STEPS TO PROMOTION AND INCREASE 1

30 I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down.
32 WHEN I saw it, I considered it well; I LOOKED ON IT AND RECEIVED INSTRUCTION:
33 A little SLEEP, a little SLUMBER, A little FOLDING OF THE HANDS TO REST;
34 SO shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man."
Proverbs 24:30-34 (NKJV)

• Problems lead to promotion.

• If you dared NOT risk anything, you will just be marking time on the same spot.
• It is problems that gives meaning to Life. For you to experience or have a promotion, then you must be prepared for the challenges and problems.
• Another word for problems is challenges.

• The truth is, a challenge promotes.

• That challenge or problem in your life, could be meant to take you to another level of greatness—both physically and spiritually.
• I read somewhere that a young person asked an old man; "What is the life heaviest Burden?" And the old man answered, sadly; "Having nothing to carry!"
• In other words, the heaviest Burden in life is to carry Nothing. Having no responsibility!
• You must have a burden you are carrying per Time, according to your capacity or ability. The Burden you are carrying and able to find solution to, makes life meaningful.
• If there were no challenges, life would be boring. When you face challenges, difficulties, and you are able to overcome, get solutions to them; you become excited.
  THAT makes life meaningful and exciting.
  IT shows you are making progress, you are moving forward, you are not at the same level every year.
• The victories over the challenges of life which you are having or getting, meant, you are progressing. When life is void of results, it BECOMES stressfulness!
• Failure to carry something, burden or whatever, is the failure to experience Joy of INCREASE, PROGRESS, and PROMOTION in life.
• You cannot move forward without challenges. Your comfort has to be touched in order to move forward.
• Problems, challenges, are part of the deal of life, and you have to face THEM, to experience Joy of victory.
• Some prefer to remain at the level they are than to face challenges and be promoted. That is failure mentality! Mediocrity!
• Do not resign to fate like the man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-7). Everyone at the pool presses in, whenever the angel comes to trouble the water.
• The man lies there, blaming destiny, that he had no person to put him IN the pool:
  5 NOW a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, AND KNEW THAT HE ALREADY HAD BEEN IN THAT CONDITION A LONG TIME, He said to him, “DO YOU WANT TO BE MADE WELL?” 7 THE sick man answered Him, “SIR, I HAVE NO MAN TO PUT ME INTO THE POOL WHEN THE WATER IS STIRRED UP; but while I am coming, another steps down before me" (John 5:7 NKJV).
  READ: John 5:1-9
• Your destiny is not in the hand of any Man. Even when Jesus was asking him If he wanted to be made well, he was still talking about having no Man.
• You need to take up whatever the challenge before you, then help would be divinely sent by God.
• God cannot be boxed in, He works in various ways, help could come from where you least expected.
• Jesus Christ who was the help sent to the Man, he could not see it, he was still bemoaning his condition that he had no Man.
• Waiting for someone to help you, without making any attempt, amounted to irresponsibility.

• Divine timing.

• There are different stages and phases in a person's life.
• Every stage and phase has its challenges, and each stage has a time scheduled by God, which would elapse or be concluded, in His calendar for the individual Believer.
• If you believe in divine timing and you are walking in line with it, you will realize that what you are passing or going through now, as a challenge; is for the stage you are presently.
  AND you cannot escape it or wish it away, except you do not want the increase or promotion that is awaiting you.

• The truth is, one common feature in the life of those who are Great, who affected other people's lives positively, IS, they face any number of challenges to get to the top.

• If challenges were common in your journey in life, it means you have a great destiny—it means you are going to be great. The devil brings those challenges because your greatness is a threat to him.
• It thus means you are taking steps forward. However, if you are not moving, making any progress, you will not be challenged. Whoever is striving to make progress would receive opposition—would be challenged by the adversary, the devil.
• If you are not being opposed, it means you are not progressing. No one challenges or opposes someone who is idle and not making any move or progress.
• To move from lower level to higher level, you would have to pass through something! The reason being that, the system of the world is against success.
• Any effort to be a success would receive stiff opposition, both from friends and foes! (Micah 7:5,6).

• Increase comes with problems or challenges.

• There is no cheap success! Your increase, success, progress and greatness, would come in or through the packages of problems.
• Whatever lion threatening you, there is Honey in the carcass. If you killed the lion, you have the opportunity, an access, to take and enjoy the honey in it and share with others:

5 SO Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. NOW to his surprise, A YOUNG LION CAME ROARING AGAINST HIM.
6 AND the SPIRIT OF THE LORD came mightily upon him, AND HE TORE THE LION APART AS ONE WOULD HAVE TORN APART A YOUNG GOAT, though he had NOTHING in his HAND. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
7 THEN he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
8 AFTER some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. AND BEHOLD, A SWARM OF BEES AND HONEY WERE IN THE CARCASS OF THE LION.
9 HE TOOK SOME OF IT IN HIS HANDS and went along, EATING. When he came to his father and mother, HE GAVE SOME TO THEM, AND THEY ALSO ATE. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion."
Judges 14:5–9 (NKJV)

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace.
TO BE CONTINUED