David Wilkerson Devotions

The people of God were at the Red Sea mired in despair. At that moment how the Lord must have longed for someone like Gideon to rise up in that frightened camp and remind everyone of God’s faithfulness in the past. A few generations later Gideon had only a small army of three hundred men against an army, yet he shouted in faith before the battle (see Judges 6 and 7).  You see, as far as the Lord is concerned, the time to stand is in the darkest moment. It is when everything seems hopeless, when there appears to be no way out, when God alone can save and deliver.

Trapped between two mountains and facing the Red Sea, the children of Israel were in a hopeless predicament as an angry Pharaoh and his iron chariots closed in on them from behind.

This is a very familiar story, one you have heard your entire church life. God had led Israel into a horrible crisis where they were being chased by a fierce enemy. Incredible as it seems, the Lord had purposely led His people into this precarious spot. I believe it is a story with great importance for the Church today, indeed at this moment in history.

David wrote in a psalm that the Lord “counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name” (Psalm 147:4). Think of it: David is telling us, “When you’re in pain, stop and look up. You’ll realize, ‘If God can do this, He certainly can meet my need.’” I agree. If in your pain you focus on the majesty of God, you will receive more than any answer a preacher could give you.

When Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, heard that his beloved daughter had died, he faced one final test of his faith. He was forced to look death right in the face. Imagine the chaos and confusion in his home when he and Jesus arrived. I see Jairus’ wife collapsing into his arms, crying, “Where have you been? It’s too late. Our precious daughter is gone!”

Has there been a delay in the answer to your prayer? Do you see others around you getting victories, being touched and healed, having miracles happen — yet you helplessly stand by in your suffering? Do you get impatient or angry with God, crying, “Why not me, Lord? Where is my miracle? Why is it delayed?” If so, you are missing the point altogether. The Lord is trying to build up your faith. He wants you to move into confidence in Him no matter what delays may come. He is showing you He can be at work healing thousands around you and still have His eye on you!

As Jesus was walking with Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue in Capernaum, to his home to heal his daughter, they were met by a woman who suffered from chronic hemorrhaging. For twelve years this woman had bled nonstop and was dying a slow death. Luke, a physician, wrote that she “had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any” (Luke 8:43).

Jesus told us to work while it is still day. Why? Because the “night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).

In Revelation 7, John describes a multitude standing before God’s throne, a crowd so massive nobody could number it.

Wine in the Bible represents joy and gladness. “Wine that makes glad the heart of man” (Psalm 104:15). In the New Testament, “new wine” is a type of the Holy Spirit.

Yet as I look at the Church today, I see wine jars that are empty. Why? As almost every biblical prophet has said, “Sin takes away mirth and gladness.”

For every mother, father and grandparent who has prayed so long for their lost young one: Hold on. Jesus is watching and waiting. His hour on your child’s behalf is about to come.

Prayer meetings are being resurrected in churches throughout New York City. Who could have believed this would happen in “Sin City”? Not long ago over 50,000 believers gathered in Times Square to pray. And Christian conferences worldwide are becoming impromptu prayer meetings.

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). “But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us” (Hebrews 10:15).

You may ask, “What is the Holy Spirit bearing witness to?” The next verse tells us: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them” (10:16). Simply put, the Holy Spirit is witness to an outpouring of mercy upon this last-days generation.