True success is being used by God for world evangelism. We are guaranteed to have victory and receive answers through Jesus Christ, but Satan continues to deceive us with false understandings of success. Complete victory has already been given to us through God’s word, there is no need for us to earn it.
We are children of God, purchased by the blood of Christ. We are therefore heirs of the kingdom of God and everything that is God’s is ours. We are completely set free from sin, curses, death and slavery. Let’s not live as slaves to Satan but slaves to righteousness.
Am I going to live by faith or dwell in disbelief?
Where are God’s greatest blessings?
1.Closest to us
People misunderstand that blessings are someplace faraway, when God’s greatest blessings are where we are today. When I have daily success, we fulfill God’s plan of world evangelism. People assume world evangelism means going to Africa, but world evangelism means conquering the field you’re in right now. How can we measure our success? Am I enjoying the three todays in my life
1)Word
Not just holding on to the word of God but your soul being captured by the word of God. Do we really understand the true blessing of Immanuel, of God dwelling in us by the Holy Spirit? How can we confirm God is with us? Through the word. We try to seek out answers in other people, changing our circumstances or environment, but all of our life answers and directions are in God’s word alone.
2)Prayer
How can we connect with God through prayer? By holding on to God’s word. The best prayer we can give is the prayer that is given while holding on to God’s word. God gives us difficult hardship to move us to pray, because he loves us.
3)Evangelism
The natural result that comes from holding onto the word and praying is evangelism. The children of God’s rightful calling is that of the evangelist, and being used by God for saving souls.
If we can enjoy the three todays, the three things closest to us, we can connect with God’s greater plan and desire of world evangelism.
2. In hardship and trial
Verse 17-18
We have this false mindset that hardships are a sign that we are doing something wrong, but in the gospel, hardships are God’s means of developing faith and character. Hardships, difficulty and suffering, are momentary and are doors to God’s plan. When we face problems, don’t try to solve them yourself but renew yourself and your calling before God. Then you can challenge and God’s miracles will take place. Miracles are not necessarily illnesses being healed but peace, and assurance and we are with God and nothing can separate us from him.
3. In our faith
We don’t know Jesus because we were smarter than others but by God’s grace alone. Faith is believing in the true reality. For example, 10 of the 12 spies confessed that they were like grasshoppers compared to the giant Canaanites, but Joshua and Caleb confessed that God is with us and promised victory, so they will absolutely conquer. Our true reality is that our background is the kingdom of Heaven and God is with us. If that is so, then who can be against us, who can stop God’s plan? Not even our weaknesses can. God will accomplish what he started in us. We know the end result: God has guaranteed victory for us?
Phil 1:6
In our most difficult times, don’t complain but be excited because in the midst of the most impossible circumstances, God will work to make it all possible. That is our bigger picture. Remember that it is not by my standards or power but by God’s.
Conclusion:
Remember that we can listen to what other people have to say and keep them in mind, but ultimately we follow God’s word. We go not to the land that seems good by the world’s standards but the land that God tell us to go, to the land that God has given to us.
It may seem like we’re losing out by choosing the word, but in his word is his greatest blessing. Hold on to God’s word.
Joshua 25:15
Let’s choose God and his word just as Joshua did every day.