I reflected on the challenges I faced in the past weeks, and I am very thankful to God for everything— the lessons and even the hardships. I know He allowed trials for my benefit and that he gave me everything I needed to pass the tests. I gave myself a tap on the back as well.
I looked back to my past struggles, and I realised that the challenges I faced before prepared me for my current trials. If I didn’t go through those obstacles beforehand, I wouldn’t overcome my current tests. I wouldn’t have received my reward. I remember Joel Osteen’s message about God’s blessing for us. Joel said that our prize is already waiting for us, but we will receive it once we’re ready for it. Joel shared the story about the Israelites wandering in the desert. He explained that the promised land was already there, but the Israelites weren’t able to get to it because they were not ready. The promised land had giants that they needed to conquer, and the Israelites weren’t prepared to battle with them. The Bible says: Numbers 13:26-33 English Standard Version (ESV) 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.” 30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” 32 So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33 And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” The promised land was within their grasp, but because they were not ready to go there, they wandered in the desert for forty years more. Just like the Israelites, our blessing is ready. We need to be prepared for our blessing. What is it that is hindering you from receiving your reward? Is it an addiction? Is it fear? Is it sin? What would it cost to let go of anything that hinders you from getting your reward? Jesus already paid the wages of sin for us. Because of His sacrifice, we can claim the promises of God. We need to believe that we can receive our blessing and overcome any challenge in the Name of Jesus!