Don't Despise Small Beginnings

🎵Outro Music Plays🎵 Hello Victorious Living family! I'm Christy Everton-Johnson. I am your host of More Victorious Living and I am out on an early morning walk with the doggies and sweating. What do we say in the South? Sweating like a pig! So it is hot out. It's very humid and I am out, like I said, walking and I really noticed something, a good great lesson that I wanted to share with you all. So we are coming from Lake Christy, which is the property that my dad purchased and built this lake so I could train as a professional water skier when I was 11 years old. This lake started as trees just like that and there was a field. There was a ravine. It was full like a forest just like that and you get a bulldozer, well first you have a plan, then you get bulldozers and you start knocking things down and you start cleaning things up and you start digging things out and and so it was a process and within a year or so, I think it might have been less than a year, we had a lake to ski on. But then my dad's looking at the property around the lake and it was just fields. It was barren fields and he had a vision of what it could look like. All the trees that could be there, all the beautiful grass and every year for 40 some years he has added to that property and so I've shown many videos of the property. Well actually you can see part of it here. Look at that gorgeous Bermuda grass. There's hundreds of acres of that Bermuda grass. People stop here thinking it's a park. It's not. And because he planted that grass, he has a whole crew that tends to that grass and he has planted trees. Look, I was looking at these. You see that one pine tree? Now look. I don't know if you can see. There's a whole straight line of pine trees that my daddy planted 40 some years ago. They're in a line and they were purposely, purposely put there. Now over here, this a year ago was all the trees like that and they started selling off the timber and right now it's um they've cleaned it up. It's taken years, years, but eventually they'll put a little pond in there and and we don't know what what's gonna happen back here. We don't exactly have that vision yet, but little by little it's starting to take shape and my point is we stand at a line right here, okay? We stand in a line

of these trees. You got this side that's undeveloped property. This side that is just the backside of gorgeous property and this over here has taken time. Like I said, 40 some years. It's taken tender, loving care. A little TLC. Every day by four or five guys that have worked this property, they start in the morning, they start at night and they're like family to us and it is beautiful because it's tended to. Because it was purposeful work that was done and a lot of times we're over here with, now we're switching over to our life, we're over here and we're like, you know, I don't want this anymore. I want this and we want it to happen right then, right there, without the work and I hate to tell you, but it doesn't just happen. Now I will tell you this. I know that God can accelerate processes. We see that with his first miracle. I was writing on that yesterday. His first miracle was turning water to wine. That wine was the best wine too. We know that because when the wine taster, the host of the wedding tasted it, he's like, oh my goodness, this is the best. You have saved the best for last and that's what God can do. He can take an ordinary thing like water, which is not very ordinary because it gives us life, but he can take water and he can all of a sudden, a process that would have taken decades to have that kind of fine, It took seconds, in a moment, with the Word from God. And so please know this, some things in your life are going to be like this. You're going to have to cut down the trees. You're going to have to buy the field, cut down the trees. You're going to have to get the bulldozers, and in your life, it's going to get messy, and it's going to get piled up, and then you're going to have to clean it out. And it's all a process. And then there's going to be moments where all of a sudden something springs up in your life, something takes shape quicker than you ever could have imagined, because God knew you were ready for it. God knew that you could handle it. God knew that it was the time for it. I've seen that with, there goes Asher, I've seen that with our ministry.

There are things in our ministry, God accelerated so fast that I'm like, okay, and I had someone recently say, this ministry, we're like 10 or 11 years old, it's like a ministry that's been in operation for about 40 years, like where it's grown to and all that, I can't take credit for that. That was an acceleration process by God. But so many other things in my life, like I think about my water skiing. I water skied for the first time in 1974, I became a skier. I began competing 1975, five years old, started competing. And I was entering, like I said, tournaments and winning at five years old in my age group. But that didn't make me a world champion. That didn't get me to the top of the world podium, that took 25 years of continuing to have vision to continue to, as we're staying with this analogy here in this field, digging away at my life or moving things and, and I'm planning things and it took years and years. And in that process, there was a lot of sweat and tears. There was a lot of crying and portalets, let me tell you, because I wasn't, I was taught not to cry in public. So yeah, we just, I wanted to share this with you and let you see that it is going to take time. It's going to take intentional activity on your part. You can't just wake up one day. And like I said, God might do it in some areas, but usually it's a process. And here's what God says in his word. He says, sorry, I'm losing my lighting. He says, do not despise the days of small beginnings because the Lord rejoices to see the plumb line in your hands. And I'm sorry, shame on me. I should know where that is. It's old testaments near the back. I know that much, but it's God led me to that verse when I was doing some planning and,

