You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!

Romans 8:18

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us.

Sometimes it is easy to be consumed in your present sufferings that you forget to look forward to your destiny. If you can just make it through the night, Joy has got to come in the morning. One of my favorite movies is the Shawshank Redemption with Morgan Freeman and his friend Andy. Andy goes through insurmountable odds to free himself from a living hell. He is wrongly accused of murder, imprisoned, raped, betrayed, beaten, extorted, used and abused. But he never gives up hope. Morgan Freeman’s Character has given up in his “present suffering” but Andy never stops Hoping. Morgan tells Andy that hope is dangerous but Andy knew what Romans 8:24 said, For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope, for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Andy persevered through his unjust treatment and day in and day out he dug through his wall with a spoon emptying the dust from his pants in the yard. He then crawled 500 yards through raw sewage to get to his freedom. How bad do you want to be free?
We can’t let our present sufferings stop us from our future Glory. Everyday when you struggle tell yourself, “This does not compare with where God is taking me.”

What can we learn from Andy?

1. That which does not kill us makes us stronger. The enemy can throw everything he can at you but when you are purposed by God they can’t kill you. I refuse to die I got too much to live for. My revenge is to live and see my enemy’s face when God takes me where I’m going.

2. Use your gifts to get you out. The bible says your gifts will make room for you and bring you into the presence of great men. It seemed that the warden was using Andy, but Andy was using his gifts to make a way of escape. Everyday you go to work you ought to be using your gifts to get to the next level in spite of who you work for. Get Free!

3. Never give up Hope! Your present sufferings don’t compare to where God is taking you. Get a picture in your mind of where you are going. Put it on your wall. Hang it in your cubicle. Set a goal for your life and don’t stop until you get there.

4. Take your wall out a little at a time. Andy dug through six feet of concrete with a spoon. Time and pressure will even weaken rocks. Whatever is standing between you and your freedom take it out a little at a time. Pay off one bill at a time. After you pay that one off, add your money to snow ball the next one until you are on the other side of debt freedom. Take out that wall.

5. Crawl through other people’s crap if you have to until you get to a place where you don’t have to take no more crap. The race is not given to the swift or to the strong but to those who can make it through a bunch of crap and get to the other side!

6. Start over fresh once you get out and head in a New Direction from the inside out. Andy moved to Mexico and never looked back. He had money, a new identity, and a new start. Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and life more abundantly. "When you are in Jesus you are a new creation, old things have passed and all things have become new.

7. Don’t forget those who helped you out. Andy sent for his friend Morgan an invitation. He didn’t go back for him but he left him an invitation. You never go back to prison to get people but if they are ready for where you are they will come and join you if they are meant to. Many are called but few are chosen.

Dear God, what I’ve been going through does not compare with where you are taking me. Eyes haven’t seen, ears haven’t heard, neither has it entered into the hearts of men what you are about to do for me. These present sufferings almost made me lose focus on my destiny. The devil thought he had me but Jesus came and grabbed me. God you held me close and you didn’t let go! Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come. I’m excited about my future. I’m ready now! Let me get up now and wash this crap off me, I got places to Go!

In Jesus Name!

Amen.