THE CHALLENGE isn't God not wanting to do something; it's how far we're willing to go with Him. When Ruth said to Naomi, “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God, she showed total commitment. (Ruth 1:16) Your loyalty to God must be a hundred percent—you must be knit with Him and be willing to bet your life on Him. Faith is ongoing. A LEVITE WOMAN was willing to bet her life on God when she saw that her son was especially beautiful and healthy, so she hid him for three months [to protect him from the Egyptians]. (Exodus 2) Your faith in God will knit you to Him and make you know that God has found His place in you. Faith waits. MOSES’ Mom believed, and she kept believing. Even when she couldn't continue to keep him, she thought of her next move. Simeon and Anna never stopped waiting for the Messiah as they had been promised. (Luke 2:25-38) God wants you to be forward-looking while waiting. Faith has pit stops. PIT STOPS are used for servicing and refueling. When you get to one, it's your chance to pause, pray and decide what to do next. David stopped and asked for an ephod when he reached one. (1 Samuel 30:8) At the PIT STOP , Jacob wrestled with the angel until dawn, refusing to let him go until he blessed him. (Genesis 32:24-32) Without God’s presence, the blessing was useless, and without his partnership, Jacob’s movement was measured. Without God’s presence, your movement would be measured. JESUS prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “My Father, if it is possible [that is, consistent with Your will], let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Genesis 26:39) Your pit stop is your place of revelation, where you latch onto God. Faith gives hope. UNTIL you see God as your only hope in life, God will not fully find his place in you. God did not find a place in his people when ten spies returned and said they were like grasshoppers and their enemies were giants. However, Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession of it; for we will certainly conquer it.” (Numbers 13:30-33) So faith gives God pleasure and opens the door to Him. If at any time, you can't feel God, check your faith. Psalm 61:2 says, “When my heart is overwhelmed and weak, lead me to the rock that is higher than I [a rock that is too high to reach without Your help].” Faith has an expectation. WHEN Moses’ mother could no longer hide him, she got him a basket (chest) made of papyrus reeds and covered it with tar and pitch [making it waterproof]. Then she put the child in it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. And his sister [Miriam] stood some distance away to find out what would happen to him. She looked forward to God’s intervention. Whenever you believe God for something, you must have an expectation. AFTER Mordecai took Esther to the palace, he checked on her daily because he wanted a favourable outcome. (Esther 2:11) So you cannot trust in God without believing in Him. You cannot have faith in God without an expectation from Him. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.” Faith in God does not disappoint. PROVERBS 23:18 says, “Surely there is a future [and a reward], and your hope and expectation will not be cut off.” Anything you hand over to God does not return to you without an increase. (Ephesians 3:20) Final Thought FAITH is the art of holding onto things your reason has once accepted, despite your changing moods - C.S. Lewis. So, we walk by faith and not by moods.

One of GOD’s PLANS for his children this year is to raise champions in all areas of endeavour. He wants your vision to be greater than your memory. Trophies When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, he did not try to erase his past but to establish the vision for the future. So, he told Moses what he planned to do. (Exodus 3) Likewise, God wants you to elevate his vision for your life. But will you embrace it? Will you seek him to the point where you’ll allow his Spirit to give you the words to say? Will you press in enough to hear his plans for your life? I hope you know that there are things God will not talk to you about except you probe. AT ZIKLAG , David did not know what to do until he asked God. (1 Samuel 30:8) And at Shiloh, Hannah did not stop praying until she found the right words for a praying mother. (1 Samuel 1:11) ONE WAY God raises champions is through prayer. Jesus’ disciples never got over what they saw as Jesus prayed. They saw him transfigured. As if that wasn't sufficient, he had two other people with such bodies with him, Elijah and Moses. (Matthew 17:1) God clothes you as you pray. GOD RAISES champions through revelation. When Joseph saw his family bowing to him, he believed it and anticipated it. DAVID knew he was called to be a champion. When he saw Goliath, he asked what the king would give to anyone who killed him. (1 Samuel 17:25-37) David anticipated victory and celebrated his small beginning. If you're going to do great things, you must be ready to celebrate small milestones. Then, you’ll honour your season. Honour your season— celebrate small milestones JOSEPH honoured his season when he oversaw Potiphar’s household and supervised his co-prisoners; he was grateful for where he was. (Genesis 39) James 1:2-3 says, “Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. EVERYTHING God does begins small. When he made man, he put him in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 2:15) David was faithfully tending his father’s sheep when they called him home to be anointed king. (1 Samuel 16) FAITHFULNESS attracts God. He has keen eyes for diligent, excellent and competent people. Proverbs 