and working on the revival of hope. And I was so exhausted and the Lord just led me to that verse. I thought I was going to sneeze. Sorry. Hold on. I'm so sorry. Anyway, the Lord led me to that first. Usually they come in about threes. Let's see what happens. Led me to that verse. And he's like, Christi, read this. The Lord do not despise the days of small beginnings. Maybe some of you are in the days of small beginnings right now. You're, you're working at your life. You're working on your family. You're making choices. You're taking that first step. It says that God rejoices to see the plumb line in your hand. The plumb line was like a measuring tool and it was what was being used to lay out the foundation and to, to start the process. And God's saying, I rejoice in seeing you start. I rejoice in seeing you take a step. I rejoice every day being in a part of this journey with you. And as you walk, God is saying, as you walk, I'm going to make your ground steady and I'm going to direct your footsteps as you trust on me. And that's what God does. Sometimes it will be overnight. I know there's people I've talked to who said, man, I gave my life to the Lord and I stood up. I couldn't cuss anymore.

I couldn't even say the word or the, the taste and the desire for alcohol or, or, you know, different substances. It was completely taken from me. But now I've heard of other people who have had to walk a journey of every single day fighting that battle. But you know what, whichever it is, God is in that process and God is helping that person and teaching that person how to rely on him. So there's really. I can't tell you what you'll be, but here's what I know is that His ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We can't always understand the way God does it, but we can always trust His heart. And in the meantime, every single day, we have to wake up and we got to put our hands to the plow, as the word says, and not look back. You know, that doesn't mean just leave everything in your past behind and never think about anybody. That's not, that's not it. It's saying don't, don't look back on regret. Don't look back and try to, because you look back, it says in Hebrews, and you go back. So put your hand to the plow. Remember where you want to go. Remember the vision of what you you're shooting for. You're going for the lush green. You're going for the fruitfulness of this side, but it's going to start with that side. It's going to start with work and plans and getting up every day when you don't feel like it. You guys, I've been doing a writing in our magazine and get, get copies of our magazine, but it's how to be a champion. And you know, it talks about all the things you have to do every morning. It's first of all, getting out of bed when you don't feel like it.

It's putting your hand, if you're a farmer to the plow, if you're an athlete is getting to the field. It was getting to the dock, but half the battles getting out of bed, none of this beautiful green in your life is going to happen unless you're willing to get up and move forward with God. And just know as you get up and as you press forward, he's rejoicing over you. He's rejoicing to see the plumb line in your hand. He's not saying, why, why are you behind? That's not what he's saying. He says, come on, baby, let's go. Let's go. And if he needs you to catch up, it'll just accelerate the process. Otherwise, just know you're right where you're supposed to be. If you're walking in obedience to him, if you're diving in his word, if you're listening and you're living your life, according to the word, you're right where you're supposed to be. If he's ready for you to accelerate or to get there and to put you in those positions that you've been waiting for, he's going to do it. Our job is to make sure that we've started the work, we're continuing the work, that we're not growing weary in the work as it says in Hebrews. And because if we don't grow weary and faint, we don't give up, we don't let, let go of those things. I talked to a believer last night through text and he was about, he's like, I've just, I've had the worst month and I just want to cry and I just, I don't know what to do. I just want to give up. There is no choice of giving up. You got to keep going. You got to keep going. God's got you. I feel like I'm talking to somebody right now.

God has got you. He sees you. He knows that you've been trying. He knows that you're crying out to him and you're desiring better things and a better life and he's hearing you and he's with you in this process and he says, my son and my daughter, you are not alone. I see you, I see you, I see you, I know you by name. Just keep getting up, keep trusting in me, keep taking that next right step. He's guiding your footsteps. Listen, you will hear to the left, to the right, this is the way, go walk in it. And guess what? He's already ahead of you. Plow in the fields. He's behind you, guarding you. He's walking beside you, upholding you with his righteous right hand. That's what he's doing. And he will not leave you and forsake you like the rest of the world does. God is for you. And if God is for you, it says in Romans, who can be against you? So I hope you've enjoyed this this morning. Um, yeah, it's just a visual. Let me, let me show you if you keep going, what's going to happen. You're going to, let's get past the doggies here. You're going to come into green pastures. God is leading you into green pastures and he's going to give you rest there. Just like Psalms 23 says, Ooh, I've been doing a study on Psalms 23 and I can't wait to bring that to you guys. All right, let's, let's get over here. We're getting ready to cross the line into the promised land. Let's see.

