ARTICLES ON PROMOTION

DATE:  27 January 2002
SPEAKER:  Pastor Tayo Adeyemi
TITLE:  Positioning yourself for promotion Part IV
TEXT:  Psalm 75:6,7

In order to reveal our true motives, God supplies the test of time. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8,11a, we see that God in His infinite wisdom has ordained a due season and an appointed time for everything. Time is a tool in God's hands for the accomplishment of His purposes in our lives. People say, "time heals", in reality it is God who heals. He simply uses time to fulfil that purpose.
God desires to promote us and lift us up, but He uses time as a tool to bring it to pass. When a student passes an examination and is promoted to the next level, he is expected to spend some time at that level before taking the next test.

REASONS WHY GOD APPLY THE TEST OF TIME.1. It takes time for our blessings to unfold.In life, some things just have to run their course and take their time. When a child is born, that baby is full of potential. But the baby needs time to grow and actualise his/her potential. Some things cannot be forced to happen quickly.
When a woman is pregnant, she has to wait nine months for her baby to be born, no matter how eager she is to have the baby. If she tries to force the baby to come earlier, she will end up with a miscarriage or a premature baby.
Many times we have aborted God's purpose in our lives because of our lack of patience. At other times we have delivered His promises prematurely, and have then had to sustain them ourselves.
When you sow a seed, it needs time to grow and become a harvest. Mark 4:26-29
Between the promise and the product there is always the process. Habakkuk 2:2,3.
When we fail to wait for the appointed time, we can miss on what God is preparing for us. There are some things in the life that do not depend on how strong or smart or fast we are - they just have to take their time. Ecclesiastes 9:11.
Faith must be coupled with patience. Habakkuk 6:9 -15.
2. It take time to prepare us for our blessingsGod has prepared certain things for you. 1 Corinthians 2:9. He needs to prepare you for those blessings and preparations take time. If God does not prepare you for the blessing, you will not be able to sustain and maintain it. It is usually easier to obtain than to maintain.
In God's economy, He does not measure time in hours, days or years. He measures time in terms of the accomplishment of purpose. There are three common Greek words translated as "time" in the New Testament.
i."CHRONOUS" refers to a space of time or the passage of time. It is from this that we get the words chronometer, chronology etc. This speaks of time as a sequence, i.e. one minute following another. This is the commonest use of the word.

ii."AION" refers to an interval of time or an age. This usually speaks of dispensations of time i.e. hundreds or even thousands of years (e.g. "Age to age you're still the same).

iii."KAIROS" refers to a moment in time, a fixed time, a decisive moment when things are brought to a crisis. The right time, an opportune time, the appointed time or the fullness of time. This is used mostly in relation to God.
God considers time on the basis of when His purpose has been accomplished. He is not particularly bothered about how long or how short the amount of time that passes.
In preparing Moses for his role as deliverer of God's people, God sent him into the wilderness. Moses spent as much time in the wilderness as it took him to be ready. He could just as well have come out after 10 years. (See Genesis 15:13 and Exodus 12:40). God often uses the wilderness to prepare us for our promise.
Deuteronomy 8:1,2, 11-16.Your response to the wilderness will determine how long you stay there.
The children of Israel were only meant to spend a few days in the wilderness, but their journey was prolonged for forty years because of their negative attitude.
There were three attitudes that delayed the Israelites in the wilderness. Numbers 14:1-4
i.They complained - verse 2It didn't matter how much God had done for them, all they saw was what they didn't have. They blamed everybody for their predicament. It is important to maintain an attitude of gratitude in all circumstances. Look around you, there plenty to be thankful for. 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

ii.They were in unbelief - verse 2b, 3, Hebrews 3:16-19Regardless of what you are going through, keep your faith's switch turned on. Keep your eyes on what God spoke to you in the past. Hebrews 10:35

iii.They looked back - verse 3b, 4Many times, we miss out on today's possibilities because we are reflecting on the "good old days". Life has no rewind button. To keep replaying yesterday is to lose today. To keep looking back is like driving with your eyes fixed on the rear view mirror - you won't make much progress. Ecclesiastes 7:10
The most important thing to do, while God is preparing you, is to actually allow yourself to be prepared.
3. Time reveals the true nature of our heartsTime reveals the true nature and quality of everything. A bar of gold and a banana will not survive the same period of time. Milk gets bitter with time, wine gets better with time. Some people are "milk" people and others are "wine" people.
Our stamina, our strength, our full potential is revealed in the test of time.
Lesser quality clothes get worn out quicker.
Lesser quality paint fades quicker.
Lesser quality jewellery falls apart quicker.
Higher quality appliances last longer.
When you go to a doctor for a heart check up, he hooks your heart up to a monitor and puts you on a treadmill. The first few minutes are usually okay for everyone but with time a person with a weaker heart begins to show signs of strain.
The only way to determine how strong your heart, your character is; is to put it under pressure and watch how it performs.
Does it seem like God's promises are delayed in your life?
You may be taking the test of time.
Don't give up, your reward is on the way. Galatians 6:9.

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