Travail and Birth Leads to Promise by Kim Potter

Dayton, TN

This past weekend I read a quote that impacted my heart and soul, I want to share it with you today.  Here is the quote...

When someone is pregnant, she is not "expecting a child" – she already has one. She is not "going to be a mother" – she already is a mother. The baby is not "on the way," the baby has already arrived. If we are going to change the way society treats unborn children, we have to change the way we talk about them. –Frank Pavone

This quote caused a spiritual awakening in me concerning a principle we often hear taught and preached in the Church today. 

I don't know how many sermons I have heard on "giving birth" over the past twenty-five years, but there have been many. As I pondered this quote, it became a timely revelation to me – the simple fact is that we are in travail over a thing or a promise and that is PROOF it already exists and is a living, breathing thing. And I was reminded...if we are going to change the way we go through the process of conception, travail and delivery...we must change the way we talk.

Isaiah 66:9 says, "Shall I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the Lord. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God.

Isaiah 46:11 says, "Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, be assured I will do it."

Whatever has been birthed in you, was spoken to you, either through the Word of God or through a prophetic word or from God speaking it to you Himself...whatever it was, God promises us that if He spoke it, He will bring it to pass. 

God does not bring you to the moment of birth and not deliver – He is not a man that He should lie. The very fact that you are fighting for it, travailing for it, is the undeniable truth that it already exists. It is not something you are trying to create or speak into existence, it already exists. Just as a baby already exists in a mother's womb...never forget that.

Let's look closer at Isaiah 66:7, "Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child."

To travail means to twist, whirl about, dance, fear, tremble, be in anguish, be pained, to writhe (in travail with), bear, bring forth, to wait anxiously, to be distressed. Have you ever felt any of these things as you are standing in faith for the promise God has given you? I know I have.

To be brought forth means the day of birth and it means to declare one's birth. It reminds me of what we hear from the doctor when a child is born...it's a girl, or it's a boy! That baby wasn't just created in the delivery room. Before it came forth, it was created nine months ago – in the very beginning it was a complete baby.

Now, let's look at verse 12 in that same chapter, "For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream."

We are promised delivery of the very thing God has placed inside us – we are promised it will come to a time of fruition.  For God says, "I will extend peace like a river!" Peace is defined as completeness, soundness, welfare, safety, soundness (in body), health, prosperity, quiet, tranquility, contentment, peace (from war) – nothing broken or missing in your life. This is what comes at the destined time of delivery. 

I know most of you already know this but God has a great plan for you. He has not made you promises that He can't bring to pass – if He said it, He will bring it to pass. There is a reward for the spiritual "baby" that you have been carrying – the reward is the delivery. And again, the very fact that you are carrying it declares that it is a completed work, something that already exists! It is already done! It is already complete! It is already yours! 

Psalm 127:3 says, "The fruit of the womb is your reward!" Your reward is real. It is not something you are hoping for or saying "maybe someday." No! It is already done!

Let me share another Scripture with you that I found to be insightful. Psalm 29:9 tells us that the voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth. I believe this is true for us as well. I know that many times in my life God has given me a specific Scripture that has brought me through a season. He gives me a Scripture to stand on until I see the birth of what I am praying for. I am sure He has done the same for many of you.

Years ago, He gave me a Scripture and told me, "This is your life Scripture." I can't tell you how many times over the past 25 years I have been reminded of this very Scripture – and it has brought forth birth, as I stood on this word spoken from the very voice of God.  The Scripture is found in Psalm 27:13, "I would have lost heart, if I had not believed I would see the goodness of God in the land of the living." The voice of the Lord caused delivery to come forth.

Today, I pray God will speak to you and that you will hear His voice as He speaks a word to you that will cause delivery to spring forth and you will see the promise manifest right before your eyes. I pray you see the goodness of God in the land of the living...even this day.

Friends, we WILL see the goodness of God in the land of the living – we will – that goodness already exists and it is coming to delivery. The Lord has come and His reward is with Him. Don't let go of the promise – lay hold of all He said is yours!

Kim Potter
A New Thing Ministries
Email: kpotter@anewthingministries.com
Website: www.anewthingministries.com