Spiritual growth in the wilderness and waiting season

4 BIBLICAL REASONS YOU ARE NOT IN YOUR PROMISED LAND.

Estimated reading time: 16 minutes

Have you been wondering why you are not in your promised land yet? Have you done what others have but are yet to get to your promised land? Maybe like me, you have been researching ways to quicken the process and get to the other side. And yet nothing seems to be changing. Can you relate? Here are the 4 biblical reasons why you are not in your promised land. First things first. It is important to know that there is the aspect of God’s timing as it pertains to your promised land. However, that is not always the case. Sometimes our actions can hinder us from stepping into our promised land.

Remember the Israelites? Because of their actions, they did not get into the land of promise. This was not God’s fault as He had already promised them. He was ready for them to inherit the land. Could it be that that’s the case for you? Let’s delve further into this.

4 Biblical reasons you are not in your promised land

As human beings, we all have that innate desire to progress in every season of life. And it can be very frustrating when you find yourself stuck in a never-ending season of waiting. And so, to help you cover all the bases, here are the 4 biblical reasons you are not in your promised land.

Disobedience is one of the 4 biblical reasons you are not in your promised land

Disobedience can hinder you from experiencing the fullness of all that God has for you. That is why God says that obedience is better than sacrifice. Have you found yourself doing everything you know God wants and still not received the results you need? Maybe you have been tithing because you know that according to Malachi 3, there are blessings tied to tithing.

You might even have helped the needy and although that was not your reason, you are yet to see the fruit and benefits of your generosity. Can you relate to either one of these statements? Today I want to propose to you this, could it be that you have been disobedient in a specific area?

Is It True That God Keeps His Promises? (2 Scriptures That Prove He does)

Remember this as well: delayed obedience is disobedience. What has God asked you to do that you have yet to do? Is there an instruction that God gave you that you have not fulfilled? It can be as simple as writing that business plan or even taking that course. Maybe God is asking you to let go of a certain relationship that you are holding on to. Better yet, could God be asking you to move but you are dragging your feet? Or maybe you have a hidden sin that God wants you to let go of. Or better yet, God is asking you to give Him an area of your life.

You see, sometimes it could be the simplest things that could be holding you back from receiving your promise. Can I encourage you to take time and ask God if there is something you are yet to do that He asked you? Don’t get me wrong, obedience is easier said than done. And that’s why I figured we should make it as practical as possible. With that being said, here are tips that will help you exercise obedience.

Keys that will help you exercise obedience

Prayer will always be essential in your walk with God if you want to exercise obedience. You see a lack of obedience can limit what God wants to do through you. Think about King Saul for a moment. Just because he was not patient enough to wait for Samuel to offer the sacrifice, he lost his kingship.

It was after that, that David was anointed to be king in his place. And prayer can help you avoid such pitfalls. Your communion with God will help you remain laser-focused and gain clarity on what you shouldn’t do. Always remember that when it comes to prayer, the essential thing is to be honest, open, humble, and vulnerable.

  • Reading scriptures.

The Bible contains the blueprint that God outlined for you so you can live a victorious Christian life. If you want to walk in a life of obedience, you must embrace reading the scriptures. You will be able to understand the heart of God and what He expects of you. Through scriptures, you will gain the clarity needed in your walk. Not only that, you will be able to know the conditions you need to fulfill to help you step into your promised land.

If your promised land is financial freedom, God has outlined several keys on the same which when you follow will get you into your promised land. One being tithing and the other generosity. Find scriptures that relate to your promise and the accompanying instructions. Then follow what they say.

Prayer and reading the Bible are great. But it is through the help of the Holy Spirit that you will be able to exercise obedience. After all, some instructions can be harder to fulfill than others. The Holy Spirit was sent to God to be your helper. And as you fellowship with Him, He will bring to mind all the things you need to focus on in the moment.

You see, it is easy for you to forget to follow these instructions. But when you have communion with the Holy Spirit, He will bring all these things to remembrance. He will even convict you should you delay and this will prompt you to act. John 14:26. Isn’t it cool to know that you have help whenever you need it? You don’t have to figure it all out on your own.

The inability to heal from your past is yet another of the 4 biblical reasons you are not in your promised land.

The kind of healing I am referring to in this context is the kind of healing that occurs through the integrating forces that restore, transform, sustain, and nurture the whole person (body, mind, spirit) at each phase and in every dimension of life, and within relationships of the person to the creation, to other people, and God. In simple terms, I am referring to healing from the past and healing from hope deferred.

