Your Destiny Is in Your Hands: Book 1

By Michael Cooper DTM

It is said that by thought, we attract the thing. By taking action, we receive the thing.
We decide what our thoughts should be. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Prov. 23:7).
The book encourages us to think using the mind of God (Phil 2:5). Thinking with the mind of God makes success inevitable because God knows all things. The book encourages readers to let go of many things, including the past. But to never give up on the power of believing in oneself. Readers are encouraged to allow their higher self to control the inner conversations.

Many people rent out their mind to sources void of credibility but get no compensation in return. Furthermore, they have no “rental clause” to protect them from their mind being highjacked. More often than not, even if their mind is returned to them, it is under the control of envy, jealousy, fear, worry, and “can’t do.” Before the mind is returned to its original owner, it would have forged an intimate relationship with “lack,” “procrastination,” and “the past.” Who is controlling your mind?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798369407455

Michael Cooper DTM

Mike, as he is affectionately called, was born in Forbes’ Hill, Exuma, Bahamas. He is the son of the late Archie (1923-2002) and Christine Cooper-Bullard (1926-1962) of Forbes’ Hill, Exuma, Bahamas. His mother’s parents were Tom Bullard and Elizabeth Sears–Bullard of Williams Town, Exuma, Bahamas. His father’s parents were Robert Cooper Jr. and Georgiana Bullard of Forbes’ Hill, Exuma, Bahamas. Mike is a 1978 Graduate of McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, with a Double Honors Degree in Economics and Mathematics. He worked as a trainer in IT and a part-time lecturer with the College of St. Benedicts (Bahamas Campus) and College of The Bahamas (now known as the University of The Bahamas) for several years. He also worked in Offshore Banking, Insurance, Finance, Investments and National Insurance. He has developed software and business solutions for a variety of businesses. The Toastmasters International organization played a significant role in developing his communications and leadership skills. Toastmaster Michael Cooper was installed as a member of Toastmasters International Club 1600 in February 1979. He served as President of the First Bahamas Branch of Toastmasters International Club 1600 in 1987 and as of the Bahamas Division Governor of Toastmasters in 1990/1991.

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Copyright © 2023 by Michael Cooper, DTM.

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Rev. date: 09/13/2023

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1     Define Your Own Destiny Part 1

Where Is the Secret Place?

Do Not Let Other People Define Your Destiny

Do You Know Where You Are Going?

Difficult Spots along the Way

Overcoming Obstacles in Your Way

Breaking Down Your Jericho Wall

Chart Your Own Course

Are You in the Right Lane?

Believe in Yourself!

Defining Your Limits

Servant and Slave to Sin

Liberation from Poverty

Chapter 2     Define Your Own Destiny Part 2

Expect Turbulence and Adversities

Importance of Knowledge for the Journey

Importance of Strong, Healthy Relationships

Overcoming Adversities

What Seeds Have You Planted?

Preparation for the Journey

Diamond in the Rough

It Looks Like a Dead End!

Know Your History

Obtain Your Certification

God Blessed Caleb and His Descendants

Conclusion

Chapter 3     Pursue Your Dreams

Who Are Stealing Your Dreams?

Make Your Struggles Count

Strength for the Journey

Your Mental Diet

Faith That Moves Mountains

Is It Your Dream?

Your Dreams Are Your Relentless Pursuits

Conclusion

The Amortization Schedule

Chapter 4     The Power of Negative Thinking!

Negative Thinkers Inflict Pain on Themselves and Others

Posture of Negative Thinkers

The Spirit of Fear and Negative Thinking Are Close Associates

Avoid Dream Killers—they Are Deadly!

Quitters Never Win!

Cancel Your Subscription to Negative-Thinking Mindset

Negative Thinking Uses Its Resources Most Effectively

Where Does Negative Thinking Get Its Power?

You Can Defeat Your Giants!

Conclusion

Chapter 5     What Are You Wearing?

Does Your Outward Adornment Reflect the Inner You?

Who Am I?

Is That Your Horn You Are Blowing?

Do You Know What Message You Are Giving through Your Eyes?

Outside Appearance: Is It the Same as Others Are Seeing?

The Power of a Smile

What Are You Wearing on Your Face?

Can You Identify a Thief or a Robber?

An Angry Person Carries a Bitter Heart

Time to Change Your Attire!

Is the Inner You Represented with Integrity?

Conclusion

Chapter 6     The Missing Piece

When I

Is Happiness Your Missing Piece?

Story of Indictment of Nine Rich Men

Plight of the Nine Men

Searching in the Wrong Places

Importance of Healthy Relationships

Being in Control of Your Spirit

Intoxicated with Pleasure

Operating under the Spirit of Unforgiveness

Power of Choice

What Possesses You?

Do You Have What It Takes to Find What Is Required?

For Some, the Missing Piece

Conclusion

Chapter 7     Who Is Holding Up Your Ladder?

What Is the Condition of Your Support Group?

Avoid Sinkholes and Quicksand Areas

Do Not Judge without the Facts

It Is Not Over until It Is Over

Which Dictionary Are They Using?

