Open to receive
Have you ever expected to receive a blessing, but it seemed slow coming? Ever doubted that pressing forward would yield the desired result and felt tempted to slow down or give up altogether? Ever worried that what you were believing to receive from God wouldn’t arrive in time?
If so, God understands how you feel and has sent this word to remind you that He has impeccable timing. All you need to do is keep on running by faith, and be open to receive your divine harvest of blessings!
Speaking of being open, my 19-year-old son, Kedar, a freshman, will begin playing college football this year. His preferred position is wide receiver which is all about getting away from the defender and being open to receive the ball the quarterback throws. Currently, he’s working out five times a week with the team to learn the ropes. A couple days ago, Kedar told me that while he was performing wide receiver drills at the school facility, he learned something important.
“The quarterback doesn’t throw to the receiver. He throws to a spot on the field,” he explained. “As the receiver, I have to run to that spot and trust that the ball will be there when I get there.”
In theory, he said, doing this sounds easy, but in practice, it is quite challenging. “Sometimes, the football doesn’t look like it will make it to the right spot in time,” he went on to say. “I’ll be running so fast that I think I’ll outrun the ball. But if I hesitate or slow down at all, the ball will fly five yards ahead of me, and I won’t be there to catch it when it gets to that spot on the field where I should be.”
Therefore, rather than slowing down, Kedar must continue running at full speed to be in position to receive the ball.
You know, while listening to our athletic and ambitious son share the detailed steps to receiving the football from the quarterback, I was intrigued. I thought to myself, Wow. This sounds exactly like what it takes to receive blessings from God!
Just for a moment, imagine God as a quarterback. He releases the blessing, and you must go after it by faith. If you keep running and don’t give up, you will be in the right place at the right time to receive what He has released.
“This year, some major blessings are headed your way. If you move forward by faith, those good things God is releasing will fall right into your hands.”
Consider Abraham in Genesis 12. God told him, go to “a land”—a place or position— “that I will show you” (v. 1). Abraham’s job was to believe and move forward to the place that God had destined him to receive the blessing. If he did that, God promised, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (vv. 2-3).
Abraham didn’t know where he was going when God asked him to leave everything that was familiar to him behind. Even so, it didn’t matter where he was going; it just mattered that he kept going—and that he did. Abraham believed the word of God and acted on it. Because of that, he obtained righteousness by faith and reaped a wonderful inheritance.
And here’s the good news, friend. The blessing of Abraham belongs to you and me! We, too, obtain salvation—as well as all the incredible benefits of adoption into God’s family— by faith (Ephesians 2:8). Absolutely everything in our walk with the Lord is based on faith. If you persevere by faith, you will be open to receive the blessing.
If you’ve been thinking about quitting, slowing down, or doubting that what God said will happen, my word to you is don’t. Don’t quit. Don’t slow down. Don’t doubt. Believe and run on by faith.
Trust God and press on through the storm and rain. Through sickness and pain. Through lack and hardship. Through grief and loss. Through disappointment and injustice. Through life’s many ups and downs, twists and turns. I can assure you that what God releases, which will come at you so fast, you will receive it if you don’t give up.
The latter portion of Hebrews 12:1 NKJV, which is the sweetener I’m stirring into your cup of inspiration, says, “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, see me as your faith coach on the sideline yelling, “Keep on running!” If you don’t quit, you will reap a harvest. So, go forward in faith. Give it all you’ve got. Don’t worry about what it looks like. Be open to receive and watch what happens: a blessing will drop right into your hands.
Now, let’s pray.
God, thank You for helping me to keep going in times when I feel weary, uncertain, discouraged, and hesitant. In times of difficulty, worry, fear, low confidence, and confusion, please remind me that if I don’t give up, I will receive the amazing blessings and benefits you are releasing just in time and just for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
