Opportunity Knocks, Part 5

Opportunity is all around us, here and now, where you live. I don't believe that we have to go hither and yon looking for it. Have we tapped into the opportunity around us? Here's the problem: we don't see it. I think oftentimes God would speak to us the way that He spoke to Moses, "What's in your hand, Moses?" And then He might say the same to us, "What's in your hand? Stop telling Me what you don't have. Stop telling Me what you can't do. Begin to recognize what you do have and what I've equipped you to do. You're focused on the wrong thing."

I think about Elijah and the widow at Zarephath. I love that story of how God sent the ravens to the prophet when he was there at the brook. And he said, "Get up and go to Zarephath because I've already spoken to a widow there to provide for your needs." He gets there and how does the widow respond? "Oh we're going to die. I'm just gonna make me a biscuit for me and my boy, and we're gonna die." God had already spoken to her to provide for the man of God. The man of God shows up, and she's not recognizing the opportunity. Hello! Why? She's walking in fear, discontentment, and frustration. It's a time of famine; people are sick and dying.

You may say, "Don't you see what's going on in the world today?" I don't care! I'm not going to be moved by what's going on in the world today. If God has spoken, I need to open my eyes. If God says, "I want to prosper you," then you need to open your eyes. If God says, "I want to bless you," then you need to stop walking in fear, because fear will keep you bound and withhold the blessing from your life. This woman was fearful. She didn't recognize that the very opportunity that God had spoken to her was standing in front of her. Here's the man of God. It's not like people didn't know who Elijah was back then.

It was a set-up for an even greater miracle. She made the biscuit. Her little boy dies. In another biblical account the discussion was, "Who has sinned, Jesus, the man or his parents?" This wasn't about who sinned. This is about giving glory to God! That's all it's ever been about. Gideon. I love the story of Gideon and how he defeats the enemy army that was such a formidable force against the army of Gideon. And how does he do it? By smashing a bunch of clay lanterns and blowing on horns. Just read the story. They smash the lamps and blow the horn. It's amazing to me. It throws the enemy into utter chaos and confusion. Why? What made the difference? It wasn't just that they blew horns and broke lamps; it was the fact that God found somebody who would obey Him!

Just do it! What's in your hand? Use it! I believe that God can do a lot with a little when that little has been consecrated to Him.

~ PG