Transcription
The one interesting thing about life is that many times we we can we can lose a battle that [Music] ordinarily appears to be a battle that will win. And also there are times where there will be an offset and a battle that as at this moment appears as if you will surely lose or known to you if you were to proceed on that battle you will win the battle.
Basically what our Lord Jesus Christ instead of all emphasizing here is that in many issues of life we can anticipate the final outcome. We can anticipate the ultimate result. There are critical times in life where you must never take a step forward except there is a strong Divine confirmation. And in fact, does not take a step forward until God eventually speaks. And why is the Lord adversing in this slide? There are certain major pursuits, commitments, investment, long-term relationships, long-term partnership, or battles in life that are wise to embark upon because of the unpleasant negative consequences, the painful regrets that will arise if they finally turn out to be unsuccessful. And sometimes you may actually actually win the war. You may actually win the battle. You may actually achieve achieve your primary purpose. But certain things you cannot foresee are going to happen in the course of you pursuing that battle, and that will bring a lot of painful regrets.
Devil David of Israel, before he ever embarked on any two military battle, always inquired from the Lord. And it's quite instructive that he would not bother proceed on the battle that ordinarily he would win if God tells him not to proceed. And then on the reverse, if God was to tell David, don't proceed on this battle, pursue, you will recover, you will overtake and recover all, even when it looks as a battle that will not be won because God has spoken, David will certainly proceed on that. That was how David operated all through his reign. Divine Direction was very key for major decisions that he took in his capacity as king.
There are several lessons I want to quickly highlight. One, all knows what will happen, only God knows what will happen at the end. So for this reason, before you take any major decision in life, seek the face of God. Seek the face of God. Don't be in a hurry. Most of the mistakes in life come in the in the circumstance of haste. If you look at all cases where people have made very costly mistakes in life, and you do it look at them statistically in terms of how soon they took that decision, how soon they reacted, you would observe that an overwhelming majority of those cases in the context of haste. See reactions. Most of the traps that will come your way in life and in destiny will only succeed if you act too fast. If you act too fast, when you act in a hurry.
And there are times you will seek the face of God over an issue, and God may not speak. God may not speak for some time. So you now have two options. Do you go ahead even without God speaking, or do you wait until God speaks? There are times where you could proceed, but there are times where you you should not proceed until God eventually speaks. Easy to read version Isaiah 46 verse 10. He says, "In the beginning, I told you what would happen in the end. A long time ago, I told you things that have not happened yet. When I planned something, it happens. I do whatever I want."
Now, this brings you into another dimension of why you must seek the face of God. Not only does God have the power, God has the power to influence how everything will end. God's Divine direction is a great asset in the race of destiny. You need it in your race of destiny. You have a destiny written by God. Destiny is not ambition. There's a place for ambition in what will happen in your life, and everything that will happen in your life is not destined by God. I've explained this many times. What is saying direction? It doesn't imply that there will not be challenges. It doesn't imply that, you know, undesirable things will not happen. But what should always be your consolation is the fact that God was God truly said this is the right person, this is the right place. [Music]
And when things go wrong, it does not necessarily imply that the decision, the choice, or the location was the wrong one. So God has the ability to foresee how every decision, choice, relationship, partnership, marriage, pursuit, career, business endeavor, transaction, investment, and relocation. God knows how all of these things will end. Follow whatever God is saying now. If God told you not too long ago, go in this direction, and now he's saying go in this other direction, go with what he's saying now. What matters at the end is what he's saying now. If God rejected someone in the past, and God comes back now to say, "Saul, this same Saul is the one I have chosen. He's my instrument through which I will minister to Kings and the Gentiles." You had better put aside his past behavior and hostility against the church and hold on to what the Lord is saying now.
Lesson number two: God can fulfill his promises in any circumstance and at any time. God can fulfill his promises in any circumstance and at any time. First Kings 17:1-9. The Lord told Elijah, "Go to Brook Charity, there I will feed you." But the same God who spoke to him gave him a new instruction in verse 9 and told him now to go to Zarifath. Life does not end at Brook Jared. Whatever promise God has given, God will fulfill it. But he can change the process. He can change the approach. He can change the instruments that he uses. He can change the location that he uses. Always have that in mind. Always have that in mind.
And the lesson, lesson number three: Always focus your prayers first of all on what you need. Focus your prayers first of all on what you need. [Music] Not how you are expecting it to happen. Naaman, the Syrian general, in Second Kings 5:11, almost missed an opportunity for a miracle because of how he was expecting his heart desire to happen. Focus your prayers first of all on what you need, and not who, who, who you are expecting God to use. Don't be so fixed on any particle. Have an open mind. Have an open mind. Psalm 118:22: "The stone which the builders rejected has not become the head of the corner." We are seeing this happen over and over. Focus your prayers first, first of all, on what you need, and not where you are expecting it to happen or come from. "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" The best came out from there. The best came out from there. Not where you are expecting it to happen from.
Number four: There can be trials and challenges. Part of God's perfect will. There can be trials and challenges in the path of God's perfect will. Be trials with God's choice. There can be challenges with God's choice. And still under four, always remember that God's promises are not always fulfilled at the first attempt. They are not always fulfilled at the first attempt. The righteous will finally win. There's a promise we have from him. Finally could be second attempt, third attempt, fourth attempt.
Lesson five: The years of preparation and training are not wasted years. The years of preparation and training are not wasted years. In this present generation that we are, every most people just want everything to be instant. So when you talk about years of preparation, many do not want to go through it. Years of training, many do not want to go through it. And some see years of preparation as wasted years. Say, "By now, I ought to." And you discover that many mistakes that you could have made when the real time, the ultimate time comes, those mistakes you could have avoided them if you went through proper preparation and training. It's like rehearsal. Rehearsals for a major drama script or a major choir presentation. There are some that will just feel, "Well, you know, we have done enough. Let's go ahead and have the the event." And there could be some mistakes that with more fine-tuning during preparation and training could have been avoided.
Lesson seven, and that's the last one: Divine direction and God's will always comes with benefits. Divine direction and God's will always comes with benefits. Always comes with benefits. And some of these benefits include a clear vision and focus. When there is divine direction, there is an end to confusion. It's an end to dead ends. You'll be able to now to walk with focus because God has given the direction. Supernatural enforcement. Number three under benefit: Success and fulfillment. If it's God's direction, then God will clear the way. When God is showing the way, he will clear the way. The fourth benefit is grace for the assignment. Grace for the assignment. Number five: Divine protection. That's a fifth benefit. Another benefit is confidence and stability. In Genesis 26:3, God told Isaac, he says, "Stay in this land, and I will be with you. I will be with you." And so I pray that every major decision you need to make at this time, the Holy Spirit will overwhelm you to make the right decision. [Music]