22:29 says, “Do you see a man skillful and experienced in his work? He will stand [in honour] before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.” PETER had fished all night and caught nothing when Jesus told him to cast his net one more time. (John 21:6) My prayer for you this year is that you'll be conscious to seize your moments. FOR YEARS , David did not live in comfort. When he had the chance to take the king’s life, he didn't. He handed the king over to God. (1 Samuel 25:10) To be a CHAMPION , you must understand the weapons of your warfare and know what weapon to use. When Israel faced their enemies, God told them that they wouldn't fight in the battle. (2 Chronicles 20:17) NEHEMIAH knew only God could do something when the state of Jerusalem saddened him. So he asked God to give him favour with the King Artaxerxes. (Nehemiah 1:11) To be a champion for God, anything that matters to him must be important to you. DANIEL walked in wisdom as he told their handler, the head of the eunuchs, to test them. To be God’s champion, you must be wise. NEHEMIAH approached the king, ready to make requests. God wants you to be prepared as you walk through 2026—it's a year of opportunities. Champions see tests and temptations as stepping stones to greatness. GOD’s WORD in your life will be tested and proven. (Psalm 12:6) So your test will precede your testimony. Champions anticipate God’s testimonies. YOU CANNOT become God’s champion without a testimony of God’s goodness. Paul put it this way: We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-12) Champions see themselves in the volumes of the book. GOD told Joshua the secret to audacious success was in the scriptures. (Joshua 1:8) As you speak the scriptures over your life, you become the one you seek. Champions understand their calling. When the SYROPHONECIAN WOMAN pleaded with Jesus to heal her daughter, he told her that he was called only to the lost sheep of Israel. (Matthew 15:24) Jesus understood his calling. Champions appreciate a small beginning. Philippians 2:8-11 say, “After He was found in [terms of His] outward appearance as a man [for a divinely-appointed time], He humbled Himself [still further] by becoming obedient [to the Father] to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name. Final Thought GOD raises champions. He will not use a champion not raised by him.

The difference between something good and something great is the attention to detail—Chuck Swindoll. King Solomon was given to details. (1 Kings 6:38) Unsurprisingly, after his coronation, when Hiriam, King of Tyre, reached out to him, he knew he wanted to maintain the peaceful relationship he had with his father. While Hiriam provided him with pine and cedar logs and skilled artisans for the construction of the temple, Solomon supplied his household with olive oil and wheat. (1 Kings 5:1-13) Hiriam honoured the diplomatic relationship he had with David. As OUR GIFTS warm the hearts of men, so they touch the heart of God. Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. (2 Chronicles 7:5). That very night, God appeared to Solomon. He told him that he had heard his prayer and chosen the place for himself as a temple for sacrifices. (2 Chronicles 7:13) WHEN you give God his rightful place, he puts his name on you, and when your gift touches his heart, he establishes you. Simeon and Anna’s gift of trust touched God’s heart, and he established them. They did not see death till they saw the Messiah. (Luke 2:25-38) AFTER Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to seek him. They went to Herod’s palace because Jesus was royalty, thinking he would be there, but he wasn't. Herod told them secretly to find him, and afterwards let him know that he might go and worship him. So, the star that the magi had seen in the east went on before them, until it came to rest over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced greatly. And when they entered the house, they saw the child and Mary, and fell to their knees and worshipped him. THE MAGI opened their treasures and gave him a gift of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:1-12) Gold was a highly valued precious metal in Jesus’ day. It was a symbol of royalty. The magi knew that Jesus belonged to the royal court of heaven, so they brought him a fitting gift—a symbol of incorruptible beauty and a testament to a coming king. They gave him frakinsense , which was extracted from Boswellia trees. Incisions are made on the bark of the tree, which causes a milky sap to bleed out and harden into aromatic tears, which are harvested. The oil is extracted from these. Frakinsense was used in religious worship, symbolizing the priestly deity, Christ. The magi gave him myrrh , which was used in perfumes and as an embalming oil. It was also used to dull pain. No wonder, while he was on the cross, they gave him a drink that contained myrrh, but he refused it. He did not want to kill the pain he suffered on the cross. (Mark 15:23) HOW will someone give such a gift to a newborn? The magi walked the prophetic. They acted like people who knew that Jesus was born to die. They gave him gifts that pointed to why he came. WHAT can you give God this season? You can do a similar thing to what the Magi did. They recognized his kingship , his worship and his lordship. Your worship will only be complete when you accept him as Lord and Saviour. You cannot say you believe Him without confessing Him With the heart, you believe in righteousness. With your mouth, you confess unto salvation. (Romans 10:10) As you confess Him as Lord, you affirm his coming. Have a Merry Christmas!

