HOW TO LOCATE YOURSELF IN GOD’S PLAN ;

“For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time],…” (Ephesians 2:10 AMP).

As a Christian, it’s important for you to know that God has predestined your life for glory. The opening Scripture gives credence to this truth. It also emphasizes that God pre-ordered your life, according to His purpose, for a specific assignment. It behoves you, as a child of God, to locate yourself in that divine plan.

Not everyone necessarily becomes what God planned for them to be. The fact that you’re born again doesn’t mean you’ll accomplish all the good works God planned for you because after all, you’re a free moral agent. You’ve got the will to make your own decisions freely; that is, whether to follow God’s plan for your life or to choose your own way.

To locate yourself in God’s plan, you should have a good knowledge of God’s Word and understand the Scriptures. The reason many unwittingly walk in error is that they aren’t acquainted with the Word of God. When Jesus rebuked the Sadducees, He said, “…Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures…” (Matthew 22:29); He didn’t say, “You err because it’s natural for humans to make mistakes.” God’s Word is His Wisdom and Light (Proverbs 1:20, 23 and Psalm 119:130). As you study and meditate on it, it’ll give you direction and guide your choices in line with God’s plan for your life.

Secondly, you must yield yourself to the leadership of the Holy Spirit through constant fellowship. In fact, He’s the One who helps you understand the Scriptures. If you walk outside His plan, your motivation will be coloured by lesser values. Therefore, yield to the Holy Spirit and let Him help you locate yourself in God’s dream.

Further Study:
Colossians 2:6-7;
Jeremiah 7:23

FOLLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT;

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13).

One of the things you must do throughout this year is to yield to the Spirit and follow His guidance and counsel in all your dealings. No other personality in this life is worth following but the Holy Spirit. He’s the greatest friend and teacher you could ever know; He’s the One called alongside to go with you, and to be with you and in you! He’s the One who guides you into all truth and brings His Word to your remembrance.

Following the Holy Spirit means yielding yourself to Him through the Word of God. You cannot follow the Holy Spirit except you’re yielded to God’s Word; doing what He says. This will reflect the beauty of God in you and help you live a more excellent life. You’ll find yourself making the best decisions and the right choices always. You’ll do the right thing the first time, be at the right place at the right time, and live an inspiring life.

How important it is to be led by the Spirit of God in all your affairs! No one but He can give you true counsel and guidance in life. So be sure to yield to Him with all your heart. Isaiah 30:21 says “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” Also, He said through the Psalmist in Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” This is the ministry of the Spirit in your life, take advantage of it today and you’ll never loose your way.

Further Study:
Romans 8:14;
1 John 2:27

“Sons of God”

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them” (Job 1:6).

The phrase “sons of God” as used in the scripture above doesn’t refer to men, but to angels. If you study the original text, you’ll discover it was angels who actually came to present themselves before the Lord. Satan also came amongst them because he used to be God’s anointed cherub before he fell (Ezekiel 28:14-15).

However, in the New Testament, the term “sons of God” is used differently. It refers to a new race of people, a completely new species that never existed before. They’re the offspring of the Most High, partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)—born again— with the very life and nature of God. They’re not subject to the ordinary circumstances of life; they neither burn out nor expire. Like their heavenly Father, they live forever.

You instantly became a son of God when you received Jesus into your heart and confessed His Lordship over your life. The Bible says, “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).

Your outward appearance may still look the same after confessing the Lordship of Jesus over your life, but know that your human life has been supplanted with the divine nature. The Bible says “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Thus, the real “sons of God” are not the angelic beings but those who are in Christ Jesus. The consciousness of your divine sonship will inspire you to a glorious life in Christ.

Further Study:
1 John 3:2;
1 John 4:17;
2 Peter 1:4

INCREASING GLORY;

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Did you know that as a child of God, His glory is in your life? The glory of God is in you, and that glory is continually on the increase as you meditate on, and live, the Word. Every time you go to Church, or attend your group meetings, and listen to the preaching and teaching of the Word of God, the glory on your life increases. As you leave the meeting, you leave with a greater glory than you came with. The same happens when you study and meditate on the Word in your privacy; the glory on you increases. Of course, you can’t see that glory with your optical eyes, but it’s in you nonetheless. In the realm of the Spirit, if God were to open your eyes to see the glory, you’d be amazed at how glorious you really are. I’m not talking about when we get to heaven; I’m talking about NOW. The glory that exudes from us is so strong and powerful; but it’s not the same for everybody.

Some Christians have more glory than others; it’s about how much of the Word of God is working in your spirit! It’s about yielding to and living the Word. Once, I was praying and I saw this indescribable glory in the realm of the Spirit. The more I prayed and spoke the Word, the more my spirit glowed. Then, the Lord said to me, “You look glorious all the time; you’re a light all the time.” This is what the Word does in our lives: as we behold the Word, we are changed. The more we contemplate the glory of God in His Word, the more glorious we become.

Even now, your glory has increased, because of the Word of God that you’ve received today through this devotional. Take this new level of glory to your job, business, academics, and your environment; influence your world with it. When next you go to Church, know that one of the plans of the Holy Spirit for that day is to make you even more glorious. Add to the glory of your life every day by studying and meditating on the Word.

Further Study:
Exodus 24:15-18;
2 Corinthians 3:7-11

CHOOSE TO BE HUMBLE

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).

