Mensa Otabil - Enlarge and Occupy
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Day number 24 of our 40 days of power, and we are looking at Isaiah chapter 54, verse 2. Enlarge the place of your tent; let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings. Do not spare; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. This is a very favorite verse of mine. After 70 years of living in captivity, the children of Israel have come back to their land, and they are trying to build their lives, but they are building very, very small houses on small plots, although the land is vast.
So God sends the prophet Isaiah to speak to them about the new dispensation that has come to them. They are no longer in captivity; they are in freedom, and they have to act with freedom. The Lord looks at what the people are doing, and He says to them, «Enlarge the place of your tent.» He wants you to do bigger, better, and greater. I believe that is what God wants to do in your life. He wants you to build bigger, better, and greater—not necessarily a very big house but a big mind, a big understanding, a big vision, and a big pursuit in your life.
So how do we enlarge the place of our tent? I want you to take this as an analogy and apply it to the way we function as human beings. If we’re going to enlarge the place of our tent, the first thing we have to do is enlarge our mental capacity. We have to open our minds to the possibility of what God can do. When things are closed, they cannot receive much and they cannot do much. But when there is openness, so much more can happen. God wants us to include Him in our thoughts and possibilities. He wants our minds to comprehend that «eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the things that He can do for us.» What God wants to do for you is far bigger than what your mind can conceive, so open your mind and receive what God has for you.
Secondly, we have to make room for God. It’s good to plan for yourself and for what you can do. If everything depended on me, my plans would be very small. If God is part of my equation, then I have to factor in His resources, His ability, and His supernatural strength. Once we make room for God, our plans become bigger, better, and greater. Include God in your plan; it’s not only up to you, your education, or your resources. Make room for Him.
And the third thing is, if we’re going to enlarge the place of our tent, we have to learn to stretch. Now, stretching is not easy for anyone because we all want to do things at a comfortable level. But when you stretch, there will be discomfort; there will be pain. It’s like the person who wants to train and do sports; they do some stretching to stretch their muscles.
Why do they do that? So they can run better and faster; the muscle will be more supple, enabling it to do the things we want it to do. So God wants us to stretch. Stretching means you’re going to do things beyond your comfort level. Jesus put it this way: if somebody asks you to go one mile, go two miles. What does it mean? Don’t just live to the expectations of people; exceed expectations. Stretch yourself, go the extra mile, and do more than what is easy for you to do. If we are able to do that, then we can enlarge the place of our tent. Open your mind, factor God into your equation, and be ready to go the extra mile. Stretch, and God will do great things with you.
Let’s pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, I am open to You. I take a bold step into the great things You want me to do. In Jesus' name, Amen.