Challenges and difficult times are bound to come because they are part of Gods package to strengthen us and at times draw us closer to him. Trails of faith and temptations are also part of the package of our walk to the fulfillment of destiny or to the promised land as they play their part or role in strengthening us and making us what God intends us to be. For there is no one who ever gets promoted without a test to pass or task to perform. The test or task that leads us to the next level in life certainly needs no examination number or candidate number, we write or sit for them most of the time if not always without notice. Many times while driving or taking decisions do we prefer other people ahead of us? inline with the dictate of the scriptures.

This is certainly Gods way and standard of lifting His children from one level to the other. Please note that He is always desirous of blessing and lifting His children, however, He does no want his name to be dragged in the mud in the high places among the high and the lofty in the land hence His reluctance to promote and lift His children who refuses to mature. Gal. 4:1 reads “Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all”. Without you being matured and continue to grow in maturity, you are not entitled fully to what God has in stock for you.

Please note that the days, weeks and months ahead certainly have their challenges, temptations and trails hence the need for empowerment. We cannot take on the journey without being empowered except we have made up our minds to fall or fail in the journey. Please recall the story of Elijah after the victory over the prophets of Baal at the Mount Carmel. God had just shown Himself mighty in the battle for supremacy; 1Kings 18:40 reads, and Elijah said to them, “seize the prophet of baal! Do not let one of them escape! “So they seize them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and executed them there. What a great victory which ought to have sent great confidence to the heart of Elijah. But this was short lived as Elijah ran out of steam and spiritual stamina. A man of God that confronted men soon came running from a demonic woman who promised doing the same as Elijah did to the prophets of baal, alas Elijah took to his heels. Friends, please note that the victory of the battle of yesterday is not sufficient to take you on for the new day, you must be empowered on daily basis. Elijah soon lost the stamina needed to carry on thus making a request in 1kings 19:4 which reads, But he himself went a days journey into the wilderness, and came out and sat under the broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, for I am no better than my fathers. God knew that Elijah had run out of steam hence instead of taking his life as requested he sent an angel to go forth and empower him for the journey was long. 1 King 19:5 “Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him and said to him “Arise and eat”. 1Kings 19:8 reads “So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty night…….. Elijah was strengthened by God through His angel otherwise he would not have come out of hiding to enhance the defeat of the Syrian, stay alive to see the death of Ahab the King who relied on a lieing spirit by the false prophet and ultimately a smooth handover of the mantle and anointing to Elisha. Elijah had to be empowered. Just like Elijah, you and I must be empowered also. We need the empowerment from above to do valiantly and come out victorious from all the temptations and trails that we may be confronted with in the course of our journey on earth.

Act 1:8 reads “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…… , beloved has the Holy Spirit come upon? Are you empowered by the Spirit of the living God? Always remember we have a better covenant now, a covenant that allows God Himself through His Spirit to empower us and not limited to angels alone as it was in the days of Elijah. How sensitive are you to the Spirit of God who empowers? Do you have the Spirit of God actively in you? SHALOM ( to be continued)