Pride is deceptive, and many walk in it unknowingly because they can’t readily identify it. Only the Word of God can show you what pride really is. For instance, the Bible tells us how some of Jesus’ disciples took offence at His teachings and stopped following Him. This happened in the synagogue where He taught at Capernaum (John 6:59). He had said some things they weren’t comfortable with, and they reacted saying, “…This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (John 6:60). They got angry at His doctrine because they thought they knew better than He did; they were inflated with pride.

Now, Jesus didn’t stop them from going away. Then He turned to the others who remained and asked if they would also go away. Peter responded on their behalf, “…Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:68-69). These ones stayed only because they had value for what they got from the Lord Jesus. They were sure He was the Christ, and esteemed the message He brought to them. The others weren’t sure, for had they been sure, they would have known He knew better than they. Pride is what makes people take offence and walk out on others.

When something unfavourable is said to you, don’t become offended and walk away. Some will say, “How dare you say such a thing to me?” If the same thing was said to a humble person, he wouldn’t care because he no longer lives for himself. 1 Peter 5:6 says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” Humility pays; therefore, choose to be humble at all times. God will keep granting you increased grace for promotions, victories, and excellence as long as you remain humble.

Further Study:
Matthew 18:4;
Matthew 23:12;
James 4:10

GOD’S WORD IS ALL POWERFUL

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever (1 Peter 1:23).

When the whole world became a chaotic mass, God didn’t rally the angels and say, “Hey, let’s reconstruct the universe.” He spoke creation into being. He said, “Let there be….” and whatever He said came forth. When He said, “Let there be light,” light became! He gave the Word and recreated the world. Everything that exists came from the Word of God. Hebrews 1:3 tells us that He upholds all things by the Word of His power.

Words are powerful, but the Word is all-powerful! I need you to understand this, and let it soak; I want it to get into your spirit so you can truly understand it. Words are powerful, but the WORD is all-powerful! Anybody can say anything and have it produce results, whether or not he’s a Christian. After all, man was made in the image of God, and in His likeness. That’s the natural man, he can say anything, and have it affect his life, or affect anybody else’s; so in that light, words are powerful.

However, when a man is born again, he’s born of the Word (1 Peter 1:23).You’re the offspring of the Word, if you’re born again; you live by the Word. Your life is built by the Word; you dwell in the Word! This means that you don’t just speak words, you speak the WORD.

How important this is! When your spirit is in sync with the Holy Spirit, you speak the Word; your words are spirit and life, like the words of the Master. When you have a situation to deal with, if there’s something you want to change, stir your spirit to speak forth the Word. Never be intimidated by anything! The Word of God in your mouth is God talking; it’ll change anything and prevail over circumstances.

Further Study:
Hebrews 4:12;
Hebrews 11:3;
Proverbs 16:24

HIS WILL AND PURPOSE ARE EXPRESSED IN HIS WORD

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children (Hosea 4:6).

The will, nature, and purpose of God are revealed in His Word. To neglect the Word is to be in the dark about the will of the Father, and how He wants you to live. This is one reason you must know the Word for yourself. He said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”: the knowledge of God’s Word.

God’s people can fail in life, if they’re ignorant; not because the Word is void of power. Jesus said in Mark 7:13, you have made the Word of God of non-effect by your traditions. People who live by the traditions and wisdom of men make the Word of non-effect in their own lives; they short-circuit the power of the Word of God, making it unproductive for them. God’s Word always has power, but it loses its effectiveness in the life of the one who tries to rationalize it with human information or sense knowledge. Let the Word be your standard, and “check system” in upgrading your life from glory to glory.

You need this to become the man or woman God destined you to be. Some people have been Christians for years but don’t have information about God’s plan and purpose for their lives. They’re not sure what the will of God is concerning anything. God’s Word is His will expressed; which is why you must invest time to study and meditate on the Word, to know your inheritance in Christ.

As you get to know your heritage in Him, you also learn to take possession of what the Word of God says belong to you. Furthermore, you’re also able to understand the purpose for your inheritance in Him, the reason He has blessed you so much, and how to use the blessing rightly.

Further Study:
2 Peter 1:5-10

COMMENDED TO THE WORD

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified(Acts 20:32).

The Apostle Paul couldn’t think of a better way to bless the brethren at Ephesus than to commend them to the Word of God. As Christians, we’re born of the Word (1 Peter 2:23); the Word gave birth to us; therefore, our lives can only be built and sustained by the Word. From the moment you made Jesus the Lord of your life, the building process began; the Word builds you spiritually, mentally, physically, financially, and in all areas of life.

Furthermore, the Word is able to “give” you an inheritance among all those that are sanctified. This is quite an interesting thought. The Spirit of God, through the Apostle Paul, wrote this to the Church. Why would He say this to Christians who already have an inheritance in Christ Jesus? First, understand that He wasn’t talking about the ownership of the inheritance; rather, he was talking about the inheritance being delivered into your hands.

For example, you might be the rightful owner of an inheritance, e.g., a landed property, and never be able to get into it, perhaps because of litigations due to difficult individuals claiming ownership of the same property. In the same way, though all things are legally yours in Christ Jesus, there’re rebel holders of authority—Satan and his cohorts—who often try to sway God’s people from enjoying their inheritance. The Word of God is able to literally deliver your inheritance into your hands, to enjoy, irrespective of the activities of the adversary.

If you’d constantly meditate on the Word, not only will you be built for success, excellence and the victorious life, the Word will also deliver into your hands that which is rightfully yours in Christ. So, open up your appetite for the Word. Bombard your mind with Scriptures until you’re completely inundated, and you’re configured to think from the Word’s perspective only.

Further Study:
James 1:21;
1 timothy 4:15-16