Those who follow The Lord will inherit the land – part 2

Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.

Joshua 14:14

Last week we learned that Caleb inherited the land because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly. There are other useful lessons we can learn from the life of Caleb:

1. You can achieve whatever you want regardless of your age

When Caleb had reached the age of 85 that is when he asked for his mountain. He was not concerned about his age, he was only concerned about the promises of God. We should never let old age stop us from doing what God has called us to do. Moses was 80 years old when God called him and he led the Children of Israel for 40 years until he died at 120 years old. Abraham was 75 years old when God called him. Therefore there is no reason why we should not fulfil the call of God upon our lives because of old age.

2. You must rest assured that The Lord is with you

Caleb wanted the mountain because He knew that The Lord will be with him to drive out the giants. We must likewise be persuaded that The Lord will be with us and that whatever giant steps He allows us to take He will be with us:

Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.”

Joshua 14:12

3. We must keep ourselves physically strong

Caleb was ready to take the mountain because he was physically strong. In fact he told Joshua that he was as fit now at 85 years as he was when he was 40 years old (he was still strong enough for war). This tells us that Caleb must have been a man of exercise. It is important for us as children of God to exercise our body so that we can stay physically fit to do the work of God:

As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in.

Joshua 14:11

Prayer

Dear Lord, please help me like Caleb not to be afraid of giants but to ask for the mountain and inherit the land in Jesus name.

A Blessing to the World Podcast

This week, I have the honour of interviewing Rachael Aprill Phillips, the Director of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce UK, the CEO and Founder of Richible, the online platform for entrepreneurs, and author of The Entrepreneurs Success Manual: Building Wealth The Smart Way.  Please watch here

Blessing 1-2-1 Coaching

Find out more about my 1-2-1 coaching services here:

How to Find the Purpose for Your Life 1-2-1 Coaching

Blessing’s Upcoming Workshops

Please sign up for the following workshops:

How to Discover the Purpose of Your Life Workshop – Friday, October 7, 2016

Breakthrough To Your Purpose Women’s Retreat 2016, weekend of 9-11 December 2016

How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

Do you know God’s purpose for your life? If not, please buy a copy of: How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

Those who follow The Lord will inherit the Land – part 1

Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.

Joshua 14:12

As Joshua was dividing the land among the tribes of Israel, Caleb approached Joshua and reminded him how Moses had promised to give him the land of Hebron because he had completely followed the Lord.

The story of Caleb teaches us a number of important lessons about what it takes for us to inherit the Promised Land:

1. We must have a heart of faith concerning the promises of God

When Caleb and the rest of the 12 came back from spying the land, Caleb brought back a good report that they were able to take on the giants and to possess the land that God had promised them. Caleb “brought back word to him as it was in his heart” (Joshua 14:7). We must therefore have a heart of faith concerning the promises of God. We develop this heart of faith when we regularly read and meditate on the Word of God and listen to messages that will build up our faith. When we feast on the Word of God it will reflect in what we say:

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

Luke 6:45 (NLT)

2. The land where our feet treads shall be ours

Moses had told Caleb that the land where his feet had trodden shall be his inheritance and his children forever because he had completely followed the Lord. Likewise when we follow the Lord, every land where our feet shall tread shall be ours:

I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.

Joshua 1:3 (NIV)

3. We must demand the mountain

As humans we naturally want comfort and will do anything to avoid pain and hardship however this was not the attitude of Caleb. At the age of 85 years he was asking for the mountain. This teaches us that we should not settle for the valleys or the comfort zone because it doesn’t allow us to grow. When Abraham asked Lot to choose which part of the land he wanted, Lot settled for the valley, and look at what happened to Sodom and Gomorra?. We must reach out to the higher things in God:

Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.

Joshua 14:12

Prayer

Dear Lord, please help me to follow You with my whole heart so that I too will inherit the Land in Jesus name.

A Blessing to the World Podcast

Every week I will be interviewing people who are a blessing to the world. This week, be grateful as you listen to my interview with the author of the Gratitude Journal:

Blessing 1-2-1 Coaching

Find out more about my 1-2-1 coaching services here:

How to Find the Purpose for Your Life 1-2-1 Coaching

Blessing’s Upcoming Workshops

Please sign up for my upcoming workshops:

How to Discover the Purpose of Your Life Workshop – Friday, October 7, 2016

Goal Setting Workshop – Friday, November 4, 2016

How to Master Your Time Workshop – Friday, December 2, 2016

Breakthrough To Your Purpose Women’s Retreat 2016, weekend of 9-11 December 2016

How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

Do you know God’s purpose for your life? If not, please buy a copy of: How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

God bless,

Blessing

 

Why should we meditate on the Word of God?

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success (Joshua 1:8)

Just like Joshua, God has a promise land that He has placed before all of us to possess, however before we can go in and possess the land and have good success, there are certain principles that God wants us to follow:

What does God want us to do?

1. Keep the Word of the Lord in your mouth

This means that we must speak the Word of God whether circumstances are favourable or not. For example when we are weak the Lord wants us to declare that we are strong (Joel 3:10). This doesn’t deny the fact that we are feeling weak, but we are declaring the outcome that The Lord will make us strong. Speaking the Word of God is important because that is how our faith will increase:

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17)

2. Meditate on the Word of God day and night

According to Strong’s Concordance, to meditate is to “moan, growl, utter, speak and muse”. In other words when you meditate you ponder on and then declare the Word of God. You don’t just do it in the morning but also in the night. When you do this the Bible tells us that you are blessed:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night (Psalms 1:1-2)

3. Observe and do according to what is written in the Word

To observe means you pay a close attention to what the Word is saying and then you do it:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (James 1:22)

Why should we meditate on The Word of God?

