Be One who Ascends

It is “Victories 2021” this year as I have received from God that this will be a year of victory upon victory. Amazingly, through messages in Morning Devotion, God keeps reminding us that in order to experience victory upon victory in life, we must choose to be one who ascends.

Entering 2021, it happens that we have been reading the book of Judges in Morning Devotion. It was a dark age when the Israelite lived by their fleshly desires. We read Judges 4 on the first day of January this year where God was searching for a leader who would follow Him. Yet no man was willing to answer, He then raised up Deborah, a prophetess. It shows that God can greatly use anyone who is willing.

A gentile woman, Jael who was willing to be used by God killed even Sisera, the commander of the army of the king of Canaan. The name “Jael” means “goat”, an animal which keeps ascending even on hard and steep cliffs. Coincidently on my way to church for Morning Devotion that very day, I saw the sky full of clouds which were ascending too. God reminds us to be one who ascends!

Currently the entire world is facing all kinds of difficulties: the lifethreatening pandemic and the economy which is going down, causing record high unemployment rate as companies are laying-off. Hence, the society is under a lot of stress and pressure. When the world is descending, as God-followers, we are to keep ascending just like a goat.

We should not be like Samson who was chosen by God to be a Nazirite from mother’s womb. God expected him to be set apart unto Him and to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. However, as recorded in the bible, right at the start, he loved a Philistine woman, causing his life to descend. He went after his lusts and didn’t follow the will of God. No matter how greatly anointed or how mighty he was, he couldn’t deliver his people from oppression.

Dear brothers and sisters, how can we experience victory upon victory this year? We have to rid ourselves of self-centeredness and deal with our flesh and lusts. Facing the pandemic swing, the social unrest and people who are at a loss, let us neither fix our eyes on the world, nor live for ourselves as worldly people do. Instead, we should fix our eyes on God, live for Him and keep ascending because of Him. When we are willing to follow God and be used by Him, He will surely raise us up. Even in difficult circumstances, we will be blessed and protected and even become blessings to this generation.•[2021.01.24]