SPIRITUAL ATTAINMENT TARGET
"SO JOSHUA MADE A COVENANT WITH THE PEOPLE THAT DAY, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem."
Joshua 24:25 (NKJV)
Walking with God should be a choice that is deliberately made, with a determination and resolution; a strong decision.
You have to make a binding contract with God in your relationship with Him.
God would not condone sin, He would not want someone who made an agreement with Him and went away to do another thing, soil his or her garment.
Walking with God is covenant based; it is a sort of agreement between you and Him. Christianity or being a believer in Christ is not about attending church meetings only, it is much more than that; it is about knowing God personally and walking with Him intimately.
Joshua told the people: "IF YOU ABANDON THE LORD AND SERVE OTHER gods, HE WILL TURN AGAINST YOU AND DESTROY YOU, EVEN THOUGH HE HAS BEEN SO GOOD TO YOU" (Joshua 24:20 NLT).
A simple definition of covenant says: It is an agreement that is legally binding between two or more people.
Thus, when a covenant is cut or established with God; you should always remember the agreement you made with Him and strive to be faithful to your own part of the agreement or covenant.
God is merciful and gracious, and at the same time awesome and fearful!
Walking with God is beyond the church meetings you attend; It involves your daily living, how God is carried along in your daily affairs.
Thus, in your walk with God, you need to have a concrete plan for your spiritual growth and development. You plan for your spiritual growth and development through the study of the Word of God, prayer, fasting, the giving of your substance, and the using of your time to serve His purpose or interest, that is, working in His vineyard.
God is progressive, He loves those who are progressive in their walk with Him.
You should have plans for your growth in Him, that is, in your walk or communion with Him.
Thus:
• You should aspire to grow in the number of the chapters of the Bible you read daily—even in this new year.
• You should have God in your sleeping and waking thoughts. When you have the mindset or mentality mentioned here; the progressive pictures of your life would be shown to you, that is, they would be imprinted on your heart.
Even without being told by anyone—a prophet or whoever—you would already have a peripheral knowledge of what God has in plan for your life (1 Corinthians 13:9).
And as you are progressing in Him, God, you would be getting the clearer pictures of His plans for your life—whatever you would become in Him, that is, in His Kingdom on earth; it would be made known to you.
The spiritual height that you would attain would be set as a goal before you on the inside of you by God. It is by these understanding and knowledge that you would make a resolve and ask the Holy Spirit to help you in all you do (Philippians 3:9-14).
You cannot know the depths of God until you have a picture of your spiritual attainment—the level you are being taken.
You should be ready to discipline the self, deny yourself certain things, in order to attain the spiritual heights God has purposed you to reach.
7 BUT WHAT THINGS WERE GAIN TO ME, THESE I HAVE COUNTED LOSS FOR CHRIST.
8 YET INDEED I ALSO COUNT ALL THINGS LOSS FOR THE EXCELLENCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS MY LORD, FOR WHOM I HAVE SUFFERED THE LOSS OF ALL THINGS, AND COUNT THEM AS RUBBISH, THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST."
Philippians 3:7,8 (NKJV)
The desires to serve God and know Him the more are put in a believer's heart by God Himself: "FOR IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU BOTH TO WILL AND TO DO FOR HIS GOOD PLEASURE" (Philippians 2:13 NKJV).
You should therefore cooperate with God to bring that desire He puts in your heart to a fruition or realization—made a reality.
The ultimate desire of every believer in his or her heart should be how they would know God the more, that is, how to serve Him, His interest, better than before (Philippians 3:10).
The desire to know God and serve Him should be number one in your heart—it should be of utmost priority. When your goal is all about how to grow in God, then you begin to attract His attention and receive His help. Your spiritual wellbeing and growth are much more important to God than any other thing!
If I may ask these:
• How many chapters of the Bible do you read daily?
• How is your prayer life, and How are you growing in it?
• Do you fast at least once in a week, or you do it once in a while, or you do not do it at all?
The Growth plan:
• Increase the number of chapters of the Bible that you read and study daily.
• Ask questions, that is, probe the text or passage which you are reading, as you are reading and studying the Bible.
• Increase your prayer and fasting, as your body is adjusted or accustomed to the ones you are observing.
• Discipline yourself and dissociate from those people who will not help and encourage you in your decision to know God the more.
• Tell God and promise Him that you will do those things which you have discovered in His Word that would help your spiritual growth. Then, ask the Holy Spirit to enable you to do the good things you have desired to do about your walking with God and your spiritual growth.
In conclusion, you should have a plan to know God the more. You cannot afford to be perpetually live as a baby Christian throughout your life ( Hebrews 4:12-14).
If you refused and failed to grow in your walk with God, you may lose your relevance in the Kingdom. You are not saved to be an onlooker in the Kingdom of God on earth.
You are to be part of those who build the Kingdom. Part of those who propagate His Kingdom.
You will not fail in Jesus' name. Peace!