Suzette Hattingh - How Do We Handle Adversity

I am asked to share with
you

How do we Handle
Adversity. And when

things are going really
difficult. And you know,

especially if there is a
something in our lives,

that is taking a long
time. Now, in the

beginning, when people
are sick, everybody prays

that everybody is there.
And when that sickness

becomes a long term
thing, or over a period

of time, you see how
people are dropping away,

and they continue on, and
they continue with their

lives, and that person
find himself into a

lonely place. And that's
actually also true. I

have found now in
COVID-19 time, in the

beginning, everybody was
YALI, to do zoom

meetings, and we pray
across the world. And we

can make this through.

And so you hear this
excitement and faith and

rising up and all across
the world, people were

praying together, and
then came the second

wave, and suddenly the
second lockdown and the

third lockdown, and
people are coming to

being tired and weary,
and you don't see that

fire and that passion
anymore. So how do we

continue when things are
going wrong. And by the

way, my name is Jose
Totten, a voice in the

city. And it's my honor
and privilege to share

with you this day out of
Ecclesiastes 714. And

actually, the B part and
it's very amazing

scripture, you don't hear
sermons about it quite

often. And it says, in
the day of prosperity, be

joyful. But in the day of
adversity, consider,

surely God has appointed
the one as well as the

other out, we don't often
hear that, and accepted

like God has appointed
the one as well as the

other. Now, for
everything, there are

seasons in life, and we
all know that, you know,

there's seasons of joy
and sadness and storms.

And actually, a friend of
mine in Indonesia said

something that I have
never forgotten in the

time of 1998, when they
had the financial crash,

and he lost millions of
very, very big

businessman in he lost.
And the crash came. And

when we talk about that
he said to me, he said to

me is it says that the
storm only showed us what

is really inside. But
this will pass as well.

I'll never forget that.
The stone only shows us

what is really, inside of
us. And that is so true

of every storm. And you
know, if we are looking

at the seas of life, also
at this time, the issue

is not the wind, beloved,
the issue is how we set

the sails during the time
of the wind. It's not the

storm on the sea of life.
It's not even in the time

of how we think. But how
we set our sails and how

we handle that storm.
That is what is really

counting. And you know,
God never promised us and

that is so true. And it's
so opposite, just

Hallelujah, or let's just
move on. We are great and

wonderful and glorious.
And God never promised as

smooth sailing. But he
did promise that people

arrived the other side
and we see that

especially in Luke
chapter eight, verse 24.

And so you see, when we
look at chaos, and when

chaos breaks out, it
doesn't mean something

went wrong with us. It is
just like Bill Johnson

say, and I like what he
says, and I quote him, he

says, favor, or cows or
chaos are the tools that

transforms us, because
both are driving forces

that forms character. Let
me say that one more

time. Bill says favor or
chaos? Yeah, that's like

God said, adversity, or
prosperity. Both comes

out of the hands of God.
And he says favor or

chaos are the tools that
transforms us. Because

both are driving forces
that forms character.

Wow, what wisdom is just
in that, and I also took

a quote from john Hickey,
which I want to give to

you and he says, an oak
tree is a little seed,

that faith finds its way
to the surface in growth,

just to face the wind,
sun storms to become this

majestic tree that is
that valuable would that

even the Bible talks
about through the tree is

a little seed that fight
its way to the surface in

growth just to face the
wind, the sun, the

storms, to become that
majestic tree. That is

that way. woods that even
the Bible talks about.

