Take possession of the land, what God said is yours: Deuteronomy 11: 11-12 from Streams In The Dessert chapter one Page 1
“11 But the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, 12 a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year..”
God is wanting to bring each of us into a land he has prepared for us. It is by faith, the assurance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen, that we get there. The land is not easy to walk in. There are hills and valleys. There are mountaintop encounters with God and there are low valleys where we must solely rely on our faith in God to get us through. This is where faith comes in. Assurance that no matter what God will never leave us and he is leading us every step of the way. God is the God of the hills and the valleys because it is in the valleys that true character is formed and where our faith is grown. It is the deserts of life that bring the rain. With the rains and storms come the blessings of God and new life and growth and much fruit. But there would not be the rainy seasons and times of producing fruit in our lives if it were not for the dry seasons of lack and the valleys of despair.
Read Romans 8:28 and Romans 8: 35-39 and write down your thoughts: How has God used “all things” in your life for your good to grow and develop you into a better, more solid Christ follower? Can you look back on your life and see how all the storms and difficult seasons you have been in have turned out for good?
A life of faith; a life of forgiveness (Matthew 18)-We should not forgive seven times, but seventy times seven, or over and over again, continually. We need to pursue a lifestyle of forgiveness.
2 Corinthians 3:18 “ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as [a]by the Spirit of the Lord. - What is required for stepping into the new levels of glory in your life?
● The word “transformed” in this passage is metamorphoo
● - Sometimes the dark, hard place of the cocoon is necessary to go to new levels of glory in our lives. We must go through dark seasons of our lives where God brings us to the end of ourselves. In these dark seasons, God breaks us, shapes us, and changes us. We must also realize that in the cocoon of life, or in the storms of life, God is building our character and growing each of us into the sons and daughters of God that He wants us to become. We are called to rule and reign in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. First, however, God must grow us through every season. We must grow to maturity before God can promote us to a new season in our lives. Write down: Are you learning from the current trials you are in now or have been in? Are you becoming bitter or better?
o In every season you encounter, God wants you to grow as a Christ follower. God wants you to learn to praise God in the midst of the storms. Consider Paul and Silas in Acts 16. They had been imprisoned, beaten, and were in the darkest, deepest part of the prison. Yet, they chose to praise God at the midnight hour.
▪ Midnight represented the ending of one season and the beginning of a new season. Did They ever enter a new season? God inhabits the praises of His people. When Paul and Silas began to worship while they waited in the darkness, the chains could not hold them, and all the prison doors were opened! When you praise God in the midst of trials, God will open doors for you into a new season. Your freedom will lead to the freedom of those around you! Can you identify how your praise in a difficult season has led to a breakthrough in your life? Are you in a difficult season now? How can you shift your perspective to praise God in the midst of the difficulty you may be in? Imagine how Paul and Silas had to change their perspective in the midst of their imprisonment. A change of perspective could be what your breakthrough is hinging on! God is wanting to respond to your faith, but you must choose to praise. A life of praise and adoration will come from a heart that has allowed the storms and difficulties to make one better instead of bitter. Only a change of heart will desire to praise God in the midst of the trials.
▪ I challenge you to examine your life and determine if you really have a relationship with Christ. Do you really know Him as your Savior? If not, let today be the day of your salvation. Cry out to Jesus in faith and repentance of your sin.
▪ Simply believe in Jesus, repent of your sins, and surrender your life to Him! Let this day be the first day of your salvation!