MANY TIMES , we start well with the desire to finish strong, but our situations say otherwise. They say otherwise when our goals aren't met, and things do not go as planned. THINGS did not go as planned when Paul’s handler did not listen to him. He set sail, and they ran into a dreadful storm, and all hope of being saved was lost. However, after many days, God’s angel stood before Paul and told him not to worry that he would stand before Caesar. (Acts 27:1-20). Alignment PAUL watched his alignment and realized that God’s promise would still endure. When God said to Cain, “If you do well [believing Me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to Me], will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well [but ignore My instruction], sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you [to overpower you], but you must master it.” (Genesis 4:7) God wanted him to watch his alignment—who he was becoming. Watch your alignment—who you're becoming Likewise , as this year comes to a close, God wants to keep you safe. He does not want you to go back to Egypt. WHENEVER you allow your flesh to dominate your spirit, you go back there. (1 Peter 2:11) Israel went there when they worshipped the gods of the Amorites, so God gave them into the hands of the Midianites who oppressed them. And when the pain was unbearable, they cried out to God. WHENEVER you seek God to save you, you align yourself with His Will and seek direction. God’s angel appeared to Gideon while threshing wheat and said, “The Lord is with you, O brave man.” “But if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” (Judges 6:11-23) Gideon did not know that their wickedness had separated them from God, and their sins had hidden God’s face from them. God wants you to believe in His Promise. IT IS insufficient to believe God for the start of a matter and the in-between and not trust him to the end. When Paul shared his testimony, he knew God’s word was sufficient. Isaiah 55:11 says, God’s word, which goes out of His mouth, will not return to him void (useless, without result), without accomplishing what he desires and without succeeding in the matter for which he sent it. God does not want you to be naive. When Prophet Nathan told David what he had done, he saw himself in the story. (2 Samuel 12) Likewise, God wants you to see yourself in the stories of the Bible. So, you do not have to have walked the path they walked or faced the situations they faced to know what to do. God is not asking you to reinvent the wheel; he's asking you to study his word. 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 say, “All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. CALEB knew God’s promises were true. So, when he spied the Promised Land, he returned with the conviction that God would do as promised. And God said this of him, but My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring him into the land into which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. (Numbers 14:20-24) As Caleb did, he wants you to have a different spirit from the world. GOD wants to meet you where you are to take you to where you should be. For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) All you have to do is confess your sins to God and invite Jesus into your heart to be your Lord and Saviour. If you've done this, you can reach out to me. God bless you richly.