Now, nowhere in the Bible
you will see that the

those that really made a
difference for God and

those that really impact
nations that they just

had plain sailing. You
see adversity, adversity,

you see this, you see
that you see difficulty

you see stones, and my
brothers and my sisters,

that will be the same for
us. Now, in this time,

many people had great
losses of families and

disaster and jobs. And
it's not easy, that is

absolutely true. But you
know, I would like to

take you with me and and
my personal opinion at

this time is that I am
convinced that God is

taking the nations at the
moment of the whole ruled

through a struggle to
develop in us we who we

are supposed to become as
the bride of Christ, for

the future

purposes of God, because
only the mature Bride of

Christ are actually able
to handle the harvest

that God wants to bring
in the revival that what

God wants to bring in,
and the miraculous that

God wants to bring in.
And I say, again, God is

at this time using all of
this in maturity, I just

said this morning to my
team, I said, I do

believe, and many, many
churches are struggling

at the moment, because
they are only on zoom,

they cannot meet like
before, and of course, I

had great compassion for
that. But I also believe

that God took us away
from the performance of

worship, to actually take
us to the true altar of

worship within ourselves
again. Now, that's quite

a statement. But to me,
so much of worship has

become the right music,
the right this the right

light, the right smoke
machines, and although

I've got nothing against
any of that, it became

like an arena, it became
like the show is the

right looks, the right
smile, the right uniform,

when actually worship is
to take us into spirit

and truth, and take us
into that place of

humility before God,
where we have intimacy

with God, that is through
worship. And so I really

believe that God is at
the moment shaking

everything that that can
be shaken, so that only

that remains that can not
be shaken. Now, that's a

hard word to say. But in
this time of difficulty,

I like to take you into
how God led me in this 42

years of full time work
for him into different

times of difficulty. Now,
I don't have the time to

tell you all of that. But
I would like to take you

actually a what I call
strategy. And I would say

that almost every battle
I personally always

administer has gone
through, I actually went

back to God and say, How
do I set the sails in

this situation? Many
times, I had no idea how

it would work. But it was
actually defined the

strategy from God for
that time for that

moment, because the
danger is in the midst of

great difficulty. And
especially for us as

pastors and leaders who
are used to do things

that have worked in the
past. We know the word we

have experience in these
things. We know how to

fast we know how to pray,
we know how to do cell

group prayer, we know how
to do 24 hour prayer, we

know how to take holy
communion and all of

these things. And so the
danger of that is is to

apply what we know
instead of to go and find

out what is God saying
now. And that's the

greatest danger in the
midst of adversity.

Why?

I see actually in Second
Chronicles 20-21, kin

Jehoshaphat put th
worshipers in front o

the army he he consulte
with the people and h

did something that nobod
has ever done before

They actually take th
little singers in fron

of all these might
soldiers. I wonder wha

the soldier should abou
that? What is this gu

doing these littl
seniors with a littl

tambourines. We are th
men of valor that kno

how to handle the swor
and know how to handl

the bow and arrow. We ar
the mighty ones had

strange for this. And no
he put these littl

singers with a littl
pampering little girl

and little men and peopl
like that in front of us

What do they know? Bu
your host the Fed had

strategy from God, w
actually see the sam

with David. We see i
Second Samuel chapte

five, verse 24, that Go
said to David, you don'

move until you hear th
sound of marching in th

mulberry trees. Wow
God's God's divin

direction at the righ
time. Now David was a ma

of war. David knew how t
flee David also knew ho

to fight and that ever
time God would say t

him, don't go around th
mountain this way, g

around it that way. An
so we see that God ha

divine strategy. Same se
the same story in firs

Chronicles 1415 and I ca
take you again and agai

and again through this
We see this in the Ol

Testament. We see tha
God clearly gave u

command in Genesi
chapter five, whe

somebody is sick, this i
what you do, you know

anoint them with al
lands, apoco the elder

and let them pray fo
you, and this and that

And so God gave us clea
direction in the world

And sometimes we can tak
that direction and mak

it a system. And by tha
we lose the guidance o

the Holy Spirit in man
of these things.

