Dwight Fletcher | The right position

ALL THE predictions for 2024 are that it will be a challenging year. The wars that are happening are expected to create economic hardships, and there are political conflicts and manoeuvrings around the world that will affect us all. However, it’s also a year of opportunity for committed believers in Christ. Malachi 3:17-18 (NIV) says, “They will be my people,” says the Lord Almighty. “On the day when I act, they will be my very own. I will be merciful to them as parents are merciful to the children who serve them. 18 Once again, my people will see the difference between what happens to the righteous and to the wicked, to the person who serves me and the one who does not.”

STAY IN THE FIGHT

Though 2024 is expected to be a tough year, God wants His people to prosper amid whatever life throws at them. This includes our well-being, resilience, peace, physical provision, and every other area of life. To receive God’s best, we must stay in the fight. We must learn how to fight our spiritual battles, or we will be overcome by the enemies of our souls. God fights for us, so that we can conquer the enemies of our soul. In Psalm 18, King David releases an understanding of warfare that will benefit us in our spiritual battles. We must fight the good fight of faith in 2024.

The Lord stands with us to defeat all our enemies. Psalm 18:29 (NIV) declares, “With your help, I can advance against a troop; with my God, I can scale a wall.” What we need to remember is that triumph is found in God, and our reliance and dependence is on Him. To fight the battles ahead of us in 2024, we must first position ourselves for victory. King David affirmed that it is “God who equipped me with strength…” Psalm 18:32 (NIV). If we’re going to overcome in 2024, we need God to equip us for what is ahead. It’s the Lord who empowers us for the spiritual fights that we will face.

BE INTENTIONAL

Consequently, it’s a no-brainer that we must make God central to our lives. The Apostle John reminds us, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing” John 15:5 (NIV). This year, we need to be intentional about being in the right place so that God can pass to us what we need to secure the win.

Some of us are losing because we aren’t in the right position. This is especially true for those who haven’t received Christ as Saviour and Lord. Then, there are some Christians who are losing because they are part-time Christians. As Christians, we can’t fight spiritual battles in our own strength. It requires spiritual strength, and that strength comes only from God. We must put ourselves in a place where the Spirit of God can have the best opportunity to empower us.

The best place to start this is to be in a place of devotion to God. Devotion is loyalty to God and His love, and it unlocks His power. When we’re devoted to God, our ability to face life, stand amid trouble, and fight off the enemy is greater. The truth is that some of us were once close to God but have drifted away and aren’t devoted. Others hang around the Church but aren’t devoted to Christ. It’s time to start, or restart, our walk in the disciplines of our faith and position ourselves rightly for 2024.