So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God ~ 2 Chronicles 27:6.
Introduction:
When you look closely into the life of any normal human being, one of the amazing things you will quickly notice is that unquenchable desire or dream for a better life. Happily, God Himself is in it! He designed us originally to dominate, and not to be dominated, curtailed or halted by the elemental forces here on earth (Genesis 1:26-28)!
However, we have to get really ready to fully partake of the divine promises of new things in the realm of glory (Isaiah 54:1-5). We must work on ourselves and be adequately prepared for the new things which the El-Shaddai God wishes to reveal in our lives.
Good preparation is a required platform to set the stage for the next levels of God’s glory in our lives (2 Chronicles 27:6). Therefore, we need to regularly fact-check our spiritual foundation by the yardsticks of God’s Word. Certainly, a sound foundation is very crucial to any new Christian experience we hope to see and enjoy.
No matter how beautiful, fanciful, attractive or splendid a structure appears to be, if the foundation is not right, the structure is doomed to collapse. The stability and the durability of any building are largely dependent on the depth and strength of its foundation. Hence, even God often prepares people for their next levels of assignment before He finally entrusts them with it!
In this regard, to be adequately prepared for the new things, new songs and higher levels of glory, you must clearly define the tracks of your vision for new things. You must also make broad rooms for training and skill development, and be prayerful, keeping in mind that it is either you are praying or fainting (2 King 6:1-7; Luke 18:1).
In addition, it is essential to regularly seek God’s ideals in all your ways. In 2 Chronicles 26:1-11, we read of a very young successful King Uzziah, whose main trade secret was his close affinity for the things of God: “And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper” (v5).
The pursuit of God’s ideals grants insight that will root any man in the resources that are quite essential for the next level. And, this also engenders broad-based faith, which is sometimes manifested in a kind of strange boldness to tackle oppositions on the path of life’s assignments.
The very next phase of God’s doing in your life will require you to dare where others are dismayed. The future belongs to covenant risk-takers, like David who dared the critical odds of life to cruise through to greatness. He killed a lion and a bear; afterwards, he went for Goliath to make room for his enthronement.
At any rate, all those who will enjoy new things from the Lord must be ready to engage change, which is paramount to newness. Where change is resisted, new things are denied their emergence. In short, those who cannot allow change may never see new things or experience new levels of glory. New things are not traditional, but transitional!
Meanwhile, the focus of the works of the Spirit in the lives of believers is to create the right changes (1 Samuel 10:6). Hence Job said he would do anything in favour of change (Job 14:14).
Choosing and Working On Your Environment
In relation to the foregoing discourse on our necessary preparation for the holy streams, God’s people who desire to relish their moments of new things must carefully choose and work on their environments, including the associations they keep.
It is a basic truth of life that somebody somewhere has what you are looking for, no matter what they may be. And, when you cultivate opportunities for right associations and utilise the same, your struggles to attract new things — new levels of glory, new social status in life and new dimensions of spiritual relevance — may happily cease.
There is great strength in right relationships, and your choicest asset in life is access to people who are both goodly and resourceful. When you have access to an outstanding man in any field of life’s endeavours, you can gain access to the working principles that stand him out, and can therefore become equipped to replicate his success. Choose your associates and friends wisely; they can make or mar your destiny!
Most importantly, when you consciously build your access to God through a well groomed affinity to the Holy Spirit, you are inescapably set for a supernatural stream of new things upon the earth (Isaiah 40:28–31; Psalm 35:13).
The realm of the spirit is the realm of great consequences. Nothing happens here unless it has happened there to start with. And, the earlier you know how to access that realm, the shorter your battle against stagnation becomes.
Particularly, spiritual sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is a most advantageous benefit we can derive from a genuine affinity with the Lord. When you are privileged to “know” what God is doing at a particular moment and you join Him to accomplish same, and you “know” what the devil is doing at a particular time and you confront him to stop his evil works, you naturally become a showpiece of wonder to your generation.
Those who are adequately sensitive in the realm of the spirit are sure carriers of the indomitable power that guarantees the next level, and they are forces that cannot be ignored. For sure, great power is needed for the demands of the promised new things.
The first time the mantle fell upon Elisha, it was an indication of a calling (1 Kings 19:19). But then much power was needed to fulfil that calling, hence the experience in 2 Kings 2:13, where Elisha got the power through faithful continuance in the steps of his master Elijah. And, this is very consistent with what our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, also taught His disciples (John 12:24-26, 32).
Valuable things are always rare and very costly. For this reason, obtaining Holy Ghost power for new things calls for a considerable spiritual investment. You must be totally yielded (Acts 1:8; Luke 4:1,14). You must lead a purposeful life that fulfils scripture (Matthew 3:15). And, you must be a living sacrifice, living ready to die to self and sin, daily (Romans 12:1-2).
In conclusion, beloved friends, always remember that the Voice of the Lord is the champions’ surest trade secret. When David traded with it, his streams of new things as well as his records of victory and promotion became unbroken (1 Samuel 30: 8). As you get yourself set for the promised new things by giving heed to these words and by trading with the same secret, you will be very glad you did sooner than later, in Jesus Name. Amen. Happy Sunday!
Rhema Christian Church,
Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
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