Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Spiritual Pregnancy

The process of having a baby has got to be the most amazing journey that someone can take.  My wife and I have only 2 months until things become completely different from what we now know and every step of the way I can't help but be reminded of how spiritual pregnancy is much the same.  It is so unbelievable to think that my baby is not even born and yet God has found things to teach me through this little one.

I never quite understood at times what was going on in the Spirit, in regards to our personal life, until we found out we were pregnant.  All of a sudden some things started to make more sense, we were spiritually pregnant.  If you have never been expecting a baby before then let me fill you in on some of the journey we have been on that has made some sense of our spiritual journey.

As excited as you are to meet your baby, you still have to wait 9 months.  When we dream with God and He reveals things to us it is so exciting that we feel we can jump to the moon.  That feeling of excitement is good and ok to feel but it is also important to understand that what God showed you might not happen right away.  Just like a baby in the womb those 9 months are so so so important because in those 9 months that baby develops from the size of a poppy seed to the size of a watermelon.  And you can't rush it.  You have to wait.  This leads me into the next stage that follows the initial excitement.

After finding out you are having a baby you expect things to totally change over night and for the outward manifestations to match the joy inside.  I thought that I would literally watch my wife's belly grow as I stared at it.  But guess what?  No matter how hard I stared I didn't see it grow.  At times it felt as though nothing was even happening.  It was a faith season.  You will find that following a season of great revelation over the future and destiny there comes a season of faith.  You may not see the belly growing yet but you believe that there is a baby in there.  The faith season is such an important season because you are going totally on what was told to you.  

John 20:29 'Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, do you now believe (trust, have faith)? Blessed and happy and [a]to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believedand adhered to and trusted and relied on Me.'

One of the craziest moments for me was when I first heard my baby's heartbeat.  There is nothing that can describe that feeling.  I was overjoyed and excited.  And while I listened something really funny came into my head, 'There really is a baby in there'.  I had the same thing happen to me at our ultrasound.  Coming out of the faith season you begin to see what was always and already is real begin to manifest to your senses.  Its a lot like a movie trailer, a preview/glimpse of what is coming soon.  When what we have been believing for begins to manifest itself to our senses it creates an atmosphere of excitement for the fullness of it to come forth.  Its a lot like the children of Israel being promised the promise land, then walking through years of the dessert, then finally seeing it, then possessing it.  

When you've gotten this point in the pregnancy you get almost nervous because the baby is coming so soon and you have to get things ready for the arrival.  This is the next step.  We must begin to prepare everything for the arrival of the baby.  For the arrival of the promise.  Much like John The Baptist came to prepare the way for Jesus there are certain things that need to be done before the birth of the spiritual promise, personally in your own life as well as practical.  When that baby comes they need a place to 'lay their head', they need clothes, food, blankets and the list goes on.  And when that promise comes forth you need to guard it and take care of it.  Joseph and Mary were entrusted with this responsibility of carrying Jesus in the womb, preparing a place and raising Him.  In the same way you are entrusted to carry this spiritual baby and to see to it that it is carried to full term and protected. 

As we near the final stages in the natural we do so with arms wide open ready to receive the gift that is promised.  Each step of the way is a glimpse into something beautiful and breath taking.  We take each step with care so that we miss not one thing.  May you enjoy not just the birth of the promise but the process that it takes to get there. 

Blessings!