Stand – A Word by Amber Johnson

I have found myself in such a tension lately between the now and the not yet, between the present reality and the coming fulfillment. I believe so many in the body of Christ are in this place, in need of the same encouragement I’m myself receiving from the Lord as I seek Him for wisdom to manage the weight of impending breakthrough.

Heaven is pregnant with our promises, and as the longing intensifies in an atmosphere of anticipation under the weight of heaven’s full term promise pregnancies, I hear the Lord roaring over His people to “Stand!”

THEY CANNOT UNDO YOUR PROMISE

Old fears have been raging, in a way that has surprised many of us, because these fears are things of the past we defeated, and we have been confused how the devil seems to be bringing them back. This resurgence is due to the change in season: It is often much easier to avoid the onslaught of fear when we are engaged in an offensive attack. But when it is time to “having done all, to stand” (Eph 6:13), the voice of fear can be harder to drown out.

The Lord told me the other day and I believe He wants His people to know, your promise is not dependent on anyone else. Your promise is not dependent on anyone but the Promise-Giver.

I know it might look like someone is threatening to disrupt your promise, but take heart because the Lord says, that person cannot mess up your promise. Your promise is not dependent on them; it is dependent only on Him. It doesn’t matter who leaves you, who loses heart, who walks away, who gives up hope and stops waiting, stops believing. Their unbelief cannot touch your belief. Their doubt cannot rock your faith. And their actions cannot undo your promise. The Way Maker is more resourceful than that. He is not finite. He is not confined. And He will move heaven and earth to fulfill your promises. His faithfulness to you cannot be disrupted by another human being. That person is not that powerful. Whatever they have said, whatever they have done – they are not as strong as the word of the Lord. His word to you is still true.

READY TO RECEIVE

He is Faithful and true. He is a Man of His word. He comes with justice and with healing in His winds.

He is coming, and His reward is with Him.

Five of the ten virgins in Matthew 25 grew weary of the waiting, and they lost out on their promise because they were not ready to receive it. Don’t lose out on your promise. Don’t lose hope now. Don’t lose faith now. You have come too far to give up now.

I know the stand is hard. I know your arms are tired, as you reach out in ready position to receive the promise. I know you want to put your arms down; I know you want to leave the delivery room for a change in scenery. But do not seek your own relief or escape. When you do, the promise will have arrived and you will have missed out.

Standing is so much more wearing that warring. Warring gives us a sense of accomplishment. Whereas standing gives no satisfaction to the flesh; it puts us in a place of being wholly dependent on the Promise-Giver, with no other recourse, nothing dependent on us.

That is exactly the posture the Lord is looking for in those for whom He is coming to deliver a promise: A posture that says, I have no evidence in the natural, and there is nothing more I can do, but I have contended for this miracle and now I will stand here in faith, knowing the Promise-Giver is also Promise-Keeper, His reward is with Him and He is coming to fulfill His word to me.

STAND AND SEE

You have made it through the warring, friends. You have made it through the intense season of warfare. Now all that is left is to stand. Stand on His promise. Stand on His word. Stand on Him. Stand on that land you’ve warred so hard for, Stand in a way that tells the devil you will not be giving up this land you’ve gained. Stand in a way that tells the devil this is YOUR land you’re occupying, and you cannot be intimidated out of it through his lies.

The devil is a liar. Fear is a liar.

The transition from contending to standing is uncomfortable, because it puts us in a place of dependency on the Lord and not our own efforts. But it is in the stand that the promise is fulfilled. It is in the stand that we see the Lord win our victory. And nothing puts fear into the camp of the Enemy more than a people who stand confidently on their promises, refusing to be shaken.

It is in the stand that He responds. In the season of contending it was our turn to war, but when it is time for us to stand, it is His turn to war.

“Stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord” (Exodus 14:13 ESV).

These words were spoken to Israel after they had taken the bold step to leave Egypt, to leave the place of bondage and start marching out in search of their promise. They are standing in the wilderness, in new territory they have never reached before. But now there is a roadblock and in the natural, they see no solution and no way around. After all they have seen with the Lord moving in powerful ways to move their captors to let them go free, it now looks as if this new thing that has suddenly come up will have the power to stop the promise after all. This is where we are friends. We who have obeyed the voice of the Lord and stepped out in faith that defied all human reason – now we have come across circumstances and lying words and we are afraid it is threatening to steal our promise. But I’ve read the end of this story, and I know that this roadblock is NOT defeat, that victory is still ours, and that the Way Maker will make a way. It is not time to give in to defeat; instead, it is time for us to stand in this new land, to stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord.

Take heart, because you have done all. And now having done all, all that is left is to Stand.

Stand firm and watch the Lord come through.

It’s His turn.