Onward and upward

To fulfill God’s will for your life, you must do these: (1) Move to a higher level of faith (see Romans 1:17). Before David killed Goliath, he first had to kill a lion and a bear. And today we’re contending with issues that require us to trust God in a greater way. (2) Seek God’s guidance about each situation that arises (see Proverbs 3:6). His promise is: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” (Psalm 32:8 NKJV). (3) Get into proper spiritual alignment. God is aligning His people and putting together those who will stand as one in the day of battle. It’s imperative to know who you can trust to go into battle with you, and you only discover such people in times of testing (see Joshua 8:1). (4) Know God’s will for your life. God doesn’t play hide-and-seek with His will. It’s only as you spend time with Him that you discover it (see Psalm 143:10). And when you do that, you thrive. (5) Fight, using God’s Word. The God-breathed words found in scripture are your strength in times of difficulty and testing. Jesus used scripture to put Satan to flight (see Matthew 4), and the weapon of God’s Word still works today. (6) Don’t be unduly introspective. Only the Holy Spirit has the ability to search and know our hearts and minds (see John 16:8-15). And when God is ready to reveal areas that need correction, He will. Until then, keep moving forward in faith. (7) Guard your mind. Make it a walled city that refuses entry to negative thoughts and harmful influences (see Proverbs 4:23 GNT).