Summer is a great time to reflect on how we’ve been living this past year and how we can grow deeper in our walk with the Lord. Here is a second devotion that looks at how we are fulfilling our role as agents of God’s Kingdom:

IN WORD – God gave Israel some extraordinary promises about possessing their inheritance and overcoming their enemies. It’s hard to imagine such favor playing out in the lives of fallen human beings, yet God still offered enormous opportunities for success.
But these promises, from the earliest days of the Exodus to the last days of the conquest, were almost always surrounded with exhortations to love Him, serve Him, and remain zealously faithful to the terms of the covenant. Next to their potential glory was a very big “if,” sometimes stated but always at least implied. Israel would experience extravagant blessings if they were diligent about keeping His words. As we know, they didn’t—at least not consistently or for long. But the blessings showed up at times in the nation’s history, and they presumably still apply to all who receive them. We know we don’t live up to the law well enough to earn them, but we know Someone who did on our behalf. And we know that accepting Him as our proxy in life, death, and resurrection implies the need to grow into His likeness.
In every respect, we qualify for God’s promises in Jesus, the “amen” to every promise given (2 Corinthians 1:20). The nature of God offered to Israel is offered to all who believe in Him and receive His nature. And that includes extraordinary opportunities for success and victory.
IN DEED – In your quest for Kingdom territory, you can put to flight a thousand of the enemy. Why? Not because you’re strong, clever, or resourceful, but because the Lord fights for you—if you are in the covenant that fulfills His Word. The big question, then, is whether you are believing it, living it, breathing it, applying it, growing in it, and acting on it. If you are, you might be surprised by what you can accomplish in the Lord’s strength, and the enemy is alarmed by it. The Lord is ready to fight on your behalf. “When a man has no strength, if he leans on God, he becomes powerful.” – D.L. Moody (in “Heaven on Earth” by Chris Tiegreen)

This week I have the privilege to speak at the International Kingdom Community Development Conference held near Manila. Several hundred doctors, engineers, social workers, and farmers are gathered to learn how to be Kingdom agents in their communities. They are giving up time and resources to serve God’s purposes for their lives (https://ikcd2025.org/).
Are you living out God’s purposes? Do you even know what purpose God has given you? Take time to reflect on the book of James this week and ask the Holy Spirit how your faith can be manifested in works, whether it be to fight against injustice, care for the poor, bring healing to communities, or introduce others to Jesus. May the Lord reveal His purpose for your life and enable you to reap a bountiful harvest when you see Jesus face to face one day. Have a blessed week!
– from Singapore, Pastor Sam