Transcription
I'm speaking this morning on God's choice: three vital lessons you must always remember. And so, we need to take note of these three lessons as we relate with other people that are God's choice for a time and a season, and also for us as God's choice for our children, as God's choice for your spouse, as God's choice.
Mark 10:35-40. The perfect will of God often involves God's choice of people for a specific purpose and for a divinely appointed time, for a divinely appointed time. And listen, listen carefully to this. Someone listening to my voice right now, don't say, "The Lord, the reason why you have not yet been appointed is because it's not yet God's perfect time." There is something ahead of you, and the Lord is saying, "It will surely come to pass, but there is an appointed time He has fixed ahead of you." And that appointed time is beyond your influence. It's God that is going to determine that time. He's going to create His circumstances.
When the time came for Joseph to become Prime Minister of Egypt, God orchestrated everything. How He gave Pharaoh the dream. It was God that gave Pharaoh the dream. It was God that made it impossible for Pharaoh to remember his dream. It was God that made it impossible for all the magicians in Pharaoh's palace to interpret his dream. All of this was done in order for the door to be opened for Joseph. And God could have given Pharaoh that dream two years earlier, when the chief butler returned back from prison back to the palace, but it was not your time. It will interest you to know that Joseph was 30 years old when that dream eventually was received and interpreted. And we've seen how many people were promoted by God into certain offices or assignments in the year of their landmark birthdays. So, there's something God has already given you some hint about, and He's saying, "It is going to come to pass." Be prepared. Be prepared. And what is going on now is part of your preparation. Once the appointed time comes, what He has already settled will be done and given to you. Can that man or woman say a better amen to the Lord?
The perfect will of God is about specific people that God personally prefers, a specific purpose God personally prefers them. It's about those He has personally chosen or divinely appointed for specific things. Stay with God's choice for your life. And God's choice for your life is not a perfect man. God's choice for your life is not a perfect woman. Stay with God's choice for your life. There is a reason why God has chosen that person for you. You don't know what is ahead. If you are to have health issues for more than five years, there are some husbands that were that would be so loving from day one until that point, and they will desert you. And they will look for a reason. No husband will separate from his wife on the grounds and tell people that, "I'm tired of our health issues." No, he knows that we'll arouse public sympathy and even anger against him. So he will look for a reason to justify his action. It's God that knows the person that will stand with you in your seasons of storms, in your seasons of trials.
God's choice, lesson one. Most of God's choices for significant assignments, offices, oppositions, did not ask God for it. They didn't ask God for it. They didn't ask God for it. It was unsolicited. It was by divine discretion. It was not by the personal ambition of that person. It was not as a result of the strong desire of the beneficiary.
Mark 10, verse 40. God's Word Translation. He said, "But I don't..." Jesus was speaking. He said, "But I don't have the authority to grant you a seat at my right or left. Those positions have already already been prepared for certain people, been prepared for certain people. Those positions have already been prepared." And the people who God has prepared it for, not even asking God for it. David never prayed to be king of Israel. Now, when you see David taking any action towards the kingship of Israel and that assignment, it all started happening after he was anointed, after he was told by somewhere in First Samuel 16 that God had chosen him. It was from there. It was from there. It was from there. Anything you see David doing, it was from there. But before he was chosen, he never prayed for it. I announce to you that in the part of your own destiny, certain things have been prepared by God for you. You have been ordained for certain things. And it's, you know, some of those things have a timeline.
God's choice is by mercy. Can somebody say mercy? God's choice is by mercy. It's His mercy. God's choice is by His mind. That is why on a constant basis, we are sensitive. Even when someone is under correction in church, someone is under correction in church, we are constantly sensitive to hear what the Spirit is saying. Someone was suspended for ten months, does not mean that for that same offense, the next culprit will also be suspended. God can cut it short. I say, "That's enough. Bring him back. Bring her back. Put him there. Put her there." He will have mercy upon whom He will have mercy. And when God has decided to forgive any person, who are you? We are all beneficiaries of God's forgiveness. We are beneficiaries of God's mercy. Romans chapter 9, verse 16. Therefore, God's choice does not depend on a man's desire. There is a place for ambition. God's choice does not depend on a man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. But on God's mercy.
And the second lesson is that, as much as possible, always accept and align with God's choice. Always align, accept, and align with God's choice. Prophet Samuel was careful to anoint only the person that God had confirmed as His choice. Learn to always accept and defer to God's revealed choice. Whoever, whoever, whoever from anywhere in the country, no matter the person's gender, whether male or female, no matter the person's age, whoever God is saying, "This is the person I want to use," we shall announce it. We should mobilize and support that person. And that attitude must be the attitude, not necessarily when you are the one that God would mention. Whoever, not when it's you, but whoever. If it happens to be you, to God be the glory. But the mindset is, whoever God has chosen for a particular time. Accept God's choice of people. As a father or a mother, learn to accept whatever God has called or chosen your child to do or become. Don't stop your son. Don't stop your daughter. And sometimes, what God is even leading them to do is not forever. Relocation is not forever. Relocation is not forever. Change of job is not forever. As a husband or wife, learn to accept whatever God has called or chosen your spouse to do or become. Accept it. Support it. Especially as a spouse, you have to support. Support your wife. Support your husband. Once it's clear that this is what God wants him or her to do or to become. And for you as a person, you too must accept whatever God has chosen you to do. Whatever God has chosen you to become. Like Jonah, don't run away. And wait and wish for judgment to rather come on those God is telling you to just warn and still give them a window for repentance. As it happened between Jonah and Nineveh. We saw how Ananias accepted the Lord's message concerning Saul.
Beware of the entitlement mentality. Beware of the entitlement mentality. Beware of the entitlement mentality. "I am the one that is supposed to have been chosen." "I am the one." And you know, you will always have some people secretly reinforcing that to you. "Yes, you are the one." These things come from God. Some things come from God. John chapter 3, verse 27. He said, "A man can receive nothing, except that which is giving him from above." The richest man in Nigeria has never been able to take the presidency of Nigeria, even when they wished for it. A man can receive nothing, except that which is giving him from heaven. Beware the entitlement mentality. Certain offices, trolls, things of honor, is God that determines. God appoints.
And the last one, always find out God's mind before choosing anybody for certain purposes. Always prayerfully, prayerfully find out God's mind before choosing anybody for certain purposes. The choice of the wrong person has caused painful experiences and major setbacks for too many people. You can hinder God's purpose for your life by your wrong choice of people for different purposes. God can see how everything will end ultimately. God can foresee how every choice you make will end. God can foresee how every relationship, friendship, or partnership with any particular person. So, always prayerfully find out God's choice of people for different purposes.
And please, I close by reminding someone here. God gave this word early this morning. He said, "There is a time. There is a time for what He has ordained for you." So, when you don't get that thing, know that it is not yet the appointed time. The build-up is on, but it's not here. The final moment. When the final moment comes, what you saw in the dream, what you heard by prophecy, what God revealed and confirmed to you, will be done for you. Congratulations to that man. Congratulations to that woman, ahead of time.