TODAY’S DEVOTION (SATURDAY 21ST October 2023)
“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.” Joshua 1:5-6 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 294TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF SIGNS AND WONDERS.
It has been 294 days of God’s mercies, compassion, peace, grace and truth on this platform. Indeed, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
God’s proceeding word on this platform has been keeping our faith alive, and helping us to sail through the storms of life. We have seen His miracles, wonders, faithfulness and greatness. We can boldly declare that, “the Spirit of the LORD has made us, and the breath of the Almighty gives us life.”
We in Christ, are matching towards a predetermined end for us, and that end is the release of our prophetic and eternal destiny. God’s ultimate desire for us is that we fulfill our destiny. We can say, God is an investor and we are His investment. You remember us making this declaration years back? That is a prophetic truth.
He has predetermined a destination for you and I, and will put anything He can in our lives to make sure we fulfill or get to that destination. That is why it is called destiny. If you are following Christ, you are on a match towards destiny. The release or fulfillment of your destiny, is God’s greatest desire or expectation of you. That is applicable to me also, and to all others who are in His kingdom.
If you look at the Bible, you will see that anyone God meets, will be quickly drafted into destiny paths. They will cease pursuing their own thing and begin to pursue His own thing. That is why, if you say you are born again, and still pursuing your own thing, it means your born again is not valid. It has question marks in it. The fulfilment of divine destiny, is usually the undying passion of those who are born again.
Today, we want to speak to those with an undying passion to release their destiny, or fulfill God’s predetermine plan for their lives. We want to look at one important ingredient that will help them unleash why they are here. I hope you are ready!
ONE MAJOR INGREDIENT YOU WILL NEED TO RELEASE YOUR DESTINY, OR FULFILL WHY YOU ARE HERE ON EARTH IS CALLED BOLDNESS.
One thing you must not entertain is fear. You see this underlying truth in the lives of those who were here on earth before us. From Noah to Moses, to Gideon and to Elijah, to Jeremiah and the rest of the prophets and apostles in scriptures, the voice of faith and courage has not ceased coming to our generation.
Their lives are examples that, no one can fulfil a divine destiny without boldness, strength and courage to face the challenges that are usually attached to it. The Power of Heaven is usually behind courageous people whose lives are tailored to divine moves and ways.
Take courage out of the lives of people who are pursuing a divine course, and you will take Heavenly backing from them. There comes a time in a believer’s life that God only stand with him if he is courageous. God has never stood with fearful men and women.
Whenever God meets fearful men and women, He will tell them “fear not.” If they obey and become courageous, you will see Him standing by them, to bring down the greatest oppositions in their age and time.
Friend, the pursuit of destiny without holding on to faith, courage and boldness, will result in destiny failure.
When Moses was sent to Egypt to unleash his destiny as a deliverer, the boldness, strength and courage he used in executing his assignment was what brought the arm of the LORD on the gods of Egypt.
When we say boldness, strength and courage, we are referring to the boldness, strength, and courage that comes from our faith in God’s power to save and deliver us, even from the paw of the lion.
It was faith in God’s backing that made David to stand confidently before Goliath and executed him with his words before the man was actually killed. Courageous men, will first kill their enemies with the sword of the Spirit, the word of the LORD in their mouth, before God move in to take them out.
That was the key of David. He was bold and courageous. He ended up fulfilling His destiny as a Giant Killer! Every child of GOD is a giant killer, because we serve the Most High God. Understand that God is not the tallest. God is the Most High! When we fight the battles of life, we fight standing on His height. So, we are giant killers by spiritual design. But none of us will ever fulfil our destiny as a giant killer, if we are fearful!
THERE IS MORE TO THIS MAN DAVID THAT WE CAN GLEAN FROM.
First, it was faith in God’s backing, that gave him the boldness and courage to withstand and overcome the anger and venom of his mentor, (Saul), who became his tormentor. It was faith in God’s backing that gave him the boldness and courage to take over the City of the Jebusites, and turn it into Jerusalem, as written in Heaven.
The Jebusites were the fiercest Demonic warriors of that time. They could disappear in battle and no mortal sword could kill them. But David went against them trusting in Divine backing. The rest is History. The Bible says;
And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.” Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).
Now David said on that day, “Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), he shall be chief and captain.” Therefore they say, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”
Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. So David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him. 2 Samuel 5:6-10 NKJV
I have said it repeatedly that our prosperity is lying behind the battles we are afraid to confront. Our greatness is hidden in the things God designed us to destroy; things that God wants us to confront, but our fear and lack of boldness is preventing us from confronting them.
I am yet to see a man who unleashed his divine destiny without boldness, faith in God’s backing and courage. The last frontier to cross over in other to step into any blessing in the kingdom is the frontier of fear and fearful things. In other words, the last frontier you will cross, before you can step into your Destiny, will require a supernatural boldness and courage, birthed in your spirit by your Faith in God’s backing.
YOU SEE THAT IN THE COMMISSIONING OF ALL THE BIBLE MEN GOD USED IN ENFORCING HIS DIVINE WILL ON EARTH AS WRITTEN IN HEAVEN.
When God called Jeremiah, He instructed him strongly to be bold and very courageous and strong against the enemy. He told him point blank that he was going to face a people who will not accept his message; a religious generation who will want him dead and buried.
But He warned him to be strong and very courageous even in the face of death. Then will He see His outstretched hand.
In fact, God literally told him, “Do not be dismayed and break down at the sight of their faces, lest I confound you before them and permit you to be overcome.” It is the same God that we are dealing with today. That is why fear must not be entertained in any battle of life. We will lose His backing if we entertain it.
You see, when it comes to facing the enemy to unleash your divine destiny either as a prophet, an apostle, a pastor, or whatever the LORD has called you to do, God will only stand as you stand. If you don’t believe me read this.
God said to Jeremiah;
“I will utter my judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.
“Therefore prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them.” Jeremiah 1:16-17 NKJV
The same word was passed to Ezekiel, Joshua and others that God called to enforced things on earth, but in different languages. Our devotional text today contains the language God used in passing same message to Joshua.
A major highlight says; “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage…”
Meaning, it takes being “strong in faith and bold” in the face of the enemy, to come into the realm of God’s glory, where no man will be able to stand before you in the release of your divine destiny. God literally handed over those Joshua was to confront into Joshua’s hands, but the key to seeing that happen practically, was being bold and courageous in battle.
As we bring this to a close, I want you to understand that many have refused to accept the call of God upon their lives basically because of fear. Others have refused to stand strong against the enemies God designed them to kill because they are fearful and weak. There is no ounce of courage in them to do the will of God because they lack faith in His backing!
God wants all that to change hence sending this word to us this day! I am fully persuaded that if we make this devotional our meditation, and respond to it by becoming bold and strong in the release of our divine destiny, no man will be able to stand before us all the days of our life. As God was with our fathers, so shall He be with us! Amen.
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY;
Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9