IN PLACE

(The Secret of Thriving)

Key Scripture: “And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.” — Luke 14:17 (KJV)

Introduction: All Things Are Now Ready

The words of Jesus in Luke 14:17 reveal one of God’s eternal principles — divine preparation precedes divine invitation. Before the invitation was sent, everything needed for the feast had already been prepared. The man in the parable symbolizes God Himself — the Great Provider — who never calls us into what He has not already made ready.

When God invites us into destiny, purpose, or assignment, He has already set everything in place. The table is furnished. The provision is ready. The environment has been prepared. God never sends His children on a mission without making provision for their journey.

Psalm 23:5 says, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.”
Before the battle begins, God has already set your victory table. Before the challenge arrives, the solution is waiting. God is not surprised by your need — He has already gone ahead of you.

1. God’s Principle of Preparation

From Genesis to Revelation, we see a consistent principle: God prepares before He places.

Before He created man, He first formed the heavens, the earth, the animals, the trees, the waters, and the atmosphere. Genesis 2:8–9 says, “And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.”
Notice the order — God planted the garden before He placed Adam in it.

God did not form Adam and then ask him to find his way in a wilderness. Everything Adam needed for life and assignment — provision, beauty, fellowship, and work — was already present. Adam’s responsibility was to cultivate what God had already made ready.

That is still how God works today. Before you were born, He had already made ready every resource, opportunity, and helper you will ever need. Jeremiah 1:5 confirms this: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee.”
You are not an accident; you are a product of divine arrangement.

2. The Seed Principle

God never gives us the harvest fully grown. He gives us a seed with the potential of the harvest within it. Genesis 8:22 declares: “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest… shall not cease.”
The principle is consistent — whatever God gives starts small but grows as we nurture it.

Let’s look at a few biblical examples:

  • Abraham: God promised to make his descendants as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5). Yet, it began with one son. His son was Isaac (Genesis 21:1–3). From one seed, nations were born.
  • Moses: All he had in his hand was a rod (Exodus 4:2). But with that rod, the Red Sea parted (Exodus 14:16). Water flowed from a rock (Numbers 20:11). Signs were performed in Egypt. What you hold may seem ordinary — but in God’s hand, it becomes extraordinary.
  • David: As a shepherd boy, he faced Goliath with a sling and five stones (1 Samuel 17:40–50). That small tool became the key to his destiny. Later, as king, he wielded the sword of authority. God starts you with what fits your season.
  • Joseph: His journey began with a dream (Genesis 37:5). That dream seemed insignificant at first, but it carried the map of his future. In prison, the same gift of dream interpretation worked in obscurity. It brought him before Pharaoh (Genesis 41:14–16). From there, he ruled Egypt. The seed was in him all along.
  • Daniel and His Friends: Only four Hebrew youths stood faithful in Babylon (Daniel 1:6–20). Yet, their influence reached the throne of the greatest empire of their time. God can use the few to change the many.
  • Esther: She was just an orphan girl and seemed powerless. However, through prayer and fasting (Esther 4:16), God gave her favor before the king (Esther 5:2). She delivered an entire nation.

Whatever God has called you to do, He has already placed a seed of that greatness in or around you.

3. Jesus: The Perfect Example of Divine Preparation

Even the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ followed the same divine order.
Before His birth, God prepared every detail. These include the virgin womb (Isaiah 7:14) and the lineage of David (Luke 1:32–33). He arranged the prophetic timing (Daniel 9:25) and even the Roman government’s census. This census brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1–7).

When Jesus began His ministry, He found everything ready. John the Baptist had already prepared the way (Matthew 3:1–3). The disciples were waiting to be called. The multitudes were hungry for truth. God had aligned the systems, the people, and the times for the manifestation of His Son.

And when Jesus was about to leave the earth, He ensured that everything was also prepared for the next phase. He said in John 14:16, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.”
The Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), equipping the Church to carry the message from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

Christ cleared every obstacle through His death and resurrection, triumphing over Satan (Colossians 2:15), and ensuring the Church would thrive. Before He said “Go ye into all the world” (Mark 16:15), He made sure the power to fulfill that mandate was in place — “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you” (Acts 1:8).

4. The Power of “Such As I Have”

Peter and John understood this truth perfectly. When they met the lame man at the Beautiful Gate, they said, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6)

They didn’t focus on what they lacked — they used what they had. The man was healed instantly. The secret to thriving is not in chasing what you don’t have, but in recognizing and using what God has already placed within your reach.

2 Peter 1:3 declares, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.”
“All things” — not some things. Everything you need to thrive spiritually, financially, emotionally, and in destiny — has already been given. You are not waiting for it; it’s waiting for you to recognize it.

5. Elijah — God’s Provision in Every Season

Elijah’s life is another clear example. When drought hit the land, God had already arranged provision:
“And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.” (1 Kings 17:4)

When the brook dried up, God said again, “Arise, get thee to Zarephath… behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.” (1 Kings 17:9)
Notice the word “there.” The provision was tied to a location — the place of obedience.
When you are in the place God has appointed for you, everything you need will be in place for you.

Psalm 37:23 reminds us, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD.”
If God ordered your steps into a place, you can be sure He has ordered your sustenance there.

6. Modern Witness — A Living Example

This divine principle is evident even in our generation.
Look at Rt. Rev. Dr. Ayuba Matawal, our Bishop and founder of Rescue Force Ministry Inc. From Bokkos Local Government Area in Plateau State, Nigeria — a place many might consider small or remote — God has raised a global voice. From that humble beginning, the ministry now impacts nations.

This very month, our Bishop will be ministering in Poland and Kenya, proving that when you are in the place God has ordained, He puts everything in place for you. The place may look small, but the assignment is global. God’s blessing is not in the size of the location, but in the obedience to His positioning.

Isaiah 60:22 says, “A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.”
When you stay in your God-ordained place, you will multiply and thrive beyond human understanding.

7. The Secret of Thriving

The secret of thriving is not in striving, but in alignment.
When you are rightly positioned, provision flows naturally. God’s grace meets you in place.

Ephesians 1:3 declares, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”
The blessings are already there — waiting for your alignment.

You don’t have to chase success; you have to stay in obedience. You don’t have to manipulate opportunities; you have to remain where God placed you. When you are in place, He will ensure everything is in place.

Conclusion: Everything Is Already Ready

Beloved, before your arrival on earth, God had already prepared everything concerning your life.
Your purpose, your gifts, your helpers, your opportunities — all are in place. Stop looking far away; look within and around. The treasure is closer than you think.

Just as Adam found everything ready in Eden, so has God arranged everything for your destiny.
Just as Joseph found his promotion in the very place of his pain, so will your miracle emerge from where you are.
And just as Jesus found every prophecy fulfilled, you too will find every promise established in your life.

When you walk in obedience and faith, you will experience the reality of Luke 14:17 —
“Come; for all things are now ready.”

So stay in The Place, and you will see that God has already put everything in place for you.