IT’S NOT every time we pray for a thing that we get it quickly. Some things take time to come, so we wait. Waiting SAMUEL took a while to come when Hannah prayed for a son. But at the same time, God wanted another prophet for his people. So when Hannah made a vow to give her son to God, she prayed in accordance with God’s Will. Hannah knew God wanted her to pray as she she waited. (1 Samuel 1:9-28) God wants you to be active while you wait. GOD told the Jews in exile to build houses and settle down. To plant gardens and eat what they produce. To marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for their sons and give their daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. He told them to increase in number, and not decrease, and seek the peace and prosperity of the city where they lived. God told them to pray for it because when it prospers, they too will prosper. (Jeremiah 29:4-9) YOUR LIFE continues while you wait for that child to know the Lord. It continues as you wait for your healing. Your life continues as you wait for business funding. It continues as you wait for answers to prayers. Your life continues. Your life continues as you wait God wants you to serve as you wait. SIMEON continued to serve God as he eagerly awaited the Messiah. The Holy Spirit had told him that he would not die until he saw Him. God wants to lead you as you wait. ANNA continued to worship as the day drew near, and the Spirit led her to the temple at the dedication. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you as you wait. Waiting is becoming. God wants you to focus as you wait. SIMEON and ANNA understood that to see the Messiah, they needed to focus on God, who had promised. When Joseph and Mary came to present Jesus, Simeon was there. And the Holy Spirit led Anna to the temple. (Luke 2:22-38) So you focus on Him while you wait, and as your anticipation rises, so will your worship. Your worship will take your eyes off the gift to the giver. Waiting will make you a fulfillment of prophecy. Waiting makes you a fulfillment of prophecy God wants your faith to rise as you wait. THE CENTURION moved from one level of faith to the next when he wanted Jesus to heal his servant. (Matthew 8:5-13) He began by wanting Jesus to come and changed to him staying back and saying a word. If our faith can live without God, it is not divinely created. If God had begotten it, it would wait upon him as the flowers wait upon the dew — Charles Spurgeon. God wants you to ponder over what he says. VERY OFTEN , you are caught between what God says and what people say. Mary was in that position when the shepherds came to worship Jesus. As she waited for what God would do in her son's life, she gave careful thought to them and pondered them in her heart. God wants you to keep his word in view. JOSHUA 1:8 says, This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful. While you wait, you keep repeating what he says about you. The more you say it, the more it becomes a reality for you. CALEB and JOSHUA kept God’s word in view when they spied the promised land. No wonder they gave a witness that they could possess the land. (Numbers 13:30) The word of God, you keep in view, would make a difference to your faith. Moses knew the ways of God because he kept God’s Word close to his heart. He knew that he who had promised would do it. (Psalm 103:7) Final Thought WAITING on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, and to lift the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one's thoughts — Elizabeth Elliot.

There's a Hebrew word, Ein Breira , which means "no alternative." Moses knew he had no alternative when God told him to return to Egypt. He understood there would be contention. When he led the children of Israel out of Egypt, he had only one thing in mind: worship . And when Pharaoh and his men came after them, God moved the pillar of cloud from the front to the back of his people. God’s cloud moved between the Israelites and the Egyptians. WHATEVER your situation, be it a difficult spouse, a renegade child, a broken marriage, a betrayal that hurts deeply, a business with no liquidity, a restless mind or a friend in crisis, God will come through for you. He came through for the spies when Rahab hid them from the king’s soldiers. So a life without alternatives is one where help comes from unlikely places . By FAITH , Rahab was not destroyed along with those who were disobedient, because she had welcomed the spies [sent by the sons of Israel] in peace. (Hebrews 11:31) The greatest power move in life is faith in God, and when you do, you can never go wrong. No wonder when many of Peter’s colleagues left Jesus, he said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69) The greatest power in life is faith in God It's a life of CONVICTION , and without it, there can't be a confession. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:10) Word of God Confession goes beyond the point of salvation. Anytime you speak the Word of God over your life, you confess the life of Christ. A life of no alternatives is one of DECISIONS . Your decisions will come from the place of conviction. Joseph responded to Potiphar’s wife out of conviction. He told her he could not do such a great evil and sin against God [and her husband]. (Genesis 39:9) So, a life of no alternatives is a life of OBEDIENCE . If you profess to be a Christian, yet find satisfaction in worldly pleasures and pursuits, your profession is false - Charles Spurgeon. The antidote to limitation is the fear of God. Until sin is bitter to you, grace cannot be sweet. Sin was BITTER to Joseph, so he depended on the grace of God to overcome the temptation. So, a life without alternatives is one of grace and mercy . AFTER being threatened and let go, Peter and John returned to their company and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them. Then, they prayed. As the apostles testified strongly to the resurrection of Jesus, great grace rested on them. (Acts 4:23-32) The grace of God will come on you as you obey Him. When Nebuchadnezzar threatened to kill all the wise men in Babylon if they didn't tell him the dream, Daniel asked his friends to pray for mercy. (Daniel 2:9-20) GOD’s GRACE provides us with his mercy. So, let us (with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favour] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment]. (Hebrews 4:16) A man with no alternatives is a recipient of God’s mercy. Final Thought NEARNESS to God brings likeness to God. The more you see God, the more of God will be seen in you — Charles Spurgeon.

