What ever happened to patience? What ever happened to standing in faith?

We think God should do it right now! the first time we pray about it! But what God has to give is worth the wait.

We are so spoiled that we don't want to wait for anything - and we think we shouldn't have to wait on God for anything, either.

Do you realize that if God did everything at the snap of our fingers, we'd be jellyfish! Many times it's when we have to wait that God does the most precious work in our hearts and in our lives.

God's way is always to bring us to the end of ourselves. Isn't that a hard place to come to?

The Bible says that in us dwells no good thing. If there's any goodness in us it's only because Jesus Christ has come to live within. Take Jesus out of our lives, and I don't care how nice a people we are, we are not good.

Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing,
and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
and we all do fade as a leaf;
and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

The truth will set you free - but first it will make you miserable! That was the saying on a poster of someone going through a wringer.

Is God making you miserable? You may wonder what He is doing to you.

Let me tell you something. If God has something for you, if He has a plan and a purpose for your life - He will bring you to that. But, first, He will bring you to the end of yourself.

Yes, first, He will bring you to the end of yourself! to the point where you're so backed into the corner that there's absolutely nothing you can do to get yourself out.

You know what makes it so hard sometimes? We like to be too much in control.

Listen, Jesus wants to be Lord of ALL. He wants us to be completely under His Lordship, to where He is in complete control of our hearts and of our lives.

And if we are in the place where we have to be in control, it hinders God's work in our lives.

I have faced situations where I was so backed into the corner that there was just no way out.

And I appreciate every time God allows me to get into such a place - because it brings a greater death to me. And the greater the death to me, the more that Jesus Christ is going to be glorified in my heart and life.

And if He isn't glorified in my heart and life, then I'm wasting my time. I want Jesus to be lifted up and exalted. I want Jesus to be glorified.

I don't want people to say, Look at Judy! No! Look at Jesus!! Look what Jesus has done! Look at how God is moving!

At times God allows us to go through things where it seems like we're going through the wringer over and over and over again because He's at work to bring us down, to bring us low.

Listen, it's not God's intent to beat people down - but sometimes He's got to let us come down before He can bring us up.

My husband had a vision of the church going down, down, down - as far down as you could see. And the Lord spoke to him, and said, I'm going to work to bring this church way down - so low that I can bring it up. And when I bring it up, I'll be exalted.

And, you know, God has done just that! He has brought us down low, very low. He's let us come way down - and it's ok. It's good for us.

If God says He's going to do it, we need it - so that when He brings the church up, then Christ will be exalted and glorified.

Isn't that what we want in our hearts and lives? Our whole aim and our whole purpose in life should be to glorify Jesus Christ. Everything we say, everything we do, should glorify the Lord.

He should be the only one getting the glory. When we ask Him to grant signs and wonders and miracles - think about what's being asked.

What a tremendous thing to ask of God - and God wants to bring just that.

But God doesn't just throw these things out lightly. When you think about the power and anointing of God, really moving and working to bring revival - that's Almighty God doing it!

It's hard to comprehend. I look and say, God, bring us down so you can do these things.

Because, you see, if there's anything of us in the way, He's not going to get all the glory. And, if He doesn't get all the glory - He won't do it!

He deserves all the glory. He should be the only one getting any glory for these things.

Oh, for God to bring us to the end of ourselves. Oh, for God to bring us to where we're humble before Him.

That takes time. It takes time for God to humble us. It takes time for Him to work in our hearts and our lives.

God will not lift us up one moment sooner than we are ready. He won't come along and say, I understand you have pride in your heart. I understand you have that tendency to want to take credit, that tendency to want to be seen and noticed. I understand that.

It's ok, My child, I'll bestow the gift of miracles on you, anyhow.

But God says, No, I can't do that! I can't do that. If I do that, I'll destroy you. If I do that, you'll come to the end and be destroyed.

Come down low.

It's a beautiful thing if we allow the Lord to work in our hearts and lives. It is a beautiful thing to really go through a humbling process. What a realization when we just come to the place where we wake up and realize we really are nothing.

So many times people think if they have an education then that means they're going to be something for God.

Listen, Peter and the other apostles were ignorant and unlearned men. Education doesn't mean a blessed thing. You may be able to speak really well - but that doesn't mean anything. God isn't impressed by how well you can speak.

What impresses God is a heart filled with humility. That's what truly impresses God. That's what means the most to Him. That's what He looks at and focuses in on.

God doesn't look for ability - but for availability.

