HAVE YOU noticed what the devil fights most is your purpose?
He tries to stop you from starting or continues to try to slow you down.
THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL never had an issue with Pharaoh until Moses told Pharaoh to let them go.
He made their work harder by removing the straws they used to make bricks. (Exod. 5:6-11)
He met them where they believed to stop them from starting.
SOMETIMES, the devil murmurs through people.
He scared King Saul and the people of Israel through Goliath for forty days. (1 Sam. 17:16-40)
He projected himself through the ten spies who returned with an evil report. (Numb. 13:25)
However, there are strategies God has given you to win every battle.
ANYONE who tries to stop you from pleasing God is an enemy of the cross.
The apostles saw this early in ministry when the leaders of the synagogues told them not to preach in the name of Jesus.
So, they returned to their company and prayed for boldness. (Acts 4:23-31)
When Satan planned to sift Peter, Jesus prayed for him. (Luke 22:31-34)
Prayer is like fuel to the fire. It sets you apart and gives you an edge.
It changes the dynamics of things.
ANOTHER STRATEGY for greatness is standing for God.
Jesus said: For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. (Mark 8:38)
God stands with anyone who stands for Him.
When the three Hebrew men were thrown into the fiery furnace, Jesus became the fourth man in the fire. (Dan. 3:24-26)
If you have the smile of God, what does it matter if you had the frown of men - Leonard Ravenhill?
WHEN YOU stand for God, you reveal the nature of God—and he never abandons his own.
The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. (2 Chron. 16:9)
THE KING feared the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites, who came to him in battle.
Jehoshaphat stood amid the people of Judah and prayed: O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven?
You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might so that none can withstand you.
O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us.
We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. (2 Chron. 20:6 & 12)
The king appointed singers to go before the soldiers. As they praised, God set an ambush against their enemies.
When you praise God, he fights your battles.
Praise is before the battle, not after—and this is how to fight your battles.
TRY DRIVING a car with a dirty windshield, and you can tell how difficult it can be.
Without a relationship with God, things are tough. Everything you seek becomes a transaction.
Moses understood this well.
AT THE burning bush, he made the greatest discovery. He saw God as the author of his destiny.
Then, at Sinai, he sought the glory of God and moved from invocation to habitation.
He became a man of his presence.
VIRTUALLY, EVERYTHING Moses did was a first. He led a nation out of captivity. Through his hands, God wrought wonders.
He knew the wilderness up to Horeb but not beyond.
His father-in-law Jethro was visiting when he noticed Moses counselling the people all day.
This isn’t the right way to do this. It is too much work for you to do alone. You cannot do this job by yourself. It will wear you out. (Exod. 18:14-24)
So, he advised him to train people and delegate things.
THE APOSTLES had to do the same.
They gathered all the disciples and told them: It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God to wait on tables.
Choose seven men among you. (Acts 6:2-3)
They put a system and strategy in place to walk in greatness.
PEOPLE have touched the heart of God by doing certain things. The apostles stuck to their calling—and this was their winning strategy.
David's strategy was worship. When he sinned by conducting a census, he built an altar. (2 Sam. 24:18-25)
At Ziklag, he wrapped the ephod around himself and worshipped. (1 Sam. 30:1-8)
You can employ what you’ve done in the past that touched God’s heart.
God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him - C. S. Lewis.
Final Thoughts
OUR PERFECT EXAMPLE lived a life of gratitude.
Before he fed the five thousand, he gave thanks. (Matt. 14:13-21)
At the tomb of Lazarus, he gave thanks. When he broke bread, he gave thanks. (John 11:41)
He was also thankful that the truth of his coming was not revealed to the world but would be understood by those searching for the truth. (Matt. 11:25-30)
Your gratitude to God will only mean something when you understand the truth and give your life to Him.