TODAY’S DEVOTION (FRIDAY 30TH JUNE 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 181ST DAY OF OUR YEAR OF SIGNS AND WONDERS.
We thank God for bringing us to the end of the month. Indeed, it was out of His mercies that we were not consumed. We trust Him to keep us in the new month, even as we continue on the same flow!
In our devotional today, we will be continuing with the prophetic flow of what our divine destiny needs to be released. God has shared a lot of light on the spiritual ingredients (or call them forces) that our destiny will need to be fulfilled.
He made it clear that our divine destiny will need;
(1) A consistent relationship with Him.
(2) Countless hours with the LORD in prayer.
(3) Behaving ourselves wisely.
(4) A genuine love for God instead of love for money.
(5) A life of repentance from dead works instead of a life of secret sin.
(6) The swiftness of an eagle.
(7) A constant touch with Heaven through an effective personal prophetic hearing system.
When it comes to matters of divine destiny, prophetic independence is a necessity. You must not depend on even your spiritual father for a “thus says the LORD.” Spiritual fathering today is different from what it was before the cross. That was why people like Timothy, Titus, and the rest never depended on a “thus says the LORD” from Paul. They had their own hearing system. What Paul did was to train them to have it, and bring them up to walk with it.
Spiritual fathering today is basically for spiritual upbringing, not for telling people what God is saying. Do not make a spiritual father the voice of God in your life. He may be a prophetic hearing aid for you, but not a prophetic voice for you.
Before the cross, the fulfilment of divine destiny had no prophetic independence. Most people had to solely depend on prophets. They depended on spiritual fathers. But today we are in a New Covenant. Such dependence will ruin and not raise.
However, despite the necessity of prophetic dependence in the age before the cross, there were people in the Old Testament who never depended on the prophetic hearing of others to step into destiny, the way others did.
People like Elijah did not, Elisha also did not. He was brought up by Elijah to be able to hear God himself and the upbringing was successful. It became a pattern for our age. Also, Samuel heard God himself and unleashed his destiny same way. Eli only trained him on how to; another pattern for our age.
Daniel and the three Hebrew boys also never depended on others. Other people who never depended on others where Jeremiah, Moses, Joshua, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, and many more did not depend on any prophet. They depended on their own personal prophetic hearing systems that they developed through the spiritual upbringing of others.
Joshua was brought up by Moses, Jeremiah by his father, and Jacob must have learned everything observing his grand Dad, Abraham, and his Dad Isaac.
ABRAHAM HIMSELF MAY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP BY SHEM, THE SON OF NOAH WHO MINISTERED TO THEM IN THEIR TIME.
The way they all were raised to hear God themselves and walk with their individual prophetic hearing systems, is the way we are to be raised. They all represents a pattern of what God prepared for our generation; the release of divine destiny without depending on the fire or prophetic hearing of others.
Prophetic personalities could come in to confirm, bring us up to walk in the realm, or train us, but not initiate anything or make us depend on them for what God need to say to us.
If you study the pattern for the release of destiny after the cross, you will see what I am talking about. Each person had an encounter with the Holy Spirit to be able to release their divine destiny. No one depended on another’s encounter with the LORD for themselves. They all had their own encounters and walked in the strength of their personal prophetic hearing system to release their destinies.
In acts chapter one, you see 500 people told by the LORD to go wait in the upper room for individual encounters with the Spirit. In chapter two, 120 got because 360 must have left. The Bible says,
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4 NKJV
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS SCRIPTURE, YOU WILL REALIZE THAT EACH PERSON GOT HIS OR HER OWN TONGUE OF FIRE.
Peter did not get his own then use it for John. Andrew did not get his own then use it for Matthew. No one got his own prophetic fire and then begin to use it to direct another like it was done in the old testament, where David had to depend on Samuel, Gad, and finally Nathan for his divine destiny to be released. Each one got theirs.
The pattern for the release of divine destiny for our age and time, was laid that day. The foundation was laid. The Bible says no other foundation should anyone laid. It was a foundation of spiritual or prophetic independence.
The foundation states that, everyone must have their own spiritual equipment for the release of their divine destiny; everyone must have their own personal prophetic hearing system, even if there are prophets who may help us activate it, everyone must have and depend on his or her own fire.
You will never fulfill a divine destiny in our age and time, depending on people to prophesy to you, or hear from God for you. The New Testament foundation does not allow that. If you see people who depend on some prophets or prophetesses on matters of divine destiny, what they may be pursuing is not a divine destiny. It could be a false destiny, a natural destiny, or a demonic one altogether.
It is so absurd, to hear some pastors saying, it was other people that told them they were called into ministry, before they stepped into ministry.
They themselves had no original encounter with the LORD. It is very dangerous to pursue ministry on another person’s hearing system. There are things you should never depend on anyone’s hearing for, ministry is one of it. Do not sit under a preacher with no personal or accurate prophetic hearing system. Your own destiny will be ruined if you do.
Another aspect of divine destiny you will need a personal hearing system to pursue successfully, is marriage. No aspect of a man’s marital destiny needs the hearing of another to be fulfilled. You might need the spiritual upbringing of another, but not the hearing of another. Most people who have depended on the hearing of their pastors or friends to get or stay married, are living bitter married lives.
If you establish prophetic or spiritual dependence where the Bible says we should not, you will end up with a bitter life. That is why these words are coming. God sent them to help us. Your divine destiny will need prophetic and spiritual independence to be fulfilled.
THE NEXT THING OUR DIVINE DESTINY WILL NEED TO BE FULFILLED IS BOLDNESS AND STRENGTH.
You can call it courage! No one can fulfil a divine destiny without boldness, strength and courage to face the challenges that are usually attached to it.
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 strength, we are referring to the strength that comes from your faith in God’s power to save and deliver you even from the paw of the lion. In other words, your divine destiny will need boldness, Faith in God’s backing and courage to be unleashed.
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. The faith gave him the boldness, strength and courage he needed to fulfil his divine destiny as a giant killer.
But it did not stop there, his life was littered with the same faith and boldness.
It was faith in God’s backing that gave David, the boldness and courage to withstand and overcome the anger and venom of his mentor who became his tormentor. It was faith in God’s backing that gave him the boldness and courage, to take over the City of God that the Jebusites had occupied, and restored it to its status, calling it 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
YOUR PROSPERITY IS LYING BEHIND THE BATTLES YOU ARE AFRAID TO CONFRONT.
Your greatness is hidden in the things God designed you to destroy; things that lack of boldness is preventing you from confronting. Child of God, 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 usually 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 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. Yet, He warned him to be strong and very courageous even in the face of death. He said to him that was the condition of him seeing his outstretched hand in battle.
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.”
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 IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND PATTERNS TO EZEKIEL, JOSHUA AND OTHERS GOD CALLED TO ENFORCED THINGS ON EARTH.
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 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 Bible fathers, so shall He be with us!
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 NKJV