Oceans in the Desert

By Kathi Pelton

Throughout biblical history the Lord continually exhorts His people to tell the stories of the miraculous victories that they have witnesses and testimonies of successes that they have experienced. 

They were instructed to recount the stories of God’s faithfulness to their children— and then their children’s children. Why? Because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesy and it sets a foundation of faith for future victories and future generations.

Your testimonies prophesy God’s faithfulness and favor into your family and the lives of all who hear them. 

Throughout the Old Testament we read of monuments being erected in the place where a victory was won. Again, why? Because they created a place of remembrance and testament. A monument is a place that declares God’s promise was fulfilled to those who dared to trust in Him and follow His ways. 

All too often, even among believers, people live with a life perspective of “the glass half empty.” This perspective sets a precedent of believing for lack or for disappointment. It releases a declaration of lack or disappointment— it delutes faith into a statement of “We’ll see how this turns out.”

One thing that I have committed my life to is this: No matter what my eyes see or my life experiences— HIS FAITHFULNESS IS TRUE AND UNCHANGEABLE. God is not on trial due to the difficult seasons that I go through.

His faithfulness is not on trial because I am facing a trial. He is my defense— not the accused. 

For those with this “glass half full— or half empty” point of view, be aware that the enemy will see the other half of that glass that faith has not filled and use it as unoccupied space to wreak havoc in your life. It’s like putting out a sign that says, “Open Season” to the powers and principalities that seek to devour you. It leaves room for the enemy to fill your cup with accusations against God’s faithfulness and doubts in his goodness.

Faith in God must fill the cup of our lives— leaving no space unoccupied or open to the enemy. True faith is not half hearted or mixed with doubt. But if you have doubts, please know that his Spirit is with you to heal you and to fill you. 

Unbelief and doubt will will cause you to no longer recall the stories of victories in your life but will create a focus on the hardship you faced, on delays, disappointments and what you have perceived as personal failures. And this focus will begin to drain the half filled cup of faith until unbelief becomes the only thing in the cup of your life. 

There have been seasons of my life that surely could have set a precedent of defeat or unbelief. Loss, struggles, grief and even tragedies have had a place in my journey— but my monuments cannot be erected in those places.

I will build my monuments in the places where the Lord brought miraculous victories amid impossible circumstances.

I will tell the stories of how his faithfulness carried me through the wilderness to find the door of hope that leads me into his blessings and benefits. 

I will remember and tell the story of the miraculous adoption of our oldest daughter (MIRACULOUS!), the miraculous conception of our next three children, the miraculous provisions that have come time and time again, the healings in my body and in my heart, deliverances from strongholds…miracles after miracles! 

These miracles and remembrances prophesy into my future and prophesy to my children and children’s children.

I don’t deny or shy aware from the fact that even believers encounter suffering, but my testimony will be in how God carried me through those times and used them for my good. 

If I had build monuments to storms faced or only passed on the stories of hardships then I would have passed on a legacy of disappointment or of living as a victim— I would have prophesied into my future and my children’s future a narrative of defeat and victimization.

If I choose to wear and carry the testimony of “victimization” then people who meet me may have compassion on me but they will only see the face of defeat.

I want them to see the face of my Redeemer.

His victories in my life are the points that I will testify of and are the stories I will recount. And they prophesy to my future and to my children’s future— and to your future.

Mankind has even labeled biblical figures wrongly. Such as how they label the  disciple, Thomas. He has been historically labeled “Doubting Thomas” because he battled with his mind when his resurrected Christ stood before him. 

What we forget to remember about Thomas is that this man was privileged to be counted as one of the twelve who walked with Jesus, lived with Him, ate with Him, witnessed countless miracles and then witnessed His lifeless, crucified body put into a grave. We forget the shock and awe that must have filled the room when the resurrected Christ stood before him— an awe that surpassed human understanding or comprehension. What an honor and privilege to be counted among the few who knew Him, loved Him and were able to touch our risen King. But we merely remember that Thomas battled with doubting his human mind as he witnessed a miracle that was so unprecedented that it caused his mind to question what his eyes were seeing.

We should call him “Honored Thomas” but we’d rather remember him for his frail humanity. He touched the very wounds that were inflicted for our salvation!

If you struggle with doubt or negative thoughts that have led you to unbelief— make a list of God’s blessings and victories in your life— no matter how small. Begin to recount them, retell them and build a spiritual monument of remembrance there. Take inventory of the cup in your life. Is it half full? Fill it with the remembrances of his faithfulness.

Occupy your entire life with faith in God. This will cause an overflow of miraculous victories, unprecedented favor, and amazing stories to pass onto your children and your children’s children. Posture your life for victories and remember that every impossible circumstance before you is merely the stage for a miraculous breakthrough. 

Your cup will “runneth over!” 

Today is the day to flip the script in your life. His faithfulness and miracles are waiting to occupy the cup of your life. And to OVERFLOW! 

“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

---

Sow Into Your Future

Thank you for sowing into this ministry and into your future testimonies.