Today, we continue our series entitled “Laser Focus,” emphasizing living with a Laser Focus on the Fixed Purpose God established for us before the world began.
(Proverbs 4:25 TPT)
Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions.
Scriptures for today:
(James 1:2-4 TPT)
2 My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can!
3 For you know that when your faith is tested, it stirs up power within you to endure all things.
4 And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.
(Ecc 3:1 ERV)
There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time.
(Gen 41:56-57 ERV)
56 There was famine everywhere, so Joseph gave the people grain from the warehouses. He sold the stored grain to the people of Egypt. The famine was bad in Egypt,
57 but the famine was bad everywhere. So people from the countries around Egypt had to come to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain.
So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. Faith Without Works is Dead.
— Jacob was proactive in seeking a solution for his family during the famine, demonstrating his faith through action.
— Believing God requires corresponding actions that align with His promises.
— Jacob didn’t just pray for provision. He did not sit back and wait for God’s provision to fall from the sky. He took steps to secure it.
— Our faith must be active and accompanied by diligent effort to bring about God’s promises.
— God expects us to participate in His plans through our obedience and actions.
— True faith moves us to action, refusing to remain passive in the face of challenges.
— Just as Jacob sent his sons to Egypt, we must take practical steps toward the fulfillment of God’s promises in our lives.
— Pray, seek God’s face, believe what He says, and give Him praise when He speaks. But when all of that is over, the Holy Spirit will lead you to DO something!
2. God’s Provision Requires Our Participation.
Believing alone is not enough. James said, “But someone might object and say, “One person has faith and another person has works.” Go ahead then and prove to me that you have faith without works and I will show you faith by my works as proof that I believe. You can believe all you want that there is one true God, that’s wonderful! But even the demons know this and tremble with fear before him, yet they’re unchanged–they remain demons.” (James 1:18, 19 TPT).
Jacob believed that God would provide food for his family through Egypt. So, he sent his sons to get buy some of the food Egypt had. What are you doing (in faith) to tap into what you believe God is providing for you and your family?
— Jacob’s sons had to go to Egypt to buy grain; provision often requires our active participation.
— God provides opportunities, but we must step out in faith to receive His blessings.
— Waiting passively for God’s provision can lead to missed opportunities.
— Actively seeking God’s direction and stepping out in faith positions us to receive His blessings.
— God’s provision often comes through our willingness to move and act according to His guidance.
— We must be attentive to God’s leading (through the divine impulses of the Holy Spirit) and be ready to act when the Holy Spirit provides direction.
— Participation in God’s plan requires courage and a willingness to step out of our comfort zones.
— You can be comfortable, or you can be great, but in God’s Kingdom, you won’t be both at the same time.
3. Unresolved Pain Can Negatively Impact Your Faith.
— Jacob’s decision to keep Benjamin back highlights the unresolved pain in his heart from losing Joseph.
— Unresolved pain can create fear and hinder our ability to trust God fully.
— Living by faith requires letting go of past hurts and embracing God’s healing.
— You cannot be “in fear” and “in faith” at the same time. Fear and faith are opposing forces.
— Faith is an expression of your confidence in God and what God is saying.
— Fear is an expression of your confidence in satan and what satan is saying.
— You cannot be in both at the same time. Fear cancels faith and faith cancels fear.
— Allowing emotional wounds to fester can lead to decisions driven by fear rather than faith.
— Unresolved pain can cause us to live cautiously, hindering our trust in God’s plan.
— God calls us to confront and heal from our past to live freely and fully in His promises.
— Faith flourishes when we release our pain to God and trust Him with our future.
4. The Danger of Allowing Unresolved Pain to Linger.
— Holding on to past hurts can negatively taint your heart to the point where it impacts your present and future.
— Unresolved pain can manifest as bitterness, affecting your outlook on life and your interactions with others.
— Emotional healing is crucial for maintaining a healthy and vibrant faith.
— God wants you to be healthy. We all endure difficult, painful, and sometimes even excruciating situations. But when they are over, God wants us to embrace His healing so we can move forward. Jacob never truly moved forward from what he thought was Joseph’s death.
(Side note: I just want to point out how conniving people can be. Joseph’s ten sons saw what this did to their father, and they never told him what they did. They allowed their father to live with that pain, thinking Joseph was dead, for over 20 years. Sometimes, the most damaging pain will come from those closest to us.)
— Lingering pain can become a barrier to fully experiencing God’s love and peace.
— Being healthy on the inside means opening your heart to God’s love to the point where you can release the pain of past wounds. God wants to heal your heart.
— True inner healing allows you to operate from a place of wholeness and strength.
— Letting go of pain and allowing God to heal you positions you to live out your purpose with clarity and joy.
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I commit to taking proactive steps in faith, not fear.
I align my actions with Your promises, trusting fully in Your plan.
I release any unresolved pain to You for complete inner healing.
I refuse to let fear or past pain dictate my present actions.
Fear has no power over me. I overcome evil with good.
I actively participate in Your provision, stepping out in faith.
My faith is alive and accompanied by diligent effort; actions that align with what You revealed to me.
I embrace Your healing to live from a place of wholeness and strength.
I operate with clarity and joy, knowing Your timing is perfect.
Everything You promised will happen, and it will happen at just the right time!
GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
