When Jonah found himself in the belly of a whale, he was forced to seek God with a sincerity he hadn’t shown before. Jonah’s initial disobedience, believing he knew better than God, led him to a place of desperation. Swallowed by a great fish, Jonah prayed from the depths, and the Lord delivered him. The story of Jonah is a vivid reminder of how circumstances can push us to seek God earnestly when we realize He is the only one who can help us.
Dad Hagin often taught that obedience to God doesn’t cost us but rather pays us in ways we may not immediately see. He said, “It may look like, at the moment, that it costs us. It may not be easy on the flesh and payday don’t always come every week, month or year but sooner or later payday will come and the blessings of God will abound!” He often told the story of when Pastor Hagin was in the army, long before he was Pastor Hagin. One day, while riding a motorcycle on a gravel road, Pastor Hagin nearly went over a cliff to certain death. Dad Hagin had prayed, and the Lord said to him, “If you had not been obedient to what I told you to do it would have been bad. Because you have obeyed me, I have protected his life.” Our obedience to God is part of what blocks the enemy from working in our life.
I found myself turning to the Lord during my third escape from prison. After years of being a criminal, the weight of heartache, depression, and pain became too much to bear. In May of 1982, I broke down, weeping and crying out to God in repentance. I had reached the end of my road, with no one and nothing else to turn to. It was in this moment of desperation that I was forced to seek God, realizing that my own strength and resources were insufficient.
When I asked the Lord for help, I wasn’t met with condemnation but with grace. The love and grace that flooded my spirit in that moment lifted the burden of sin, drove out demonic oppression, and opened my eyes to spiritual truth. God has profound mercy and is always ready to respond with love when we finally turn to Him in our darkest hour.
This generation has never been forced to seek God like many other generations, but that day has come upon us. We have been allowed to come to the end of our own Biblical philosophies, fleshly human ideals, and our confidence in our own ability to save ourselves. Yes, times may not appear as dark as they once were, but we are still in a time where we must seek God. Seek the Lord now. And seek Him with all your heart. Deuteronomy 4:29 says, “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
What are your plans, decisions and choices? Will you continue to try without the Lord’s full input into your life or will you turn to Him? Don’t wait until you are forced to seek the Lord. It is much easier just to get on your knees and tell Him that you would like His help in every area of your life! Spending time in His presence will be so very sweet and you will find the solution to every question that you have in your life.
