Author: Vanessa Moonkie

“Martha said to Jesus, “My Lord, if only you had come sooner, my brother wouldn’t have died.”
‭‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭21‬ ‭TPT‬‬

The Holy Bible

The issue of time is a sensitive issue to many people because many things that happen in our lives are time sensitive. For example, pregnancy is time sensitive. Training in the university, your job, the burial ceremony, the tv programme – all these are examples of time sensitive things. Nobody ever spends the whole day and night at a wedding because there is a programme that gives information of the start and finish time of the wedding. No matter how nice the decoration is, how tasty the food was, how close you are to the bride and groom and you think they look beautiful, when it’s time to go home and wrap up the programme even the hosts must pack up and go. King Solomon puts it like this

“There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Read it again. You’ll begin to understand why Sarah laughed. It was not a question of whether she heard the word or not, it was the fact that she considered “time” and with time, man gets older and older. Sarah has a valid excuse to laugh according to the natural man. Wouldn’t you laugh if you saw an old pregnant woman? And your thoughts will be “Why did she wait all this TIME, why didn’t she do it SOONER?” Soon is a measure of time. I am old is a measure of time. Speed is also a measure of time. Many believers do not believe the word of God after a certain “time” of expectation has passed. If you received a word for a new job and you expected it to happen on the 1st of May but the time passes and it is now the 23rd of May and all your applications have been rejected , man will sulk and question God why? Because man ties the word to time and we forget that Solomon says , the units of time are only for those on earth. There is a time and season for everything on earth! God is not time bound. He does not have the “master” time over His affairs. He is not an “old” God because He doesn’t count years like you do; He is still very relevant , in every season even stronger than you who was born just 20 years ago. The issue of time….

Mary and Martha are dealing with a crisis that is time sensitive. Lazarus is sick. I remember the time my uncle had cancer and they gave us the number of days he had left to live. The sickness had become lord over his time on earth as in the case of Lazarus. The fact that he was loved by Jesus and had sisters who were spiritual and in relationship with Jesus did not stop the the clock from ticking … closer and closer .. to death. Lazarus died. Your life on earth is time sensitive. You will not live forever even if you’re an Apostle or a Scientist, A wife or a Friend, time will not be on your side forever, one day it will be against you. According to the two sisters, the issue was not the sickness but that Jesus didn’t arrive sooner. “Lord if you had come yesterday; I’d have the fees money today”. .. “Lord if the wife came last year I’d be having kids right now” .. “Lord if you had come sooner, my mother would’ve been healed!” I bring you understanding today , the question of time works with man , it doesn’t work with God because time is the law for man, God operates by the Word! As long as there is Word ; it will not return to Him void!

God is not late. God is not unaware. God is not using the Apple Watch. God invented “time” by seasons, but the “clock and calendar” as we have , was invented by man. That is where the problem is. Man came in and created a system that tracks days for them. Man came in a created a law that makes people panic when its sensitivity threatens our peace. “It’s been too long” according to who? “I should have this by 25” says who? By His word , by faith or by the times of man? At what time did God create the stars? At what time did He think to give Abraham a child ? How old was Abraham according to God when He gave him the child? God does not work with the clock; He works with the Word and the right time. How hard it can be to trust in God’s timing. We are a people who want it and we want it now! And sometimes the behaviour of man when he wants something NOW, is almost like that of a brat. “I will sulk and bang my head against the wall so that l force my Mom to give me the ice cream NOW!”

Did you know that man’s time is not perfect? Try making the same meal twice, you’ll discover that at one time it took you just 30 minutes but you made the same meal again and this time it took you 25mins. Man lives on estimated time. God lives in eternity. God’s time is perfect . God already scheduled your life before you were born. You were born at the right time. You were born into an already planned life. Yes you want to get married in 2024; but do not think you should do it because “you’re late”. No. “Late” is a language of man , we speak Gods language. “At the right time”… let’s continue on this topic tomorrow as we worship.

I leave you with this; He is not late. You are either in a hurry or considering the time of the natural man. He will not come at 12 o’clock; He will come at the right time. You push yourself to depression if you consider things the way the natural man considers them. Mary and Martha, how did it feel when Jesus didn’t show up at the “time” you wanted Him to? Must’ve hurt. The truth is many are hurt because of the “delay” because Lazarus is either dying or dead. Sarah’s womb is dead. The business is dead. “Lord when will you show up! I’m not patient anymore. I’m breaking down. The clock is ticking!”

“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.””
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Stillness shows that God cannot be controlled by our time. “Why am l to be still when I need to speed up somethings , I don’t have time” .. my love; trust God, just be still. Sarah shall surely carry her baby, not through a surrogate, but what one who was once called “a later comer” will “overtake”.