Again healing can hinder you from stepping into your promised land. Whether you need a healing of your perspective or identity. You must heal. The Israelites did not go through the process of inner healing. This was why after spying on the land of promise, they perceived that they were grasshoppers in the face of giants.

When you don’t experience inner healing, you might go through life with a damaged identity. And this can lead to you limiting yourself. Do you know that God wants to bless you and get you out of your current predicament? Do you believe that God has more for you than you could ever have imagined?

Struggling to believe this can be a result of wounds that require the healing power of God. How then can you go through the inner healing process so you can go into your promised land?

Keys that will help you experience inner healing so you can go to your promised land.

There is no way you can heal if you are not willing to be both honest and vulnerable. Vulnerability is the ability to be honest with God about how you feel about certain things, like your frustrations, your joys, or your gratitude. You need to be real with yourself about your emotions and feelings. Let’s say you have experienced disappointments in the past and have felt let down by God. Be honest with Him about it. He will heal what you address.

And don’t allow the religious practices to hinder you from talking to God with utmost transparency. Guilt, shame, and condemnation should not hold you back either. God called David a man after his own heart despite his many flaws including murder and adultery. And this was because David was always willing to be honest with God. Despite his mistakes, he still came to God. Why wouldn’t you? You not only have the Holy Spirit but are also in the dispensation of grace.

Don’t allow the enemy to lie to you that you cannot be honest with God. After all, He promises that He is close to the brokenhearted and those with a contrite heart. Take time today and approach God in vulnerability. Let Him know how you feel and what is bothering you. It is when you are honest that you will receive your healing.

  • Stillness and Journaling

Stillness involves quieting your soul. Of course that is after silencing your environment and minimizing all forms of distractions. It means switching off from any form of entertainment or even any form of socializing so you can embrace solitude. Let me ask you this, have you ever considered doing that?

Sometimes your inability to take time to be alone could be the reason you are blocking your healing. After all, how will you even know what is bothering you if you do not take time out to listen to your soul? As a human being, it is imperative to be still so you can deal with the inner junk. This can look like you taking time to go on a retreat if you have the finances. If you don’t you can use a weekend to just sit with your thoughts. Besides healing solitude will also help you discover your true self.

The importance of stillness is that you find that you can hear the Holy Spirit. This is because it is in the stillness that your spirit comes alive. And again it becomes easier to hear from God and commune with Him as well. It was in solitude that Moses communed with God. Through this, he went from being a shy, insecure man to a confident, eloquent and powerful man. It was through those seasons of solitude that he experienced inner healing.

And again if the voice that speaks loudest in your life is that of the Holy Spirit, healing is inevitable. After all the Bible clearly says you are transformed to become like Him. And we all know that God is whole and there is no sickness or brokenness in Him.

  • Forgiveness.

Forgiveness can hinder you from experiencing wholeness. Never underestimate the power of forgiveness. Not only does it bring wholeness but there is a freedom that comes from forgiveness that helps you avoid strongholds from the enemy. Although it can be difficult to forgive others, God, and yourself, the Holy Spirit can enable you to forgive. All you need is to ask Him for help and allow Him to take you through the path of forgiveness.

Doubt can be one of the 4 biblical reasons why you are not in your promised land.

The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. The Bible further tells us that faith helps us believe that God exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

Could it be that it’s your lack of faith that has hindered you from getting to your promised land? Jesus did tell us that with faith as small as a mustard seed we can speak to the mountain and command it to move and that will happen. So can I propose to you to do some introspection and ask yourself if it’s your lack of faith that’s hindering you?

And again don’t feel bad, as a human being it is possible to get so weary that you find that you don’t have faith to believe anymore. It could be because you have been waiting for this for a long time and because of the long wait, you lost faith. Or sometimes it could be because of past disappointments. Either way, there are reasons why one can lose faith. And with that being said, I would like to encourage you by giving you tips that will help build your faith.

Keys to help you increase your faith.

  • Testimonies.

Whenever you find yourself low on faith, listening to other people’s testimonies will help you build your faith. After all, seeing God move in the lives of others will help you believe that He can do the same for you.

You can search on YouTube or buy books on the same. The Bible in the book of Revelation reminds us that we are overcome by the word of our testimonies. I would like to encourage you to start today. Find a testimony of someone who went through what you are going through.

Find out how God came through for them. And hold on to that. Who knows you might even find some instructions about your current situation. And this will lead to your breakthrough when you follow.

Testimonies help reveal God’s heart toward His people. And besides that, they are relatable which makes God even more real

  • Scriptures.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. There is no way you can build your faith if you don’t read the scriptures. How will you even know what to believe, if you don’t spend time in the word of God?

