Do you know why Jesus Christ had to be born the son of a carpenter? and do you know why Moses had to survive water although he was a baby and at a time his contemporaries were being killed by Pharaoh? Do you really know why Joseph although he had a dream where his parents and siblings were bowing to him had to first taste slavery and prison?

Jesus had to face daily the cross He had to bear. Each time He hit the head of the nail into the wood with the hammer, He was being reminded of His death and He was overcoming that fear daily.

Moses even as a baby had to overcome water and that was why the greatest miracle he did in the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land was the parting of the Red Sea.

Joseph before becoming a king in a foreign land had to taste the exact opposite. He had to be a slave and a prisoner. Beloved, that challenge is not meant to disgrace you nor is it meant to destroy you. It is only an opportunity to prove that you are ready for the next level.

Don’t forget that in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus Christ although God made flesh had to be led by the Spirit to be tested in the wilderness and so for God to trust that you are really ready for the next level, He will test you in three broad areas;

1. Your ability to exercise self-control in the face of adversity. Jesus Christ although famished from fasting for forty days and forty nights resisted the ploy of the devil to have him turn stones into bread. Do you cave in on your morals and values under pressure or do you stay resolute?

2. How you handle and use power and authority. Jesus Christ had the whole heavenly host of angels at His beck and call yet he never yielded to devils cunning manoeuvers to have Him display this power unduly. As a leader, do you invest in people, do you influence them positively to achieve their goals, or you simply manipulate them to achieve your selfish and ungodly schemes?

3. The third test is centered on your lust and desire for fame and the riches of this world.

As you go through this week, know that you are God’s blueprint to the challenges He foresaw in this generation. You are more than equipped and powerful beyond measure to overcome but before then, He will test your capacity and your ability to deliver effectively on the big stage (The Parable of the Talents).

Keep on fighting the good fight in the Lord for this test is meant to bring out your glory. That test will soon become your testimony.

I am Nii Carl and I inspire…

www.carlsowah.com