“All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭104‬:‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Wait. ❤️

Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭23‬:‭4‬ ‭AMPC‬‬

Why was David walking in the valley of the shadow of death? Why didn’t he just run? Why didn’t he just avoid it altogether? Why walk where your life is being threatened? Does that make sense? I live in Johannesburg, {South Africa} there are places here that I just can’t go to. The places are known to be dangerous; you can go there and never come back with your eyes open. I imagine the valley of the shadow of death could be alikened to such a place but David says “l walk through”. I will probably marry a bold man like David but esqueeze me? What do you mean you want to walk through a dangerous place my dhiye?

“The season is hard, l just want to run and rush through, I want speed, I want to just come out of this place NOW! I am faced with danger; the place poses a threat to my life; the trials are too much; the speed of Elijah Lord,” and God says “We are not going to run from it; we will walk through it!” We all know people who “rushed out” and ended up committing suicide. They didn’t understand that sometimes the pressure to rush out is a trap of the enemy. Walking is a slower pace compared to running. It means you’re most likely to stay longer in an environment when you’re walking while the one who runs can find themselves in a different location in a short space of time provided the journey isn’t long. Are we to speed through every season or do some seasons require that we walk instead?

The valley of the shadow of death can be emotional, mental, physical, etcetera. It is not necessarily walking through a dangerous place in Johannesburg. When we read this verse, we often picture someone walking through a tar-black valley and the devil himself hovering over them with his black hood and sickle waiting to pounce on them. Well, at least that’s what I picture. But this touches on different areas of our lives. The dark valley of depression. The dark valley of unemployment. The dark valley of a business failure, a painful lawsuit. The dark valley of a serious illness or of caring for someone who becomes increasingly dependent on you. Every Christian knows what it is to walk through times of darkness, and when you find yourself in a dark valley, this Psalm is for you.

I’m here to say to you; it is just a shadow. Trust God. Do not fear. He is with you. Do not panic. Do not try to be like the world that runs from process. Yes, part of the journey may be uncomfortable; trust Him. Trust in Him. We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed. We are not of those who are quick to find our our “fixes” Some in an attempt to avoid the dark valley, got themselves addicted to “quick fixes”. A quick fix will wear out and there you’ll be, afraid again. David says I fear no evil because You are with me! Do you believe that He is with you?

Do you feel afraid? Afraid that you won’t make it? Others are going ahead and I’m just here, thugging through life? Afraid that one day the thoughts will cave in and you’ll take the rope? Afraid of trying? Afraid of being alone? Afraid of process because it involves putting off and putting on? Afraid of the unknown ? Afraid that we might die? Are you afraid of the receipts that you’ll receive this monthend? I want to say to you, He is with you! We will never walk through the valley of the shadow of death alone.

Walk with your Abba. Don’t try to outrun Him. He sets the pace of the process. You follow in faith. Do not bring God into your own desired pace. He knows what to do to get you where you need to be, when you need to be there. He will do all this while protecting and comforting you.

Don’t worry , you are in good hands. One of the things I had to relearn the past couple of days is

”It’s okay to be Abba’s baby. It’s okay to not have to be so tough. It’s okay to be a child, sit on His lap and rest in His arms. David was not always fighting Goliath “s” I hope you know he wasn’t the only giant. He was a psalmist on some days , singing to the Lord and building intimacy. It doesn’t mean he didn’t have problems.There is a time to fight but there’s also a time to rest in the boat. So , It’s okay to be vulnerable to Him. It’s okay to rest in His love. It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay darling. What you’re so afraid of , could just be , a shadow.”

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“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

One of the things I’ve learnt about praise and worship is that true worshippers are yielded worshippers. Worshippers who do not do it because they’re forced to “lift up their hands” or “bow with me”. Worshippers who do not wait to “feel like” worshipping. True worshippers who will yield to the prompt to worship any day at any time. Many of us only hear the prompt to do warfare then we leave praise and worship for the worship team on Sunday. 

David says do not forget His benefits. This means there are people who forget His benefits. They suffer from spiritual amnesia and think they’re where they are because of their efforts. Do not forget that you fasted for this job that you’re going to celebrate at the bar. Do not be so quick to forget that the husband/wife was given by God . How could you forget that Samuel came from the altar? The people of old caught the drift! The power of praise ! The power of worship!

I had a powerful session of praise last night and the human in me was asking “Why’re you praising at this time of the night? What is the testimony?” My answer was, HE IS GOOD! I praise because He is good. We should never have conditions to our praise and worship. Always praise! Always worship!

I know of people who cried so much to receive what they have now but the moment they got the breakthrough they did not even have a minute to testify ; stopped going to church; it is shocking! Moses warned Israel about this ;

“be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

On this Worship Wednesday- remember. On any other day – remember. Do not forget that your eyes see and you didn’t have to beg for it. Your ears hear and you didn’t have to fast for it. Remember that you have a home, you have shoes, you have water to drink, you have GOD!!! Spiritual amnesia is demonic! It seeks to take Gods glory and places it on the abilities of man. May you never be a part of those who forget Him!

Would you like us to have live worship sessions on YouTube for yielded? 😆