Forgotten Promises

Posted by Dion Todd October 6th, 2024 637 Views 18 Comments

Behold, today I am going the way of all the earth. You know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which Yahweh your God spoke concerning you. All have happened to you. Not one thing has failed of it. Joshua 23:14 WEB.

When I was young, the Lord spoke to my heart and told me that I would be in the ministry one day and for me to prepare myself for it. I loved studying the word of God anyway, so I decided to go through seminary. I figured that if God wanted me in ministry, He would open a door for me when I was ready. I believe that it's "Who you know" that opens the door for you, and that person is Jesus.

I began to prepare as He said and eagerly went through Bible college. I worked during the day, went to school at night, and played in bands on the weekends. During that time, I had one evening a week free. The other six required me to be at school, a gig, or church, where I also served on the praise team.

When I finally graduated and was ordained, I expected to go into ministry like He had said but found every door supernaturally closed. Even when people would invite me to speak, they would cancel right before. Often the night before while I had prayed and fasted about the message for a week.

Time marched onward. I found myself working on computers and networks for the majority of the next twenty years. Eventually, I began to feel that I had misinterpreted His message about ministry and missed Him. Or perhaps I had ruined His plan for me.

I had a long list of reasons why He never put me in ministry. Maybe I had been found lacking in some way. Perhaps I had committed one sin too many, the straw that broke the camel's back, and He decided to use someone else. I had given Him plenty of reasons over the years.

Long after I stopped thinking about ministry and forgot His promise, our computer work suddenly dried up. The computer business door closed, and I found myself being pushed into the ministry like cattle being herded through a loading chute.

On a Tuesday morning, I went into my prayer room and sat down on a bean bag, where I usually prayed. When I did, I immediately had an open vision. It was like a giant movie screen appeared before me, and I saw myself entering a boxing ring and putting on the gloves. That Friday, I was a pastor.

I can understand Moses when he asked God to send someone else because, by this time, I felt He had picked the wrong man. But He made it the only path available to me. At the beginning of the week, we were out of work and preparing to move out of our home. By the end of the week, I was a pastor. It was not what I would call a choice, but here I am today in ministry, using the skills He taught me along the way. He prepared me to build an Online Church. And I mean literally, for it is me pulling the wires under the building, formatting the hard drives, and coding on the website. I couldn't be here without having first been there.

So be encouraged. The Lord loves you, and if He makes you a promise about something, you can count on it coming to pass. It began as an "I just know that I know" type of thing at first, but then He confirmed His word through several other people that prophesied over me later. When they said it, I already knew it, and it confirmed what He had told me. Though it may take a while in our time, it is so beautiful to see His plans come together in your life and well worth any delay you may face. His promises are never forgotten.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for always remembering Your promises. You are the Promise Keeper, and I trust You with my life. Please walk with me today and teach me to recognize Your voice. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Happy Sunday! For those who would like to join us, today we will be hosting our RHM Live Online church service. This is a special time of interactive worship, prayer, fellowship and an inspiring message. All are welcome! The service starts at 10am EDT. Here is the link to join: RHM Live. As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.