It’s Coming Back Better: God Is Preparing You for a Greater Version of Yourself by Apostle Marshall Blackmond

 

Scripture: Judges 16:28–30 (KJV)

There are seasons in life when everything seems to be changing, when familiar circumstances no longer fit, and when the things that once brought comfort begin to feel like limitations. These seasons can be difficult because they require more than simply believing God for something new. They require becoming someone capable of walking in what God has prepared. The message of this season is that what God is bringing back will not simply be a return to what once existed. It is coming back better. However, experiencing that greater level requires a willingness to surrender, grow, change, and allow God to transform every area of life that is standing in the way of His purpose.

One of the greatest challenges facing the church today is the condition of spiritual hunger. Many people are searching for something to satisfy an emptiness within them, particularly those who grew up experiencing a lack of something important in their lives. When a person is unfulfilled, an appetite develops, and that appetite can lead to the pursuit of things that were never intended to satisfy. Spiritual hunger without a desire for truth can become dangerous because people eventually become willing to accept anything that temporarily fills the void. Scripture warns of a famine, not necessarily for the preaching of the Word, but for hearing the Word of the Lord. The problem is not always that truth is unavailable. Sometimes the problem is that people have lost their appetite for it.

Jesus said that His sheep know His voice and will not follow the voice of a stranger. Recognizing His voice requires a genuine relationship with Him and a desire to walk according to His truth. This is especially important in a generation where the boundaries of holiness are increasingly being neglected. Holiness, however, cannot be reduced to outward appearances, clothing, hairstyles, or religious traditions. It begins with the condition of the heart and is demonstrated through the way people treat one another. Hebrews 12:14 declares, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” A person cannot claim to pursue holiness while consistently mistreating others. Spiritual gifts, church involvement, titles, and outward expressions of religion cannot replace the responsibility to walk in love, peace, and integrity.

Another danger is becoming so focused on ministry, recognition, and personal success that the pursuit of greater things becomes more important than the relationship with God and the people around us. There is always another level of glory, but reaching it requires more than pursuing outward accomplishments. It requires becoming the person God has called us to be. Harriet Tubman’s words about reinventing herself after discovering who she was called to become illustrate an important principle: recognizing a calling requires a willingness to change. Many people have become comfortable with versions of themselves that cannot carry the responsibility of their next assignment. Growth requires the courage to leave behind old habits, attitudes, mindsets, and approaches that no longer belong in the future God is preparing.

This process is closely connected to consecration. Consecration is not limited to giving up sinful behavior. It also involves surrendering things that may be perfectly permissible but that God is asking someone to release for the sake of a greater purpose. Joseph provides an example of this principle in Genesis 41. When Pharaoh summoned him to interpret a dream, Joseph shaved and changed his appearance before entering Pharaoh’s presence. The moment required an adjustment, and Joseph made it. In the same way, moving into a new season may require changes that seem small but are necessary for the assignment ahead. Sometimes the issue is not whether something is sinful. The question is whether it is something God is asking to be surrendered.

True consecration means being willing to deny personal desires, preferences, and even legitimate rights when obedience requires it. It is the decision to place God’s will above personal convenience. The more a person becomes willing to surrender, the more room there is for God’s power to operate. Many desire spiritual authority and greater anointing without understanding the personal sacrifice that accompanies them. The price of power involves dying to self. It means controlling the tongue when there is an opportunity to respond, remaining silent when emotions demand an answer, and choosing integrity when retaliation seems justified. There are moments when the greatest demonstration of spiritual maturity is not what is said but what is deliberately left unsaid. Passing those tests requires discipline, humility, and a willingness to allow God to govern personal reactions.

Knowing personal identity is equally important to spiritual development. A lack of identity often comes from a lack of exposure. People frequently limit their expectations according to what they have seen, experienced, or been taught. When life has been confined to the same environment, relationships, and opportunities, it becomes difficult to imagine possibilities beyond those boundaries. This is why expanding one’s perspective is so important. Growth may require traveling beyond familiar surroundings, meeting different people, learning new things, and allowing exposure to broaden expectations. Sometimes what God is calling someone into cannot be found in the environment where that person has become comfortable.

