When God Opens The Tap || Pastor Mensa Otabil

[Music] last week i spoke about breaking our fallow ground and today i just want to bring us another word of encouragement from the scriptures that will help us to understand how to position ourselves and to receive what god is doing for us in this time and in the season i've titled my message when god opens the tap when god opens the tap you can imagine when your tap has not run water has not run from the tap for so long and there is no water flowing and the first day the water flows there is joy there is a bun there is excitement because something that was dry something that did not have anything coming through is now flowing i remember as a child when we had to go to the public standpipe to go and fetch water and those days you had to press that contraption very hard and water would flow and it was a joy just to see water flowing into people's buckets and uh and and enjoying the power of water and what it does for us of course now some people some of us or most of us have water flowing through the tap in our homes there are still communities in ghana where people go to the stand tap or go to the well or to the river to fetch water but in this message i am using the concept of god tending on the top to speak about when god allows water to flow into your life when god allows his waters to flow into your life and i'm going to start my reading or base my teaching from the book of isaiah chapter number 41 and i will read from verse 17 to verse number 20. isaiah chapter 41 from verse 17 to verse number 20 and let's hear the reading of god's word the poor and needy sick water but there is none their tongues fail for thirst i the lord will hear them i the god of israel will not forsake them i will open rivers in desolate heights and fountains in the midst of the valleys i will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water i will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree the metal and the oil tree i was set in the desert the cyprus the cypress tree and the pine and the box tree together that they may see and know and consider and understand together that the hand of the lord has done this the holy one of israel has created it uh for this week i will be focusing on the verse 18 and next week i will preach on the verse number 19. in this passage and this passage from isaiah is one of the restoration prophecies that god gave to judah and to israel at the time when they were in trouble or when they would be returning from captivity and god uh addresses this message to a group that he calls the poor and the needy the term the poor and the needy refers to those who are disenfranchised in every culture and they are not defined by nationality or by location although in this prophecy it is talking about israel it has a wider application to the poor and the needy the disenfranchised in every society and it refers to people who are thirsty or desires of water and what the passage says is that there is a pursuit of the poor and needy it says that they seek for water and here uh the water is reference to life and sustenance the poor and needy are looking for life they are seeking for help they are seeking for sustenance and the passage says their pursuit does not produce results the reality is there is no water there is no life there is no sustenance so we have a picture of people who are seeking for help who are seeking for water the bible calls them the poor and the needy and and there is none there is no help no help coming from anywhere and god says that it is in that context that he shows up he says i will not forsake them and i just came here to tell you that if you qualify as the poor and the needy and you are seeking and you are not finding god says i will not forsake them can god provide for us when there is no provision can we still trust god when there is no indication of help inside many times when we pray we have a sense of whom we think god will use to answer our prayer we have somebody in mind that if i pray that god should give me this i i know he may use that person an uncle an aunt a brother a friend somebody close to us but what if there is none there you you have nobody no helper and still seeking god can god help you when there is no helper and that is what isaiah is talking about and so look at what he says he says when the poor and needy seek for water and there is none he says i the god of israel will not forsake them somebody say god will not forsake me you have to say that with some confidence say god will not forsake me yes for a moment you are seeking and not finding but god will not forsake you earlier in chapter 41 which i read from in verse 10 isaiah had said to this same people he says fear not for i am with you be not dismayed i am your god i will strengthen you yes i will help you i will uphold you with my righteous right hand so how is god going to minister to these people who are poor and needy seeking for water finding none and this is how god says he will solve their problem he says i will open somebody said god will open he says i will open to open means to let loose or to throw open it is like standing behind a wall which seems like there's nothing behind the wall and all of a sudden the wall gives way it opens up and out of it gushes out water or good things to you god says i will open i will let loose i will initiate a process to give you help even though there is no help i will open rivers in desolate heights and fountains in the midst of the valleys i will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water