Walking in Circles
If you are stumbling over the same stones, then you are walking in circles. This is the ultimate guarantee for not reaching your destiny. There is nothing more frustrating as feeling caught in a repeating loop of never-ending frustration as you feel you are moving forward only to find out that you continue to wind up at the same destination. Einstein’s quote “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” AKA Walking in circles.
As March approaches, basketball coaches across the country focus on preparing their teams to make a final unified charge toward the prize. James 1:12 speaks to this same goal as a follower of Christ. Blessed is the man who endures the test and temptations for they will receive the crown, the promise, to those who love Him. This principle of hope and perseverance is magnified once more in Romans 5 as the powerless, through the Holy Spirit, become powerful and endure to the prize.
You will never reach the promised land until you learn to do two things! You must use the sword of the Word of God and walk in stride with your guide and power, The Holy Spirit. After years of falling short and ending up in the same location, I gave in to the fact that without God’s help, I would never arrive at a worthy destiny. Walking in circles.
God is the only One who can make a way when there is none. The Holy Spirit is the only One who can take you through the wilderness, through the valley, through the desert, through a giant, and ultimately overcome your biggest weakness, you. Sure, there are teams that are talented enough to win games and championships without the help of God and there are coaches who are capable of coaching well enough that they win championships without the help of God. So why read any further?
I doubt those coaches are reading this post in the first place. This post is for those of us who know that even if we win multiple championships, we have accomplished nothing without bringing God Glory in the process. When you sell your soul to winning a championship, many times you sacrifice everything of true value. You wind up walking in an even emptier circle that rarely includes your family, character, or faith. This is a circular path that will guarantee you nothing except burning in hell. Jesus said in John 15:15, “without Me you can do nothing.” Walking in circles.
The Bible is full of examples of people who chose to walk in circles. God’s people throughout the Old Testament would start a journey, wander away from God, then become captive to their enemies. God would call a man like Moses or a Judge like Deborah to rescue them and set them free. Sadly, just like today, they would plan on staying on the right path only to return to walking in circles.
Let’s look at Moses’ Championship Path! Moses led God’s chosen people out of Egypt. He even led them out of captivity with an angel and a cloud of Fire (The Holy Spirit). They left Egypt loaded with their owner’s gold as God gave them the desires of their heart. As soon as things got difficult, their faith disappeared and fear came right back into their hearts. For protection, the angel and fire moved behind the Israelites when they reached the Red Sea, but the Israelites still chose fear over faith. God chose to show them His power by parting the Red Sea and killing the mighty Egyptian Army, their former slave masters.
Moses then takes them to Mount Sinai, which was a two-month trip. God provided manna and water, but they started complaining. They were then attacked by the Amalekites, and as long as Moses raised his arms, God gave them a great victory. Yet they still chose to complain. Walking in Circles.
At Mount Sinai the people were organized in tribes. For a year Moses attempted to sanctify the people and teach them of God’s ways. Moses went to Mount Sinai to get God’s commandments, but by the time he returned to the people they were already back to their old ways. They chose again to walk the circled path.
Leaving Sinai to Canaan some decided to complain, they were consumed with fire in Numbers 11:1-3. God provided more quail, but because of their lust, God allowed a plague to remove that group as well. Walking in circles.
At Kadesh, God told Moses to choose twelve spies to go see what God was going to do in order for them to reach their final destiny, the promised land. Out of the ten spies, only two understood how to avoid walking in circles. Those two were the only two that ever reached the promised land. Sadly, it was 40 years later as the multitude of others followed the wrong spies, as God let them walk in circles until they died.
If you want to avoid this circular path, there is only one way! God finally had to send His one and only Son to save us all. To reach the destiny God planned for us, we must simply choose to follow Jesus! God has given us an all-powerful weapon to fight the enemies that come against us on our path. It is not just a sword, it is THE SWORD – the Word of God. It includes the commands of Jesus, who through the path to the Cross, created a bridge for all of us to reach our final destination, Heaven.
Jesus then returned to the Father’s right hand at the throne. He left us THE SWORD, but that is not all He provided us. He returned so that He could send us the same power that He walked in. Our Guide, Our Helper, Our Power, Our Strength, Our Courage, and Our Way to Jesus and the Father. We are worthless if we do not realize the power of the Holy Spirit that gives us Christ’s nature, guidance, boldness, and the understanding of how to use our Sword. The Holy Spirit is how we avoid walking in circles.
Do you want to go down as another Moses generation, who chose to stay in bondage refusing to be set completely free, or do you want to be another Joshua generation who walked forward mightily in power reaching their destiny!
Take your weapon, no more talk, no more trembling! Add the power source who replaces fear with faith, doubt with courage, weakness with strength, and anxiety/panic with peace! This is a vital moment in your destiny! This is the will of God! Not your way! His way, the only way! Make yourself usable fearless, full of the Word, abiding in the Holy Spirit, so God can use you!
IN Judges 14 Samson is on his way to see his gal when he walks directly into the path of a young powerful Lion. The enemy! As the lion attacked, the Spirit if the Lord came mightily upon Samson! Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Samson ripped it apart! The Spirit made him fearless! Samson kept moving forward!
If you want to keep walking in circles then look down and follow the feet of the large crowd, because when you look down you will see the enemy as he is under your feet. To find the path that crosses the bridge Jesus provided through his death and resurrection, look up and see the One True King, for He is far above all principalities and darkness. Jesus is THE WAY, no more walking in circles!
Photo by averie woodard on Unsplash
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Amen!