We may have tried to achieve a heart desire and put in our best but weren’t successful. Now we think it wasn’t meant to be and feel discouraged. It’s easy to settle there and think “I don’t want to be disappointed again”. No please, you can give it another shot. The scripture says “But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7
The relationship didn’t work out, I don’t want to get hurt again. They said I wasn’t qualified for the position, I don’t want to get rejected again. I tried to make peace but it only made it worse, I don’t want to rock the boat again. Just because it hasn’t happened yet, doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen. The people who reach their destiny are the people who give it another shot!
In the scripture, the Israelites had what they called the Ark of the Covenant. It’s a rectangular box that represented the presence of God and was very sacred and very holy. It had the Ten Commandments in it and Had to be treated with the utmost respect.
At one point the Philistines took the Ark from God’s people, and their people started getting sick and having boils. So they put it on a cart and hooked it up to two oxen. Well, the oxen came into Israel, God ordered their steps, and the ark came back home. It was taken to a house up on a hill and was there for about 20 years.
When David became king he wanted to bring the ark to Jerusalem, the capital city. The ark represented Jehovah, he wanted everyone united in worship to the almighty God. He didn’t like the fact that the ark had been neglected, kept in a house, not getting the reverence and honour it deserved.
They put the ark on a cart and begin to lead the oxen down the hill. It was a huge celebration and everyone was excited. However, when the oxen got to the bottom of the hill, they stumbled and the ark started to fall. One of the Israelites, Uzza reached out to steady the ark and instantly he was struck to death. Not everyone is permitted to touch the ark. This was the presence and holiness of God. (1 Chronicles 13:1-14)
David was not only disappointed, he was angry, mad at God and afraid. David had good intentions, he was trying to do the right thing but he went about it the wrong way. He copied what the Philistines had done, put the ark on a cart, and had oxen to carry it.
There was a specific command for transporting the ark. There was a right way to do it. The ark can’t be carried by animals, the priests have to carry it. Not on a cart but on poles. David was passionate and zealous but never researched about it. His mindset was “I am going to honour Jehovah”, but the scripture says “Zeal without knowledge is not good”. (Romans 10:1-3)
You can do the right thing the wrong way and not have success. You can have good intentions, you tried your best, like David, you gave it your all, but it didn’t work out. You are disappointed, “God, this isn’t fair”. Here is the good news: that disappointment is not where your story ends.
God doesn’t hold our failures against us. The key is to learn from your mistakes and make things better. Most of the time, there are lessons and something we could do differently: we got in a hurry and didn’t take time to study how it works. We are doing a good thing, we know God put it in our hearts but we went about it the wrong way.
When we are disappointed, and things haven’t worked out, it’s very powerful to look inward and say “God, show me where I missed it. What could I do better next time? Could I have prepared myself more? Could I have watched my words in this relationship, not be critical and harsh? Could I have chosen better people to do business with?
For about 3 months the ark was kept in the house of a man called Obed-Edom and God blessed Him. You would think that David would have thought about that after he was so disappointed but during those three months, David figured out what he did wrong. “It was because the Levites, the priests didn’t carry the ark as was commanded in the scripture.
David made a mistake and learned the lesson. That could have been the end, he would have refused to bring the ark back and allow it to stay with Obed-Edom. No, David had this boldness to give it another shot. He went down to Obed-Edom’s house and brought the ark to Jerusalem with great singing and dancing”.
VICTORY IS YOURS!
Are you going to miss something God put in your heart because the last attempt didn’t work out, victory can only be yours if you give it another shot. “I tried to get something to do but they said I wasn’t talented enough”. Give it another shot! “I tried to break this addiction, it’s been years”. Give it another shot. I tried to get into a relationship but things didn’t work out, give it another shot.
There was a man in the scripture named Zerubbabel. God gave him a dream to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. The king permitted him to start the project, and he took 50,000 men and they laid the foundation. The scripture says, “The people let out a great shout, praising God because the foundation had been laid”. (Ezra 3:11)
However, their opposition steered up trouble and lied about Zerubbabel. They sent a letter to the king saying that he was defiant, and was going to lead a rebellion, and not pay taxes… the king believed them. They were ordered to stop the construction. No work could be done. A week went by, months and years went by, and the work could not continue.
16 years, the foundation sat there untouched. Zerubbabel had accepted that it wasn’t meant to be… But what God starts He is going to finish. God doesn’t abort dreams. We may give up but God doesn’t give up. One day the prophet Zachariah showed up, and he said “Zerubbabel, it’s time to start rebuilding the temple again”.
He could have thought “What do you mean, it’s been 16 years? Do you know what we have been through? All the disappointments, all the things people did to us” He had plenty of reasons to say “No thanks, it’s too late”. But like David, victory can only come when you don’t stop fighting but give it another shot. It’s not by might but by my Spirit says the Lord (Zechariah 4:6)
This time there was a new king. He found in the official archives that there was a decree written years earlier that the temple was supposed to be rebuilt. The king told the critics not to stop Zerubbabel, but that they had to pay for the construction cost. He ordered the opposition to provide all the materials, all supplies, and to bring them food and water each day.
The first time it may not have worked out for you, it was unfair. You have had these seasons of silence where it seems like it could never happen. If you give it another shot, you are going to see the hand of God in ways you have never seen. The victory you await can not pass you by if you don’t stop giving it a shot.
You wouldn’t be hearing this if you weren’t entering a grace period, the power to do what you couldn’t do before. The long-awaited victory in that challenging area of your life… Is there some area that you have given up on? You went through a disappointment or you made a mistake, you could have done it better. Don’t go through life down on yourself, learn the lesson and move forward.
If you will do this, I decree and declare that God is going to restore, make ways, and open doors for you. Like Zerubbabel, things that look like they were over are about to come alive. Your dreams, businesses, healings, relationships, and the fullness of your destiny are coming alive, in Jesus’ name.
The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”’!
