News and Updates
January 1, 2014
David Copeland · January 1, 2014
Newsletter · Volume: 14 Issue: 1
“And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.”
-1 Kings 17:2-4
Cherith is a small creek on the east side of the Jordan River. It seems to be a secluded, isolated place where the prophet was commanded by the Lord to hide out…and be supernaturally provided for.
Cherith comes from a root Hebrew word which means to cut; literally the word means to cut covenant. Symbolically, Cherith is a place where God cuts people, places and things out of our lives that are a hindrance to our character and our walk with the Him. But Cherith is also that place where God cuts a fresh covenant with us and helps us understand in a greater measure His purposes and plans for our lives…
In this New Year, the Year of the Open Door with Narrow Openings, God is cutting away relationships that we no longer need; He has been cutting away activities and ministries we have been involved in whose season is over; and the Holy Spirit is cutting away all the mindsets we have developed over the last years that cannot go with us into this next season in God.
Cherith is also that place of solitude and seclusion where God refines your purpose, where He speaks to you further about your destiny; it’s the place where the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation comes alive in you and the Word cuts away the false assumptions and presumptions you have had about God, life and His Kingdom. It’s the place where truth arrests your heart and your eyes are opened to the deeper things of God.
Cherith also represents a season of limited opportunities. It’s a season in which the Fire of God burns in your heart, and there is no outlet for it. A time in which God is giving you messages, teachings, songs to sing and visions of His plan for your life but no opportunities to see it all come to pass.
How you respond to seasons of limited opportunities will determine how long you have to wait. It’s been said your attitude determines your altitude. It’s those seasons in which the fire of God is burning in your heart, the dreams and visions are alive, but there is not an outlet to release them. This can become the most frustrating season of your life. It’s also during those times of limited opportunities the wisdom of God will teach you timing is everything.
Pam and I were recently reminiscing about the early days of our marriage and ministry and how unwise…and often times unteachable we were. The zeal for God’s House and His ministry was eating us up!
Thankfully we made ourselves teachable and pliable. We made ourselves respond to those seasons of limited opportunities in the right way. Many days I thought I would never live to see the fulfillment of the dream of my heart. It was those seasons of limited opportunities that taught me the importance of understanding the times and seasons in God…and actually prepared us to be able to effectively minister in the nations today.
I strongly believe the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and told me for many reading this our season of waiting is over! A pastor friend from Kenya sent me this in a text on New Years Eve that I receive as a Prophetic Word for all of us in the New Year:
May the coming year mark you out for a difference. May in it, be found reasons why Heaven should make you the first billionaire out of your family. May life’s experiences around you change radically beginning with yours. May you walk into a season you never imagined possible. May miracles chase you, doors open for you and favors fly into your direction. May people run to help you, may great men and women notice you and may promotions locate you without effort. May evil be kept away from you and may death lose your address! I pray for you to win, to conquer, to rule and to succeed in whatever you do! You are the best, you deserve the best and the best is yet to come! God bless you and have a productive and prosperous New Year 2014 together with your family.
Happy New Year!
David & Pam