We're in the desert. We're in the desert. Think about all the Israelites that were in the desert. the desert and they wanted to get to the green but they had to keep walking they had to keep trusting they had to quit grumbling and complaining and think about Moses who was right on the edge and he couldn't enter in and the bible says in hebrews that there is a rest this this this promised land that every single one of us has been promised and a rest and and we can enter into it but sometimes you got to walk through that to get to here and then when you get there you got to step into it and then let me tell you what happens over here there's a lot of tending if this thing was left for two or three days unattended there's going to be weeds there's going to be like you can see right here this is just where a spot's been missed right here with weed control um spray and so yeah it's um it takes a lot of work takes a lot of work people i know come on this property sometimes and they're like oh we wish this was ours and yeah it's amazing and i never take it for granted but since i've been out here more and more since covid um you know when you're a little girl and you're out there just training on this lake my whole mind set was on being a champion water skier but now that i'm here and i'm older and i'm not skiing anymore and i'm looking at all of this and i'm watching 10 hours a day of this being tended and i'm like there's so much work that goes into this and that's the thing are you willing to do the work because just because you have it now you have to tend to it and you've got to be a part of a team to tend to it you have to be patient there's irrigation systems that come up every night and there's people trimming trees and it is it's beautiful and it's desirable and i love it and i get to enjoy it but i'm telling you it takes a lot of work and my goal when i walk is if i see something that's out of place a piece of a cap from a from a cup or something from a water bottle i stop and pick it up to continue to keep this place beautiful and that's what you're gonna have to do in your life you're gonna have to start the process you're gonna have to take steps every single day eventually your life's gonna be more green and then you're gonna have to tend to it keep people off of it from trampling it and people like these dogs will come and and uh leave some remains and you've got to pick it up um so anyway that's that well here's here's the lake and um anyway i hope that you've enjoyed this illustration this morning god bless you and um i'm sorry i've been looking so bad it's so hot

but i take these early morning walks and hey why get ready for the trees right and um sometimes i feel just inspired to come on so here i is i uh love you guys love you ladies appreciate so much that you watch our program and um if there's anything that our ministry can do for you please don't hesitate to write to us at the end of this program you're going to see some slides write to us um we want to be there for you on this journey and you can write in english or spanish um also please tell your chaplain um if you don't get the victorious living magazine please have your chaplain go on our website v-l-m-i-n.org have them order copies of our magazine um have them request an event uh we that's our my heartbeat right there is to be able to go and to um meet our victorious living family personally that's the heartbeat of sheridan all of our team pat and randy um so anyway well god bless you father i pray right now for my brother and my sister i pray in the mighty name of jesus that you guide them and direct them father may we not despise the days of small beginnings may we pick up that plum line May we start the work and God it says you rejoice when you see us at work. And so Father I thank you. I thank you that you love us. I thank you that you have died for us. I thank you that you are with us every step of the way. Thank you God that you have a plan for our life. You have a purpose for our life and there's not one of us, not one person that's watching who has forfeited that plan. You are a God that says the minute we pick that plum line up, the minute we pick up that desire and that start taking those steps, you just join us. You're right there with us to help us and God you can accelerate the process, but God we don't ever want you to accelerate it past what we're ready for and we thank you for your delays sometimes because you know God if you don't, you know, if you rushed the process we'd not learn the lessons and we wouldn't be ready for what's to come. So Father we thank you. We love you. In Jesus name, Amen. All right.

God bless you and remember whatever you're going through, it's not over. There's always hope and hope's name is Jesus. God bless. Thank you for watching our broadcast. Are you an incarcerated brother or sister who needs encouragement? Write to us at Victorious Living Correspondents, PO Box 2751, Greenville, North Carolina 27836 or email us at hope at vlmag.org. To view Victorious Living magazine in its entirety, please have your chaplain contact us at 352-478-2098 or email us through our website at vlmag.org. We are happy to provide our Victorious Living magazine free of charge, in bulk, with or without staples.