It's A Set Up!

If you have been, or maybe you are there right now a long and arduous trial, you may think that God has forgotten you! Maybe you know the enemy is coming against you and feel as if it will never end and may be confused about how the door was opened and do not know how to close it. Your trial may seem like a treacherous mountain you are trying to get past, but ALL things are possible with God!

“You, therefore, must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”

(II Timothy 2:3) NKJV

Some trials God will allow to open your eyes to sin and doors you opened to the enemy by your own free will. Some are due to the free will of others, but guess what, some are a SETUP!

There are different reasons for the setup and things you can do to stay strong during the trial and things to do as you are coming out!

I Chronicles 14:1-2

“Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons, and carpenters to build a palace for him. And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel. (I Chronicles 14:1-2)

You know when God is in it, when He is setting you up when He brings provision to you! But guess what, the setup didn’t begin with the trial! It began when you were born, it began when He called you, it began when He saved you!

It’s a SET-Up to get you to and prepare you for your purpose!

David didn’t ask the king to bring the cedars, or people to help build his house. God did; it was God who spoke to His heart.

“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

God will give you His God-desires in your heart and He will cause you to hear His voice.

“The Lord will cause people to hear His majestic voice and will make them see His arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloudburst, thunderstorm, and hail.” (Isaiah 30:30)

Three Points:

1. The Call

2. The Path-The Trial

3. Destiny—The Fulfillment

I. The Call

God will provide signs, and He will speak to you through various sources: people, events, and things you keep seeing.

It may be a call to receive the Lord as Savior, or it may be a call to a purpose in Him and the destiny here on earth He has for you. And regardless of the call, He will provide:

1. God is providing for you:

a. Spiritual House –your walk and your relationship with Him

b. Physical House—your personal needs

c. Ministerial House—Your purpose

2. God will send divine interventions to provide for these things. He will

a. Lead you to a path, a direction, maybe a new city, a new home.

b. Bring people into your life to speak life, inspiration, and direction.

c. He will bring people into your life to provide for you and to help you carry out the purpose He has for you.

A. Salvation—the ultimate call. Why did the Israelites use cedars? Well, I love it when I am reading the Word and the Lord tells me to go deeper. Discovering the root meaning behind a word in the Bible gives it so much more meaning. In the Old Testament you look up the Hebrew meaning and in the New Testament look up the Greek meaning. There are a lot of free sources on the internet to help you do that.

Looking up cedar wood I found a wonderful correlation to the Lord and His death on the cross. It said, cedar wood, and here it comes, Scarlet Oppressor!

Not only that but cedars were also used for their known longevity and resistance to decay. “You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.” (Psalm 16:10)

They also symbolize spiritual perfection and excellence in spiritual stature.

That speaks Jesus! Scarlet for the blood and Oppressor for His death on the cross!

This is saying that HE provided for our salvation! God did all the work and all you have to do is believe, repent, and receive! God brought salvation to us, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” (Matthew 6:10)

(Romans 10:9-10) “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart that you believe and are justified, and with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

(John 1:12) “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”

It is that easy!

B. Then there is the call on your life, your purpose. God will allow and He will orchestrate people, places, and events in your life to help transform you, grow you, teach you, and build you up for your purpose and He will make His call on your life known to you from the beginning. That is to continue to give you hope while on the path. “I make known the end from the beginning.” (Isaiah 46:10)

“Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

II. The Path—The Trial

From the time David was anointed to be king and the time he became king, it was about 32 years, and from the time King Saul got jealous and started hunting him to kill him, and the time Saul died it was about 15 years give or take.

Jesus came into His ministry here on earth about the age of 30 (Luke 3:23) and was about 33 when He died. Sort of similar, huh?

A. God said that you would face trials but He did not say how long each would be. The length of your trials depends on:

1. What He needs you to learn –King David-He needed to learn how to lead, he needed to learn integrity, obedience and faithfulness to God—Joseph—(Rueben—means behold a son – Judah means praise—sold to slavery) needed to mature a bit and learn to persevere (in jail-cupbearer and baker) before he could help Pharaoh and be raised to 2nd in command to help feed 2 nations in 7 years of famine—Israel (Jews), Egyptians (Gentiles) –which is a ref. to our spiritual food—Jesus—who is for all people “All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

2. Your humility and teachable spirit – Saul was prideful

3. The hindrances the enemy puts up—Ref-Paul, many times he planned to come to a certain church, but the enemy prevented him. Daniel prayed for his people but the Archangel came and told him the Lord heard his prayers from the first time he prayed but the enemy prevented them from coming.

4. He is training you as a soldier (II Timothy 2:3)

B. What do you do to get through:

1. Put God First and keep trusting Him

2. Pray and talk to God—stay close to Him

3. Listen to Praise Music and Worship—the devil won’t stick around & praise with you.

4. Read the Word—It is your spiritual food and strength, “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35)

5. Stay in Church—In Hebrews 10:25 it says to not give up meeting together. – You can find a lot of strength, support, prayer, and resources to help you stay on the path through the family of God—the body of believers.

6. Let the Love of God continually in and flow through you to others

7. Keep going, keep doing what He has called you to do daily. “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture.” (Psalm 37:3)

III. Destiny—The Fulfillment

Then there is the good part, the promise, the fulfillment!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

So, how do you come out?

1. Always put God FIRST—and keep trusting Him

2. Be faithful

3. Be humble

4. Always show Integrity

5. Always listen and always obey

6. Let the Love of God continually in and flow through you to others

7. Stay close to God

8. Stay in prayer

9. Keep praising and worshiping

10.Keep reading the Bible & keep your Bible verses—Rod of Comfort close to you that He gives you along the path.

11.Keep going to church and fellowshipping with other believers.

It’s a SET-UP! When trials hit, consider it pure joy and get ready!

Has He been speaking to you to give your life to Christ?

Has He been speaking to you about a calling, a purpose that He has for you?

Allow Him to teach you, correct you, fill you daily, and stay close to Him. Don’t give way to the enemy’s tactics; train your brain to take captive every thought that sets itself up against the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word and command to you and trash it! Do not give place to it, do not dwell on those negative thoughts the devil gives you. Trash them and send them back to hell!

Replace them with the promises of God and speak them out loud and boldly! “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

Are you ready? Will you stand firm until you get to your purpose?

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)