Aborted Destinies: When Offense, Delay, and Unreadiness Derail the Promise
There are times when God intentionally hides the message of deliverance, even in plain sight. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 13:13, “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” The clarity of His words was blinding to the Pharisees, not because the message was unclear, but because their hearts were hardened. The truth was too plain, too piercing. Had they truly seen and understood, they would have repented, and in doing so, they might have disrupted the divine plan of redemption. God, in His wisdom, chose to hide certain things from them to fulfill His purpose.
In hearing, they heard not. There are still people today who hear the Word of God, yet comprehension escapes them—not due to lack of intellect, but due to spiritual blindness. Sometimes, a person can be blocked from their breakthrough simply because the message has been veiled. And this veil is not always mystical or complex—it can be hidden in the simplest of ways. A parable. A sentence. A moment. A hardened heart.
The children of Israel serve as a powerful example. Though they had witnessed mighty miracles—the Red Sea parting, manna from heaven, water from the rock—they still harbored unbelief. Hebrews 3:19 tells us, “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” God saw their hearts, and instead of taking them the short route to Canaan, He led them the long way through the wilderness, testing their maturity. When they were sent to spy out the land, it wasn’t for God to learn what was in the land—it was for them to discover what was still in them. And what surfaced? Fear. Doubt. A lack of readiness to walk in what God had already promised.
God delayed them, not to deny them, but to develop them. Deuteronomy 8:2 echoes this: “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” Sometimes, people are delayed in receiving the promise not because God is withholding it, but because within them lies an inability to sustain what God wants to release.
Maturity qualifies a person for inheritance. It is not just the promise that matters, but the capacity to carry and preserve it. Galatians 4:1 explains, “Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all.” A person may be an heir by right, yet disqualified by immaturity. And the enemy knows this. Sometimes, when he cannot block the promise itself, he sows a root of offense to cause the person to disqualify themselves.
Offense is subtle, but deadly. Jesus, speaking truth, became a stumbling block to many. John 6:66 records, “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” What happened? They were offended by His words. The very words that carried eternal life were too weighty for their hearts. The enemy used offense as a tool to disconnect them from destiny.
This same tactic operates today. A person may be next in line for a breakthrough, but the enemy sends offense, pride, distraction, or fear to abort what was already theirs. Favor is ready, miracles are in reach, but if the vessel cannot hold the oil, it will leak. What qualifies a person for the promise is not the waiting time alone, but the readiness, the strength of character, and the yieldedness to the process that God requires.
Psalm 105:19 says of Joseph, “Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.” God sends His word ahead—not just to announce destiny, but to prepare the person for destiny. That word might come through correction, process, pruning, or obscurity. But many reject the process and miss the word. They pray for manifestation, yet when the preparation arrives in the form of difficulty, they harden their hearts.
Yet God, in His mercy, may delay the manifestation—not to frustrate, but to protect. He delays so that the word will not be wasted. He delays so that we may be matured enough to receive what He is about to release. Psalm 107:20 reminds us, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” But if that word is not embraced, if it finds no place to take root, it may pass by.
God is preparing a people not just to receive promises, but to carry them. The inheritance is not just for those who believe in the promise, but for those who have allowed the process to shape them into stewards of glory. The question is no longer just “Is the promise coming?” The greater question is: Are you prepared? Are you yielded? Are you matured enough to carry what God is releasing in this season?
Because sometimes, the delay is not the enemy. The delay is God saying: “Wait. I am still making you ready.
Call to Action:
This word may be the very answer you’ve been waiting for—so don’t let it pass you by.
🙏 Take a moment to pray: “Lord, help me not abort what You’re preparing me for. Mature me in the hidden place and cause me to stand in your season of promotion and excelling .”
📖 Study and meditate on Matthew 13 , Hebrews 3, Psalm 105:19, and Deuteronomy 8:2 this week.
🗣 Share this with someone who is frustrated in their season of waiting—remind them that delay doesn’t always mean denial create prayer times together for breakthrough and deliverance.
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