Starting Over With Nothing
(S.O.W.N.)
Starting over can be devastating. Especially when you are forced to start over with absolutely nothing! If you are walking down that dark corridor, I urge you, don’t give up! Whatever your circumstances, know this; it is not the final chapter in your life. It’s just a page. A page that gifted speaker and best selling author, Ed Gray is going to help you turn and get on with your life! Whether you’ve suffered a broken heart, a divorce or experienced a major financial setback such as a loss of job, house, car or bankruptcy, get ready because your best is yet to come!
by Ed Gray
(S.O.W.N.) Starting Over With Nothing
“The truth is, a kernel of wheat must be planted in the soil. Unless it dies it will be alone--a single seed. But its death will produce many new kernels--a plentiful harvest of new lives” (John 12:24, NLT).
Jacob in the Bible worked 21 years for his father in law, Laban and created much wealth for him. However, Laban did not want him to share in the wealth. To gain his freedom, he struck a deal with his father-in law. “Let me go through all your sheep today and remove every sheep that is speckled or spotted, every dark colored sheep among the lambs, and the spotted and specked among the female goats [Such] will be my wages” (Gen.30:32, CSB)
Laban agreed. It appeared to Laban as it would to anyone with common sense, that Jacobs offer was foolish. Nevertheless, God chooses the foolish things of the world to confound those who think they are smart. (See 1 Corinthians 1:27).
Laban saw to it that Jacob was starting all over with nothing.
“Laban removed the streaked and spotted male goats and all the speckled and spotted female goats –every one that had any white on it –and every dark-colored sheep among the lambs, and placed his sons in charge of them. He put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob. Jacob meanwhile, was shepherding the rest of Laban’s flock” (Gen.30:35-36, CSB).
When you operate in accordance with God spiritual laws, a power greater than you or any mere mortal is with you. What looks like loss is pruning for greater gain. It will confuse and anger those who don’t want to see you walk into your destiny.
This is what it did to Laban’s sons. They were angered that Jacob became fabulously wealthy in the process of serving Laban. (See Gen.31:1-3)
What You See Is What You Get!
God said, “Remember that the Lord your God gives you power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant He swore to your fathers, as it is today” (Deut. 8:18). Jacob remembered. After losing everything in the natural, Jacob used the power of visualization to create abundant wealth for himself and his family.
He created an image of spotted and speckled to put before the livestock. “Jacob then took branches of fresh poplar, almond, and plane wood, and peeled [the bark], exposing white stripes on the branches. He set the peeled branches in the troughs in front of the sheep –in the water channels where the sheep came to drink. And the sheep bred when they came to drink. The flocks bred in front of the branches and bore streaked, speckled, and spotted young” (Gen.30:37-39).
The Bible tells us in Gen.30:43 that Jacob became very wealthy. He used the power of visualization, which is a key ingredient in the power to get wealth.
I Have S.O.W.N., Started Over With Nothing And Won!
As a result of the loss of a six-figure job, divorce and bizarre call to write a book during this tragic ordeal, it appeared that I was losing everything. As for the home that my ex wife and I shared, the Lord said through several friends of mine to let it go.
However, I felt as if I had been taken advantage of enough and I wanted to fight for the house. The Lord spoke to me in a dream and showed me that he was taking me up higher.
He also spoke to me directly in a word L.I.G.H.T. informing me that I needed to walk in the L.I.G.H.T (Let It Go; Have To). To rise I had to let go of my attachment to things.
Upon receiving confirmation from God, I let go of the thought of fighting for the house. It was during this time that the Lord taught me the process of how I would start over with nothing and grow abundantly, using the power of visualization and prophesy to speak life to areas of my life that seemed dead.
The Lord called me to write my first book, “40 Days to a Life of G.O.L.D. G.O.L.D.” during one of the most difficult times in my adult life. He also told me I would be a best-selling author. Knowing what I was going through at the time and understanding publishing, this seemed like the most foolish thing I could have embarked upon.
Getting published is an arduous task to say the least. More than 98% of all books written never get published and most of the books that are published don’t sell more than 1800 copies!
I clipped out of magazines, images that reflected the vision God gave me for my life and pasted them on white art board I have hanging in my bedroom. I also put sticky notes as reminders of the vision. One of them read, “Ed Gray is a best-selling author.” Although the vision had not yet come to pass, I saw it every day. Through God-inspired prayer points, one of the things I fervently prayed and prophesied was that I would become a Best-Selling author.
My publisher, Judson Press has published hundreds of books in its 177-year history. My book, “40 Days to a Life of G.O.L.D.,” which was not released until July of 2004, quickly became Judson Press’ third over-all Best-Selling title in 2004. The vision had come to pass! Ed Gray is a Best-Selling author and one of 6 authors recently nominated the Atlanta Daily World’s prestigious honor of “author of the year” for 2005.
If you find yourself starting all over with nothing, do not doubt the power of God. Dig into God’s word. Ask God to show you the way. The visions that he reveals, write them down. (See Habakkuk 2:2)
The prophecies that he speaks to you, write those down as well and speak them. Do the work that God has called you to do and you will go from having nothing to gaining everything that belongs to you by Divine Right.