remember. And I, becaus
of time, I just gonna g

really short and I fel
just to share with yo

not really a sermon, bu
really from my heart. An

in 19, it was actually i
92, no 28 Actually, I ha

an operation on my leg
Now what should have bee

just the six weeks tin
little Odile turned ou

into 18 months in
wheelchair, three majo

operations the way the
even talk about Actually

yeah, amputating my leg
if if that last operatio

was not going to work
they would have t

amputate my leg. And s
of course, I was in

crisis. I was in a crisi
of my ministry of my lif

of my identity, of m
health of, of anythin

and everything I knew
was in the midst o

traveling for God, I ha
to cancel anything an

everything, of course
and there I was in sever

pain. And in th
beginning, everybod

fasted and prayed for me
everybody had a word fro

the Lord, everybod
encouraged me. And as th

months went on, tha
became less and less an

less and less and less
And thank God for m

team. If it was not fo
my team that stood wit

me, I don't think I woul
have made it however. Bu

there was one thing
cried out to God, I said

just helped me to kno
how shall I pray in thi

time, and God spoke t
me, it says, I want yo

to take Holy Communio
every morning before yo

eat or drink that he gav
me and then he gave m

one scripture, one. B
stellar, now that I a

God, how is it to preac
that? how easy it is t

just be still and kno
that I am God? It's

different story, to kno
that God is God in th

stillness of when yo
hear nothing. It's

different story, to hol
on to God, when it feel

like heaven is lik
brass, and you don't see

to get through. It's
different story, to hol

on to that scripture
When you come there, an

you're in so much pain
and you take that man

pain medication, that yo
feel like a zombie, an

you don't know how to g
anymore, and you fast an

you pray and you d
everything and nothin

changed. That's
different story. An

there comes a place o
hopelessness, and a plac

of where you feel
cannot continue. I jus

stopped just a few day
ago, I heard a wonderfu

intercessor that just li
before God says I canno

anymore. Yeah, man
people at that spot. Bu

God gave me a strategy
And that's everything

knew, taking Hol
Communion before God

Every morning before
ate, or before I drank

Why? Because ever
morning, I had to b

reminded of the clas
every morning as I wen

into remembrance befor
God of what the cros

meant

and what Jesus has come
for, and that for this

purpose, Christ was
revealed to destroy the

words of the evil one.
Every day, I had to

remember what it meant
when he says I was poured

out. Every day, I had to
think of what Psalm 22

really meant. And every
day it helped me to get

focused before God. And
that's the strategy got

us. People asked me
afterwards, they said,

what did you learn in
this time of 18 months in

your wheelchair? I can
tell you what I learned.

