Chronos to Kairos

This morning I was looking for Exodus 20 and somehow found myself in Deuteronomy 20. God had a plan! The title of that passage is Going to War (NIV). And it starts by saying that when you go to war against your enemies and their armies are much larger than your own, do not fear them. Vs 4 “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

Then God gives them the strategy:

First make an offer of peace – basically ask them to yield to you and become subject to you. They open their gates, you enter in and make them all slaves.

If they refuse – LAY SIEGE TO THAT CITY

The thing is this, either way you have dominion. They can yield quietly, or they can go down fighting. The end result is the same, for God has already given the city to you!

Fast forward to Joshua 6 – The strategy has been put in place and Jericho is under siege. A very strange siege indeed. Here are all these men of war, dressed up for battle, marching around the city and then going back to their tents. They do this for six days. On the seventh day, there is a change! The priests are blowing trumpets, and today they much around seven times. What a curious bunch! A little on the fruity side.

I can just see the people of Jericho up on the wall, looking down at these strange Israelites trying to figure out what in the world they are doing. Thinking to themselves “These guys are not serious. They can NEVER take this city like that.” Then all of a sudden the priests give a long blast of their horns, and their leader Joshua gives a command “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!” The crazy warriors begin to shout at the top of their lungs. The guys on the wall begin to laugh at all this madness. Suddenly the ground beneath them begins to tremble and shake, giving way as the wall collapses. Many on the wall die before they reach the ground. Israel takes Jericho.

Wow! What a wonderful story of laying hold of that to which you were called. Many times as life goes by the circumstances seem dire. You wonder if you will make it financially, if your terminally ill friend, parent or child can be healed, if your business will escape the start up statistics. But God has a plan and a strategy for you to take the land. First, go in peace. Command the situation to yield. If it won’t bow the knee, lay siege.

This time during which you have laid siege is the chronos time – the normal passage of time. Nothing seems to be happening. The sick person goes through the motions and cycles of the illness afflicting them. The unsaved person continues to misbehave. The business continues to struggle. Life goes on, just like it did in Jericho when the crazy soldiers marched around it and went home. But God has a plan!

Daniel says in chapter 2:21 that it is God who changes the times and the seasons. It is God who will turn your Chronos into Kairos – the appointed or set time for your miracle. Everything you desire and that needs to come into your life has a set time when it is scheduled to come. There is a set time for the turnaround of your business. A set time for healing for your loved one. A set time for prince charming to walk into your life. However, the work is done in the chronos time. In that time when it looks like nothing is happening, the Holy Spirit is busy setting a table for you. He is putting together the series of events that will bring about your breakthrough.

With every step the army took around Jericho, the walls became weaker, the foundations loosened, the mortar began to crumble. It was not visible, but every step broke something apart. By day seven all they needed was to yell and the wall fell! Whatever your Jericho is, every prayer counts, every seed sown makes a difference, every kind word spoken, every prophetic declaration, every act of faith, and every expression of faith in God. All of it counts. The walls are getting weaker and weaker. The foundations of your Jericho are shaken. Do not fear!! God has already done it. The victory is yours. The breakthrough belongs to you. Hallelujah!

Continue to lay siege to that thing and let God breakthrough for you like the breakthrough of many waters. Listen! Hear the roar of your breakthrough rushing to you! I hear the sound of the abundance of rain. I hear the rumble of thunder. The sound of a mighty downpour. There! See the lightning? Hear the thunder? It’s here!! The season of your breakthrough is here. The seasons have changed from Chronos to Kairos.

“You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time (Kairos) has come.” Ps 102:13