LEAVE THE FAMILIAR, BREAK NEW GROUNDS! – Pastor Folami Fawehinmi
I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
Chorus:
Lord, lift me up, and let me stand
By faith on Canaan’s tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.
I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.
I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till rest I’ve found,
“Lord, lead me on to higher ground”
Texts –
– Deuteronomy 2:3
– Hosea 10:12
– Psalm 23:6
– Proverbs 4:18
If you look at the miracles of our Lord Jesus, you will agree with me that they have a common thread….which is: LEAVE YOUR HORRIBLE PAST….THE BEST IS ALWAYS AHEAD.
JESUS HATED STAGNATION WITH PASSION.
Let us recall his miracles.
His miracles are progressive.
God too in all we have seen of Him hates stagnation and retrogression. Once He sees people in bondage or captivity, He wants to set them free.
Apart from that, all the people God uses greatly to work His works on earth, are people who are ready to explore unfamiliar grounds:
– Abram (Abraham)
– Moses
– David
– Esther
– Joseph
– Daniel
– Jacob
– Paul
– Peter
These guys all had funny and unremarkable pasts. But they were all willing to break their fallow grounds.
That’s why a number of stories and scriptures point to a better tomorrow. A future full of hope. Jer 29:11.
If that be the case then, why are we afraid to leave the familiar and break our fallow grounds for the golds?
Why can’t we launch out to new ventures?
Why are we so attached to the familiar?
Why are we so afraid to take steps of faith?
In doing this, you go into the unfamiliar territories following a familiar leading.
You don’t just jump into the lions den without a sure familiar voice leading you.
What is God telling you?
What is that gentle inner voice telling you?
Those who have made it in life have made it by VENTURING.
Let us wrap up with the story of Elisha.
1 Kings 19:19-20 – nkjv
God told the prophet Elijah to anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet.
Elisha Had a secure future in the family business that would be turned over to him one day.
But when Elijah put his mantle around Elisha, something came alive in Elisha’s spirit.
Today, is your moment too as I place this mantle upon you.
Immediately the mantle touched him and his spirit arose, he knew that he was supposed to leave the FAMILIAR to the UNKNOWN.
But hear me…..IT WAS SCARY!!!
I know treading into the unknown can be really scary. But if God is the one leading you…..no shaking!!!!
THOUGH I WALK THRU HE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH….I WILL FEAR NO EVIL…..FOR THOU ART WITH ME, THY ROD AND THY STAFF…..TNEY COMFORT ME…..
ALLELUIA!!!!!
It was a scary moment in Elisha’s life. Leaving pleasure for uncertainty…..but inspite of that fear something down in his spirit said :
“THIS IS YOUR DESTINY MOMENT. STEP OUT IN FAITH”
So, he did!
And the rest is history.
Les Brown, the world acclaimed leading motivational speaker toed this path too to stardom.
Hear me as I close,
Some opportunities don’t come a second time.
Life is too short to settle for things that you know are less than what is in you.
The image of what God is showing you in your glorious future may be too big that it scares you, but if you take that step of faith towards that dream, that imagination, that vision, that aspiration…..
YOU WILL DISCOVER THAT GOD SCARED YOU INTO GREATNESS!!!
He scared you into BREAKING NEW GROUNDS, NEW HORIZONS, NEW LEVELS, NEW RECORDS THAT NO ONE IN YOUR FAMILY EVER ATTAINED….
What are you waiting for????
Take that step now….
Make that move…..
Esau sought for the opportunity of a blessing from his father even with hot tears, but the only thing he got was if you can be restless…….then this yoke upon you will break….
Go restless,
move ahead,
Step into your Red Sea…
Push down the mountains….