One morning, several years ago, I walked through Breanne’s office and looked over at Brailee’s first photo…the one from the ultra sound. As I did, I thought…Breanne needs to replace that with a real photo now that she has arrived, that was almost five years ago. I still remember it like it was yesterday.
When those words came through my mind the Lord spoke to my spirit and said ‘that photo was a shadow of things to come.’ Those words captured my attention and that day, I pondered on them for hours. A shadow of things to come.
In the New Testament I found that several times the word of God says there is a shadow of good things to come. I then decided to look up the word ‘shadow’ as it pertains to what God was showing me, let me share the definition with you.
A shadow of things to come is defined as; an image caused by an object, representing that object; an image cast by an object; a mirrored image or reflection; an indication or a foreshadowing of something to come.
In the ultra sound photo of Brailee, she was real. It was not an image of what Breanne hoped she would someday have. It was not something she was ‘wishing’ for; it was a reflection of what already was. When the photo was taken, she was a living, breathing being. She was already filled with LIFE. She was already breathing and moving. She was as real and as alive that day as she is this day.
Now, let me show you what God showed me today; every promise you see in the word of God is a shadow of good things to come. It is a shadow of those things you believe for. The word of God is a reflection, a mirrored image of what you are standing in faith for. The word of God is a foreshadowing or an indication of that promise, the literal ultrasound of things to be birthed in your life.
Those things, just like little Brailee are already alive and breathing and moving within you, can’t you feel them at times?
I once completed a word study on the word of God and found that things and words are defined as the same thing and things actually are born out of words, the words we speak become things…just as the word of God says.
When Breanne first found out about Brailee, she could feel nothing, it was only by faith in what she had been told and a feeling that we get when we are carrying a promise, that she believed she was carrying a miracle. However, as time went by, more and more she could feel little Brailee moving and kicking.
Was Brailee any more alive once she was born? Or was she just as alive when she was unborn but living, breathing and moving? Of course, she was just as alive before we saw her, we loved her before we ever held her in our arms…that was how real she was to us.
That is exactly how the word of God works. You plant the seed and it begins to grow. You water it with your words and it grows daily. Every time you speak the word of God, it grows…becoming more and more real to you…yet no more alive than when you first planted the seed. As you continue to speak the word and as it continues to grow, it cannot remain hidden forever, it must come to a time of fruition, a time of birthing, a time where you hold what you already knew as alive in your arms, in your possession.
It reminds me of something I had heard that Walt Disney’s wife said when a theme park was completed after the death of Walt Disney. The announcer said that it had finally become a reality to Walt Disney, she, Walt Disney’s wife corrected him and said ‘to Walt it was already a reality, he had already seen it, we are the ones who are just now seeing it.’
So it was with Brailee, she was already a living, breathing being, already seen with the eyes of faith and as a reflection of what was to come. And it is the same with the word of God, it is reflecting what is to come.
With all that being said; it helps to be able to see it, therefore once again I encourage you to create a vision board and put a photo of the thing you believe God for in plain sight, it will build your faith and compel you to move forward with your vision.
Something is growing in you, something is about to be born out of you, it is already alive and breathing…it is already real to you….feed it…water it with the word…and watch it spring forth.
Just as Brailee was born, your promise will be born, it will manifest and you will see it, touch it, and hold it, that is truth, however, never believe that it isn’t already alive and filled with power. The word of God is alive and filled with the Zoë life of God, the minute it was deposited in you, life sprang forth, never believe any less. God’s word, it will not fail. It will come to pass, as God said in His word in Isaiah, He will not cause us to labor and fail to bring to a time of delivery – NO! Whatever He has birthed in you, it is alive and it will come forth, just as He promised, just as Brailee did, today, that ‘shadow of things to come’ is a beautiful, healthy almost five year old little treasure. He is so faithful, so faithful, refuse to let go of His word, it is life and it is living and it WILL bring forth all you are standing in faith for…you have His word on it.
