“For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace…. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree…” (Isa. 55:12-13).
Are there areas of your life that have been barren and unfruitful, yielding only thorns and briers? Instead of focusing on the failures of your past, picture yourself happily strolling through a vast meadow filled with daffodils and daisies, lush green grass, and fruit-bearing trees of every kind. Then picture the Lord handing you the title deed to the land, saying, “I want you to have this; it’s yours.”
“It’s too good to be true,” you might say. But it is true! God has called you to enjoy victory in every area of your life in Christ and to be fruitful in His Kingdom. Jesus said, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit…” (John 15:8).
We bear much fruit and bring glory to God when we obtain His promises through faith – by believing and acting upon God’s Word. The faith of Abraham, the patriarch of faith, brought glory to God because he refused to waver concerning God’s promises. And although once barren and unfruitful, through his faith Abraham obtained his promised blessing (Gen. 12:2; Heb. 6:12,15).
You may be experiencing failure and defeat in some area of your life today, but God wants to turn the barren wastelands of your life into fruitful meadows! You hold the title deed to a beautiful land – your inheritance in Christ. So turn your back on the failures of your past and turn your praise upward to God. Stir yourself up to believe and act upon God’s Word and continually praise and give Him glory.
God is no respecter of persons. What He has done for anyone else, He will also do for you. As you are faithful to believe and act upon God’s promises, you will go out of your barren land with joy and be led forth with peace into a fruitful land of plenty. Instead of the thorn and the brier, the fir and the myrtle trees will spring up in your life, and you will reap a rich harvest of God’s blessings.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications
Kenneth W. Hagin, President of Kenneth Hagin Ministries and pastor of RHEMA Bible Church, ministers around the world. Known for calling the Body of Christ to steadfast faith, he seizes every ministry opportunity to impart an attitude of “I cannot be defeated, and I will not quit.”
Rev. Hagin began preparing for his call to ministry—a ministry that now spans 50 years—at Southwestern Assemblies of God University. He graduated from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Faith Theological Seminary in Tampa, Florida.
In his early years of ministry, Rev. Hagin was an associate pastor and traveling evangelist. Later, he went on to organize and develop RHEMA Bible Training Centers in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and in other countries around the world.
Kenneth W. Hagin’s array of responsibilities also includes International Director of RHEMA Ministerial Association International. He hosts the annual A Call to Arms® Men’s Conference, and with his wife, Lynette, cohosts RHEMA Praise, a weekly television program, and Rhema for Today, a weekday radio program broadcast throughout the United States. They also conduct Living Faith Crusades, spreading the message of faith and healing around the world.
Recognizing the lateness of the hour before the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, Rev. Hagin has expanded his speaking schedule beyond his regular pastoral duties. To fulfill the urgent call of God to prepare the Church for a deeper experience of His Presence, Rev. Hagin delivers messages that reveal key spiritual truths about faith, healing, and other vital subjects. He ministers with a strong healing anointing, and his ministry leads the Body of Christ into a greater experience of the glory of God!
Kenneth W. Hagin and his wife live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is the son of the late Kenneth E. Hagin.