Choose Your Fellow Travelers Prudently

Important Attributes of Fellow Travelers and Support Group?

Negative Attitude

Positive Attitude

Is Your Heart Generating an Overflowing Cup?

Is Your Vision Reliable?

A Good Foundation Is Needed for Ladder Placement

Are Team Members Yoked Together with One Mind?

Conclusion

Chapter 8     Have You Ever Been Mugged?

How Do You Recognize a Mugger?

Mental and Spiritual Mugging

Depression Vendors in the Dark Alley of the Mind

No Space for Additional Foodstuff

False Accusations

Finding a Temporary Safe Virtual Home

Reconditioning Your Thinking

You Are Not Required to Attend Meetings Called by Satan

Worldwide Conference of Demons

Do Not Make Yourself Available to Muggers

Satan’s Attempt to Mug Jesus!

How Do You Avoid Being Mugged Mentally and Spiritually?

Chapter 9     Theater of the Mind!

What Kind of Movies Are You Watching?

Who Determines the Type of Movies Shown in Your Theater?

Are You in Control of Your Spirit?

What Are You Allowing to Roam about in Your Mind?

Each Theater Character Has Specific Roles

Should People Be Allowed to Exercise Their Free Will?

Should the Community Help before It’s Too Late?

Characters Working in the Theater of Your Mind

An Affair with Lucifer

Cancel All Appointments with Satan

Take unto You the Whole Armor of God

Chapter 10   Fear Is Deadly

Fear Will Take Up Resident in Your Mind if You Let It

It was signed by

Controlling Attributes of Fear

Fear Is Deadly Indeed

A Word for Our Women Especially

Use Your Talents and Gifts Judiciously

Recognizing Our Real Jewels and Precious Assets

1 Kings 19: Destabilizing and Likely Fatal Effects of Fear

What Can Women Do to Protect Themselves from Abuse?

Your Decisions and Thoughts Can Generate Fear

Conclusion

Chapter 11   Release the Prisoner and Let Him Go!

Doesn’t He Deserve Another Chance?

Freedom from Incarceration

Likely Reasons for Incarceration

Specific Things to Do for Freedom from Prisons

In Which Prison Cell Are You?

Signs of Mental Imprisonment

Why Are So Many People Imprisoned?

We Have the Authority

Secrets to Success Are Found in Your Perspective

Is Incarceration Worth It?

Protect Your Very Important Resource

How Does the Truth Make Us Free (John 8:31–38)?

Then You Will Know the Truth, and the Truth Will Make You Free

Conclusion

Chapter 12   Occupying Your Space Part 1

What Kind of Energy Do You Allow in Your Space?

Keep Your Space Purified

Is Your Space a Happy Space?

Are You Renting Your Space and Collecting Rent Money?

The Grass Is Greener around the Cesspit

Do You Know You?

Question: Who Am I?

What Is the Character of the Person in Your Space?

What Does Genesis 1:26 Mean?

Chapter 13   Occupying Your Space Part 2

Are You Occupying the Space That Belongs to You?

Are You Enjoying the Beauty of Your Garden?

Are You Connected to Your Natural Environment?

Demonstrating an Attitude of Gratitude Always

Lumpy Spirits

Envy and Jealousy Can Lead to Murder

You Deserve a Better Life

Is There a Cause?

Being Fruitful and Replenishing

Utilize Your Resources Efficiently and Effectively

Conclusion

Chapter 14   Are You in Position?

Do You Know Where You Are?

Do You Have the Correct Setting?

Have You Surrendered Control of Your Spirit to the Circumstance?

Are You in the Line for Your Promotion?

Are You on the Right Path to Your Destiny?

Traveling with a Chicken versus an Eagle

Are You Ready to Receive Your Freedom and Financial Abundance?

Are You in Position to Be of Any Kind of Help to Another Person?

Joseph Was in Position though Faced with Difficult Situations

Majority Conforms versus Alignment to Inner Self

Conclusion: Reinitialize Your Settings

Chapter 15   Bloom Where You Are Planted!

The Real Diamonds Are in You

Seeds of Greatness Are in You

Do You Know Which Diamonds You Are Seeking?

Few Are Prepared to Venture Out on the Limb

The Need to Refresh and Renew Our Minds

In Every Adversity, There Is a Seed of Equivalent or Greater Benefit (Napolean Hill)

The Joy of Aging (by My Friend Joe’s Testimony)

Diamonds Are Where You Are!

Chapter 16   Accessing Your Money Part 1

Who Are Validating Your Ideas before They Are Implemented?

Much of Your Money Is Spent before It Gets into Your Hands!

How Much Are You Worth Per Hour?

Complaining and Murmuring Spirit

Spreading False Rumors

Everything We Have Belongs to God

Use the Percentage Rule to Allocate Your Earnings

Get Out of That Pigpen!

It Came from Out of the Blue.

