Isaiah 54:4 “Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame..”.

DAILY READING; Matthew 26:47-75; Deuteronomy 3-4; Job 5

Michael Fred Phelps is an American competitive swimmer who is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time. His life was on a downward spiral in 2014, but an encounter with Christ totally transformed him and gave him new hope and purpose.
Most of the pain that had led to his downward spiral stemmed from the trauma he had suffered as a child.
Michael Phelps did not have a rosy childhood. In his book ‘No Limits: The Will to Succeed’, he described himself as a child who spoke too quickly, had big ears and was scrawny. This made him to become the object of scorn and torment at the hands of bullies.
While in middle school in Baltimore, his protruding ears made him an easy target. Though Michael wore baseball hats all the time, to try to conceal the size of his ears, it didn’t work. Other kids continually swatted his ears and made fun of them.
It was very frustrating at the time for Phelps. It got to the point where he couldn’t take the teasing anymore and got into fights and got suspended from school.
After his suspension, Phelps learned to ignore the taunts of others. In retrospect, some of those adolescent difficulties probably helped Phelps to become stronger and more determined to be a great swimmer.
While the kids picked on him on dry land, he made sure that when it came to swimming in the water, nobody could beat him.
He was able to ignore the mockers and go on with his swimming career to make history by becoming the greatest and most decorated swimmer of all times.
Interestingly, after becoming successful he went back to the neighborhood, where he used to live in Baltimore. He saw the same people who used to mock him. They were still in the same neighborhood, doing menial jobs and still acting the same way. Now he had become famous, no one tried to mock him again rather they were falling all over themselves, wanting to be his friend.

To see the fullness of God’s promises in your life, you have to develop the ability to ignore detractors and distractions and keep pressing forward to your desired goal.
Interestingly when you succeed, those who laughed at you will turn around to desire to laugh with you.
Sometimes, God will allow men to first mock you before He makes you. However the question is; are we able to withstand the ‘mocking’ season that precedes, our ‘making’ season? Can we endure the story that precedes our glory?
No matter what trials and temptations may come our way, we must learn to ignore the storms and keep looking unto Jesus.
The truth is that the enemy often tries to use contrary people and situations to get you off-course. If you keep focusing on who is speaking against you, or who doesn’t like you, you will eventually lose sight of your vision and miss your mission in life
Though men may sometimes mock you, do not get distracted by their mockery, realize that beyond the present you see now, are greater heights, greater victories, greater strength and greater anointing. Though weeping may sometimes endure for the night, surely joy comes in the morning. And despite what may look like groaning now, glory is coming in the end.

It doesn’t matter how the enemy tries to frustrate your dream, as long as you don’t give up on your vision it is only a matter of time before you arrive at your destined place.
Today, if you are faced with any situation that is trying to make a mockery of you, be assured that the conclusion of your case will never end in shame! That sickness, poverty, failure, family crisis, etc will not be the end of your story.
God’s wonders in your life will soon answer everyone that has been asking; ‘where is your God?’
In Isaiah 54:4 God gives us the assurance that we shall not be ashamed or confounded.

One major way of dealing with mockery is by engaging the mystery of praise which provokes God’s wonders. Certainly, God is fearful in praises, doing wonders.
In 2 Samuel 6:1-10, when David danced with all his might, vengeance answered the mockery against him.
Michal who mocked King David for dancing in the presence of God lived the rest of her life to regret her action because she ended up with barrenness.
Certainly, when we engage in high praises, we secure divine vengeance against everything and everyone mocking our destiny.
Let us therefore in this season praise God with all our might. As we do, we will experience divine intervention and sudden elevation that will turn every issue of shame into signs and wonders.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the grace to maintain my focus and avoid distractions. Please help me to always keep my eyes upon Your Word and Your promises. As I praise You continually, I thank You for turning every shame into glory in my life in Jesus Name.

QUOTE:
God is preparing you for the season He prepared your breakthrough. – WORDBITE 222