1. You shall make your way prosperous

To be prosperous in all your ways refers to well-being, having favour with God and man and being wealthy. It means that when you ponder on and declare the Word of God you will flourish in your spirit, soul, body as well as in your finances, and God take pleasure in making His servants prosperous:

Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psalm 35:27)

2. You shall have good success

Success is achieving all of what God has ordained for you with excellence. Successful people have wisdom and understanding, and are skilful in what they do. Success comes when we obey the commandments of God:

My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man (Proverbs 3:1-4 ESV)

So in summary, we meditate on the Word of God so that we can be prosperous and have good success. You can also listen to this message on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlaxqzd6yq8

Do you know God’s purpose for your life? If not, please download your free book copy of How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

God bless,

Blessing

You are God’s special people

In today’s Scripture God want you to know that you are His special people.

“Today the Lord your God commands you to obey all these laws and rules. Be careful to follow them with all your heart and soul. Today you have said that the Lord is your God. You have promised to live the way he wants. You promised to follow his teachings and to obey his laws and commands. You said you would do everything he tells you to do.

And today the Lord has accepted you to be his own people. He has promised you this. The Lord also said that you must obey all his commands. The Lord will make you greater than all the nations he made. He will give you praise, fame, and honor. And you will be his own special people, as he promised.”

Deuteronomy 26:16-19 (ERV)

 In this Scripture, Moses the man of God, tells the people of Israel that if they do everything The Lord requires of them then the Lord will make them His special people. As believers in Jesus Christ, the Lord is saying the same thing to us today. If we will believe in God by accepting Jesus Christ His Son as our Lord and Saviour, The Lord will also accept us as His own people and we will be God’s special people. Let’s take a closer look at this scripture.

What does The Lord require from us for us to be His own special people?

1. Obey all His laws and rules – do everything The Lord has told us to do in His Word – The Holy Bible. Just like Jesus, we should surrender our will to the Father and do all that He has commanded us to do “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38)
2. Be careful to follow them with all your heart and soul – we should put our all in serving God and follow His Word with all our heart and soul “Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” (Matthew 22:37)
3. Make The Lord your God – there are many god’s out there. Some are made of stones, metal and wood, some even worship the sun and the moon. Some worship their money, car, family etc. But The Lord who made heaven and earth, the God of Israel, wants you to make Him your Lord and God: “But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands” (Psalm 115:3-4)
4. Live in the way God wants – there are many philosophies out there of different ways to live the good life, however God wants us to walk in love (Ephesians 5:2), walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8), and walk in in wisdom (Ephesians 5:15)
5. Follow the teachings of God – we should do what The Word says “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22)
6. Obey His laws and commands – even in the face of difficulty and persecution The Lord wants us to do what He says “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29);
7. Do everything God tells you to do – The Lord wants us to do everything He tells us to do so that He will make us prosperous and give us good success “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8)

Once we do what The Lord require, what will The Lord do for us?

1. The Lord will accept us as His own people – to be accepted is to have the assurance that we belong to God and that no one can take us from His hand; “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” (John 10:28-30)
2. The Lord will make you greater than all the nations He made – it has always been the will of The Father to make those who obey Him great and to give them a great name. God told Abraham, Israel’s ancestor, that if he will leave his father’s house and go to a land that He will show him; “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2)
3. The Lord will give you praise – God is a faithful God, and when you listen to Him, He will give you fame and praise “At that time I will bring you back, Even at the time I gather you; For I will give you fame and praise Among all the peoples of the earth, When I return your captives before your eyes,” Says the Lord” (Zephaniah 3:20)
4. The Lord will give you fame – God makes those who obey Him famous. Listen to what He told David, the man who was after God’s own heart: “And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth” (2 Samuel 7:9)
5. The Lord will give you honour – because Solomon asked wisdom from God, God gave him both riches and honour “And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days” (1 Kings 3:13)
6. You will be God’s special people – when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour we become God’s special people “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9)

Prayer of Surrender

If you would like to become God’s special people but have not yet surrendered your life to Jesus, please pray this prayer of surrender from your heart:

Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I believe that You are the way, the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father but by You. I believe You died on the cross and You were raised from the dead.

I accept that I am a sinner and have come short of the glory of God. I now confess my sins and ask You to please forgive me for the sins of (……..please take your time and name them one by one and make a decision not to do them again).

Please wash me clean with Your precious blood that was shed for me on the Cross. Please remove me from the kingdom of darkness and bring me into Your Kingdom of Light. I want to know you Jesus, and have a loving relationship with God my Father.

Please become the Lord of my life and fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I can live a victorious life.

From today, please gain control over my spirit, my soul, my mind, my will and my emotions. Please help me to live for You. Thank You Jesus.

Father, I now come to You in the name of Jesus. Thank You for giving Jesus Christ Your Son to die for me so that I can have a loving relationship with You. Please guide and direct my steps from this day forward in Jesus name.

Father, I know You created me for a purpose. Please show me why You have created me and what You want me to do with the rest of my life in Jesus’ name.

Next Steps

Dear Friend, if you have prayed this prayer from your heart, you have become a child of God, His own special people. Please get a Bible and start reading the Word of God, because the Word of God is Spirit and it is life. You literally become transformed as you read the Word of God. If you do not have a Bible please read it at: https://www.biblegateway.com/

Please find a Church where the pure Word of God is preached and join fellowship with other believers. This will help you to be strong and to grow in the Lord.

Dear Brother or Sister, if you have prayed this prayer, we would love to hear from you. Please send an email and we will send you a Bible and some excellent reading material to help you on this Christian journey: info@blessingcoaching.com

God bless,

Blessing