15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.
16 And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God. Neh6:15-16
2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand.
4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.
5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field.
21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing.
23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper. Gen39:2-5,21-23
Paul’s Valedictory
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.2Tim4:6-8
Paul
“You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you,
19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;
20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,
21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
22 And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there,
23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.
24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jer 29:11
4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? Ps8:4
God has a good plan for you and me. His thoughts towards us are of peace, growth, development, fulfilment, joy unspeakable and full of glory.
But we need to find out God’s Mind, thoughts and plans towards us so that we can focus on them. It is also important that we know the difference between facts and truth. Often the enemy will focus on the facts about us which may not be the truth of God’s Word concerning us. As you dwell on who God says you are and what you have in Christ, you are transformed from glory to glory to become what you have focused on.
Know that if God is for you, no one can be against you. Obstacles will turn out to be triggers for triumph. Opposition will turn out to be pillars and platforms for your promotion, because His thoughts towards you are not evil. And regardless of the ploys and diabolical strategies of the devil, as you fix your eyes on Jesus-the Author and Finisher of your faith, you will come out victorious.
Yes, troubles do come; they come to all and sundry. “Man’s days are full of trouble. But He delivers him from them all. Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” That should be the mind-set of a child of God.
Say:“God is for me. He has good plans for me. My enemies will not triumph over me. The will of God will prevail. Angels are on assignment on my behalf. All things are working together for my good. My light affliction, which is just for a moment, is working for me, an exceeding weight of eternal glory. It is partners for my progress and upward mobility.”
Joseph’s opposition caused him to dream some more. So when you’re opposed, say,” I will keep on dreaming big dreams.” Joseph’s pit experience and being sold into slavery were ladders for the fulfilment of God’s purpose for his life. His brothers meant it for evil but God meant it for good, to save many in the Day of Severe Famine in Egypt. He saw the end from the beginning and allowed the injustice to prepare Joseph for his ministry He had given a promise to Abraham and His word will not fall to the ground:
13 And He said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. Gen15:13-14
Because, Jacob, had either forgotten this promised or prophetic word, or was not told, he panicked and despaired when Simeon was held in Egypt and they wanted to take Benjamin.
36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. Gen42:36
You and I will also come to this place in life at various times-whether in relation to our relationships, finance, ministry, health, business etc where, looking at it naturally, it will seem as if everything is against you. This is when you need to go back to the promises of God that are ‘yes and amen in Christ Jesus.’ If it was a prophecy, take it back to God and stand your ground. Say, “Lord, You said…” and you are not a man that you should lie. If you do not have a specific word ( rhema), at least know the will of God as revealed in His word.
( Logos)
The word of God is the will of God and the will of God is the word of God. Pray in the spirit and let Him quicken His word for you. Pray with the spirit and you will be praying in line with God’s perfect will. Let the Holy Spirit unveil to you His mind for you.
9 But as it is written: ” Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 1Cor2:9-12
Know that the enemy of your soul wants you to doubt God, so as to prevent you from obtaining the promise. Doubts and unbelief can short-change us. We have our path to play even if God has made a promise to us. If we keep speaking doubt and defeat, we are taking sides with the devil and calling God a liar and short-changing ourselves.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For He that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that He shall receive any thing of the Lord. James 1:6-7
So we can be our own worst enemies when we agree with negatives and seeds of doubt that satan sows in our minds. It is a bait of satan and once you bite the bait you’re ensnared, caught and imprisoned and quarantined by the words of your mouth.
Why not start speaking God’s word of His grace that is able to establish you and build you up and give you an inheritance amongst those who are sanctified. Start speaking the word of life that will bring life back to your life, your vision, dreams and God-given purpose.
