“He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” Matthew 10:41-42 KJV
As I was in prayer this morning I was thinking about the prophetic words that I had been given over my Christian walk. Some I have copies of, some I have brief notes of what I could remember, and some are just a brief memory of something spoken a very long time ago.
During my recent move I came upon the front pages of my very first Bible, the one that disintegrated after a few years from being read and read and read and only having a paper cover with a glued binding. I thought I had kept the entire Bible, but I only found the front pages. The treasures of those years were encapsulated there; the date I dedicated my life to following Christ, the date I was baptized, the date I received the Holy Spirit, and four notes about prophetic words that I had been given during that period of time. What a precious gift of a time far past and quite faded in my memory.
I transferred the information into my big study Bible – the one with all the underlining, notes in the margins, sticky notes peeking out of the pages, the 10 book marks of special passages, the folded prayers stuffed between, and the pictures of my kids with prayers written on the back. Yes, that Bible. We all have one of those. That one thing that we always know where it is, just in case of a fire, because that will always be the one thing to surely to go out the door.
As I was talking to the Lord this morning I was pondering those old prophetic messages and the subject they discussed that I haven’t continued with over the last 10+ years. I wondered whether I had lost the chance for those words, spoken 30 years ago, to every possibly come to be now. Had I lost my chance with the passage of time. Had I lost my chance with tarnished skills? Had I let God down by not heeding what He had encouraged? Then Hebrews 4:12 came to me:
”For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 KJV
I asked God if the Prophetic Word was only for a season, or if I was truly receiving His word and His thoughts with the full intent of my heart, would it for a lifetime? For my lifetime? Or is it only for specific settings, for instance the setting it was given in, or does it adjust itself to whatever setting God has sent me into? I know that the words of the Prophet are given to them then the Holy Spirit fills their mouths with the words meant for the receiver. I know that the words of God are never null and void, but will accomplish the task given, IF the receiver will step forward in faith.
“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11 KJV
It came to me that God’s Word, spoken by the prophets, are Living Words, intended to come into fruition. As long as the receiver will continue to believe those words spoken over them – they will remain alive. I am so thankful that we have a God who cares about us so deeply that He never tires of us asking and questioning and wanting to know the full truth of all that He has for us – if we will only ask.
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3 KJV
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Written 12-8-2021
Linda J. Humes 