there are four different water expressions in this passage rivers fountains pool and springs rivers fountains pool and springs these are waters but they don't occur in the same way and god did not say i will bring rivers and rivers and rivers and rivers but he talks about different kinds of water coming to people in different situations and not only are they coming to uh the people it's coming to people in different situations so we'll look at the four conditions that god says he's going to respond to and how he's going to respond to them the first as we see is rivers river is normally a flowing water a flowing water and god says i will open rivers in desolate heights rivers in desolate heights and so what are desolate heights well a height is a height it's a hilltop or a mountaintop and the hebrew word that is rendered desolate height refers to hills or mountains that lack any vegetation including trees they are desolate it's a height but it's desolate so a desolate height is a high place that is desolate that is empty that is dry so some of the poor and needy that god is talking about here are in high places they are in high places but they are desolate they are big people people look up to them but everything has run dry in their lives it is possible to rise high in life in your profession in your career in your business and then experience a loss soon you find yourself in a desolate height and when you find yourself in a desolate high that the thing is people think you are high they think everything is okay with you but you know that you are desolate at the top something has gone wrong at the top and in this season especially what the virus has done to many people businesses that were at the height have become desolate people who had climbed so high have become desolate everybody still looks up to them they think they are prosperous they think they are doing well but they know by themselves they are a desolate height they are in a high place but things have just dried up and so god says to those of you who are high by desolate you are at a high place but everything has been destroyed you are in a desolate height and for those people he says i will open rivers i will open rivers it's very interesting how god speaks this word because rivers don't flow uphill a desolate height is uphill it's up the hill and and rivers flow downhill normally just a couple of rivers that flow uphill in our world the majority of rivers flow downhill from the top to the bottom but god says although you are high and it seems you are beyond the reach of water god says i will open rivers and the rivers instead of going downhill are going to come up here god is about to give you a miracle that has never been seen before things are going to be turned in the opposite direction instead of it going downhill it's coming uphill for those of you who are in desolate heights god says i know how to reach you i know how to touch you i know how to bless you i know how to refresh you i know how to renew you god is able to turn the path of the river in the opposite direction rivers for those in desolate heights there are people who are high and desolate spiritually life has blessed you but you're spiritually dry and there is a sense of emptiness you need jesus in your heart as your lord and savior there are people who are high but life has just messed them up maybe a family issue a marriage situation has just made you desolate there are people who are high and and life has just gone wrong if an investment has gone bad business has just thrown you off and you are high but you become desolate for those people god says to you this morning i will open to you rivers in the desolate height the river is going to flow in the opposite direction in a place you never expected help to come from god will give you help when the poor and needy seek water and there is none i the lord will not forsake them god will not forsake you he'll come up to you wherever you are and give you rivers in the desolate heights the second type of waters that god is opening to us that isaiah talks about is fountains fountains fountains in the passage is not the same as rivers fountains are head waters and when we talk about headwaters they are the sources of water sources of rivers it is the place where the river starts from most rivers start from very very small sources for example the headwaters of our mighty river volta river in ghana starts somewhere in wagaduku in the northern part of walgadugu as a small river but then it becomes the mighty vaulter so fountains are where the river starts from and they start very tiny and god says to those who are in the valleys he says i will open fountains in the valley i will open fountains in the valley isn't it amazing that the waters of god reach out to the heights and it reaches to the valley as well the valley is a low place it is a place that is narrow and it is talking about people who have come very low in life or life has brought you very very low the valleys have a way of hiding you valleys have a way of covering you valleys have a way of depressing you valleys have a way of taking you down and god says if you are down in a valley and you think that nothing can reach you where you are because you're too low it's so impossible and nothing can happen he says i will open fountains in the valley i will open fresh sources of water fresh sources of supply for some of us the supplies the people the things that we look up to have just shut up something that you thought would be there forever is gone forever i mean i have been