Is
Opportunity Knocking?
When the water gets rough,
it is time to enjoy the ride.
When we face a disappointment, failure,
or tragedy, it is really just an opportunity to see God work in our
lives if we will look at it from that perspective.
Story to illustrate:
Is Opportunity
Knocking At Your Door?
Let us supposed that you are head of a political party and you stand
for that which is godly. However, your popularity becomes greater than
that of the current president in power. The president becomes very
jealous over the rise in your popularity. In fact, he has becomes
so jealous that he publicly states that you are a traitor. He
then sends the FBI to chase you down and arrest you. You have some
survival skills, so you flee into a dense forest of a national park to
escape being arrested, tried for treason, and executed.
Your extended family hears of your situation. They discover where
you are staying and they come to the cave where you are hiding.
However, your family in also is in a bad situation. Most
are in debt, in distress, and discontented themselves. This all
may seem like a very bad hand that God has dealt to you? Would
you see this situation as a tragedy or as an opportunity for God to
work?
In Scripture, king Saul became jealous of David and
began to throw javelins at David because of David's popularity.
David fled and hid in a cave for safety. Then a very motley
crew of relatives: those in debt, in distress, and
those discontented came to David. However, David saw it as
an opportunity to teach this motley crew about their covenant with God
that they might become mighty men of God and of David. (I Samuel
22:1-2)(II Samuel 23:8ff).
Here are some more scriptural
examples:
1.
When the great flood was to come, it was an opportunity for Noah to
build an ark and save the animals and his family.
2.
When Goliath came against Israel, it was an opportunity for David to
kill him, get great riches from king Saul, receive the king's daughter
in marriage, and gain a reputation in Israel.
3.
When Jehoshaphat was far outnumbered by three tribes that came up
against him, it was an opportunity for him to fast, seek God, and get
so much spoil that it took him three days to take it home.
4.
When Moses led the people out of Egypt and up to the Red Sea, it was an
opportunity for him to raise his hands with the rod of God and see God
part the sea.
5.
When Jesus was going to be tempted, it was an opportunity for him to
fast and pray and draw close to the Father that he might have the
strength to overcome the temptations.
6.
When Lazarus died, it was an opportunity for Jesus to resurrect him
from the dead and demonstrate his power over death.
7.
When Stephen was being stoned, it was an opportunity for him to praise
God, forgive his offenders, and be a witness for Christ. (Acts
7:60)
What opportunity is knocking at your door?????
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1. When people attack us, it is an opportunity to: forgive, to pray
for, and to bless them.
"But
I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good
to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you,
and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).
2. When trials come, it is an opportunity to rejoice in the Lord.
"My
brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations"
(James 1:2).
3. When we overwork and get sick, it is an opportunity to recommit
ourselves to follow the Spirit and get some rest.
"If
my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and
pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I
hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land"
(II Chronicles 7:14).
4. When impossible circumstances come against us, it is an opportunity
to see God do the impossible.
"And
he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God"
(Luke 18:27). "Jesus said
unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that
believeth" (Mark 9:23).
5. When problems come, it is an opportunity to find resolutions.
"I
wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions"
(Proverbs 8:12).
"And he found a new jawbone of an
ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men
therewith" (Judges 15:15).
6. When the devil comes against us, it is an opportunity to pray,
summit ourselves to the Lord, resist the devil, and see him flee.
"But
he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but
giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:6-7).
7. When imprisonment comes, it is an opportunity to pray and sing
praise the Lord.
"And
at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the
prisoners heard them" (Acts 16:25).
8. When depression comes, it is an opportunity to praise the Lord.
"To
appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the
spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified"
(Isaiah 61:3).
9. When the tempter attacks, it is an opportunity to do counter
spiritual warfare.
When Goliath came against Israel, it
was an opportunity for David to kill him, get great riches from king
Saul, receive the king's daughter in marriage, and gain a reputation in
Israel. Daivid answered. "And
David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?"
(I Samuel 17:29).
10. When we are cursed, it is an opportunity to bless.
"Bless
them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you"
(Luke 6:28).
11. When we are compelled to go one mile, it is an opportunity to go
two.
"And
whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain"
(Matthew 5:41).
13. When we are tempted to be critical, it is an opportunity to praise
others for their uniqueness.
The Angel of the Lord spoke to Gideon.
"And the angel of the LORD
appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou
mighty man of valour" (Judges 6:12).
14. When we suffer, it is an opportunity to experiences the sufferings
of Christ and be a witness to others.
"Beloved,
think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as
though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as
ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be
revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (I Peter
4:12-13).
15. When the storms come, it is an opportunity to speak to the storm.
"And
he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he
arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm"
(Matthew 8:26).
16. When doubt comes, it is an opportunity to grow in our faith.
"Why
art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?
hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my
countenance, and my God" (Psalms 42:11).
17. When emotional wounds and emotional bruises come, it is an
opportunity to receive healing and freedom.
"The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach
the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to
preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised" (Luke
4:18).
18. When overwhelming problems come, it is an opportunity to pray in
the spirit.
"Likewise
the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should
pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans 8:26).
At the conclusion of the discussion of Spiritual Warfare, Paul writes, "Praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephesians
6:18).
19. When disease comes, it is an opportunity to receive healing by the
stripes of Jesus.
"Who
his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being
dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were
healed" (I Peter 2:24).
20. When weakness comes, it opportunity to become strong in the Lord.
"Beat
your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the
weak say, I am strong" (Joel 3:10).
"Finally, my brethren, be strong
in the Lord, and in the power of his might" (Ephesians
6:10).
21. When we suffer the consequences of our sin, it is an opportunity to
receive forgiveness.
"If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).
22. When we are waiting on God to move in our behalf, it is an
opportunity to draw close to Him.
"But
they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall
mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and
they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).
23. When we are tempted to be afraid, it is an opportunity to
trust in the Lord.
"What
time I am afraid, I will trust in thee" (Psalms 56:3).
24. When we are overtaken by our enemy, it is an opportunity to do good
to him.
"If
thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty,
give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon
his head, and the LORD shall reward thee" (Proverbs 25:21-22).
For a real life story: See Sylvia's
Testimony.
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