Regardless of the obstacles, say to yourself:
“I know whom I serve. I know whom I have believed. It shall be to me as He said unto me.” Remember,
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Heb 11:6
In Numbers 13 the ten spies who brought a negative report to the camp courted God’s displeasure and anger. But Joshua and Caleb were of a different spirit. They held on to the mind of God regardless of the giants they saw. Others focused on the giants (obstacles, difficulties, walls, challenges). They minimised the goodness of God and the little mercies they saw-giant grapes that were so huge that it required two people to carry. They maximised the problems, obstacles, difficulties and barriers. They saw themselves as grasshoppers in their eyes and in the eyes of the giants. They had faith to imagine the -worst and even seeing through the eyes of the giants but could not see through the eyes of God:
“We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there.29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.” 30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.”32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:27-33
On the contrary Caleb and Joshua said “they are our bread.” We are able. If the Lord delights in us, He will bring us into the land and give it to us the land. Only do not rebel, they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them.” Number 14:6-9
This is how God wants you to speak when you see those “giants in your land, in your mind’s eye”, say, “I am able to drive them out. Through my God I can do valiantly. All things are working together for my good. If God be for me, who can be against me? I am more than a conqueror. God is working in me, both to will and to do according to His good pleasure. He will fight for me and will hold my peace. All things are working together for my good. Every place that the soles of my feet shall tread belongs to me. I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living-in my life time. No weapon fashioned against me shall prosper. I am an overcomer and have overcome them. If God did not withhold Jesus, but delivered Him to die for me, how will He not, even with Him, freely give me all things?”
The kingdom of God suffers violence, but the violent take it by force. Stand your ground. Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the whole armour of God as to stand in the evil day. There are more with you than are against you. Speak in agreement, in consonance, in sync with God and angels will be galvanised into action on your behalf.
Guard your heart diligently. For out of it are the forces of life. Cast down every imagination that is contrary to the revealed will of God. Don’t work against yourself with your mouth. Renew your mind with the word. Spend more time in the word and in prayer. Avoid deep, intimate association with people who do not have the mind of Christ.
33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1Cor15:33
Birds of the same feathers flock together. Iron sharpens iron. Fellowship with people who will give you godly counsel –not worldly ungodly counsel.
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Ps1:1
Do not say “everything is working against me,” like Jacob. That is a lie from the pit of hell. Do not say “I am a grasshopper.” Grasshoppers don’t eat grapes. Do not say, like Naomi, “Call me Marah.” 20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. Ruth1:20
Yes, calamity struck. She had misfortunes but that was not the end of the story. But for the faith of Ruth and the mercies of God her words and attitude would have stopped the great blessing of God and mind-blowing turning of the table. We know how the story ended. The foreigner was grafted into the lineage of Christ and Ruth was married to a billionaire of her time and one of the finest gentlemen-Boaz.
So think God’s thoughts towards you. Where do you find His thoughts? You find His thoughts in His word. That goes without saying. And unless you know His word, you will not know His thoughts.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jer29:11
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isa55:11
So, my friend, cast down every imagination and thought contrary to God’s word. Say to yourself, “If God said it, I believe it and that settles it, regardless of how I feel or what people say. As for me -my spirit, soul and body, I will take sides with God. God has a good plan for me. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For God is with me and in me and for me. He will enable me leap over walls, run through troops, and maul any Goliath or giants. If I go through the fire, like Daniel’s friends, it will only refine me to grow and glow brighter and become better and not bitter. God will not leave me in the fire, or mire. He is working in me to work through me. And when He has finished, I will come forth like gold to give glory to His name wherever I go. My path is shining ever brighter to the full light of day. I am going from glory to glory and from faith to faith and from strength to strength.
Make God your strength and your salvation All authority in heaven, the earth and underneath the earth belong to God You have to depend on your God (Prov 3:5-6,1Sam:16:23, Matt28:18,Phil 2:8-10, Ps27:1)
Make the Lord your light and your protection And you will never be defeated You will mount up with wings as the Eagle (Isa40:31,2Cor2:14,1John4:4,1John5:4)
Make not the arm of the flesh your strength All the glory must go to God Yield yourself totally to God (Prov3:5-6, Jer17:7-8, Isa26:3)
11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines.
12 But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.
2Sam23:11-12,
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
Matt11:12,
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Rev12:11
Living In Triumph Every Day Is my currency and inheritance Ordained of God, for those in the Way Regardless of the circumstances.
We leap over walls and run through troops And Giants-Goliaths-become bread to us. Through obstacles we obtain green shoots If God be for us, who can be against us?
Like eagles, ferocious winds work for us Carrying us upward from glory to glory We’re more than conquerors, storms work for us Change our playing field, change our story.
All things work together for our greater good Because we love God and called to fulfil His purpose. His Word is our weapon and our very food And we win always, regardless of those who oppose.
Our trajectory is upwards and forward only Because as He is, so are we in this world. We command principalities and they comply. Because greater is He in us than he in the world.
We have Authority over demonic powers No matter how they pretend or camouflage When we command in Jesus’ Name they bow and cower We tread down on serpents and scorpions at large.