It's so easy to feel we have so much to offer God. But, you know what? we don't! Sometimes that hurts people's feelings when you say that.

God is not impressed by anything we feel that we have. Sometimes it takes a long time to be in the place where He can use us because He has to go through a process of humbling us. Until that is accomplished, He cannot bring to pass that which He has for you.

Oh, for everyone to come to the realization that they're nothing. They have nothing to offer God.

They may have a great personality - but if they're not humble nothing is accomplished, because they lack the anointing.

It might be a good message, but it doesn't accomplish anything for the soul without the anointing of God.

The preaching of the Word should be that we step out of the way, and the Holy Ghost steps in. Then, all of a sudden, the attention is turned - and people are hearing from God.

They walk away from church and know that God has spoken to them, that God has spoken to their hearts and done something for them.

So the things we face and the things we go through are the things God uses to bring us down, down, down.

God has worked in my own life in this way

Oh, what God has done in my heart and life through the things which I have suffered in my body! I was in that place where there was nowhere to turn to but to the Lord. I realized how helpless I really am without Him.

Does it bother you to think of being helpless without God? We live in a society where people like to be self-sufficient. And they are that way for many different reasons.

It may be that they grew up with hurts in their lives, and as a way to deal with it they adopt an attitude: I don't need anybody! I can make it on my own! I can do it on my own!

Some just have a personality where they like to be in control. That's a hard one to let go of. They get saved and still want to be in control, still want to be self-sufficient. It frustrates them when they can't help God do His work.

Isn't it funny how we often think God needs our help? Know that our help is only a hindrance. God doesn't need any help from us.

I was always a pretty independent person. When I was really little - 2 years old or less - I could dress myself. I didn't need any help.

I'm the type of person where I don't like people to do things for me. If I can do it, I like to do it myself.

But when I got so sick I had to depend on others to do almost everything for me: bathe me, feed me, dress me.

Do you know what that did to my independence? It was like someone shot it down with a machine-gun. That was hard for me.

But, you know what, I'm glad God let that happen.

You see, I don't need to be independent in that sense. God didn't want me to be that way. His way is that we be totally dependent on Him.

It's one thing to be independent in the natural, but there's the tendency to carry it over into spiritual things and into your relationship with God.

I Corinthians 6:19-20
What? know ye not that your body
is the temple of the Holy Ghost
which is in you, which ye have of God,
and ye are not your own?

For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body,
and in your spirit, which are God's.

Well, I'll tell you, God used those circumstances to do a deep work in my heart. And through the whole process God has used these things to work a greater humility in my heart and life.

He can do anything and everything He wants with me because my only desire and purpose in this life is for Jesus Christ to be glorified.

And whatever God has to do in my heart and life, whatever path He has to take me down to bring it about that He can be truly glorified - so be it.

Do it, Lord!

When I think of some of the things which God has promised me concerning the ministry, my cry is. Do it, Lord!

Recently my husband and I went away to seek the Lord for a few days. I spent hours by myself crying out to God, rehearsing to Him all the things He has promised.

I asked Him not to drop it into my heart and into my life one moment before I'm ready to receive it - because I don't want anything there that would glorify me in any way. I want Him to have all the honor and glory. And, if it can't be that way, I don't want it.

I had such a wonderful time in prayer. I cried out to God for hours that He would prepare me.

If God has promised something for your life, know that there is a time of preparation that has to take place.

Much of that preparation is God bringing you down to truly humble you, that He may lift you up. It's necessary, that God might receive all the glory.

This time of seeking drove me into a deep Bible study of the tabernacle and the glory of God. I spent days, almost every day, pouring over the Scriptures and seeking God that He be glorified.

One day, the Lord spoke to me about His glory falling. Oh, the preparation of God in our hearts and in our lives is such a precious thing, such a precious time.

So many times, though, we feel it should be happening so much quicker, so much faster. Listen, God's way is the best way. His way is the right way. His timing is the right time.

Hold on! Hold on to the promises of God. Never let them slip from you. Don't let them slip away. Don't push them aside.

Hold on to what God has told you. Keep it ever before you - and cry out, God, prepare my heart that I can receive and enter in to this.

We just can't have it without that time of preparation, that time of God's bringing us down low.

When we truly let the Lord humble us, He brings us into the place where we have a right opinion of ourselves. The way of pride, many times, causes us to have a higher opinion of ourselves than we ought to have. It makes us feel we can do so much, can accomplish so much.

