Copyright 2010 Theresa Harvard Johnson
Just when you think the storm is over, it seems as if an even greater one is on the horizon. By storm, I am referring to the trials of life of which we have no control — specifically storms that we didn’t create. God controls the weather and when tsunamis and hurricanes hit, we must take our position and stand with Him until they pass, the winds cease and the water recedes. Well, I’m in the waiting-’til-it-blows-over stage. I realize Father is perfecting my patience, my temperance and teaching me more about long suffering.
I was sitting here this afternoon working on administrative items, when I stopped and asked the Lord, “What is causing this storm?” He said this to me, “Beloved, there are thieves in the temple… and their pillage of Holy ground has caused a rift in the atmosphere and a storm has risen.”
In His Word, Father took me to the story of Bathsheba and King David. He showed me how Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah fell prey to a storm He didn’t create. Uriah was a loyal man serving in the army of a King — who became jealous of him and wanted his wife. Unknown to Uriah, he lost his life because of a man’s jealousy, spirit of competition, greed and thievery. Those spirits were Uriah’s “thieves” and they thrust him into the midst of a STORM he didn’t create.
Father walked me through the conception of Jesus and his incubation in Mary’s womb. He reminded me of how much Mary suffered during those months as the story of Christ’s miraculous conception flooded the land. I was reminded of how some people may have believed she’d been with another man. I was reminded of how some may have labeled Joseph as foolish. I was reminded of how the baby in Mary’s womb was hunted even before birth and about how SHE DIDN’T CAUSE THIS STORM. You see, this storm was the result of a jealous King’s fear and a spirit of competition. It was the result of his feelings inferiority, superiority and inadequacy. These spirit’s were also thieves and Mary found herself in the midst of a STORM she didn’t create.
Father showed me the heart of his beloved queen, Esther. He walked me through her life and the circumstances that led her into the path of her destiny and the destiny of a nation. Esther didn’t know she would be queen. She had no idea that her life would have such great influence or that one decision to fast and pray would transform generations. She also didn’t know that her obedience would lead to an assassination attempt by Haman. What I want you to see is that Esther found herself in the midst of a storm she didn’t create because of one man’s jealousy, feelings superiority, inadequecy and greed. Even Esther, was in the midst of a STORM she didn’t create.
I could go on and on but…
Saints of the most high, we walk among people every day who hate us for no reason. They curse us because of the move of God on our lives. They curse us because of the message in our bellies. They sit back in jealousy, competition, envy, greed, etc. They secretly revile you and plot your demise in their hearts. Some even want what you have — whether you believe you have anything or not. Remember Joseph? Remember Mary? Remember Esther? Remember Uriah and others?
The Lord is saying to me and to you today: “Throw the thieves out of the temple. Identify them in the spirit realm and declare that the storm will cease…”
Matthew 21:12,13 says, “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
People of God, when we walk IN Christ Jesus we walk in authority. People despise you because of who you represent — not because you’re special. The most humbling reality we can ever come to is knowing WE ARE NOTHING outside of Jesus Christ. There are people in your midst who do not want to take the time to get to know your spirit, your heart for God. They want to watch, observe and then tear you down. They would rather stand in a place of accusation, resentment, competition, comparison and secret jealousy than allow the Lord to deal with the condition of their own hearts.
As a result, we must RISE from that place of “trying to figure out what’s going on” into a place of loving God so much that we are consumed by Him and Him alone — not the storm. We must push ourselves to learn about godly forgiveness, embrace it and WALK IT OUT. We must learn to love like he loves in spite of what people do. I’m telling you, there are THIEVES in the temple…
Yet, we must be willing to PRESS INTO PRAYER while in the very midst of the thieves — and evict them. Don’t you know you are a target? Did not the Lord say to the Apostle Peter, “Satan desires to sift you as wheat?” Did He not say that he was PRAYING that Peter’s faith would not fail? People of God, that’s an indicator that we to must pray that we can withstand this storm through prayer by, in and through faith.
Uriah was ill-prepared for his storm! Mary and Esther WERE INTERCESSORS! They were so attentive to the Father’s voice, and so fixed on his instructions that they were able to divert every plan of hell that came their way. So today, if you find yourself in the midst of a storm that YOU DID NOT CREATE know that Father is calling you into a greater place of hearing His voice, a greater place of obeying His voice and a greater place of PRAYER.
When we rend our hearts to Father in purity and in truth, we gain power in Him to overcome any obstacle that comes your way — even that of people who seek to steal your very ministry from under your feet or who seek to kill you with their words. Whatever it may be that you are going through right now, your road to victory lies in the secret place — hiding and abiding in him.
What Father showed me today in this was that I needed to FOCUS ON HIM like never before. I didn’t need to try to figure out who was “doing the deed” — because he already knows. I didn’t need to figure out what satan was doing, but to see what Heaven’s strategy is in this situation. Father was simply saying, “FOCUS ON ME!” He wants us to be so sensitive in the spirit that we counter the enemy before he even comes.
In the spirit, I told the thieves they’ve been found out! I declared to the Heavens and in the earth that the work of their hands would not prosper! I prayed that the very plot that had been set out against me would return a reward like the one Haman received. I declared that JESUS CHRIST CONTINUES to be my deliverer.
Saint’s watch out for thieves. There are people who will walk right through the doors of your ministry, your home, your hospitality… with John 10:10 intentions. If you are not resting in God through intercession and prayer, you can look up one day and find thieves in the temple. Father wants us prepared, and as much as we like having others pray for us… there’s nothing like being your own intercessor.
Mark 10:19 You know the commandments; do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honour your father and mother.
John 14:21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by the Father, and I too will love him and show myself and show myself to him.
