Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. Acts 27:25 NKJV

What kind of individual does it take to believe God? Believers come in all shapes and sizes, but you know them when you meet them. They may be deficient in so many categories, but they all have that glint in their eye, that grit in their backbone – the saying in the athletic community is ‘no guts, no glory!’ – that smirking determination that says, I believe God, without ever having to say it out loud. I think you would recognize a guy like Elijah before you ever heard a word from him.

And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” 1 Kings 17:1 NKJV

For three and a half years, every time a cloud appeared on the horizon, Elijah shook his finger at it and said, “No…no…no!” until it dissipated. No rain, and not even dew! When we lived in Palmdale CA we were living in a desert, approximately the same latitude and elevation as the city of Jerusalem, though halfway around the world. Often, we would have the same weather patterns as Israel. We had crushing heat and hot dry winds in the afternoon most of the year. We lived there through a seven-year drought. But at least it would rain sometime during each of those years. No rain nor dew would be unfathomable. But Elijah was tough. What was Elijah doing? For one thing, he was teaching us to believe a RHEMA word.

You have yet-to-be-answered words from God. How do you deal with them? In recent years I’ve had the privilege of walking out RHEMA words that God gave me for others to help them see the manifestation of those words. They each involved multiyear situations where many times the situation looked tenuous at best or close to catastrophic. But we held on to that word because we were sure it was a word from God, and the results were outstanding success. Also, I’m doing it again with other words and other individuals.

Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. 1 Cor 14:29 NKJV

The first thing to do to see the RHEMA word manifested is to judge the word. Is it really a word from God, or does it come out of your soul or even out of the heart of the enemy? The enemy is real good at cloaking selfish designs in religious terms. I was going to unify all the leaders in a certain community but the Lord showed it was a desire out of a spirit of selfish ambition. (Oops…yes…I think I’ll just step down now!). When the Lord steps on your toes you know you have listened to a wrong spirit!

So, how do you judge the word? How does it compare to the written Word? Is it loving, unselfish, purehearted? How do you feel about it in your spirit? Is it an act of desperation or did it impart real faith to your soul? Words from man will be flat and lifeless. Words from the enemy will be ultimately painful, or worse. Real RHEMA words will impart faith the moment they are given, and there will be grace to sustain that faith if a long period of time is involved.

“Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.

 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.

 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Gen 12:1-3 NKJV

RHEMA words can require sacrifices to fulfil the words. Abraham, the father of faith, had to leave everything to go to the promised land. When we launched into ministry we moved a thousand miles from our home and left almost everything behind, including our house. David said that he wouldn’t offer a sacrifice that didn’t cost him something. The RHEMA words that we walked out with dear ones even over the last few years cost us much money to see those words to pass. But…I tell you, just like He did for Abraham, God has blessed our giving as we pursued the fulfillment of those words!

…in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. Dan 9:2-4 NKJV

Do you see? Yes, sacrifices involved in the fulfillment of the RHEMA. Let’s say you got a word twenty years ago that you are still waiting to see come to pass. I would take that word before the Lord and ask Him what to do about it. If it’s a true word from the Lord He will clarify what your relationship towards that word is to look like. He may say ‘That was only for a season, and its no longer available’ in which case, if it were regarding a need, I would seek Him for a new word. What He told me recently is that if I would pray in tongues two hours daily – a sacrifice – He would continue to bless our resources and people.

He may say, “That word is about to be fulfilled. Now set yourself to fast and pray it in to manifestation.” So, you have your assignment, and your faith and expectation are built every time you keep your assignment. You have a word about planting a church. He may say, “Witness to one person a day for twenty minutes.” God told you to send your daughter to college. You say, “Lord, where is the money?” He says, “Do this (Mt17:27) … whatever ‘this’ is…and I’ll give you the money.” Supernatural provision through RHEMA words.

This stuff is exciting! A big part of my walk with the Lord involves receiving and walking out RHEMA words. And they are never about me, they just involve me being a blessing to others. You can do this too! You are so busy, having fun, giving out your front door that you don’t notice the Lord backing up His truck to your backdoor and unloading blessings, so you get surprised!

A retrofit is a change in design, construction or equipment in order to incorporate later improvements. We can see how the Lord takes yet-to-be-fulfilled RHEMA words and sets them up for final fulfillment through your walk of faith and revelation. Sometimes, I think we just grow into a word. Other times its more of a step-by-step process. I’ve seen both! One of the cool things about ‘getting older’ is you gain perspective and understanding. You can do this, dear one. You can see the fulfillment of God’s intimate, precise, loving and glorious words – RHEMA words – to you. Love you!

Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…