I learned God is
faithful. But more than

that, I said, You know, I
learned nothing about

God. He hasn't changed
one word. He's been

faithful all along, asked
me what I learned about

to set a mighty lot. I
can write the book of

what I learned about her.
And it wasn't always that

nice. And I tell you, I
learned that many times I

would go before God, I
couldn't pray, I couldn't

continue. I would just go
and sit there and myself

and says, I'm here. And I
take this Holy Communion

because you said I have
to when it felt like

nothing got through no
answer from God. And that

was the secret. That was
the strategy God gave me

at that time, until 18
months later, God

miraculously healed me.
But still, that was the

strategy that God gave me
and I want to encourage

you to go back and say,
How do I how do I rise up

in this time? Oh, God. So
now let's see for

actually I'll take
another time. Let me take

you to the time actually,
one of the most important

of the times when I had a
thyroid operation and my

voice and like that by
accident, my vocal cords

with electricity And my
voice was gone. And they

said to me that you've
got a 50 50% chance to

ever talk again. And I
talk I was whispering and

even that they didn't
want me to do and I'm a

preacher. Well, I'm not a
singer that I am not by

singing kills the living
and racist the dead. But,

but I'm a preacher, and I
need my voice and I need

my voice first for the
work of God. And then I

couldn't speak at all.
And I went before God and

I said, Lord, you know,
we can now call Robert

Shaka, in Jesus name, I
bind to devil, we can do

that. Or we can just go
say, Oh, well, now it's

just the way of the Lord
and I just have to accept

it. No, you go and find
out from God, what is the

strategy you need to do
at this time, be it for

your church, be it for
your life, be it for your

family, and God will
always guide you by His

Spirit into something
specifically, and I want

to take you at that time
actually, we see in the

word of the Lord in
Second Samuel 11, verse

13, that when David
humbled himself before

the Lord, when, when his
son of him and in

whichever was dying, he
didn't sleep, he didn't

sleep on his own bed. So
you know what, that's

what exactly that in my
own lounge, I went and

slept on the floor.
Nobody knew about it, I

would not go to my bed, I
slept on that heart floor

before the Lord humbling
myself, I didn't fight, I

didn't war. I could not
pray out loud. I was just

standing there before
sleeping there in the

night before the Lord,
like Samuel with a little

lamb. And I said, God,
I'm here to worship you.

I'm here to just humbling
myself before you. And I

just glorify you. By the
third night that that

happened. I woke up the
next morning, and I knew

I would talk and I am
talking again, I think

you can hear me clearly.
That is sometimes that

God might lead you into a
strategy that's being led

by the Spirit of God.
Now, how did you handle

this all the time? So is
it Well, I would say the

secret of that was
finding a strategy. But

most of all, all the
time, no matter what came

my way, it didn't matter
if it was, when I was in

the wheelchair, it didn't
matter when I had this

massive operations. And I
had to, I came to the

place where I didn't even
feel like living anymore.

To be honest, it didn't
matter if it was my fire

or death, or whatever. If
it didn't matter if I was

virtually dying before
God, of something that

that looked like cancer,
I didn't matter what it

was. There was one thing
that carried me through

all the time. And that
was Isaiah chapter 55,

verse 11, so shall my
word be that goes out of

my mouth, it shall not
return void, and to me,

but accomplish what it
was sent for. And my

print, I say unto you
today, this one thing

that will carry you, it
is the revelation Word of

God has given you in your
life, for your family,

for your child, for your
marriage, for your home,

and God Almighty is
truthful to that word.

That's why it says so
clearly. And Isaiah

chapter 27, and verse 19,
it says, For God create

the fruits of our lips.
And I would pray that

word, I held the word, I
held the vision, because

that is the only thing
that will keep your ship

in the midst of a stone
to keep direction.

It is that original word
that God has given to you

doesn't matter if it
looks as if everything

has gone wrong. It
doesn't matter if it

looks as if that is what
God said, and you are

absolutely the opposite
direction. That is what

God said, and God cannot
lie. And that's the only

thing that will carry you
through before the loving

God, I encourage you
today. Go back and find

out what did God say,
don't go to the other

person's prophecy or the
other person's

revelation, you go back
to that verse you

underline before the Lord
that He has given you for

your life and your
ministry, and go and

speak that out again. And
maybe you want to do it

in fasting and prayer.
Now that's something I

use a lot. I fast and
pray a lot. But you know

what we can also in that
get into a system that's

how you force that's how
you pray, ask the Lord,

at the moment I in my
team are on a force the

time of just stopping six
o'clock at night, taking

holy communion and we
force dinner. Now most

people are I'm fasting
this I'm fasting that are

you careful that you
don't get into a

spiritual religious
system, but don't find

out from the Holy Spirit.
What is the strategy God

has for you. And then you
take that and you start

praying the word and you
go back and take your

church back into that for
you who had this time in

a very difficult
situation. Behold, the

word of the Lord has
never changed. the

calling of God has never
changed. And that which

he has given you will
never change and God

still create the words
and the fruits of our

lives. And I encourage
you right now, that is

what will keep you going.
Faith comes by hearing

and hearing the word of
the Lord. And that's

backed by what Stand by,
you know, you might just

feel I've done that I
fasted. I prayed. I've

done it all. Go back and
do it one more time and

see what the Lord will do
for you.