Wonders THERE’S a great market for what the world thinks, and little space for what God says. However, many people still bear witness to God’s testimonies and tell of his wonderful works. Such is the story of a young girl taken captive from Israel by Aram soldiers. When she began to SERVE , no one knew her story. But she said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:3) If there’s a place to tell the stories of Jesus, it's wherever you find yourself. Do not allow your situation to curtail your conversation. If there’s a place to tell the stories of Jesus, it's wherever you find yourself. In a home where hope seemed non-existent, she gave them hope. Her posture pointed to faith, and her testimony to healing. THE MASTER became hopeful about the future. He spoke to his king, who gave him a letter to the king of Israel. When he saw the king of Israel, the king was scared. He tore his clothes because he thought the king of Aram was spoiling for a fight. (2 Kings 5:1-14) And when Elisha heard, he told the king of Israel to send Naaman to him. There are people God has sent to you. Pray that you meet them. When ELISHA told Naaman to dip in a lake, he made his healing simple—and the significance of the simple is throughout the scriptures. The woman with the issue of blood did a simple thing when she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, and she was made whole. (Luke 8:43-48) The ten lepers did the simple thing by leaving Jesus to show themselves to the priest. As they went, they were healed. (Luke 17:11-19) EVERYONE who did the simple as instructed by God had their miracles. 1 Corinthians 1:27 says, God has selected [for His purpose] the foolish things of the world to shame the wise [revealing their ignorance], and God has selected [for His purpose] the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong [revealing their frailty]. NAMAAN thought Elijah would come out to him, stand, call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the spot to cure him of his leprosy. (2 Kings 5:11-12) When you go to God for help, you acknowledge you're needy of him. But when you tell him how to do things, you contradict your faith. You cannot trust God to do something and tell him how to do it. You cannot trust God to do something and tell Him how to do it. As Namaan left with his attendants, they became his CONSCIENCE . They said to him, “If the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he has said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean?’” My PRAYER for you is that people of conscience will surround you, men and women who'll not pander to your cravings, but God’s likeness— those who will point you to Christ. David found such people in Nathan and Abigail. (2 Samuel 12:7-14 & 1 Samuel 25:23-44) A person of faith adopts a certain posture. He knows he cannot hold his ways to heart and embrace the grace of God. You cannot hold your ways to heart and embrace the grace of God So, NAMAAN went down and plunged himself into the Jordan seven times, just as the man of God had said; and his flesh was restored like that of a little child, and he was clean. (2 Kings 5:13-14) His obedience was proof of what he believed. So anytime you obey God, you become proof of His Word. True knowledge of God is born through obedience — Eugene Peterson. Bringing it Together The BEAUTY of God is that he puts your miracle in the hands of other people so that no one can be disregarded. Your miracle isn't in the simplicity of what to do but in the mystery of God.