amazed at the kinds of businesses that have just collapsed all over the world in the last six months vulnerable businesses and i can imagine all the staff all the workers from the managing director to the factory floor worker people in hr people who worked in these companies thousands and thousands of them who had made plans that they were going to survive i'm going to work here for 10 years or for 20 years i'll get my retirement and and so on and all of a sudden in six months everything is gone and they are down in the valley and god says if your water sources are dried up if your sources of revenue are dried up if the people you relied on on are nowhere to be found i will open fountains water heads i will open head waters i will open new sources of water to you in the valley i came here to announce to somebody god will reach you in the valley he will open headwaters for you he'll open fountains for you just look at you around you in the valley god is visiting you fresh supplies in the valley when the fountains open they may look like a trickle it may look like a trickle and this fountain that the isaiah talks about that's what it it is like in the valley it's like trickle it's like a trickle it may look like nothing it may look like something that will not amount to much but if you would trust god who opens the fountains in the valley the destiny of that fountain is a big river one of the biggest rivers in the world the largest is the great amazon river in brazil but the source of the amazon river is on a mountain in peru and it trickles from there becomes a small river breaks up into various tributaries and then ends up into this huge water body it doesn't start big it's that small it's a fountain and that's what god says he gives to those in the valley it may not seem big it may not seem impressive it may not seem significant but god says to you in the valley i will open up something to you that looks small that looks insignificant don't displace it so if god opens a fountain for you in the valley don't despise it it's water it's a trickle it's flowing it doesn't seem to have a big destiny but its destiny is a mighty river and for those of you who are down and out life has dealt you a knockout blow you're going to rise up before the count of 10 you'll be up on your feet and this time nothing is going to knock you down again because jehovah almighty is able to hold you he's able to keep you he will give you water as fountains in the valley if you are in the desolate height he opens rivers to reach you at the height if you are in the valley below he opens fountains wherever you are new sources of water new headwaters new new sources of supply and he will cause people you never thought will help you to help you situations you never thought were open again will open again it's called fountains in the valley and this is the doing of the lord god says i'm doing this so that everyone would know this is the doing of the lord may god give you a miracle that the only one who can receive the glory is jehovah almighty nobody can say i made it i did it for you everybody will look on and say but for god this would not have happened the third type of water that isaiah talks about is pools pools pools are still waters stand in water the river is flowing the fountain is flowing the food the pool is settled still water as a matter of fact that is what the psalmist had in mind when he wrote psalm 23 and he says the lord is my shepherd and he leads me beside the still waters still waters are waters that are not the step they are not moving they are there and god says i will open pools in the wilderness i will open pools in the wilderness the wilderness usually symbolize emptiness a vast expanse of land where there is wilderness dryness and normally wilderness is a place for wandering so when we say somebody is in the wilderness it means the person is moving and walking and making effort by producing nothing wilderness is a place where you move you are working but nothing is happening and the children of israel when they were in the wilderness just would walk for days and and grumble because when you are in the wilderness experience you just grumble life is just like a a fruitless search a meaningless adventure an effort reason that yields nothing and god says in the wilderness when it seems like there is no help i will open pools in the wilderness in genesis chapter 21 when hagar and ishmael were weary in the wilderness and about to die or thirst god opened a pool of water in the wilderness for them hagar about to die turn her eyes and saw a pool of water may god open pools of water for you in your wilderness i have never traveled a wilderness before but those who have will tell you the greatest joy in a wilderness is an oasis is a place of water a standing water that is right there in the middle of the wilderness and which sometimes with vegetation around it and with plants around it and sometimes with a couple of palms and fruits and in the days of the bible when people found an oasis they settled there because it is a spot of refreshment in the midst of a wandering wild desert and that is what god says he would do i will open pools in the wilderness for the wanderer for the traveler for the pilgrim for the one who is tired for the ones whose burdens are too heavy for the one who cannot carry on maybe life has just become a weary trudge and you're just moving you're making your best effort to move you're trying so hard to survive you're trying so hard to go on family situations are weighing you down maybe a health situation