TD Jakes - Rejuvenating Your Fight Through The Word of God
God took Ezekiel on a field trip to see a future conflict that was so terrible and overwhelming that even God’s prophet did not know whether these bones could live again. He said, «Lord, I don’t know.» What I love about the text is that Ezekiel states, «So I prophesied as I was commanded.» This is a great lesson for preachers, teachers, Bible students, and scholars: sometimes you don’t have the faith for the text, but you must have obedience to the text. He said he wasn’t sure whether it would work or not, but he simply did what he was told. Obedience is better than sacrifice. He stood over something he wasn’t sure would ever be resurrected. Some of you have been to cities that are so dry that you’re not sure if you could ever build what you envision in that city.
Some of you are in marriages that are so dry that you have given up hope that it will ever get better because it feels hopelessly dry. Yet still, he said, «I prophesied as I was commanded.» The Word of God is the first step toward the rejuvenation of those who have lost their fight. You cannot rejuvenate based on your feelings. Ezekiel did not feel everything was going to be okay. That’s nice, but if you go low enough, you won’t feel that way. If you grieve deeply enough or lose a loved one close to you, you won’t feel everything is going to be alright. Nothing in you says it’s going to be alright. If you get heartbroken badly enough, you lose that feeling of hope. However, you cannot regain your fight based on feelings; you must reclaim it based on what God said: «Prophesy to the bones that they may live.»
If there’s any hope for you to restore your fight, it will come through the Word of God. It won’t come from cursing, fussing, fighting, or acting out; that will only get you killed, locked up, or placed in a mental institution. The Word of God entering your heart and spirit daily starts to rejuvenate your spirit again. You must fight back; you must fight fire with fire. The enemy is trying to slay you with words, and you have to be revived with words by applying God’s Word to your spirit every day.
«I prophesied as I was commanded.» I did what He told me to do—that is what I hope will be said about me when everything is done. I did what He told me to do. I preached what He told me to preach. I said what He told me to say. I gave what He told me to give. I served where He told me to serve. I was faithful to my calling. I did what He instructed, in season and out of season—packed stadiums, filled auditoriums, and parks with millions of people while preaching the Word of God.
But I preached no less when the house was empty because I prophesied as I was commanded. It wasn’t my job to fill the house; it was my job to preach the Word. It wasn’t my job to take care of the crowd; it was my job to preach the Word. It’s not my job to heal the sick; it’s my job to pray for the sick. «I prophesied as I was commanded.» I did what you told me to do. You want me anointed with oil? I’m anointed with oil. You want me to pray the prayer of faith? I’ll pray the prayer of faith. I already know I’m not the healer; You’re the healer, but I did what You told me to do. This is not about your confidence in yourself or the belief that you can heal or fix someone.
The problem right now is that we have tried to straighten each other out until we have messed each other up. Stop practicing on people; just do what He told you to do. I prophesied in a valley full of dry human bones, remains of what used to be. I stood in the midst of what was and is no more, and I prophesied. I prophesied to something that I didn’t even think could hear. The reason I can preach to pews, chairs, rocks, and hills is that it doesn’t matter whether they can hear; it matters that I prophesied as I was commanded. It’s not my business whether you hear me or like me or agree with me. I’m not here to convince you to like me; it doesn’t make any difference. I prophesied as I was commanded; I did what He told me to do.
So when I get back home, He’s not going to ask me if they liked me. He’s not going to ask me if they agreed with me or approved of me. No, He’s going to ask, «Did you do what I told you to do?» Ezekiel said, «I prophesied as I was commanded.» I speak to you; we need a spirit of obedience. We’ve lost it—in our nation, in our churches, in our families, and even in our children. Everybody does whatever they want to do and says whatever they want to say. But God desires obedience—obedience is better than sacrifice.
So Ezekiel said, «In order for them to get their fight back, I prophesied as I was commanded,» and suddenly there was a noise and shaking, and things started coming together. There is a move of God that brings things together that have fallen apart. I want to take a moment to talk to those of you who are dealing with situations that seem hopeless, dry, and in despair. There is a move of God that will cause things to come together, and when God starts bringing things together, He puts together what fits. When you try to fit bones together, they don’t always align. But when God does it, He places the right bone in the right spot to connect with the right bone. Stop manipulating people; you’ll create a distorted body.
God brought together bone to its bone; everything moved toward what it was meant to be connected to. You can’t tell others who to work with or serve with or grow with. Bones come together based on fitting, function, and service. I don’t know who I’m speaking to, but God is going to cause a drawing to happen, and bones are going to come together—bones to their bones. I feel a coming together. I want to stop here and thank God for this unity—a coming together after a long time in a valley of distraction, disruption, fragmentation, and disorientation.
God is bringing about a coming together. I need about 30 seconds of praise for this coming together. A coming together, a coming together—I know it’s not back yet, but it’s coming. I know it’s not fixed yet, but it’s coming. I know you’re not completely out of the woods yet, but it’s coming. It may be your finances coming together, your family, your siblings, or your children. God knows how to shake things back together that you couldn’t fix, fuss, or worry back together. The counselor couldn’t make it happen, but the Lord said it’s coming together, and you need enough faith to praise Him for the coming together. You must believe that God is bringing it together and start thanking Him.
You can’t wait until it’s over to give Him praise; you must praise Him in the middle of the process, for things are coming together. I want you to make a righteous declaration: «My life is coming together.» Say it out loud, «My life is coming together.» Everything that has been scattered is coming together. Everything that has been lost is coming together. Everything that has been broken is coming together. Everything that has been wounded is coming again. Yes, I’m talking to you. I want you to declare it; I want you to stand up and say it out loud: «It is coming together.» You might look silly, but declare it. I decree and declare that my life is coming back together now! Give Him praise!