GOD creates seasons, and discoveries schedule them—Mike Murdoch. Seasons When the woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, she was healed (Luke 8:41-56). She moved from the season of lack (sickness) to the season of more than enough (perfect health). You may be unable to schedule a miracle, but you can create a favourable atmosphere to receive one. ABRAHAM created one by believing in God, and God counted it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 12) If you wish for God to weave you into his plan, you must trust him. ABRAHAM trusted him, and his anticipation of God's encounters increased. No wonder he entertained three men only to realize God sent them. And when they were about to leave, God revealed a secret to him. (Genesis 18:17). If anyone had told JACOB about the glory that came with the blessing he received, he would have doubted it. However, on his way to Haran, he stopped for the night. And as he slept, he saw a ladder (stairway) placed on the earth, and the top of it reached [out of sight] toward heaven; and [he saw] the angels of God ascending and descending on it [going to and from heaven] and above it stood God. (Genesis 28:10-17) With the blessing came an increase in divine activity around him. And Jacob’s season made more sense when God told him what he planned to do. God could have told him all these when he was at home, but he didn't. He waited for him to reach the land before sharing his heart with him. I believe God wanted to make it more vivid, and Jacob entered a new season of life. Your CALLING and your SEASON of life will determine your discoveries. Gideon discovered both when an angel of the Lord appeared to him. (Judges 6:11-23) The Ethiopian Eunuch read the scriptures but couldn't make sense of them. So, God sent Philip to explain his word to him. (Acts 8:26-50) Your difficulty can be God setting you up to make a discovery. With God, your difficulty is a setup. He is making everything work together for your good. (Romans 8:28) God’s FAVOUR over your life is first to glorify Him, then to touch people’s lives. Nehemiah was favoured and permitted to return and build, restoring hope to his people. (Nehemiah 2) To schedule or begin a season of life, you need an encounter with God. PAUL was on his way to Damascus when Jesus appeared to him. He saw a bright light shone around him and heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting and oppressing Me?” And Saul said, “Who are You, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus who you are persecuting. (Acts 9:1-5) And after a while, Paul said, "That I may know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death [dying as He did]. (Philippians 3:10) You need God to help you discover things in Him. The natural (unbelieving) man does not accept the things (teachings and revelations) of God. They are foolishness (absurd and illogical) to him, and he is incapable of understanding them, because they are spiritually discerned and appreciated, [and he is unqualified to judge spiritual matters]. (1 Corinthians 2:24) So you need to be spiritually minded to understand the things of God. When Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the good part, he meant that Mary had made a profound discovery, and this token would not be taken from her. (Luke 10:42) She understood her season, and it showed in her choice. Final Thought What you are is God’s gift to you; what you become is your gift to God - Hans Urs Von Balthasar. Prayer for the Week: Lord, open my eyes that I might know my season of life.

For MOUNTAINEERS , reaching the summit is a goal, and surmounting the obstacles along the way is the process. Reaching the summit Many people adopt a similar approach to life, and they are loved for it. IN THE DAYS of Jesus, a centurion was celebrated for his kindness. He loved his servant, so when the servant fell ill, he instructed some Jewish elders to ask Jesus to come and heal him. And when the elders came to Jesus, they told him that the centurion was a nobleman, he loved Israel and had built them a synagogue. (Luke 7:1-5) However, as Jesus followed them to his home, not far from the house, the centurion sent his friends to Jesus. “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof. Therefore, I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but speak a word, and my servant will be healed." (Luke 7:6-7) The CENTURION humbled himself before God, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. He knew Jesus had the power to heal, and his faith in Jesus was progressive . God wants your expectation to rise as you wait for the manifestation of his word. He began by wanting him to come to his home to pray, but told him not to bother, only to say the word. He knew that Jesus’ word was sufficient. TO LAY HOLD of any miracle, you must accept that God’s word is enough. After all, God has exalted his word above his name. (Psalm 138:2) MARY knew God’s word was sufficient when she said to the angel, “May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) Likewise, Caleb understood that God’s word was good enough and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession of it, for we will certainly conquer it. (Numbers 13:30) When you accept the word of God, you affirm the truth of God and give Him speed to act on your behalf. THEN , he said to Jesus: “For I also am a man subject to authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Luke 7:8) The centurion knew Jesus had authority, so he told him to speak the word. THE REASON we suffer many things is because we do not know who we are in Christ. When you understand the authority you have in Christ as a son or daughter of God, you’ll begin to walk in dominion. (Luke 10:19) JESUS was amazed when he heard what the centurion said, and he said to the crowd following Him, “Not even in Israel have I found such great faith[as this man’s].” (Luke 7:9) IF YOU want to move the hand of God, give your faith an expression. When the woman with the Issue of Blood took her destiny in her hands by seeking to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, she expressed her faith; she gave it speed. (Luke 8:43-48) She got it right, and the healing virtue flowed. Whenever you add work to faith, you give it speed. You affirm the word of God, and he acts. (James 2:14-16) Whenever you add work to faith, you give it speed. God's words are released not to return to Him without results. (Isaiah 55:11) When the men sent by the centurion returned home, they found the servant well. (Luke 7:9) BRINGING IT TOGETHER THE CENTURION’S benevolence was insufficient, but his belief spoke highly of him. This week, let your faith in Christ speak well of you. While his credentials gave him a foot in the door, Christ's endorsement gave him a place in the house of God.

