Advance: Living Unstuck & Moving Forward in FaithSample

Day 12: From Defeat to Victory:
Looking back at the rescued children of Israel, Numbers 13 tells of when Moses sent twelve spies to check out the promised land. Ten came back with a negative report. They said that there were giants in the land and that they looked like grasshoppers. They were defeated by how they saw themselves and spoke defeat which kept them stuck in the wilderness. They had a mindset and a language of defeat.

Two other spies, Joshua and Caleb, had a different spirit. Joshua came back and said, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey” (Numbers 14:7-8, ESV). They saw the same giants that the other spies did but they focused instead on how great their God was and spoke victory even before they saw it!

This one thing set them apart. Sadly, none of the ten spies who doubted that God could help them go in and possess the promised land went in. Joshua and Caleb went in with faith that God could help them and bring them the victory. In the midst of crisis, and in the midst of giants of fear, one of the greatest ways we move forward is in the words that we speak. Are you speaking a “language of defeat” or are you speaking a “language of victory?” You can declare your faith in God through what He has already provided for you. Anyone can align their words with their circumstances, but as people of faith, we are called to align our words with how great our God is and what His word says. Speak His promises over your life.

By faith, we receive all the promises of God, not just for salvation, but healing, provision, peace, joy, or whatever your promise is. Faith is not just believing but speaking. In 2 Corinthians 4:13 it says, the spirit of faith is: I believe and therefore I speak. This does not mean we deny reality. What it does indicate is that we should emphasize our belief in His word above our circumstances.

Speak life, faith, and blessing! Then, you’ll find greater boldness to take the steps you need to take. You are called to live a life of victory and advance in every area.