Adjusting the the Seasons of God - Part V
The Proper Response to Adjustment
by Dr. John Tetsola

Last month we saw that God deals with us cyclically and His days begin at night. The evening and the morning were the first day. God takes away to establish. First death, then life. The darkness and the taking away, whether it is defeat or failure, is just the initiating stage so that He may establish something better.

"Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer."

Psalm 4:1

God allows dealings to come across our path to bring adjustments in our lives. These dealings are the nails that hold us to the cross so that others can see Jesus. In the Old Testament, Moab was God's wash tub and wash brush. He washed Israel with Moab. We all have our "Moabs." Sometimes it is a deacon board, an elder board, a musician, a stubborn secretary, or even a brother in the church. In every one of our lives and churches, God has one of these people ordained for His purposes. Only by revelation do we perceive the hand of God in our nights bringing a new day into being. When night comes we often cringe, run, and complain, but despite all of this, the night still comes. You cannot run from it.

What Happens When You Refuse the Father's Sentence?

Once a thing or a project is born of God and we refuse to let it die by His adjustment, a number of things happen. First, the thing takes a life of its own. It starts taking over and controlling you, instead of you controlling it. It begins to degenerate and you begin to lose the favor of God in that area. It starts moving into a state of decay instead of metamorphosis. Secondly, if you refuse to hear and comprehend the Father's sentence of death, then you will have to do spiritual CPR to the call, the career, the conference or the ministry. You will have to "might" things to keep them alive because it is no longer the strength and life of God that keeps it. Now you have to create your own ideas to keep it alive. Finally, before the Father's sentence of death, you were hearing God. You were discerning His will and you walked in His anointing. There was life and direction. But after you refused the adjustment of God through the Father's sentence of death, you stopped hearing the Father and you began going your own way.

Reasons We Refuse to Submit to Divine Adjustment

The first reason we refuse to submit to divine adjustment is the preservation of our reputation. What will people say? If we let this thing go, people will think we are flopping. So we try to go on with it even when we know that the Father's sentence of death has been pronounced over it. The second reason is the preservation of our comfort level. Finances, benefits, and security are a big deal. Whenever God sentences certain things to death in our lives the first thing we are concerned about is "Can we afford it?" "How are we going to take care of ourselves?" "What about the mortgage payments, the car note?" "How will I maintain my luxurious lifestyle?" These are some of the things that bother and prevent us from letting go of the very things that God has killed. Still another reason is the loss of control. Because we often like to be in charge of our lives, when the sentence comes, we panic over the need to release control.

The fourth reason is the fear of man-the concern of the press, the media, the opinions of the people and members of the church. Sometimes friends can be your worst problem when God says to let it die. When I say "let it die," I am not speaking about something that is not working. I am talking about something that is already working and prospering, something that is anointed and has life in it. If you are not careful and discerning, the fear of men and what they would say will prevent you from embracing the adjustments of God in your life.

Another reason is the confusion and uncertainty as to the voice. "Was it God, me, or was it the devil?" All of a sudden, we have problems hearing the voice of God. We can hear Him for every other thing and for everybody, but we become confused and uncertain when He speaks His sentence of death in certain lucrative and successful areas of our lives. The sixth reason is the fear of repeating past painful lessons. Maybe you tried to embrace it once before and you failed and made mistakes. Now you are genuinely feeling the need for adjustment, yet you're afraid that you might repeat the same old pattern. If you have this problem, the best way to respond is to move by faith believing that God will take care of you. Finally, we fail to embrace the Father's sentence of death because of the spirit of bargaining. The Lord may reveal that He wants you to embrace His death sentence over a particular area of ministry, or career, and everything in you wants to make a deal. You will be the best game show host in town. You may say, "I'll tell You what, Lord, if You do this for me, I will do this for You." But only by revelation do we perceive and embrace the hand of God in our night bringing a new day into being.
 

 
by Dr. John A. Tetsola