Seizing Your Window of Opportunity

The Violent Take It By Force

There's a peculiar verse in Matthew's Gospel that sounds almost jarring to modern ears: "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." Violence? In the kingdom of heaven? What could this possibly mean?

We live in a world saturated with violence—mass shootings, stabbings, senseless brutality playing out on our screens daily. Most of us recoil from violence. We don't want to hurt others, and we certainly don't want to be hurt ourselves. Yet Jesus speaks of violence in connection with His kingdom. How do we reconcile this with His other teachings about turning the other cheek and loving our enemies?

The Violence of Desperation

The violence Jesus speaks of isn't physical aggression. It's the violence of desperation. It's the forceful determination required to seize what God is offering. If you want something badly enough—if you truly desire the kingdom of heaven, sobriety, deliverance, peace in your home, revival in your soul—it's going to take dedicated action on your part.

Everything worth having is worth fighting for. The things that matter most don't just happen to you automatically. They cost something. They require zeal, enthusiasm, determination, prayer, and fasting. You must get desperate. You must be willing to grab hold of what God offers and refuse to let go.

The Living Bible translation captures this beautifully: "From the time John the Baptist began preaching, urgent multitudes have been crowding toward the kingdom of heaven." There's an urgency here, a pressing forward, a refusal to be denied.

The Woman Who Pressed Through

Consider the woman with the issue of blood. For twelve years she had suffered, spending everything she had on physicians who couldn't help her. When she heard Jesus was passing through, she saw her window of opportunity. The crowds pressed around Him, but she pressed harder. She crawled if she had to, thinking, "If I can just touch the hem of His garment, I will be made whole."

She didn't care if people stepped on her hands or trampled her body. She had one focus: reach Jesus. Touch the hem. Get her miracle. That's the kind of forceful faith that takes hold of the kingdom.

When Windows Open Unexpectedly

History shows us that transformative moments often come unexpectedly, and those who seize them change the world. Rosa Parks had ridden that Montgomery bus countless times before, but on December 1, 1955, she seized her moment and refused to give up her seat. That quiet, firm decision ignited the civil rights movement and transformed American society.

On November 9, 1989, an accidental comment during a radio interview about lifting travel restrictions in Berlin led to crowds gathering at the Berlin Wall. People seized that unexpected opportunity for freedom, overwhelming the guards, and the wall came tumbling down. Nobody had officially issued the order, but people recognized their moment and took it.

The Four Lepers and Their Desperate Decision

One of the most powerful illustrations of seizing opportunity comes from 2 Kings chapter 7. The city of Samaria was under siege by the Syrian army. A severe famine gripped the city. People were starving, eating trash and filth, selling any scrap of food for exorbitant prices. It was a desperate time.

Outside the city gate sat four lepers, outcasts considered unclean and separated from their families. They couldn't enter the city, and the city had no food to bring them. They were dying.

These four men faced an impossible situation. They could stay where they were and die. They could try to enter the city and die. Or they could walk to the enemy camp—where there was plenty of food—and probably die there too. Every option ended in death.

But then they asked themselves a crucial question: "What do we have to lose?" If death was certain anyway, why not die trying? Why not take action, even if it seemed hopeless?

So they got up. In the twilight, they rose to their feet and started walking toward the Syrian camp. They didn't run. They probably couldn't. With their diseased, weakened bodies, they simply started walking.

When God Amplifies Your Steps

Here's where the miracle happened. As those four lepers walked—just four pairs of wobbly legs making their way toward the enemy—God amplified the sound of their steps. He turned up the volume. To the Syrian army, it sounded like a massive Israeli army descending upon them. They panicked, abandoned everything—chariots, horses, tents, food, silver, gold—and fled for their lives.

When those four lepers arrived at the camp, they found it completely deserted and overflowing with abundance. They went from tent to tent, eating, drinking, gathering silver and gold, hiding treasures, gorging themselves on blessings.

The lesson is profound: Do something. Don't just sit there until you die. Get up and take action. You may not see your way out. The darkness may surround you. The doctor may say there's no hope. The counselor may say your marriage is finished. People may tell you your family will never be restored. But don't just sit there. Do something.

A little faith in a great big God still moves mountains. God doesn't need your ability; He needs your availability. He needs your willingness to get up and move. When you put it in drive and go, God happens. He will anoint your action. He will intervene miraculously when you step out in faith.

Don't Hoard the Blessing

After the four lepers had enjoyed their feast and hidden their treasures, one of them had a sobering realization: "We do not well. This day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace." They recognized they couldn't keep this blessing to themselves. People were dying in the city while they hoarded abundance.

This is a warning for all who have experienced God's deliverance and blessing. You weren't delivered to hide your deliverance. You weren't blessed just to occupy space. God intends for people to see what He has done in your life. When God blesses you, it's not just for your comfort—it's for His purpose.

Your Window Is Open Today

The Bible promises nothing for tomorrow. Everything is promised for today. Now is the acceptable time. Now is the day of salvation. If you want to be saved, today is your day. If you want to be delivered, today is your day. If you want to be set free, today is the day.

There is no famine in the house of the Lord. There is plenty of food. There is a name above all names—the all-powerful, majestic, glorious name of Jesus. And in that name, there is deliverance available right now.

So get up. Press your way. Reach out one more time. Seize this moment in time. You never know when it's going to grab you and not let go. The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent—the desperate, the determined, the ones who refuse to give up—take it by force.

Your window of opportunity is open. What will you do with it?

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