Many people hear a personal prophecy and get all excited and think God is going to just drop everything in their lap, and most of the times, that just isn’t the case.  You see, God requires obedience and action from us.  It is said, If you are a farmer and you ask God for an abundant harvest, you’d better have a hoe in your hand as you pray.

It is written in Deuteronomy 1:8, Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

Did you notice the part where God said, “Go in and possess the land”?  God wasn’t going to bring the land to them, they were told to GO to the land, and POSSESS it.  Then in Deuteronomy 11:24 it says, Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.

            Again, God required action: “Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall TREAD shall be yours”.  Who was required to do the treading? A clue here, it wasn’t God. So many think they have nothing to do but wait for God’s blessings to fall on them like ripe apples on a tree.  And yet, God clearly requires US to do something if we want His blessings!

And after Moses died, God told Joshua in Joshua 1:3, Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.  So the promise was also extended to Joshua, and God knew Joshua would take action on that promise!

Proverbs 18:9 says, He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.  So many people forfeit their blessings because they’re LAZY!   THEY WASTE GOD’S BLESSINGS!

Going into the New Testament, we see God’s promises still requiring action on our part. One of the most powerful verses in the Bible, outlining the tremendous authority given unto believers is written in Luke 10:19, the words of Christ Jesus himself:  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

            God gives us the POWER, that is the AUTHORITY to tread over all the WORKS of the devil, including lying signs and wonders and oppressions that he can produce to oppress and deceive people.  But again, what did Christ Jesus require of believers? TREAD OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY!  Yes, that’s right, Christ Jesus isn’t going to walk on the power of the enemy FOR you again.  He did it once for all time, and defeated the devil openly, and then He gave the authority for YOU and I to do likewise!  And He promised, “nothing shall by any means hurt you. 

Now I don’t know about you, but THAT EXCITES ME!!  Let’s read the whole chapter of Colossians 2 for some more great news!

 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 

 2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

 3  In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

 4  And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

 5  For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

 6  As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

 7  Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

 8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.  

 9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

 10  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

 11  In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

 12  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

 13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

 14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

 15  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 

 16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:  

 17  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

 18  Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,  

 19  And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

 20  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 

 21  (Touch not; taste not; handle not;

 22  Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

 23  Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

            You see, in the New Testament, we are no longer under a “schoolmaster” whereby we have only “types and shadows of good things to come”, but now we have the SUBSTANCE!  We don’t have to live under the devil’s thumb anymore!  The devil is no longer our boss.  We have Christ Jesus, who died to pay for our sins, and rose again to forever be our LORD and SAVIOR, He has triumphed over all the works of the devil, and has passed His authority on to every believer who will GO, TAKE ACTION, AND TREAD UPON AND TAKE POSSESSION OF GOD’S PROMISES!

And if God says I can have it, then, I’m going to have it, because I’m not lazy, and I’m not a waster of God’s blessings!  And if you’re smart, you’ll step up and take possession of YOUR blessings!  Amen?