Sometimes we all go through seasons of testing and proving. Times of challenges where we are praying and believing but things aren’t changing. In the scripture, these seasons are often symbolic to 40 days of experience… It refers to seasons of testing, preparation, challenges and decision-making where it doesn’t look like things are going to change. However, the Bible says “God is no mere human! He doesn’t tell lies or change His mind. God always keeps His promises.” Numbers 23:19
Life always has a way of giving us a 40 days season, where we are facing a giant that looks too big, a slow season; in the desert so to speak. A storm where it’s getting more challenging, medical reports not improving, having challenges with raising a child or still waiting to meet the right person.
It’s tempting to get discouraged and give up on our dreams but when you are in one of these 40 days seasons, with thoughts telling you, “It’s never going to change”, you have to know that your 40 days season has a duration. The scripture says God has set an end to the difficulty. (Nahum 1:9)
You have to persevere, you have to stand in faith. The scripture says, “Having done all, to stand”(Ephesians 6:13) You just keep standing, and your attitude is, “I will not give up, I will not get bitter. I don’t see any sign of things improving but I know a secret: these 40 days experience is not how my story ends, it will soon come to an end”.
God has not brought you this far to leave you. Get your passion back, get your fire back, this test is only temporary. God being for you is more than what is coming against you. Your health is turning around, your child is doing the right thing and your business is taking off. It’s going to happen suddenly, God is stepping in and doing what only He can do.
When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, A voice boomed out, “This is my beloved son in whom I’m well pleased”. It was an incredible moment when Jesus was announced publicly for the first time.
You would think that Jesus would go into the city and start healing people, start doing miracles. I’m sure He is fired up, ready to go, but the scripture says “The spirit led Him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1) It doesn’t say the enemy led Him there, that this was the opposition tried to hold Him back. It said God led Him to the desert for a period of testing.
You can be in God’s will and be in the desert. For 40 days the enemy tempted Jesus, “You are hungry, turn these stones into bread. Bow down worship me, I will give you all these kingdoms. Jump off this high building, prove that you are the Son of God”. The 40 days was a challenge, Jesus was hungry, He had been fasting, with no food, He had to endure, resist and outlast. He passed the test and proved that He was faithful and that He wouldn’t compromise.
After the 40 days seasons, an angel came to strengthen and empower Him. After the 40 days season, Jesus came out of the desert, the scripture says “In the power of the spirit”. He stepped into a new authority, a new anointing, a new dimension of His destiny.
Jesus left the desert and went to the temple, stood up in front of the people and read the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. It said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19)
He rolled the scroll up and said, “This day this scripture is fulfilled”. Well, 700 years earlier Isaiah had written this prophecy. Jesus said, “Today it’s coming to pass”. After being tempted for 40 days… When it came to an end, Jesus stepped into what was declared about Him hundreds of years earlier.
Now, you may be in a time of testing and proving. It’s difficult but you are keeping the right attitude. The medical report hasn’t improved but you keep thanking God for healing. People at work didn’t give you the credit, you keep being your best each day. For a long time, you have been waiting for the right person but you still thanking God for His faithfulness to meet the right person!
You could be bitter over the door that closed, someone who walked away, but you know God has something better coming. Well, you are passing the test. Like Jesus, you are going to come to the end of your 40 days season.
Not only where you feel strength and power that you have never felt but you are going to step into things that God prophesied over you long ago, things He has spoken over your destiny before you were born. God said to Jeremiah “Before you were formed in your mother’s womb, I ordained you to be a great prophet to the nations”. After your 40 days season, you will fulfill prophecy, favor, and influence, greater than you have imagined.
Now don’t get discouraged in the testing or the wilderness seasons. Those are times of proving, where you have to show God what you are made of. You may be on day 15 now and thoughts whisper “This is never going to change”. Day 22, “You will always be overlooked”. Day 34, “Just take the easy way out, everybody is doing it”.
No, stand strong, and keep doing the right thing. The end is already set, the time of struggle, testing, and loneliness, and that expiration date is already scheduled. Your 40 days are coming to an end. You are entering into an anointing of ease, where what used to be a struggle is not a struggle anymore.
It’s when the person of your dreams shows up, someone better than you imagine. After day 40, you see restoration, beauty for ashes, and God working all things for your good.
You may not realize that you are on day 38 or day 39, you are too close to quit, and you are on the verge of what you have been believing for. This is not the time to give up or get discouraged. You have to dig down deep and say, “I’m in it for the long haul.
BRINGING DOWN THE GIANT ENEMY!
Goliath was a champion of the Philistine army, he was over 9 feet tall. The height may be intimidating but a child of God has what it takes to bring down giant enemy! The scripture says, “For forty days he stood on the side of the mountain, every morning and evening, and taunted the Israelites”, making threats, insults, pestering them. (1 Samuel 17:16)
When the Israelite army heard him, they were terrified, they would run and hide for 40 days, paralyzed with fear. 40 days they thought there was no way out, facing an angry giant, it was twice their size. You may have some Goliaths in your life.
Not just the size but how about the negative words, people that tell you you can’t accomplish your dreams, you never get well. Sometimes the Goliath is our thoughts, “You are too small, you are not attractive, you don’t have what it takes”.
For 40 days God allowed the giant to speak, insult, to threaten, but God has set an end to the difficulty. After 40 days of experience, a teenage boy named David showed up. He heard Goliath mocking the Israelites, he saw everyone run and hide, but something rose in him: a fire, a passion, a courage.
He looked at Goliath and said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God”. He was saying in effect, “This may have gone on for 40 days, but it is over”. He picked up a smooth stone, he slung that rock and it knocked Goliath to the ground. He took Goliath’s sword and cut his head off. (1 Samuel 17:26)
“Well, pastor I can’t wait ’till my David shows up and does something about this giant”. Can I tell you a secret? You are the David, you are the one to defeat what’s limiting you. God allowed it for a 40 days season, a certain amount of time but it’s not permanent. You are not supposed to run and hide, live intimidate
Deep down you are going to feel what David felt: a supernatural power, a divine enablement, a favour on your slingshot to where you rise and say, “I’m the giant killer, I’m the difference maker, I’m the one to put an end to what is hindering my family”.
It may have gone on for 40 days, or 40 years, but God is saying it’s coming to an end. That giant is about to come down, that sickness is about to turn around, and that struggle and lack is coming to an end.
Beloved, I can’t promise you that you won’t have some 40 days like Jesus where you are in a desert season, being tempted like David, where you are facing a big obstacle. But I can promise you: it will come to an end.
God is faithful, He has you in the palm of His hand. He sees you being faithful, doing the right thing when it’s hard. You are passing the test. When those lies whisper, “It’s never going to change”, no, remember, God has set an end to your waiting… He has already scheduled the expiration day.
I believe and declare like with David, the giant that has been taunting you, the sickness, the waiting, the trouble at work is coming down. You will go into your Promised Land, 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.”’!
