(Note: The following message originally aired on Autism One Radio. To hear the broadcast at any time, please go to: http://autismone.org/radio/?archive=1617&bg=&FromA1
and click on the arrow above “Listen to Jack and Rebecca Sytsema.”)

EXPERIENCE HEAVEN IN 2007!

“Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don't go back until they've watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, so will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They'll do the work I sent them to do, they'll complete the assignment I gave them.” (Isaiah 55:10-11, The Message)

THE WEEK HAD BEEN typically hectic and taxing, filled with doing our best to keep up with the demands of work and seemingly constant needs of three young boys, one with autism. Some nights had been restless, some days were long, and we were tired. But that Friday evening we found ourselves enjoying one of those all-too-rare, peaceful moments when the children were all sleeping and the many demands of a busy day and week were behind us. No diapers needed changing, no meals needed serving, no gestures of a minimally-verbal child needed interpretation. The television was off, the computer shut down for the night, and even the multitude of loud, annoying toys had all stopped their clamoring. We sat out on our screened-in porch enjoying one another’s company and the beautiful, refreshing sound of a steady rain.

As our hearts and minds quieted, it was as if the Lord reminded Jack of this verse in Isaiah 55. Our conversation turned to remembering the promises God had given us over the years. The weariness that had come over our spirits through the demands and discouragements we had been facing seemed to melt away as we pondered this simple truth: just as the rain we were enjoying was not going to return to the sky before bringing nourishment and refreshment to the earth, neither were God’s promises going to return back to Him without being accomplished in our lives and in the lives of our children.

Even though we couldn’t say with certainty when God was going to fulfill all of His promises, we could say that we knew with certainty that God would fulfill them – and that we would see the goodness of the Lord while still alive on this earth (see Psalm 27:13), regardless of what we were facing in our circumstances. We also felt that this year, 2007, was a year to experience His promises and His abundant life in a whole new way. To experience heaven is to experience the richness of God’s presence and believe His promises for your life. That is what we want in this coming year.

We then began talking about what had been sucking the “life” out of us. In other words, what was keeping us from experiencing heaven in 2007? What kept us from believing God and experiencing His presence each day? All the things we discussed that night seemed to boil down to two things we call “the suckers:” our failures and our attitudes. A brief look at both of these will give us clues on how we can come into the new year.

Getting Past Our Failures

We have an enemy who loves to constantly remind us of ways we have failed or been disappointed in the past. His main purpose in doing so is to thwart our faith in God for our future, and to doubt our own worth or ability. Satan loves to cover us with condemnation and guilt. By getting us to focus on our past, Satan can actually immobilize us from moving into God’s intended future.

But the truth is, God longs for us to be successful. Although that does not mean we will never experience failure, God did not create us to be failures. There is a huge difference. I have yet to meet any person my own age who has not experienced some significant failure. Failure is a part of life. The Bible is filled from cover to cover of people who failed time and again, yet who went on to accomplish great things for God. We are no different. Booker T. Washington once said, “I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.”

God is giving us a new chance this year to overcome obstacles that have tripped us up in the past. This is the time to come before the Lord and ask Him to shake the condemnation and guilt off of you and give you a mindset and a strategy for victory in those areas that have seemed insurmountable. This is the time to ask the Lord to forgive you for any unbelief you have had as a result of past failures and to fill you will faith for future success. Experiencing heaven in 2007 means coming alive to God’s possibilities and His plans for your future. It means determining in your heart and mind that you will agree with God that trying times are not times to quit trying, but, rather, times to experience His grace, His mercy, His favor, and His success in your life.

Getting Our Attitudes Right

Attitudes are a part of just about everything we do and think. They are an interesting mixture of our thoughts, our beliefs, our experiences, our hopes, our disappointments, words we have spoken, and words that we have believed. Attitudes are threefold, encompassing our viewpoint, our state of mind, and our posture. Having said all of that, however, attitudes come down to one question: do we believe what God has said, or do we believe what our enemy has said? Do we have faith in the promises of God, or do we believe them to be deficient or that they do not apply to us? Do we apply biblical principles to our emotions, or do we allow them to dictate our behavior unchecked? Some may think that is too simplistic an approach, but let’s apply it to real life and see.

The Bible says, “God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished” (Philippians 1:6, NLT). Do we believe God will complete His good work within us, or within our children, or do we believe there are some things that are just not fixable?

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want” (Psalm 23:1, NIV). Do we live knowing that God will provide all we need—physically, financially, emotionally, spiritually—or do we live in worry and fear about what tomorrow will bring?

Anger is an interesting emotion. There is nothing unbiblical or wrong about being angry – in fact, Jesus was angry at times. We get into trouble when we do not believe that the Lord will move on our behalf when we have been wronged, or when we don’t seek the Lord on how He would have us respond in the midst of our anger. Do we ask God to make our relationships right again, or do we stew in anger until it turns to bitterness, unforgiveness, or depression?

If we will take the time to search the Bible and to seek the Lord, we will find that there is an element of belief and unbelief in every attitude we experience as human beings. Any attitude stemming from unbelief will truly be a life-sucker. We will grow weary, hard, or burdened by the cares of this world and difficult circumstances if we allow ourselves to operate in unbelief. The key to experiencing heaven in 2007 is to examine our attitudes and respond like the father of the boy with the mute spirit who brought his son to Jesus for deliverance and healing. Jesus said to the father, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” The father responded by saying, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!” (see Mark 9:23-24).

What an incredible statement. This father was basically saying, “I know you can do this in my heart, but my head doesn’t understand it all. Help my unbelief, and do it anyway!” This father, distraught over his son, acknowledged his own level of unbelief and chose to have faith in the Lord’s power regardless of whether he understood it all or not. He was rewarded with a son who was delivered and made whole that very day. In those areas we need the Lord’s healing touch for ourselves and our children, let us also say, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!”

Perhaps every time you hear the rain or watch the snow falling throughout this year, it could be a good moment to remind yourself that the promises of God in your life will be fulfilled. Some may come in 2007 and others may take a while longer, but God’s promises are truly yes and amen! Experiencing heaven in our lives mean that we experience and practice the presence of God, and that we believe Him to secure our futures with His promises and goodness. Regardless of our circumstances and our pressures, let’s allow ourselves to experience heaven in 2007!

With blessings,
Jack and Rebecca Sytsema

©2007, Children of Destiny. All rights reserved.

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