THEY WILL NOT MEET YOU WHERE THEY LEFT YOU

TITLE: THEY WILL NOT MEET YOU WHERE THEY LEFT YOU

By Rev. Samuel Arimoro

Main Text: Acts 3:1-10 
Supporting Texts: Isaiah 60:1, John 5:1-9, Psalm 40:1-3

INTRODUCTION 
The story of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate is a powerful testimony of divine transformation. This man had been carried daily to the temple gate to beg for alms. But after his encounter with Peter and John, his story changed. He who was once immobile began walking, leaping, and praising God. Those who knew him as the beggar at the gate were astonished when they saw him inside the temple, healed and restored. This is a clear picture of God’s power to lift us out of the places of limitation and stagnation. Today, we declare that you will not remain where the enemy or circumstances have left you; God is moving you forward into His purpose for your life.

1. THE PLACE OF STAGNATION 

a) Held Back by Limitations 
The lame man was stuck at the gate, unable to move beyond his condition. Many times, we find ourselves in similar situations, limited by circumstances, sickness, poverty, or disappointments. These limitations make us feel stuck, with no hope of moving forward.

b) Daily Routine without Progress 
Every day, this man was carried to the same spot to beg. He had developed a routine that seemed normal, yet it offered no real change or progress in his life. Similarly, some people have been trapped in the same cycle for years, doing the same things but seeing no advancement.

Biblical Example: The Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9) 
The man by the pool of Bethesda had been in the same condition for 38 years, waiting for a miracle. But one encounter with Jesus changed his situation. He didn’t stay where he had been left.

2. DIVINE ENCOUNTER THAT BREAKS THE CYCLE 

a) The Power of Faith and Expectation
In Acts 3, when Peter and John met the lame man, they spoke faith into his situation. Instead of giving him money, they gave him the power of the name of Jesus, which led to his miraculous healing. Faith is key to breaking out of the places of stagnation. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20), and when we place our trust in Him, the impossible becomes possible.

b) God's Power Transforms Lives 
When God moves in your life, it is always for transformation. The lame man went from being carried to walking, from begging to praising. No one could deny the change that had occurred in him. When God steps into your situation, you will experience a complete turnaround, and people will see the evidence of His work in your life.

Biblical Example: Joseph in Prison (Genesis 41:14) 
Joseph was left in prison, forgotten by those he had helped. But when God’s appointed time came, he was lifted from the prison to the palace. Those who knew him as a prisoner saw him as a ruler, for God had changed his position.

3. THOSE WHO LEFT YOU WILL BE ASTONISHED 

a) A Visible Testimony of God's Power
After the lame man was healed, those who used to see him at the gate were amazed when they saw him inside the temple, walking and leaping. His life became a testimony of the transforming power of God. In the same way, those who left you in a place of defeat, shame, or limitation will be astonished when they see what God has done in your life.

b) You Will No Longer Be Defined by Your Past
The lame man was no longer defined by his condition. He was no longer "the beggar at the gate"; he was now a walking, praising child of God. When God changes your situation, you will no longer be defined by your past struggles, failures, or limitations. People will see the new you, the you that God has transformed.

Biblical Example:  Naomi’s Restoration (Ruth 4:13-17) 
Naomi, who returned to Bethlehem in bitterness and loss, was restored when God provided her with a grandchild through Ruth. She was no longer seen as the woman who had lost everything but as the grandmother of a child in the lineage of the Messiah.

4. MOVING FROM WHERE YOU WERE LEFT 

a) Moving into God's Purpose for Your Life 
The lame man didn’t stay at the gate after his healing. He entered the temple, a place he could not go before. Likewise, God’s deliverance is not just about getting you out of a bad situation but moving you into His purpose for your life. You will not be found where you were left; God is bringing you into new opportunities, new blessings, and new victories.

b) Disappointing Those Who Expect Your Failure 
There are those who expect you to fail, to remain in the same place of defeat or limitation. But God’s plan for you is to disappoint their expectations. They will look for you where they left you, but they will not find you there. Like the lame man, you will be inside the temple, walking in newness of life and praising God.

Biblical Example: Mordecai’s Promotion (Esther 6:1-11) 
Haman expected Mordecai to remain a lowly Jew, but God promoted Mordecai, and those who expected his downfall were disappointed. Your enemies will not meet you where they left you; God is elevating you to new heights.

CONCLUSION 
You will not remain where the enemy, circumstances, or even people left you. God’s power is at work in your life, moving you from a place of limitation and stagnation into a place of purpose and fulfilment. Like the lame man at the Beautiful Gate, those who once saw you in a state of limitation will be astonished when they see what God has done. Your story is changing, and you are stepping into a new dimension of life, victory, and breakthrough. They will not meet you where they left you!

PRAYER POINTS 
1. Father, move me from every place of stagnation into my place of purpose. 

2. Lord, break every cycle of limitation in my life. 

3. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I reject every situation that has held me back. 

4. Father, let those who expect my failure be disappointed by my testimony. 

5. Lord, lift me from every condition that has defined me negatively. 

6. I declare that I will not remain where circumstances or the enemy have left me. 

7. Father, restore every lost opportunity in my life. 

8. Lord, let my life become a testimony of Your power and grace. 

9. I declare that I am moving forward, and nothing can hold me back. 

10. Lord, let Your purpose for my life be fully realised in this season.

PROPHETIC DECLARATIONS 
1. I declare that you will not remain in the place of stagnation; you are moving forward in Jesus' name. 

2. Every cycle of limitation in your life is broken by the power of God. 

3. I prophesy that those who expect to see you in failure will be astonished by your breakthrough. 

4. You will not be defined by your past; God is giving you a new identity in Christ. 

5. I declare that every door that has been closed to you will be opened by the hand of God. 

6. You are stepping into new opportunities, new blessings, and new victories. 

7. I declare that your enemies will look for you where they left you, but they will not find you there. 

8. The power of God is at work in your life, moving you into a place of divine fulfilment. 

9. I declare that you are a walking testimony of God’s transforming power. 

10. Every limitation in your life is removed, and you are stepping into your season of greatness.