Mensa Otabil - Prepare to Possess
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Today is the 4th day of our fresh start as we pray towards the New Year, trusting God to do something new in our lives. But today is also a very special day because it is our 1,000th episode of Word to Go. We’ve been doing this broadcast since it started during the lockdown of COVID in 2020, on the 30th of March. We had our first broadcast then; at that time, there were only virtual churches, and we couldn’t gather. This was designed as a way of reaching out to people, giving them a daily devotional, and encouraging them. It has continued from that time, and today we are doing our 1,000th broadcast. We thank God for the opportunity to serve you, and we trust you’ve been blessed and encouraged by being a part of this devotional for the last 1,000 days. I was almost going to say 1,000 years, but it’s 1,000 days.
Well, let’s get into the word for today: Joshua chapter 1, verse 11. «Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.'» Anytime God is taking us into something new, He also encourages us to prepare, and you see that throughout the Bible. God prepares people for what He’s going to do in their lives. So, if we want to enjoy the goodness of the Lord, then we need to prepare for it. That’s why we are doing this Fresh Start of times of prayer, preparing, and entering into the year with great confidence and assurance of God’s promises.
So, prepare for yourselves provisions. Not only did God tell them to prepare, but He also told them what was going to happen when they prepared. He says, «You’re going to cross over this Jordan.» Now, that was a momentous thing for the children of Israel because for almost 40 years, they had been camped behind the Jordan River-not because the river was too big, but because they understood the consequences of crossing it. It meant they would be in enemy territory in their Promised Land, which had been taken over by people. Anytime they moved across the Jordan, they knew they would go into battle. And God says, «Get ready; you’re going to go across it.»
You know, many times there are barriers in our lives that we’re so afraid to cross because we think, «If I take this step, it’s going to be difficult, and life will be tough, and things will come against me.» But there are moments when we have to venture out and do what God wants us to do. This year, I pray that whatever has been a Jordan in front of you, stopping you from entering the fullness of life that God wants you to have, you would have the courage to cross it. Maybe it is the courage to pray a little bit more, to study the Bible, or to take a course. There is a Jordan that you need to cross to enter into the promises of God. May God give us the grace and the strength to cross them.
Then God says to them, «If you are able to cross this Jordan, then you will possess the land.» There are steps we need to take in order to become the people God wants us to be. Sometimes it’s a character that needs to give way for us to fully transform into what God wants us to be. Sometimes it’s a change of perspective; sometimes there’s repentance from something sinful; sometimes it’s a relationship that we need to enter into in order to get into the Promised Land. Whatever is required for 2023 to be a great year for you, may the Lord give you the wisdom, the discernment, and the courage to do it so that you will become all that God wants you to be in Jesus' name.
Let us pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, I am ready to do your will this year. By faith, I possess all your promises for me in 2023. In Jesus' name, amen.»