Help! Love, MOM

Often, during the State of the Union address, which is an address to a joint session of the Congress, the President of the United States will take the opportunity to speak directly to the American people about priorities of the administration.

If it’s the first SOTU of the President’s term in office, he may make a case for reversing trends of past presidents.

One of the grand themes of the Bible is reversal where reverals are brought up again and again.

Recently, the LORD through Dr. A.. R. Bernard, founding pastor of Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., delivered a mighty message about reversals and “getting rid of the script.” I commend that message to you.

Joseph and His Brothers

Genesis 37 to the end of the book is taken up mainly with the story of Joseph, his brothers and how God can reverse ANYTHING.

Despised by his brothers, Joseph was the 17-year-old darling of his elderly father, Jacob.

His brothers’ naked hatred caused them to dash Joseph into a pit. Eventually unjustly imprisoned — Joseph’s life journey was ordered by God even when every move seemed messy.

Similarly for Naomi, Esther, and David—lives that seemed swallowed in shadow—God decreed reversal. Naomi’s bitterness blossomed into joy in the laughter of her grandchildren. Esther kept her crown and crushed a genocidal plot. David was welcomed back into his kingdom as the rightful king.

The Greatest Reversal: The Fall and Redemption

The first reversal, however, with the most important, the most consequential, the farthest reaching — that is eternal — implications, is the Fall of Man.

Genesis 1:26-28a

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase…”

We are, you and I, made in the very image of God Himself meaning, at the very least, that persons possess intrinsic, inherent worth and value.

Before individuals do ANYTHING to which another assigns value, God says, “You are valuable. You are important. I made you in My own image to flourish, to prosper and to contribute to the prosperous flourishing of others.”

If you continue to read the verse, God gives mankind, along with various gifts (blessings) the mandate and message to increase.

This is a powerful place from which to begin one’s life: increase, value, worth, favor.

However, the Bible says that the woman is deceived by Satan:

Later, in Genesis 3:3 when the LORD questions Eve: “What is this you have done?” The woman responds, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

From Paradise Lost to Paradise Restored

Here we see the ultimate reversal: humanity fell from the heights of perfect fellowship with God into separation, shame, and spiritual death.

What looked like the end of the story was actually the beginning of God’s greatest reversal plan.

This wonderful, gracious God not abandoning His creation, instead, had previously planned the most magnificent reversal in all of history, the before – promised redemption that would ultimately be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Your Reversal is Coming

If you’re reading this in the midst of your own difficult season, take heart.

The same God who brought Joseph from the pit to the palace, who transformed Naomi’s bitterness into blessing, who elevated Esther from orphan to queen, and who raised David from shepherd to king – this same God sees your situation.

Psalm 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

God has a set time and manner for your victory. That financial frustration, that confusion, that dry, difficult relationship, that thing that you can’t seem to get over or beyond, that career disappointment; indeed, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword –none of these are too big for the One who specializes in turning mourning into dancing and ashes into beauty.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Joseph couldn’t see it from the pit, but God was positioning him to save nations.

David couldn’t see it while running from Saul or his son, but God used his predicament to prepare him for the throne.

I see it for you.

The same power that reversed the curse of sin through Christ’s sacrifice is available to reverse that antiquated script in your life to the Glory of God alone and for your good.

Hold On to Hope

PLEASE – don’t let your current circumstances convince you that God has forgotten you. Hold on to the scriptures, prayer and a bible believing, faith community.

Trust the God of reversals. I’m looking for you on the other side!

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Blessings!

Kimberly