is weighing you down and you're just moving but it's hard for you and for those people who are in the wilderness god says i will open pools of water may the lord open a pool for you wherever you are and i pray that god's help will reach to you the pools of water will open up for you wherever you are that this journey that has become so hard and so tough and so difficult for you god will give you help and the help will come from his presence that he will sustain you he will give you something to drink you give you something to eat he'll give you warmth he'll give you an embrace he will share you with his presence may the lord meet you on your journey so that you don't get weary and die in the wilderness you will not die in this wilderness you will not die for the vultures and for the buzzers to eat your flesh god will deliver you from this firesome fiery wilderness he will bring you out and give you a testimony if you are in the desolate height he gives you rivers if you are in the valley he gives you fountains if you are in the wilderness he gives you pools and the last group that he talks about are those who are in the dry land he says that he will open springs in the dry land the dry land is a place of dryness it's a bit different from the wilderness a dry land simply talks about land which has had no rain it's in drought there's been no rain for a long time and the land is dry it used to be fatal but it's dry and god says i will open springs springs here refers to wells of water what are the wells from the bowels of the earth gusting water and god says i will give you springs in a dry land in a season of drought you used to be fresh but it's now dry when you are in a dry land somebody say how do i know where whether i'm in a dry land or not when you are in a dry land you say things like it's been a long time since someone smiled to me it's been a long time since someone blessed me it's been a long time since i've been happy it's been a long time since god really surprised me it's been a long time since i felt the presence of god it's been a long time when i've been joyful there are people in this world who haven't really laughed and when i talk about life i'm talking about belly laugh really laughed for a very long time every laugh is a snicker it's it's just something at the top it doesn't go deep because inside deep there is pain there is dryness your bones are dry there's been no visitation over your life there's no help in your life and some of you are dry spiritually you look back and say oh it's been a long time since i felt the presence of god in fact i believe in these 40 days of past some of you god is giving you springs in your dry land you are feeling things you haven't felt in a very long time you're feeling the presence of god in a way you never you you haven't felt for a long time it's like how it used to be in the day that is the springs of god's water he gives it to those who are in a dry land those who are feeling that they're in a season of drought when god opens the tap he gives us he gives us fountains he gives us pools he gives us spring and he locates us where we are if you are in a dry land he'll give you springs of water if you are in a wilderness he gives you pools of water if you are in a valley he opens up new headwaters new fountains for you in a valley if you are up there in a desolate height he opens up rivers for you isn't it amazing that god knows which water source and supply is still made for your situation that wherever you are he knows how to refresh you and how to renew you we serve a god who cares for us he says i will not forsake you and he would not leave you alone whatever life has brought you god is able to help you god is able to strengthen you and god is able to lift you up so today before i close i just want us to spend a few more minutes to pray and wherever you are we're going to pray for these four groups of people if you find yourself in a desolate height that god will help you you seem to be high but life is dried up people look up to you but you know you have nothing to offer any longer people still think you are who you are but you know you are not it's been a long time since you went up but it's been dry and if you are in a desolate hide just let's pray that god will give you help father i pray for everyone whom you lifted up but who has come through challenge and dryness and desolation i pray lord and in the place of desolation you open up rivers for your people spiritual rivers for their spiritual desolation and father material rivers for their material desolation wherever the desolation is in the heights open up rivers lord and i pray for you my brother my sister wherever you are i pray that god will open rivers for you and receive the rivers of god receive the rivers of god receive the rivers of god receive the rivers of god it's flowing to you right now it's flowing to you right now you would not be desolate forever and you would not die on that mountaintop god will give you refreshment and he will visit you again and he will refresh you again and he will renew you again and he will touch you again in the name of jesus if you find yourself in a valley not in a height but you are low down there and you feel everybody has forgotten me even my best friends have forgotten me i'm in a valley nobody sees me any longer god sees you he knows where you are he knows how deep the situation is that you're falling into i pray for you and just pray and say lord touch me if you are in that valley say lord touch me give me fountains lord give me fountains