Have you noticed that when God wants to save a family, he chooses someone? God told Abraham to leave his household, his relatives, and his father’s house and go to the land that He would show him. (Genesis 12:1) When God called him, he positioned him. So your calling is God’s positioning. AT BETHEL , God positioned Jacob. He slept and saw a ladder from heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. (Genesis 28:10-22) Jacob went to bed thinking he was alone, but woke up knowing that God was with him. Your calling means God is with you. When you ENCOUNTER GOD , things shift. They shifted in Joseph’s life when he moved from knowing the present to seeing the future. He anticipated great things, so he shared his dreams with his family. While his father scolded him, his brothers hated him. With your calling, things will shift. SOME people will hate you when they do not understand your calling. They hated Joseph because they couldn't understand him. God wasn't just creating an awareness; he was making a way. God was writing his story. When you heed your calling, God writes your story. So when Joseph met his brothers in Egypt, he told them that God sent him ahead to preserve a remnant on earth and keep his people alive. (Genesis 45:7-9) God did not choose Joseph because he was stronger or better, but because God wanted to do something through him. So, your calling is much more about God and little about you. God doesn't merely create an awareness, he writes your story. THEY hated him because his dad loved him. If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you, said Jesus. (John 15:18-19) Similarly, Satan hates believers because God loves them. (John 3:16) HOWEVER, no one can sabotage the dream of God for your life except you allow it. Samson broke the hedge when he allowed a strange woman into his life, but when he asked God for forgiveness, God positioned him by allowing his hair to grow. And in death, he killed more Philistines than he ever did in his lifetime. (Judges 16:18-31) THE BATTLES you face are indicative of your calling. God told Ananias that Saul of Tarsus would suffer and endure many things for his name's sake. So, suffering is tied to your calling. (Acts 9:10-19) EVERY CALLING makes you more responsible and ties you to a burden. When God called Joseph through the dreams, he put him ahead of his brothers. So Joseph would lead the family. YOUR CALLING can put you in a position where it seems you're the firstborn. God repeated a similar thing when Jacob pronounced the blessings of the firstborn, Manasseh, on the secondborn, Ephraim. (Genesis 48:14-20) JACOB gathered everyone together and shared the testimonies of God's goodness when he was about to die. By the time he was done, every right-thinking one among them would have known why God did not share the future with them. God understood the end from the beginning, so he knew Reuben (firstborn) would be unstable. (Genesis 49) JOSEPH did not sleep on God's promises. He worked it by pleasing God in all his interactions. He understood the call of God and the responsibilities that came with it, so he chose God above everyone else. THE DREAM of God for your life should take a special place in your heart. You must work it to have God work it with you. It will begin with an alignment and end in obedience. If you want to see the glory of God, if you want to experience the beauty of God and if you want to be used by the hand of God, then, you must live in the Word of God - David Platt.

THE TABLE is known for meals, so when people invite you to their table, you hold a special place in their hearts. Jonathan held a special place in David's heart, and when he died, King David remembered him. He asked, “Is there no longer anyone left of the house (family) of Saul to whom I may show the goodness and graciousness of God?” And when they brought Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, to him, the king said, “Do not be afraid, for I will certainly show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall always eat at my table. (2 Samuel 9:1-17) THE TABLE is a place of restoration. Jesus was passing through Jericho when a chief tax collector approached him, but the tax collector couldn't see Jesus because the tax collector was short in stature. So, he climbed a sycamore-fig tree. And when Jesus saw him, he said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:1-10) THE TABLE is a place of expression, so God can make an impression. When Jesus accepted the invitation to a prestigious dinner, he was prepared to address hot topics. As he sat at the table, an uninvited guest quietly slipped in and chose an unusual place to sit. She sat at his feet, wept, and wet his feet with her tears, then wiped them with her hair. She kissed them and poured perfume on them—she was in a low place. When you're in a low place, to whom do you go? Do you keep it to yourself or reach out to God? The Pharisee who invited him said to himself, “If this Man were a prophet, He would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him, that she is a notorious sinner, an outcast, devoted to sin.” (Luke 7:36-39) However, Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:49) When Jesus forgave her sins, he was gracious to her. Jesus left a godly impression on her. The table is a place of expression, so God can make an impression. THE TABLE is a place of surplus. The people learnt where Jesus was, so they came to him. Later, his disciples wanted him to send the people away so they could go to the surrounding villages and