Peter’s experience in Matthew 14 demonstrates this principle. When Jesus called Peter to come out of the boat and walk on the water, Peter had to leave the security of what was familiar. The other disciples remained in the boat, but Peter responded to a call that required him to step into something he had never experienced. The lesson is that some opportunities require leaving behind familiar places and refusing to wait for everyone else to understand or participate. There are assignments that cannot be fulfilled by remaining attached to the limitations of the environment that once provided security. What appears impossible from inside the boat may become possible through obedience to God’s voice.

Limited exposure can also produce jealousy and intimidation. When people do not understand their own identity, they may become threatened by the accomplishments, appearance, gifts, or opportunities of others. Instead of recognizing another person’s progress as evidence of what is possible, insecurity causes comparison and criticism. However, a secure identity does not require constant recognition, titles, or validation from other people. Spiritual authority is not established by a title but by the evidence of a person’s life. In Acts 19, the sons of Sceva discovered that spiritual authority could not be imitated through religious language or association with a name. The evil spirit acknowledged Jesus and Paul but questioned their own identity. The central issue was not what they called themselves but whether there was genuine spiritual authority behind their words.

This makes it important to examine the fruit of the people who provide guidance and influence. Advice should not be accepted simply because it comes from someone familiar, someone with a particular title, or even someone connected through family relationships. Wisdom requires discernment. Not everyone who has an opinion has the experience, character, or fruit necessary to provide sound direction. Sometimes people closest to a person can unintentionally encourage the same limitations they have experienced themselves. Their expectations may be shaped by their own disappointments, failures, or fears. Moving forward requires the ability to recognize which voices are helping and which ones are reinforcing limitations.

Exposure can also provoke a desire for something greater. In Acts 3, Peter and John encountered a man who had been lame from birth and who regularly begged for assistance. When he asked them for money, Peter declared that silver and gold they did not have, but what they possessed they would give in the name of Jesus Christ. The man received healing. Before this encounter, the man had fastened his eyes upon Peter and John. The message draws attention to the significance of what people see and the influence exposure can have on their expectations. Abraham also received a promise from God that involved looking toward the heavens and counting the stars. God used what Abraham could see to help him understand the magnitude of what had been promised.

Sometimes a greater vision begins by being exposed to something that previously seemed impossible. Being around people who have accomplished things that once appeared beyond reach can expand expectations and create a new appetite for growth. Hannah’s experience provides another example. In 1 Samuel, Peninnah’s provocation contributed to Hannah’s deep desire for a child. What initially appeared to be a painful experience became part of the circumstances that intensified her pursuit of what she desired. Not every form of provocation is meant to produce jealousy or bitterness. Sometimes seeing what is possible should inspire a greater desire to pursue God’s purpose. The challenge is to become provoked by possibilities rather than intimidated by someone else’s progress.

The transformation of Jacob into Israel offers another powerful picture of becoming. Jacob and Israel represent two different stages in the life of the same man. Jacob was associated with deception, scheming, and manipulation, while Israel represented the identity connected to God’s promise. The transformation illustrates that receiving a promise does not mean every part of the former identity has already been changed. God may have to reform a person’s character, thinking, and behavior before that person can fully walk in the calling. Isaiah 43 speaks of God’s forming and creating His people, pointing to His ability to shape and establish what He has purposed.

Sometimes what feels like warfare is actually reformation. The internal struggle may come from resisting the closing of an old chapter or attempting to preserve an identity that God is calling to change. Becoming Israel required leaving Jacob behind. In the same way, stepping into a greater future requires allowing certain former attitudes, behaviors, and attachments to die. This is particularly important for men and women who desire greater responsibilities but were never taught how to maintain the life they are praying to receive. The prayer must eventually move beyond asking God to provide something and include asking Him for the wisdom, character, discipline, and understanding necessary to maintain it.

