My Year of Enlargement
Isaiah 54:1-3
1 “Sing, O barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband,”
says the LORD.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities.
Enlarge the place of thy tent and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes. (Isaiah 54 2-3)
God’s word to his people Israel after they were divorced because of their adulterous state with HIM, this had cause great judgment to them to the extent that their children were judged, many were killed, there were many widows because their husbands were slained, then in the midst of all these calamities the Lord said there is a great increase on the way. That her desolate cities would be inhabited and He would inherit the gentiles and be a blessing to all the earth. That their shame, confusion, and widow hold will be a thing of the past, and forgotten
God will restore and marry her again. This is like some of us the spiritual Israel of God by faith in Christ. Some of us as God’s children had perform harlotry by sinning against God, breaking his covenant by trying to be like the world, and that may have brought some judgments both physically and spiritually.
Many are barren in the church, in their jobs, and in all. The fruits are not as they labor, the suffering is more that the gain. Too much effort putting in; but little return, much sweat but nothing to show off. It is time to examine your ways if you are in God, doing the will of God.
Things to know are as follow:
1. Now God says “enlarge the place of thy tent”. Enlarge your capacity, your dream, and your mind to be able to accommodate the increase that is on your way.
The place were you dwell means the state of your mind, comprehension and your understanding. Prepare for the increase so that your house can accommodate the inflow of the new members. God is about to give to the church.
If a woman is expecting a baby she will prepare buying the bed, clothes, and many other things, keeping the house clean, and preparing the room for the baby, that is what God is saying, put your house in order, there shall be no divisions among the brethren because that will harm the child, there will be no strife or envying or gossip and any other emotional fleshly lust which can hamper with the growth of the baby. The father and mother must love themselves and keep their house in order.
2. “Stretch Forth” That is go beyond your known limit, go beyond the ordinary, go beyond the past, stretch pressing, go extra mile for the increase, make more effort, change the old tactic. Find out where you miss it and make a change, stretch your prayer life, your bible study life, your commitment with God and his work. Change your lukewarm attitude towards his work and word, be more proactive double your zeal and effort in the things of God. Stretch forth the curtains of thine inhabitations for the increase is coming.
3. “Spare Not” Don’t spare the flesh this time. Deal with self ego that can hinder your spiritual growth, spare not anything that God detested, take limit off God, get out of the way and let God do. God First, the kingdom work first, spare not in giving, do extra ordinary things for God. Saul spared some of the things that should have been destroyed; this caused God to reject him. Obedience is better than sacrifice, partial obedience is disobedience. Don’t spare anything God has commanded you to destroy. 1 Sam 15.19-23.
4. “Lengthen Thine Cords” Reach out far beyond, have unlimited vision, seeing afar off, going and reaching beyond your locality and beyond your view, to mission abroad, to the field of evangelism, Lengthen your cords, let your strategy be great and long lasting. Let your strategy be great and long lasting. Let your ideas be high and far reaching. Let your vision be for generations to come. Let your influence go beyond your family members. Do things beyond normal. Lengthen your cord for a bountiful harvest. The longer your cord, the farer it goes, the bigger your hook the bigger fish it will catch. Now dream big, seeing the big men in your community coming to God. “Lengthen your cord”, let it include the big and the small, the rich and the poor, the black and the white, let it be for all nations. Enlarge your vision; let it be long lasting and long reaching and big enough to accommodate all. A vision which cannot be easily erased. Lift a standard for the people.
5. “Strengthen thy Stake.” Dictionary defines Stake as “a stout stick or post, usually of wood, pointed at one end, for driving into the ground to form part of a fence, mark a boundary, support a plant or the like.” Because of the heavy responsibility that is before you, you must be strengthen your stake, the post that goes to the foundation of your life to carry on the strength of the house, it is like a pillar that holds the beams of the building, the supporter, you need is a strong prayer to strengthen your vision, you need to go more deeper in the word so to sustain you when the flood and temptations come. You need the grace of God to carry on when all has left you or they do not see your vision as clearer as you see it. You need the support of the Holy Ghost to enable you and encourage you when no money is available to carry on your vision. If your stake or post is not strong enough you will faint on the way. Be well established in the truth so that you cannot be pushed around by every wind of doctrine. Is your stake strong to stand the test of time? You must make a decision to be strong no matter what.
Ephesians 6:10:
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Be strong in the lord in his ability to take you through all the hurdles of life. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
Ephesians 3:20
God is able so trust him
Remember the way Jabez made it
1 chronicles 4:9-10
And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, because I bare him with sorrow.
And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil that it may not grieve me. And God granted him that which he requested.
You know that Jabez name means sorrow; you know the family was going through a hard time, just as some of us are today. But he refused to settle for less. He decided to do something that has not been done in his family. He believed that a change must come that he would not live that kind of life. That step made him honorable because he refused to be bound by the curses of the family. He decided to pray. It was the prayer that changed everything about him. That is what can help you in the year 2009. See his point of prayers.
1. Bless me that people may see and know that is the Lord’s doing
2. Enlarge my coast, I am tired of living in these small house, or one bedroom with all my family members and I am tired of small vision. I need enlargement of my coast. Pray for the enlargement of your coast.
3. Thine hand might be upon me. It means protection and prosperity where ever the hand of the Lord is; there is a miracle and his glorious presence. Jabez was asking for God’s continuous presence of God in his life. You need his presence to make things happen in the year 2009.
4. Keep me from Evil, that is deliverance from evil men and women, there are evil everywhere, you need God’s guidance, protection, leading and discerning of spirits to know who is a friend and who is an enemy. Pray for that
5. Don’t let me be grieved. God I don’t want to be grieved at all, it is enough; I have suffered enough, been disappointed, abused, rejected, frustrated, dispersed and disgraced enough. So I don’t want to go through them again. I don’t want anything that will cause me to be grieved in the 2009. Oh Lord do it for me, and the Lord granted Jabez all he requested.
God will surely do that for you. We have just seen how Jabez made it.
Isaiah 54:3 says for thou shall break forth right hand and on the left and thy seed shall inherit the gentiles, and make the desolated cities to be inherited. This year is for your breaking forth in all way round, no string attached, no blockage, no limitations, no wall to prevent you from possessing your inheritance and unlimited success in your life and dreams. God will use you to restore the missing things, not only you but your children shall be blessed and benefit from the dreams God has given you. Be ready to break forth in your ministry, your finance your marriage and your business. God has promoted you. So enlarge your tent to accommodate the blessings. May the Lord bless you in the year 2009. Jabez prayed and got the result. He made it and built a city in his name, your name will never be forgotten if you do these things. Happy New Year.
Bishop John Ayodele Okobi
G.O
New Anointing Deliverance Worldwide.
