“'Sing, O barren,
You who have not borne!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,
You who have not labored with child!
For more are the children of the desolate
Than the children of the married woman,' says the Lord.
'Enlarge the place of your tent,
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;
Do not spare;
Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes.
For you shall expand to the right and to the left,
And your descendants will inherit the nations,
And make the desolate cities inhabited.'"
Isaiah 54: 1-3 (NKJV)
We breakthrough with praises, first in the spiritual realm and then it manifests in the natural world. Expansion is an enlarging statement that signifies progress and moving forward. And it all starts with an attitude of worship and God’s spirit.
We are not to be daunted by the size of the problem, the size of the dream or the size of the opportunity. Even as David was not intimidated by the giant Goliath, (1 Samuel 17:45) but defeated him by the power and presence of God in his life, we too are to face our challenges by being empowered by a spirit of faith.
Enlarging and expanding requires us to step out in faith. And faith involves stretching and stepping out. Peter stepped out of the boat (Mathew 14: 24-32) and walked on water as Jesus called him to “Come”. There was a great storm and heavy winds at the time and Jesus only went to them in the “fourth watch” of the night. (which was only after they had been in the stormy seas for a considerable amount of time). You too might feel like you have been pushing against a strong and challenging wind that is so contrary. We need to be aware about what we can learn through these storms of life – including character qualities such as faithfulness, loyalty, perseverance etc. Jesus walked on top of the water. When God starts to move towards us, we need to open our hearts. Do not be afraid – start walking above your situations with fearless courage.
Peter walked on water because he was looking at Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) But then Peter looked at the waves and the wind. Then fear got to him and he started to sink. He then cried out to Jesus who saved him.
- When we step out in faith and follow God, we enter into the supernatural and are empowered to accomplish an “above and beyond” life.
- Keep looking at Jesus and not at the circumstances around you.
- Allow the catalyst of opposition to propel us forward. Do not be discouraged.
When we purpose in our spirit, to take a step of faith – the power of God enables and empowers us to breakthrough to victory.
SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT
- Reflect/share about a time in your life when you faced a challenging situation and had to step out in faith?
- Discuss about some of the character qualities that God is able to develop in us during these times? (examples: faithfulness, loyalty, perseverance etc)
- What is a next step we can take to “enlarge and expand” in an area of our personal life? (including intimacy with God, health, finances, relationships, Vision Builders, C3 Cares, Outreach etc)
- In your sphere of influence, who can you reach out to and encourage to move forward this week?