Oh, but to let God have His way. It's the most beautiful experience when the Holy Ghost takes you down. It becomes a joy in your heart.

I determined a long time ago that anything God wants of me He can have, He can take it. If there's anything of me that needs to go, He can take it away. I don't want it.

I have found it so joyous to go through the valley where God has brought me down. I found it to be a joyous thing, because it puts me into the place where I have to get down on my face before God.

When we get on our face before God, that brings us into sweet communion with God.

And it's in that sweet communion that we find the direction we need, and God can show us where He's wanting to work in us.

Don't lose sight! Hold on! God will bring His promises to pass.

But, today, will you let Him prepare your heart? Will you let Him really prepare your heart?

It takes a little time. It doesn't happen over night. No, it's a process. It's a process that sometimes can make you feel so miserable.

But, you know, it's all right. It's ok. It's ok to feel miserable sometimes.

Because out of that misery God can bring about a beautiful vessel that's been made in His hand.

You see, God's not interested in just patching up our lives. He's not interested in putting a little band-aid here and there. God's interested in making us a vessel that can really hold His presence and His power and His glory.

Would you hold on, and let God do what He wants to do in your heart and in your life? Sometimes we can be in the process of God working and moving to humble us, working in our hearts and lives - and we feel He's just being mean to us.

Listen, God's not mean to His children. Anything He does in your heart and in your life is done with your best interest in mind. He does it because He loves you, and because He wants to be seen and glorified.

I want Jesus Christ to be lifted up in my heart and in my life. Is that what you want?

He should be able to move upon us any moment, any place. We should be so emptied of ourselves and so full of God that He can use us at any time.

Every one of us, as the children of God, knowing that time is short, knowing there are many souls to be reached, many needs out there - we ought to be getting our lives in the place where we're emptied of self and filled with God. We should be desiring to be vessels that God can use in this last day.

Is God counting on you? Is He looking for you?

Listen, God is looking for workers. The harvest is truly plenteous, but the laborers are few. The needs are great out there. Everywhere you turn, there's someone in need.

Will you be a vessel God can use? Will you be someone who is willing to say, Oh, God, bring me down and humble me. Just empty me of self.

Oh, it's painful to be emptied of self. We're of the type who always likes to pat ourselves on the back: I'm not too bad of a person.

Sometimes when you see yourself as you really are, it makes you sick! You see yourself react to something, and you feel ashamed that you reacted that way. Did I really say that! Did I really respond like that!

Too often we feel, If they didn't . . . then I wouldn't have . . . If they didn't say that! then I wouldn't have reacted the way I did! If they had talked to me nicely, I wouldn't have answered them back.

God says, It's time to lay all that garbage aside. It's time to humble yourself, and say, It doesn't matter what they did. I shouldn't have reacted that way. What I said was wrong.

We need to look at ourselves and our reactions and admit when we were wrong.

Too many times we tolerate it. We tolerate carnal reactions. We tolerate wrong attitudes. And God is saying, I don't want you to tolerate that any more.

See yourself as who you really are. Call it what it is. If you get angry, admit you get angry! If you react carnally, admit you react carnally!

God wants us to see ourselves as we really are. When you see yourself as you really are, it ought to have you call out, Oh, God, change me! Get this thing out of me, Lord. I don't like what I'm seeing.

We can sit where we are, and want and want and want. We can want God's move. We can want God's work. We can want God to use us.

But are we willing to get prepare to let Him do it? Part of the preparation is God cleaning up the garbage, God humbling us, God moving self out of the way - so He can put His good things in us.

The Bible says that in every house there are vessels to honor and vessels to dishonor. Let me ask you a question, Do you go to the toilet to get a drink of water? or do you go to the sink? That toilet serves its purpose, but one of its purposes isn't for drinking!

The very thought is disgusting! But we like to think that God would take all His precious gifts and His precious anointing and put it in a vessel that's not a clean vessel.

God, put all these gifts in my life! put all these nice things in my life!

God says, No, that's not the way it goes. This is the vessel I want you to be. And He goes to work in our hearts and lives to make us to be clean vessels, holy vessels that can really contain His glory.

We ought to be excited when the Holy Ghost begins to deal in our hearts and lives. We should be excited about the dealings of God.

And we should respond, Thank you, Lord. Just keep pouring it on - until I can be that vessel You can use to Your glory.

Do you want the Lord to have His way? Do you want Him to really prepare your heart and your life?

I Peter 5:6
Humble yourselves therefore
under the mighty hand of God,
that He may exalt you in due time