A Word of Encouragement for 2010

I wanted to write and encourage you! The year of 2009 has been a year of much shifting, changing and rearranging. However, it is important to move forward into 2010 with a great expectation. Knowing that God, Himself, was in the shaking and shifting of our last season will empower you rather than cause discouragement. Discouragement will steal courage for the season ahead. It is very important to shift into 2010 with courage and godly anticipation for a divine visitation. God desires to show us His glory; however, as He passes by, we must believe He is doing all He promised even when we can't actually see it in the natural. We must develop greater faith to see with spiritual eyes in the year ahead.

A Season of Divine Measurement

In 2006, I heard from the Lord that 2010 would be a year of a completed "measuring." The term "measure" is important to God. You will notice that in Scripture the term "measure," is often used. Just to name a few, Ps 39:4 states that God "measures our days." (AMP) When planning the Temple, it was important that the curtains "measured" the same. (Ex 26:2 ,8). Several chapters in Ezekiel speak about the "measuring" of the temple. Interestingly one of the words deriving from the word "measure" is the word "stretched!" As God measures us, He is also checking to see if we have endured the stretching process! I believe we did!

In 2006, I prophetically saw God measuring us for the next four years and that it would be a type of testing for a shifting into our next season beginning in 2010. The number 10 often speaks prophetically concerning a divine measuring. Think of the number of years that Israel wandered in the wilderness - 40 years- which is 4 times 10. Four is a number that represents things in the natural- such as the 4 seasons, the earthly realm, 4 directions (North, South, East and West), etc. In this type of thinking, we depend upon the natural eye. However, our enemy would cause us to focus on what occurs in the natural. This would link us to the past and to the occult if we are not careful. Remember, the occult attempts to keep revelation hidden so that we cannot see. Revelation exposes what is hidden- so you need to understand the war between the occult and revelation. In other words, keep pressing for revelation which is the ability to see in the supernatural; like peeking into heaven!

But thinking along the lines of "divine measurement" (again, multiplying 4 with the number 10), let us be reminded of how often the "natural circumstances" affected Israel's faith while they were being tested in the wilderness. At each wilderness stop, their faith was challenged and God was measuring their trust and obedience. Obviously, we can certainly learn from Israel's mistakes in the wilderness and, therefore, become determined to shift into our new season with greater faith, right? I don't know about you, but I feel that God has used 2009 as a type of plumb line in my life. I pray I passed the test!

Know that the enemy would desire to discourage you during such uncertain times and cause you to walk in confusion. While God is measuring us to determine levels of increase, the enemy seeks to kill, steal and destroy. Let's be alert in this next year and become more determined than ever before to run the race that has been set before us.

 We are Like Moses Asking God to Show Us His Glory!

A few nights ago, I met with a group of ladies at an annual gathering of many women connected to Zion Ministries in the Bedford, Texas area, as well as some guests, and I heard a word of encouragement for them. I want to share this with all of you because it was a corporate word to the entire Body of Christ. The Lord told me that many of us have been similar to Moses, being asked to move forward into unknown territory. (Again, when we venture into the unknown, we are uncomfortable because we can't fully see our future- therefore; we must trust God and develop supernatural eyesight).

I'm sure you remember the story. Moses had presented some "needs" to God and needed to know that God was going to be with him as he led God's people. Moses told God he would continue to lead, but he needed someone to go with him. In other words before stepping out, Moses needed some type of confirmation. So, Moses asked for God's presence to go with him. The scripture quote from Ex 33:15 defines Moses' concern: "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that You are pleased with me and with Your people unless You go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"

As I was studying to present this article to you, I thought about the ark of God, the presence of God that was in the wilderness for a season. In my book, Conquering the Antichrist Spirit (order through The Elijah List), I go to great lengths to discuss why the presence of God had not manifested in Israel. There were many different wilderness "stops" that Israel made, but many don't realize that the ark had its own wilderness. I encourage you to consider ordering this book if you feel as if God's presence is not manifesting in your life. We need God's presence in this next year as never before. The dark is becoming darker and we must be a brighter light. Jesus is the Light of the world so in order to arise and shine, we must look into the face of Christ and be determined to be a reflection of His Glory. Jesus said if we have seen Him, then we have seen the Father. Though Father God told Moses that he could not see His face, we can rest assured that we can see Father's face if we look into the face of Christ! What an awesome thought!