i pray for you my friend that the fountains of the lord will reach out to you the god will open new headwaters new sources of water wherever you are in that valley where everybody has left you and everybody has abandoned you and everybody has forsaken you and nobody picks your call again nobody responds to your texts again and everybody thinks you are a nuisance everybody thinks you you are wearing them you are tying them out too much may god open to you new friends and new sources of water a new new relationships oh may god help you may god help you may god help you may the fountains of god open for you in your valley you will live again you will sing again you'll rejoice again the joy of the lord will fill your heart again and if you feel that you are in the wilderness you've just been moving and moving you are working hard but everything is dry you are wandering and you are wondering will my effort ever yield to in something may god open an oasis for you may he give you pools of water and i pray for you my friend i pray that god will visit you yeah your toil will not be in vain your labor will not be in vain your effort will not be in vain god will bless your sweat god will bless your toil god will bless your hard work and cause pools of water to open for you in the wilderness place in the name of jesus i pray for a divine visitation i pray for divine help to come to you i pray for help from above to come to you god says i'm going to do it so that nobody will take the credit may he bring you an oasis may he open pools for you in the coming week in the coming weeks in the coming month in the coming years may there be a visitation from god for you and i pray for you if you find yourself in a dry place a drought it's been a long time since life has been happy it's been a long time since you laughed and smiled it's been a long time since you felt the presence of god it's been a long time it looks like everything has become meaningless in your life i pray that god will bring you springs in your dry land you will get back to where you used to be and actually get beyond where you used to be you will smile again you will laugh again you will rejoice again you'll have victory again i pray for you in the name of jesus for a divine visitation and we pray for our nation ghana may god open for us rivers for our desolate heights may god open for us fountains in our valleys may god open for our pools in our wilderness may god open for our springs in our wilderness we pray for our continent africa may god open for us rivers in our desolate heights may god open for us his fountains in our valleys may god open for us pools in the wilderness may he open springs of water in our dry places and father for the entire world that has been dislocated from the nations of the world and the peoples of this planet earth who have just been dislocated lord factories that have collapsed industries airlines that have collapsed people who have lost their job may you visit them in every nation in every continent of every tribe of every town of every race or god visit our earth visit our world visit our planet oh lord give us rain oh god again father give us rivers in our desolate places father give us fountains in our valleys father give us pools of water in our wilderness and give us springs of water in our dry lands may the earth be revived may our world spring forth again may there be laughter in our world again may there be joy on the planet earth again and may our planet come out of this strong and healthy because of your visitation we give you praise father we give you glory we honor you you are the ruler of the universe you rule over the affairs of this life even when everything fails science fails and even preachers fail and businesses fail you never fail o lord and you are our trust and you are the one who caused the rivers and the fountains and the pools and the springs to minister to your people we give you praise father we give you glory lord we give you honor lord we give you adoration lord we are confident of this that we are coming out with a testimony because you are the lord god jehovah you are the lord god jehovah your word is true and we confidently declare that you will open the rivers in desolate heights and fountains in the midst of the valleys and you will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water in jesus name and if you believe that wherever you are in your home just lift up your hands to god and shout a big amen amen and amen and amen and amen and tell somebody close to you god has opened the tap god has opened the tab god has opened the tap water is flowing water is flowing water is flowing rivers are flowing springs are flowing fountains are flowing pools of water are forming god has opened the top the season of dryness is over the waters of god are flowing in our lives he's opened the tap in jesus mighty name amen and amen we thank you lord we give you praise in jesus name you may be seated wherever you are rejoice in the lord as we honor him for what he has done i believe with my heart and i sense the presence of god the power of god in a very unusual way this morning that god has reached out to you god has touched you god has spoken to you and god has opened the tap in your life there will be rivers there will be fountains there will be pools there will be springs he will reach you wherever you are in jesus name amen [Music] you

Channel: Christ Temple

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Length: 37min 44sec (2264 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 19 2020