“A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.” ~ John 16:21
REFERENCE
John 16:19-24
EDD in medical parlance is a term used to describe the Expected Delivery Date of a pregnant woman. With every pregnancy, there is a due date the child is supposed to be birthed. Likewise, if you are ‘pregnant’ with dreams, businesses, ideas, a ministry, aspirations, or a promise from God’s Word, there is an EDD (Expected Due Date) set by God for them to come into the realm of the seen.
Perhaps you have waited a while for certain things to be birthed in your life, but they just don’t seem to be coming forth, and you are discouraged because you have seen others ‘bring forth’ in those same areas. You must realize that, as with physical pregnancies, whatever you have ‘conceived’ must go through the process of time and waiting before it ‘arrives’ on due date.
For most women, waiting during pregnancy can be emotionally demanding, especially as they get close to ‘due date.’ However, if you value what you carry and expect it to be wholesome, you have to wait. The baby develops better and stronger in the wait. Anything before the due date will be premature birth and premature births usually come with a lot of neonatal issues. Don’t be fazed by people who have already delivered what they were carrying; they only ‘delivered’ because it was their due date.
In the animal kingdom, every pregnancy has a gestation period – a cat, 2 months; a mouse, 19 days; cow, 10 months and elephant, 21 months. So, the size of what you are ‘pregnant’ with determines for how long you will carry it – hence, don’t run on another person’s calendar. Even two women who conceive the same day may not give birth on the same day.
Like any pregnancy, there can be miscarriage of the dreams and ideas you are ‘pregnant’ with. Galatians 6:9 assures us that we will reap in due season if we do not faint. This means, getting discouraged and throwing in the towel before the due date can abort our dreams or lead to ‘still birth’ – dead on arrival. Therefore, make a conscious effort to shut out the devil’s deception and doubt in your mind; refuse the voice that says you are incompetent to carry your ‘pregnancy’ to full term, and avoid people with an abortive spirit, who with their words kill your vision, destroy your passion and dampen your morale.
I know it’s been tough and discouraging, I know you are going through a lot of discomfort, discouragement and perhaps, even depression, but I say to you, lift up your head. Jesus said in our text that as soon as the child comes, the joy of the birth makes you forget the pain of the wait. I declare that your ‘pregnancy’ will end in birth, your dreams will not die within you; your EDD will come and the coming joy will swallow up the present pain. Very soon, people will come to rejoice with you, yes, they will come to patronize that business, support that dream and benefit from that project, in Jesus’ name. Don’t quit before you see the ‘birth,’ keep standing in faith, wait the gestation period out, you will bring forth on your EDD.
SCRIPTURE PHOTO
ADDITIONAL STUDY
Isaiah 66:7-11, Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 & Hebrews 6:10-12
PRAYER
Lord, I receive grace to wait and properly develop my dreams, ideas, vision, aspirations, and every assignment You have put in my spirit. I shut my ears to anything that will cause me to miscarry; and through faith and patience, I bring forth my miracle in due season in Jesus’ name.