Let's look again at Moses:

 The Lord heard the cry of Moses and said that He would give Him the direction needed. God replied to Moses by saying, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." (Ex 33:17).

 What an awesome reply from the Lord! God affirmed that He would do what Moses needed. Believers don't allow discouragement to come right now during such uncertain times. God has promised you that He will fulfill what He declares! It's time to get out some of those prophecies you have placed on shelves, or find that journal where you documented God's promises and begin to declare, out loud, what God has spoken concerning your future. The enemy has attempted to steal your vision; he does not want you to see! You must look once more at what God has promised, stand on His promises and see your future. You may be in the midst of a shaking, but you're not being shaken out of your destiny…God won't allow it!

Let's look at Moses' next response:

Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." (Ex. 33:18)

Wow! Don't you want to see God's glory also? I know I sure do. But, look what God's reply was to Moses:

And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on which I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on which I will have compassion. But, He said, you cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live." (Ex 33:20)

Now let's pull aside and look at what is occurring. God is going in front of Moses….to His future. God is clearing the pathway for Moses' destiny with a manifestation of His glory. But, dear ones, you need to get this part; God said that Moses would not "see His face" when He passed by him. What we will witness is His glory passing by and then see his back after He has completed making a straight path for us to follow. Oh, how I pray I can convey this by mere words. I trust the Holy Spirit to take over here…..Look at v. 21:

Then the LORD said, "There is a place near Me where you may stand on a rock. When My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove My hand and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen." (See Ex 33:20-23) (my emphasis added).

Beloved, there are times when we cannot see God' coming! Yet we must believe and trust the fact that He is still moving toward fulfilling what He promised. We may not see it happening in the natural, but when His glory passes by we know it because we experience visitations through His Word, prophetic messages, Bible studies, etc. Let's not maintain a mindset concerning How God visits us, okay? If we can do that, we're ready for Him to visit us in a fresh way.

Now, let's fast forward a little to the New Testament. Jesus is the Rock, right? Also, God says that we are "hidden in Christ." Therefore when His glory passes by, we must be hidden in Jesus, and standing on the Rock! We will witness the glory if we are standing on the rock. We may not get "goose bumps" during a visitation, but if we remain connected in Christ - well, a visitation is guaranteed! Believers, our ground in the natural is very shaky…unless we are truly standing on the Rock, we will tilt….and maybe even miss the time of His visitation to us! If you are struggling, then it's time to hide in Christ. Find Jesus in this season renew your relationship with the King of Kings. You will experience peace, satisfaction and fulfillment in Him.

Now, back to Moses. As God's glory passed by Moses, he was able to see His back. I believe that we may not always see God coming, but we know and trust that He is and that He is faithful to intervene in our circumstances. We will experience His glory because He promises to pass by. Also, when He passes by and has cleared a straight path for our future, we can look at His back and then say…"That was God" who just passed me by!

Have you ever been in a situation when you weren't certain what was occurring was God until it was over…then you found yourself saying…"That was God?" This is because it already happened; you used hindsight…but, all along God was coming, His presence manifested in your situation, and you didn't realize it until it was over!

There are many different ways to describe this passage. Theologians believe that this is how God revealed the "past" to Moses and empowered him to write the first five books of Scripture. But for me, now, today, this speaks to me differently. I have cried out, God I need to know that as I move forward Your presence is with me. He is saying that as long as you all are still trusting and believing in Me, then I'm still moving to accomplish what I have promised.

Dear Ones, don't be discouraged any longer. God is moving on your behalf! We may not see breakthrough in the natural, but if you will allow the Holy Spirit to touch your eyes, He will give you supernatural eyesight for your future. We are overcomers. Be encouraged. You WILL break out of old cycles in your new season.

 Allow me to pray for you.

 Father God,

You know all things. You alone are God. You say that You are not a God that would lie and that what You have promised, You will fulfill. We are crying out for Your glory. Today, we are determined to become hidden in Christ. We will firmly stand upon the Rock and trust You. We realize that when things are dark, it may be a time when we are hidden in Jesus. Empower us to see with spiritual eyes and understand with supernatural understanding and realize that You are moving forward into our future and creating straight paths into victory. In Jesus' name. Amen.

 Have a glorious 2010!

As always, love and blessings,

Prophetess Sandie Freed