no idea what’s going on or where it’s headed.
And of course, being British, we’re all very apologetic about all of it.
Sorry.
God’s Promises For The UK: Which Way Did You Vote?
I originally voted Remain, which means that I wanted us to stay in the EU (sorry about that).
Consequently, I was initially very disappointed that the country voted to leave.
But the more I have prayed about it, the more convinced I have become that we should, in fact, leave (sorry about that too).
I don’t want to turn this into a post about Brexit, but I do want to make an observation:
- Our nation is going through a time of transition and tremendous uncertainty.
- Many, many people (and organisations and businesses) I know are also going through transition and uncertainty.
Of course, that also includes me.
That’s why I said at the beginning that my personal spiritual journey feels like Brexit in microcosm.
Holding On To God’s Promises, Even When You Can’t See It
Over the past few months, I have had to hold on to God’s promises to me.
I’ve had to choose to believe them, despite the fact that there was no physical evidence to show for it.
God promised me that:
- My business would grow.
- He would bless my family financially through my ministry.
- He would give me the extra time I needed to work on my ministry.
But up until now, I have seen none of it.
However, “faith is the substance of things unseen” and God is faithful, as I was about to find out.
God’s Promises To Me: “I Will Cause You To Prosper In Uncertain Times”
You see, one of the promises God gave me was something he whispered in my ear when I was praying a couple of years ago:
I will cause you to prosper in a difficult time, an uncertain time.
If there’s anything we’ve learned from Brexit, or indeed, the situations we see in almost every country in the world, is that that these are uncertain times.
This simple prophetic word stayed with me as I worked on my ministry and I believe it is still something for us to hold on to today.
3 Specific Promises From God
Then, at the start of this year, God gave me 3 further prophecies which set my direction for 2019.
These were words about:
- A new gold stage.
- The stages of a rocket.
- A key.
They are all related to and overlap with each other, but I think it’s right to explain each in turn.
Prayer From Some Friends
I have some good friends, Elizabeth and Steve, a lovely couple who have been very faithful to me, particularly in prayer.
One Sunday in church I had got close to my wit’s end. I had already been working on my website for some years, but as yet, had seen no return on my investment.
I asked them to pray for me and as they prayed, they prophesied over me.
Here are the prophecies they shared with me:
God’s Promises 1: A New Gold Stage
Elizabeth said that she could see God giving me a new gold stage, a new platform from which I could share my message.
It would be a step up, but I was not to be afraid of it: God himself would be the one to lift me on to it, so it would be OK.
She sensed a reticence in me about it, but she said it’s what God is giving me, so I can have confidence that it’s from him.
She also said that I have a “different stream”, different to other prophets. I am to be a prophet of wisdom.
God’s Promises 2: Stages Of A Rocket
Steve said that when Elizabeth talked of a stage, he saw it differently, more like the stages of a rocket.
Each stage has a purpose, to propel the rocket upwards through a different part of the launch.
And the rocket has a payload that needs to get to a destination.
A lot of preparation goes into the launch: months and even years.
But once it sets off, it takes minutes or seconds for each stage to do its work!
God’s Promises 3: A Key
A couple of months later, we had another Sunday meeting where I ended up receiving prayer from them again, but separate to each other.
First Steve prayed and said that I have a calling that requires “ridiculous faith”.
He then got me to hold some keys and a flag and declare that I already have what God is calling me to.
Then Elizabeth prayed for me with another friend. As it happened, I told her how I had made a mistake with my business finances. This meant that I had very little operating expenses left …and the next bill was due.
As they prayed, Elizabeth prophesied that the Lord had allowed this mistake because he wanted to teach me about his miraculous provision.
She also gave me a physical key on a silver chain (that she had been wearing round her neck) as a symbol of God’s promises to me.
What Happened Next
On the surface, nothing much changed at first.
I kept on praying, I felt the Lord tell me to wear the key until such time as his promise was fulfilled. At that time, I was to give it back to Elizabeth.
I continued working 4 days a week for a private company and 1 day per week on my website.
And I continued to struggle in prayer. I kept asking the Lord to fulfil his promises, including these new words that I had been given.
I had good days and bad days.
Some days I had great confidence that God was going to deliver on all of this.
And some days I despaired of ever seeing God’s goodness this side of heaven.
But God was at work. And that bill did get paid.
How Everything Changed – And How There’s More
Around the beginning of May, we suddenly received the news at work that the contract we were a part of was being “sold”.
As of 1st July 2019, we would no longer be part of a private company and would be part of the National Health Service (NHS).
I worked in the NHS before, in the 1990s and my experience there and since has not always been a positive one.
Every company I have worked for has also worked with the NHS, so I’m really an old hand. And I had a previous agreement with the Lord that it was time to leave the healthcare domain.
So you can imagine my shock when the Lord told me to stay!
The Story Continues
The process of migrating across to the NHS was much more stressful than it should have been.
However, God showed me that some of that stress was my fault due to me trying to lead with my mind, rather than with my spirit (but that’s for another day). More importantly, he broke through in an amazing way.
The day before I would become an NHS employee, I was worshipping in church when I saw another picture of the rocket.
The Lord said, “can you hear it rumbling?” and I said yes! I could hear it shaking and it was as if I could actually feel it too. It was about to take off.
Later that week, I was due to go to my new office and meet the team for the first time. On the way, the Lord said, “it’s time for the key to be revealed”.
The team were great and I was pleasantly surprised by the positive atmosphere. They were all very friendly and I think I will fit in well.
Ironically they were doing a “hands-on” day, trying out some reporting tools I have been using for several months. So I spent most of the day advising them on how to get the best out of it.
At the end of the day, I was gratified to hear comments like, “we couldn’t have done it without you”. Talk about confirmation I was in the right place!
The Big Surprise
The big surprise came together over a two day period:
- As part of my NHS contract, I found that my previous service counts towards various benefits. This means I will be paid the same as before but will have more annual leave to take.
- Simultaneously, I received a personal offer of support which will help me to run and expand my website for the next year.
I’m out of space for the details and there’s more I could say about God’s perfect timing.
Oh, and I gave Elizabeth her key back.
God’s Promises: Your Turn
I’ll finish by saying that my story can be your story too.
Not that you’ll get the same prophetic words as me or that your journey will be the same as mine, but that:
- you can receive promises from God too, and
- you may have struggles along the way, but
- God never goes back on his promises. Ever.
If you have been given one of God’s promises, you can trust him to fulfil it, no matter where you are today or how long it takes.
Next time, I’ll talk about some of the practical things that I do in my ministry and business. And I’ll give you an insight into what I actually do on a Friday when I’m “not working”!
P.S. If you’re interested in a preview, you can find one of those tools (actually a whole suite of them) here (affiliate link).