Hello Storehouse Fam!
It is February already! Indeed, God has been faithful to each and every one of us. Before you continue reading this, just take a moment to pause. Breathe. Say a prayer of thanksgiving to Abba for his goodness over your life.
We kicked off 2026 with the Holy Spirit leading us into a corporate fast. This was really a divinely orchestrated move for us as a family and calls to mind what happened in the scriptures when Jesus was “led into the wilderness at the start of his earthly ministry (See Matthew 4:1-11). Let us be reminded that God, in his divine wisdom, has ushered us into something greater and deeper, even as we have spent the past month feasting on him!
Called Higher in Christ
Beyond the season of fasting, we can also sense that God has been “calling us up higher”. We’ve received teaching after teaching, word after word, challenging us to come into the fullness of what it means to truly be followers of Jesus. Apostle Paul shows us that the goal is for us to “…come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” (Ephesian 4:13). This is in line with God’s ultimate purpose for our lives as the whole time, “…God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:29).
However, this growth into the fullness of “Sonship” is not something that will just happen to us. Nobody will ever accidentally become like Christ. There is a place for our wills, to choose, to decide, and there is a place for our actions, where we actively live out what God has called us to. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Philippians 2:13) This shows that God’s work in us is complete, giving us both the desire and the capacity to do what pleases him! And it is on the basis of this comprehensive, complete work that he has done that we are given the charge to “…Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.” (Philippians 2:12b).
This work is non-negotiable. It is not optional for a believer, except if we have no desire to grow to maturity, which is squarely outside of God’s purpose and plan. We are exhorted to “…work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.” (2 Peter 1:10). Why? Because as difficult as it might be for us to process, the bible makes it clear that is possible for people to be unfruitful – “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”. (2 Peter 1:8). And the Lord Jesus himself says that “He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.” (John 15:2).
Some of us might have wrestled or are still wrestling with this, but the word of God has come to us loud and clear. We pray that God will continue to bring us deeper understanding as we work it out in obedience. A gentle reminder as we go into the rest of the week that our attitude should be positive, pushing forward just like it says in the scriptures “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:13-14).
God is about his business. It is a family business. We ought to be about it too.
The stakes are high. Press on.