The biblical language of redemption, restoration, and renewal also carries this idea of being brought back. The prefix “re” communicates the idea of doing something again. Redemption is not simply receiving something new; it is being brought back into the place and relationship God intended. Before the creation of the world, God already existed beyond the limitations of time. He is not confined to the past, present, or future as human beings experience them. God knows the beginning and the end, and nothing that happens within the boundaries of time takes Him by surprise. What may appear uncertain from a human perspective is already fully known to Him.

Jeremiah 1:5 declares that God knew Jeremiah before forming him in the womb and ordained him before his birth. This reveals that God’s purpose precedes human existence. Salvation, therefore, is not merely a decision made in response to a religious message. It is also a response to the God who has known, called, and purposed His people. Jesus said in John 10 that His sheep know His voice. Even amid the noise and distractions of life, His voice can reach a person and call that individual back into relationship with Him.

This understanding provides confidence when facing opposition. If God’s purpose existed before the challenges of the present, then present circumstances cannot automatically erase what He has established. The enemy may attempt to discourage, distract, intimidate, or destroy, but God’s calling remains greater than the opposition. Romans 8:33 asks, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect?” The account of Balaam in Numbers 23 also demonstrates that God’s blessing cannot simply be reversed by someone attempting to pronounce a curse. The message emphasizes that the identity and blessing established by God are not easily erased by the actions of other people. Psalm 139:5 describes the protection and presence of God surrounding His people, while Job 1 illustrates the hedge of protection that God placed around Job.

Redemption and restoration bring people back into alignment with their rightful place in God. Being lost can be understood as being separated from a place where there was once a connection. Through redemption, God restores what has been disconnected and brings people back into relationship with Himself. Even when circumstances create feelings of distance, discouragement, or uncertainty, those feelings do not determine whether God’s hand is still upon a person’s life. The call is to return to alignment with His purpose and recognize that the blessing and calling of God have not been erased by difficult experiences.

The account of Samson in Judges 16 provides the concluding picture of the message’s central theme. Samson had been called and empowered by God, but his life was also marked by choices that eventually led to his downfall. After the Philistines captured him, took his eyes, and placed him in captivity, Samson found himself in a position that appeared far removed from the strength and purpose he had once demonstrated. Yet, in his final moments, he called upon the Lord and asked for strength one more time. He placed his hands against the pillars supporting the Philistines’ gathering place and pushed with all his might. The building collapsed, and the Scripture records that the number of people Samson killed at his death was greater than the number he had killed during his lifetime.

Samson’s final act demonstrates the extraordinary significance of his last moment of strength. His story is a reminder that a person’s present condition does not necessarily reveal the full measure of what God can still accomplish. The man who had been reduced to captivity and humiliation was able to accomplish something greater in his final act than he had accomplished throughout his previous life. His story gives weight to the declaration that what is coming back is coming back better. The greater purpose is not simply to return to an old position but to recognize that God can still work through a life that has experienced loss, failure, and significant change.

Ultimately, becoming everything God has called someone to be requires a willingness to surrender the old, embrace transformation, expand personal vision, and develop an identity rooted in God rather than human recognition. Greater opportunities require greater preparation, and greater responsibility requires the character to maintain what has been received. The process may involve leaving familiar environments, changing relationships, controlling personal reactions, and surrendering things that once seemed necessary. It also requires recognizing that opposition does not have the final authority over a life that belongs to God. The former version cannot always accompany the new assignment. Just as Jacob had to become Israel, every believer must be willing to allow God to complete the work of transformation. What God is preparing is not merely a return to what once was. It is a call to become better, walk in greater purpose, and experience the fullness of what He has ordained.

 

He Hears He Cares Ministries International Apostle T’Nita Perry Church Address: 111 First Street Elizabeth, NJ 07206 Contact Information: prayerworks@hehearshecares.com 908-409-8002