countryside to get food. But Jesus told them to give the multitude something to eat. We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all these people. Jesus looked up to heaven, he gave thanks and blessed what they had. He broke them and kept giving the disciples to set before the crowd. (Luke 9:10-17) THE TABLE is a place of revelation. Jesus entered a village called Bethany, where a woman named Martha welcomed him to her home. (Luke 10:38-42) She had a sister named Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was busy and distracted with the serving responsibilities. Martha approached Jesus and said, “Lord, is it of no concern to You that my sister has left me to do the serving alone? Tell her to help me and do her part.” But the Lord replied to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered and anxious about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part [that which is to her advantage], which will not be taken away from her.” Mary had chosen fellowship. When you sit with him at the table, you'll begin to see things that you would not naturally see. The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14) THE TABLE is the place of remembrance, fellowship and connection. On the night Jesus was betrayed, he took the bread, broke it and gave thanks. Then he said, “This is (represents) My body, which is [offered as a sacrifice] for you. Do this in [affectionate] remembrance of Me.” Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are [symbolically] proclaiming [the fact of] the Lord’s death until He comes [again]. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) The table is where God meets with you. I don't know where you are in your life walk. Wherever you are, God is calling you to the table. Final Thought IF I FIND in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable experience is that I was made for another world — C. S. Lewis.

Most of the time, when leaders ask questions and cry out to God, it isn't because they lack trust in Him; rather, they speak from a humble place of faith. JEHOSHAPHAT  was in a lowly place when he heard that the Moabites and Ammonites were on their way to attack Israel. He prayed, "O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless against this great multitude which is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You." (2 Chronicles 20:5-12) The only place to look when you are in your lowly place is up. PREVIOUSLY , John bore witness when the Spirit descended from heaven like a dove and remained on Jesus. (John 1:33) John later spoke from prison after his arrest. He sent his disciples to Jesus to confirm if he was the One to come or if they should wait for someone else. (Luke 7:18) And Jesus told John's disciples to say to him what they had seen and heard. Challenges will test your faith, but God provides reassurances to let you know that you are on the right track. GOD reassured Paul that he was on track when God sent an angel to him. For this very night, an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, and said, 'Stop being afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar, and behold, God has given you [the lives of] all those who are sailing with you.' (Acts 27:23-25) Paul had been in many lowly places, so he said, We are pressured in every way [hedged in], but not crushed; perplexed [unsure of finding a way out], but not driven to despair; hunted down  and  persecuted, but not deserted [to stand alone]; struck down, but never destroyed; always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown in our body.  For we who live are constantly [experiencing the threat of] being handed over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be evidenced in our mortal body [which is subject to death].  So physical death is [actively] at work in us, but [spiritual] life [is actively at work] in you. (2 Corinthians 4:8-12) Challenges will test your faith, but God provides reassurances to let you know that you are on the right track. JOB  understood that God knew what he was doing. He did not curse God, nor did he curse the process. He knew God never forsook his own, and he said, "Behold, I go forward (to the east), but He is not there; I go backward (to the west), but I cannot perceive Him. To the left (north), He turns, but I cannot behold Him; He turns to the right hand (south), but I cannot see Him. "But He knows the way that I take [and He pays attention to it]. When  He has tried me, I will come forth as [refined] gold [pure and luminous]. (Job 23:9-10) God knows the way you take. His eyes are on you. DAVID  knew God was watching over him when he found Israeli soldiers in a lowly place, the Valley of Elah. Anytime Saul and his men heard Goliath, they were so frightened that they couldn't do a thing. (1 Samuel 17:11) So David asked, "What will be done for the man who kills him? But Eliab scolded him for asking questions. And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause ? He told Saul that the Lord who rescued him from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will rescue him from the hand of this Philistine. (1 Samuel 17:29-37) David knew that no experience with God is wasted. So he stepped out to build on his testimonies and triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David was loyal to the cause of God. JESUS  was loyal to the cause of the cross. So we look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus Christ is the cause in God's Kingdom. Final Thought The truest path to treasures is found in the lowly places.