Shake off the beast, show forth His Glory and they will soon change
their story when the shame becomes HiStory.
Do you know that the fact that you face ups and downs in life is a
reflection that you are still alive? Just visit an intensive care unit and
watch the monitors on a critically ill patient; when the graph becomes one
horizontal line, it's a reflection that life has ebbed out of that person. The
seemingly dramatic rising and falling on the graph, shows that the patient is
still alive and something are going on in the background though they are not
outwardly visible. Dear Jewel regardless of how critical your situation,
something is going on in the background. Suddenly, your story will change and
all those who gave you names based on a temporary predicament will be forced to
find another name for you.
Such was the story of Paul in a Acts 27 & 28. He had been through so
much, escaped the storm and ship wreck as well as the soldiers that had orders
to kill him and fellow prisoners and finally he arrived at Melita, in Acts 28,
a place of refuge a place of honey (sweetness).
Acts 28:1-6
"And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called
Melita. And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness: for they kindled
a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of
the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the
fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when
the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among
themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea,
yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire,
and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen
down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm
come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. (Acts 28:1-6
KJV)
How many times have we being through really challenging situations and
just when we thought we were over the worst, and we have come to a place of
rest concerning the situation, something deadly literarily crawls out of the
heat to give us yet another challenge to contend with?
Take heart dear child of God, the battles are all part of what makes you
who you are in Christ. James says we should "count it all joy
..."James 1:2-4
Let the situation perfect your patience as you wait; so that your formation
might be perfect without any deficiency or malformation.
Whatever the adverse situation, it's a beast, shake it off, 'shake off
the beast'! Shake off that beast!
Even while the enemy is waiting to see you crumble in that trouble,
stand tall in faith, be bent only in your prayer, and shake off the beast!
Whereas they called you a sinner;
you will now be called a believer,
Whereas they called you a pauper,
they will be there to watch you prosper.
The ones that called you barren
will see you carry your many children.
Where you labeled a failure?
Your success will be one to savour.
Are they referring to you as being sick? Soon they'll wonder what makes you
tick
Are you currently the one called lonely
Soon we'll find your abode homely
Once you were numbered among the impotent.
Soon you'll be displaying the glory of the blessed and only potentate.
Shake of the beast! Shake it into the fire of your prayer! Shake it off
firmly and authoritatively. That thing that was supposed to finish you off
completely will soon be the reference point for your uplifting!
Rahab was called a Harlot, she shook that label off by being a blessing
to strangers, her and her household were saved from destruction and she booked
her place in Christ genealogy. Keep on being a blessing.
All it took was contact with Jesus for the woman with the issue of blood
and the mad man in Mark 5; Stay connected. They both lost their names to their
situation, but when they had contact with Jesus and circumstances of the evil
label were no longer present, the names had to change. That is what happened to
Paul in Acts Chapter 28:5-6 "he is a murderer" and then suddenly
" he is a god" also to 'the man who was blind from birth' suddenly
became 'the man who had been blind' John 9:13
It does not matter how long the issue has been lingering that beast will
fall off, your story will change and so will your name and location just like
the man by the beautiful gate in Acts 3 and the man by the pool of Bethesda in
John 5 you will no longer be numbered among impotent folk.
Very soon we will hear your praise report and rejoice with you, but
first you must shake off that beast! Call yourself your new name in faith even
before the negative situation changes. Don't accept the negative label. Learn
from the daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 27 who refused to settle for the
status quo and thereby changed the course of history by shaking off the beast
of an unfair tradition.
Shake off the beast!
By sis Adetutu
