Knowing what God has said has great value, but knowing what God is saying now is even more valuable. We can read the Bible and see what He has said, but how many of us are sufficiently in tune to hear what He's saying now?

God has brought us to a certain place today, but He doesn't want us to stay there forever. As we live by faith He wants us to move from faith to faith, from victory to victory. Israel in Egyptian bondage learned faith to be rescued. Once across the Red Sea they learned faith for provision. Then at the border of Canaan they faltered when it was time to learn faith to conquer. That lesson had to be learned by their children who first learned faith to conquer Jericho, then Ai, then the confederations of kings. Later generations would need faith to beat the Philistines, Amalekites, and others. Along the way we see Israelites who made peace with their enemies, intermarrying and adopting their false gods to their own destruction.

Where are you, and are you content to stay there forever? Are you content to remain a slave of sin, or to wander in the wilderness of carnality? You'd be surprised to see how many Christians are. Maybe you've conquered one enemy called lust, but you're defeated by an enemy called anger. Will you make peace with anger? Just as Israel was called to conquer all comers, so God calls each of us to conquer every foe through His power, and to advance all the time.

Here's a test: God calls us to peace and blessing, but not long-term comfort. When you find yourself victorious with no enemies left to fight, beware. You may have made peace with an enemy of your soul. Or maybe God will soon be calling your attention to a new enemy in a place you'd never thought to look. Perhaps you'll need to conquer debt, weight, family curses, or take on the demonic princes of the region you live in. Christianity is a spiritual war, and lulls in the fight are only temporary. No conquering army camps in place for long.

The victorious Christian life requires a hearing ear. To know where God wants us to go next will require the investments needed to have that hearing ear. Next I'll bring you some hints to develop this.

-- Anonymous, April 29, 2002