Hang On

As I began to inquire the Lord deeper about this word, I felt in my spirit that it wasn’t like a 10-minute turnaround but more like a process of God building or rebuilding something, and you are a piece. Let’s use a puzzle and America for example, if God is building something in America that has 500 strategic pieces, he might be trying to piece together a different section before it is time for your piece to be laid.

When we pray for breakthroughs, miracles, advancement, and other things like that, we forget that first, we are kingdom citizens. Everything that God does in and through us is for the future and the furthering of the kingdom of God, so when God is doing something in us, we have to remember that there are several other moving parts. Sometimes the Lord holds up on commissioning you to a certain area or giving you the breakthrough because he is waiting for something to pass.

I remember years ago, maybe 22 -23 years ago, there was this group of guys that started traveling together and preaching at different conferences, conventions, and revivals. It was neat getting to watch from the outside what these guys were doing, and I knew that something like that was a part of my assignment.

As I prayed, the holy spirit was not leading me to go and he told me that it was not my time yet and I didn’t understand why. Each one of those men is no longer in ministry due to things happening in other circles that I didn’t know anything about, but obedience to the holy spirit kept me out of something that could have potentially been harmful for me.

When it was time for the holy spirit to elevate me, he placed me with a group of guys that even now, after 20+ years, are still going hard towards their calling and building the kingdom of Heaven. In that season the Lord was hiding me so that what needed to pass, could pass, but when it was time for me to be elevated, he placed me with the right people in the right season. 

Watching others get elevated in seasons when I thought I should have been was hard, but in hindsight, I am so thankful that I chose to listen to the holy spirit rather than letting my flesh direct my life. The holy spirit also gave me a wise and beautiful counsel, Autumn Dawson.

In that season when I felt like I should have been elevated she said, “Joe, maybe it just isn’t your time yet.” and I would continue to press, “But, I want it to be.” With her holy spirit-guided wisdom she would say, “Well, I don’t think it is, keep fasting and praying.” I began to fast and pray so much that when the Lord was telling me that it was my time, I became hesitant because I fell in love with the place of prayer and just hiding in his presence, but the Lord advanced me and my time finally came.

All this to say, sometimes you just have to hang on and let God turn everything around for you. If you feel overlooked, just hang on. If you feel underqualified, just hang on. If you feel defeated, just hang on. This is a season where you have to hang on before you receive your breakthrough because the Lord might be trying to protect you from something. The Bible says, “Lean not on your own understanding.” In this season, we have to listen to the voice of the holy spirit and continue to hang on because, friends, your turn-around is coming.