LEVELS PART III (Levels of Life)

We have been with levels for the past couple weeks. The first week’s declaration was about Levels of Maturity. We dealt with how you need to realize where you are and it’s important to be challenged where you are. Each level is designed so you can get better and be ready to move to a deeper level. Week two (which was last week) was about Levels of Love. We talked about the many types of love and their significances. 


Today’s declaration we will be dealing with the LEVELS OF LIFE. We have been using the analogy of a swimming pool and the depth of the water in each level and how that relates to you as an individual. As I said before and it still rings true, that everyone is in different areas of the pool dealing with different things. Even if two couples are dealing with marriage, their situations differ greatly depending on their individual situation. So you have one person in deep water that is treading well and managing to float. Then you have another person in the same deep water that may not know how to tread and is just about to drown. They are in need of assistance from God, I mean the Life Guard. All they need to do is cry out for help or even show a sign of struggle and God, I mean their Life Guard will jump in to save them. But what if it’s after hours and the sign says “NO LIFE GUARD ON DUTY?” Take note of this. The more you grow, mature and learn how to love, God will sometimes seem as though he is off duty. Well, you can relax because Psalm 121:3 says, “He won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep. Not on your life! Israel’s Guardian will never doze or sleep.” Now, relax and trust the process. Most drowning happen because people were panicking in the water. And if it seems He’s not in the same place, it could be that He’s got his hand right under you holding you up.
  
Now I know for a fact that some of you are right now dealing with some deep water and you’re not sure if you’ll survive. I have to admit, I have been in that situation several times and you know what, to be honest, I’m here right now as I speak. If my testimony can be of any help let me tell you that just because you grew up without a Dad, don’t mean you can’t make it. Here is one who did. Just because you had sex out of wedlock and a baby was born doesn’t mean you can’t make it. Guess what, here is one who did. Just because you went to jail or prison and had that offense on your record, doesn’t mean you can’t make it. Here is one who did. Just because you had to go through a divorce, doesn’t mean you can’t make it. Here, there and there are about a few witnesses who did and are making it. Just because you failed in grade school or even college doesn’t mean you can’t go back and make it. Here is one who can tell you, yes you can!

Okay, wait a minute. There is something we cannot forget to talk about that is vital to this entire conversation. Let’s talk about the water! “The water, Marcus?” Yes, the water. As we know water has several different purposes. For example, we use it to drink, bathe, cook, do an ice bucket challenge and we even like to swim in it. But what does it symbolize? I’m glad you asked. One thing water represents is life. But it also represents what can hurt or destroy you. The very thing that you are using to keep you afloat is the same thing that can kill you if you swallow too much too fast. Here is a Marcus not Marcos nugget. You can only be destroyed if too much water gets inside of you. So life is not bad, but you can’t let your life get into you because it will destroy you. So how do we keep the water out of us so we won’t drown? Whatever level or area of life you are in, you must use the word to declare victory in your life. Whether life is good or bad.

Knowing that, I want to give you some prayers you can pray or scriptural declarations you say in your own time that come straight from the word for wherever you are in the water.

So enemy tells you you’re about to drown, use the word and declare that in Psalm 32:6, the bible says, “These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray; when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts we’ll be on high ground, untouched.” Here is more proof that prayer changes things. When you pray it doesn’t mean you will be beamed up out of the deep water like Scotty on Star Trek. It does mean that God will send help or be the help you need.

You can call out to God like David did in Psalm 69:1 saying, “Save me, O God for the waters have come up to my neck.”When the enemy tries to tell you that God is gone and He’s nowhere to be found. You can reassure yourself and tell him, “When I pass through the waters, God will be with me; and when I pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over me.” Isaiah 43:2

And let me also ask you this? How many of us are only using the word when trouble comes? We use the word when things don’t go our way or we made a mess of things. We use the word when we have some problems going on. We use the word as if it’s supposed to be some kind of witches brew stirring it up to fit our life and situation. Please don’t just apply the word when things are bad. Let’s use the word in the good times so it won’t be so hard to use in the bad times. Use the word to praise Him and appreciate him for the good times. Isaiah 12:3 says, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Use your happiness and joyfulness to draw water from your salvation so that others can see that being a child of God also means that I am just glad to be his child. Maybe there is someone in your life that only hears you talk about you going through. Maybe they just need to hear you say, “I’m just glad to be a child of God and He makes me glad.”