BIBLE STUDY

` *_``Power of obeying```_*
* Sometimes, God asks you to do things that are hard. Deep down, we know we’re supposed to. We feel that nudging, but we don’t think we can. We don’t have the discipline. It’s easy to talk ourselves out of it. But Paul said in Philippians, “God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him.” God will never ask you to do something and not give you the ability to do it. He not only gives you the desire, the nudging, the challenge, but He gives you the power to obey.

If you don’t know how to go through the wrongs with a good attitude, trusting, knowing that God is still in control, then you’ll live frustrated. Have a new perspective. The detours aren’t random; they’re divine detours. No more fighting, no more resisting. Put down your sword. You can live out of a place of rest, knowing that the wrongs, the things you don’t understand, that are not fair, they’re not stopping you; they’re leading you into the perfect plan God has laid out for you.

Here’s a key, God will never ask you to do a hard thing without giving you the potential of doing it. When He is asking you to do something difficult, the grace is there, but you have to step into it. Your mind will tell you, “You can’t forgive; they hurt you too badly . You won't break this addiction; just live with it. You can’t do something great; you’re insecure, unqualified.” Don’t believe those lies. There’s nothing the enemy would love more than for you to spend your life running: running from God’s call on your life, running from your fears, running from your hurts, running from your past. It’s time to stop running. The only way out is through. You can’t go around it. You can’t ignore it and it will go away. Time won’t cause it to disappear. But if you’ll confront it, you can conquer it.

You have to get to the point where you’re not moved by disappointment, not moved by opposition, not moved by the medical report. “Yes, it doesn’t look good, but there’s another report. God says He’s restoring health back unto me.” You can stay in peace knowing that God has the final say. You’re not moved by the financial setback or the business that went down. You could live stressed, not able to sleep, or you could keep the faith. “God, You said You would supply all my needs. You clothe the lilies of the field; You feed the birds of the air. I know You’ll take care of me.” A loved one doesn’t make it. You could be depressed, give up on your dreams. “God, You said You would give me beauty for these ashes. You said there’s joy for this mourning, that my latter days will be better than my former days.”

James 5 says, “Elijah was human, as we are, and yet when he prayed that it would not rain, no rain fell for three and a half years.” Sometimes we see the people in the Bible as superhuman. They had so much more faith than us. We believe that God favored them because they were so special. This Scripture starts off saying, “Elijah was human.” Of course we know he was human. God was saying this to let us know, he was an ordinary person, just like you and I, filled with the Spirit of the Most High God. He didn’t necessarily feel special. He didn’t walk around with a supernatural glow. The reason we’re talking about him is he dared to pray bold prayers. He dared to ask for the impossible. That’s what made him stand out.

When you talk defeat, you’re headed toward defeat. When you talk failure, lack, mediocrity, you’re headed that way. You’re setting the direction with your words. Are you in agreement with God? He’s said you’re blessed. Are you saying something else? He’s said you’re fearfully and wonderfully made, a masterpiece, crowned with favor. Are you calling yourself inferior, weak, not attractive? Start declaring what He promised.

failure is very expensive, it's better to pay a price and live a victorious life. The scripture says "I bless those who diligently seek me" see what Jesus is says in Luke 14:28-33

You have to be honest with yourself. Maybe there are some bitter roots you need to uproot. You’ve allowed offenses to stay. Its okay. Today can be the uprooting day. Today can be the day you let things go. You can forgive who hurt you, not focus on what they did, not be obsessed over who’s not cheering you up, living to prove to them who you are. You have got nothing to prove. God is proud of you. God is cheering you on. He’s going to make up for the wrongs. Hurts come, but God heals. Unfair things happen, but God pays you back. We all have some ashes, but God gives you beauty for the ashes. Now, do your part and keep the offenses out. Develop this habit of forgiveness and forgetting. Live in a progressive state of forgiveness.

You have to stretch, get out of your comfort zone, take some steps of faith. You have greatness in you. You weren’t created to live off of manna. Don’t have a manna mentality. Don’t complain because something has ceased. If it stopped, then it wasn’t supposed to be permanent.