We may ask, God, why haven’t you sent me this miracle when it was there all the time. Or God, why haven’t you done this for me? It was there all the time. Or God, why haven’t you called me to do this? And that calling was there all the time, and you just didn’t realize it was there all the time.

     When Richard was younger, he did not want to be a preacher. His father Oral Roberts was a preacher. And he loved his dad, but the persecution, especially from Christians, that he watched his father go through was so horrific that it tainted him from ever wanting to be in the ministry. Even though he knew God had called him to sing. He knew God had called him to gospel music. He knew God had called him to preach. But he didn’t want to do it. He had talents in other areas.

     So, it was easy for him to ignore it, because he was really, really good at other things. But his calling was there the whole time waiting for him to say, “Okay.” And as I thought about that, I began to look up things that were there all the time, but we paid no attention to them. How they could have blessed us, but we paid no attention to them.

     There’s a story about a man that took a boat to go from the country he was in to come to the new world. He barely had enough money to pay for the ticket to go. In order to have enough food for the trip, he brought bread and cheese and just enough provision that he thought would get him to the new destination. But it didn’t. Others on the ship noticed that when it came time to eat, he’d always hide out in his room. He would eat his little bit of cheese and his little bit of bread until there was nothing. And he was at the point of starving.

     One day he was having a conversation with someone on the trip who said, “Why don’t you come to dinner with us? We miss you. We’d like to fellowship with you.” He said, “I can’t afford the food. I can’t afford to come to the dinner.” And the man looked at him and said, “It’s in the price of the ticket. It was there all along. You could have come the entire time because it was already included in the price. The price was paid.”

So, now I want to ask you, what’s already included in the price that Jesus paid? Is your calling, your physical healing, your obedience, your financial healing, healing in your mind, healing in your soul, your salvation, just waiting for you? What was there already included in the price Jesus paid on the cross? Instead of trying to make it on our own, what has Jesus promised through His work on the cross that has been there all along?

     As I was looking for materials on this subject, I found out something very unique about company logos. The FedEx® logo has an arrow in the center of it–to show it’s going somewhere. I never noticed it before. And, in the middle of the BR in the Baskin-Robbins® logo, lies a 31 representing their 31 flavors. But I never noticed it. And you know, I’ve actually gone to Baskin-Robbins® many times. You’d think I’d have noticed it, but I never did.

      And, in the word Tostitos® on the chip bag–there are two people with chips dipping into salsa on the word tostitos! I never noticed anything like that. On the different logos for the Bronx Zoo, there are animals almost hidden or reflected in the words. And just because I never noticed it, doesn’t mean it wasn’t there all along.

     And look at Jesus’ work on the cross… I believe healing was there all along for more than 2,000 years. Salvation was there all along waiting for people to receive it. And you might think, well, I can’t get saved because of this or that. But because Jesus went to the cross, the Bible says in Romans 10:13, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” It was there all along.

The song says “He was there all the time, waiting patiently for you.” What is it that’s waiting for you? Is it salvation? Is it a new job opportunity? Is it a family? Is it an opportunity for answering your calling? Is it an opportunity to sing somewhere? Is it an opportunity to write a book? Is it an opportunity to do something that you’ve waited and waited to do, but you thought it’d never come to pass, when actually the opportunity has been there all along?

     One of the more unusual stories that makes me want to laugh and cry is when I think about my father-in-law, Oral Roberts, when he got saved and healed of tuberculosis. He began to preach at about 19 years old and he would go most anywhere someone would have him speak.

     One day, he received a call for “Brother Roberts.” Now think about that in Christianity. Sister Lindsay, Brother Oral, Brother Roberts. That was a kind mark of respect, so to speak ,or even saying you’re part of our family. So, he got an invitation for Brother Roberts to preach. But when Oral Roberts showed up, they said, “Who are you?” And he said, “I’m Brother Roberts.”

     They said, “You’re not Brother Roberts.”

     “I’m Oral Roberts. I’m Brother Roberts.”

     They said, “We want Ellis Melvin.” Oral said, “Ellis is my father.” And they said, “We don’t know who you are, but whoever you are, we don’t want you.” And they made him leave because he wasn’t the Brother Roberts they were looking for. They had Oral Roberts leave from a meeting to pray for the sick.

     Throughout his lifetime, Oral Roberts became one of the most recognizable healing evangelists of all time. But can you imagine the day they kicked him out because they didn’t recognize him. I wonder how many times have we removed or never thought about Jesus in the process of a job opportunity or clear direction  where to go, or who to be with, or what He’s called us to do when He was there all along waiting patiently? If I could hit the reset button and go back and redo, I don’t know how many redos I would redo! 

How many things could we do differently if we just take the time to inquire of the Lord and find out He was there all along? Just like the FedEx logo, the zoo, and the Tostitos.

     I believe God has so much for us. And if you’re struggling…maybe you’re struggling in your finances, maybe you’re struggling in your calling, or in something you’re thinking about doing or maybe you don’t even know why you’re struggling. I believe God is there for you and has been there all along.

     Today I encourage you to inquire of the Lord and watch what happens. I pray you invite Jesus in to help you make the right decisions and that God hears and answers your prayers in Jesus name, amen.