By Pastor Chris Davis

Day 17 — A Commitment to Becoming

EXPAND, A Devotional

by Pastor Chris Davis

“Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.”” Exodus 13:17 NKJV

Are you a fighter? I mean, do you easily engage in conflict with others? Whether you do or don’t, no worries. We all have different personality types that govern how we respond to conflict. Personally, confrontation has been something that I’ve had to learn to embrace in a healthy manner. Depending on our upbringing and past experiences, we all develop a “fight or flight” mentality when it comes to conflict.

Here’s the problem, we often easily identify threats or enemies that exist outside of ourselves but fail to recognize the enemies that exist within us. The enemy of our soul has strategically set up strongholds within our souls to prevent us from becoming who Christ died for us to be.

Are you familiar with the story about the children of Israel’s exodus from Egypt? God delivered them from bondage and desired to bring them through a wilderness test to prepare them for their proverbial and literal promised land. It took them 40 years to cover a 13 day journey. They’d overcome the bondage of slavery in Egypt but there were giants and enemies that they’d have to conquer along the way in order to inherit God’s promises.

I’ve heard countless new believers complain about the difficulty of following Christ. They forget that the same God that delivered them from their Egypt is bringing them into their promised land. Yes, we need to have a mind to fight and not lose heart, because a commitment to becoming is a commitment to fighting. Not fighting against people, but rather, learning how to bring the victory of the cross to every place the enemy has tried to withstand you from possessing.

Consider these thoughts.

Your promised land is the potential within you that the Holy Spirit would like access to.Your inheritance is the very image and likeness of God. Don’t stop fighting, until by God’s Grace you look like Him.

Have you ever wondered why God took them through the wilderness?

“Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.”” Exodus 13:17 NKJV

Points To Ponder:

Has there been a time that God took you through the “wilderness”? Did you recognize it initially? What was He saying to you?

Where are you now? What is God doing in you now to form you into His image?