You can start small. Start by reading one verse a day, then grow from there. It is better to start small and build from that than to start big and get overwhelmed along the way. Incorporate Bible study into your daily routine and watch how much your faith will grow.

If you are wondering where to start you can start by looking for scriptures that talk about your specific situation. Whether it is healing, deliverance, or finances, there are scriptures on each one of them. Find the Scriptures or stories of how God delivered His people. If you are looking for supernatural provision, the widow of Zarephath will help you build your faith on the same. If it is healing, the woman with the issue of blood is a wonderful place to start. The Bible has all these gems but only if you are willing to find them.

  • Surround yourself with people of faith.

There was a man in the Bible whom Jesus healed because of the faith of his friends. There are moments when regardless of all the things you do, you will still struggle having faith. And this is where the faith of your friends comes in.

This then leads me to ask these questions, who is in your circle? Do they encourage you or discourage you? Do they help you build your faith? Lastly, do they keep you accountable and remind you who you are when you don’t have faith? Again, you cannot hang around people who lack faith and expect to have faith. That will never work.

After all, you can only be the average of the 5 people you spend your time with. Again, who is in your circle? Could it be time for you to make a change? Ponder on that.

  • Prayer.

Lastly, prayer and daily communion with God will help you ignite your faith. The more you pray, the more your faith will grow. It is through prayer that God gets to reveal Himself to you. And when He does, your faith will automatically grow. Are you spending time communing with your Heavenly Father?

He wants to help you step into your breakthrough. He already knows where you are in your level of faith. Therefore, I want to encourage you to take time out daily and commune with God.

Lack of surrender is the last of the 4 biblical reasons you are not in your promised land

Surrender is letting go of control and fully trusting God to take the steering wheel of your life. This means letting go of your will and embracing His will. The truth is that God sustains what He provides. And could it be that you are yet to get into your promised land because you have not yet fully surrendered to Him?

One of the testimonies that encourages me the most is that of Oprah Winfrey. She said that it was when she fully surrendered the role of the color purple to God that she experienced her breakthrough and got it. This reminds me of Abraham in the Bible. Check out Oprah Winfrey’s story on surrender.

When God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac his son, Abraham obeyed. The interesting thing however is that God did not let Abraham go through with the plan. He provided a lamb as a sacrifice for him. Now I am not saying that when you surrender God will bring it back to you. He might or might not.

Either way, you need to get to the point where you say yes to God’s will. Of course, that’s not an easy thing to do. However, it is when you surrender that you will get to your promised land. What is God asking you to surrender to Him? Have you? If you are struggling, let me give you keys that will help you fully surrender to God.

The main ingredient for total surrender to God.

You can only surrender when you fully trust God. Let me ask you this, do you trust God? You see, trust is only deepened when there is communication and intimacy. Communication will help you get to learn more about the person which then builds intimacy.

Now of course we know that God is spirit so communication with Him is through your spirit. This means that you need to activate your spiritual antennae if you want to communicate with God. So how can you do that?

The first thing is to believe. You need to believe that God wants to speak to you. Expectation yields results. After that, it is what you expect that you will receive. If you get into prayer expecting that God will not speak to you, you will not. And this is not because God is not speaking. The reality is that he is always speaking. Rather your lack of expectation will hinder you from hearing Him speak. Therefore belief is really important if you want to communicate with God. Come to Him with an open heart expecting to hear from Him and you will.

The next thing is discernment. Your ability to hear God’s voice will come from your ability to discern when He speaks. Again this comes from spending time with Him. The same way you can discern the voice of a loved one in a crowd or from an unknown number is the same way you will discern God if you have a relationship with Him. Let me ask you this, do you have a relationship with God?

Remember He tells us that His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. The promise here is that you will hear God’s voice if you are His. Therefore if you have a relationship with God, then you should be able to hear Him. And if you aren’t or are hearing the wrong voices, then spend time in fellowship with Him. Learn to sit still in His presence.

You can play soft worship music. In stillness, you will hear Him. And when you are open to hear Him He will speak. He promises that you will find Him when you seek Him with all your heart.

In summary.

Of the 4 biblical reasons, you are not in your promised land, which one spoke to you? Which one are you currently dealing with? Let me know in the comment section below. Lastly, I just want to remind you that there is grace available for you to help you in the areas you need most. You don’t have to do it all on your own. The Holy Spirit, who is your helper wants to help you today. The question I have for you is, will you let Him in?

Mercy is the author and founder of radiantly resurging. She is a Christian and having gone through the wilderness season, she decided to impart the knowledge learned to help others navigate their wilderness season too

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