Attitudes Contributing to Poverty

Conclusion: Plant Thoughtfully, Intentionally, and Judiciously

Chapter 17   Accessing Your Money Part 2

Who Have You Given Access to Your Mind?

Multiply and Replenish

Remove the Scaffoldings

Keeping Up with the Joneses

What Is Your Mental and Spiritual Diet?

Ideas You Have Not Yet Implemented

Overcoming Fear

Conclusion: Who Is Accessing Your Money?

Chapter 18   Just Let It Go and Live Part 1

Avoid Making False Claims

Be Willing and Ready to Release the Seeds of Unforgiveness

One of the Greatest Gifts You Can Give Is to Forgive Everyone

Dumping and Mental Detoxification

Shake Loose and Let It Go!

Conclusion

Chapter 19   Just Let It Go and Live Part 2

Perfecting Our Habits

Do Not Look Back Now!

Recruiting for the Hospitality Suite

Power of Unforgiveness

Envy and Jealousy Can Lead to Murder

Envy and Jealousy Can Lead to Murder

What Do I Do after Forgiving?

They Are Dead and Buried

Declare What You Want and Not What You Do Not Want!

In Summary

Chapter 20   Refueling Your Tank!

The Need to Constantly Refuel Your Tank

What Quality of Fuel Are You Using?

Ensure That Your Fuel Is Not Contaminated

Your Prayer Life

Ensure That Your Fuel Gage Is Functioning Properly

Protect Your Fuel Tank from leakage

Protect Your Fuel from Contamination

Conclusion

Chapter 21   Being Your Best Self Part 1

It Is the Length of Time That Matters

The Power of Focus

Learning by Doing!

Power of Thought!

Impact of Thought Energy

Power of the Tongue

Excerpts from the 2023 Australian Open Men’s Tennis Finals

Stefanos Tsitsipas on the Right Path Despite 2023 Australian Open Men’s Tennis Loss

Novak Djokovic’s Message to His Fans after Tenth Australian Open Tennis Victory

Novak Djokovic’s Tenth Australian Open Title

Djokovic’s Twenty-Third Grand Slam, Highest Ever for Any Male on ATP

Things Done by Others for Us

Accepting Responsibility for Our Behavior

Giving Life Your Best

Chapter 22   Being Your Best Self Part 2

Images of the Men of Canaan Magnified

Psalms 91:1–13 Contains a Fitting set of Affirmations

Overcoming the Lack Mindset

The Blessings of Goodness and Mercy

A Time for Everything: Ecclesiastes 3:1–8

Getting to Know Me Better (Get Knowledge)

I Have Got to Me

I’ve Gotta Be Me

Poems

One and Only You

If You Can

Drive the Nail Aright

References

CHAPTER 1

Define Your Own Destiny Part 1

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High

shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

—Ps. 91:1

The spirit of the author is with us as we read this book. Be at one with you, and you will be at one with the author. You and the author enjoy the continuum of the same universe. In the kingdom of God, we are all one and are indivisible. We are at one with God when we allow the mind of God to operate in us. Let us enjoy the journey of reading this book as we would our favorite movies. The topic Define Your Own Destiny was subdivided into two chapters for easy reading.

The dictionary provides the following meaning of the word destiny:

1. somebody’s preordained future: the apparently predetermined and inevitable series of events that happen to somebody or something

2. inner realizable purpose of a life: the inner purpose of a life that can be discovered and realized

3. or destiny is something that predetermines events: a force or agency that predetermines what will happen

As long as we have life, we are in pursuit of our destiny. I am responsible for doing the work that fulfills my assignment. You are responsible for doing the work that fulfills your assignment. Each of us is responsible for determining our respective roles along life’s continuum. This means we must see ourselves through the eyes of our Creator. We must see ourselves as infinite spiritual beings having a human experience. We are free only to the extent that we are on the path in achieving our God-given purpose.

Where Is the Secret Place?

• The secret place is a place of accurate and right thinking.

• The secret place is a place of provisions.

• The secret place is a place of receiving.

• The secret place is a place of instructions for life.

• The secret place is where we dwell to get ready.

• The secret place is where we are instructed on what to receive.

• The secret place is where we get our GPS for life’s journey.

• In the secret place, God walks and talks in and through us.

Our needs will vary as we journey along life’s continuum. However, scripture tells us that as long as we are dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, all our needs (spiritual and material) are met every step of the way. Psalms 91 assures us provisions for our journey and protection from all fears and evil as we pursue our destiny. Psalms 91 is an excellent source of spiritual food needed in the process of Refueling Your Tank in chapter 20.

Are you dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, or are you hiding in some other unknown dark shadow? Are you allowing yourself to be defined by the images and thoughts that others have of you? Have you ever heard it said that you will not amount to anything? If you are hiding behind an unknown shadow, I entreat you to come from under that shadow and find your own coordinates in the secret place of the Most High. Your destiny is yours to behold as only you can.

Do Not Let Other People Define Your Destiny

Most persons are limited by their own personal experiences and perspectives on life. If you are a leader, do not limit your perspective to that of a manager. If you are a minister in the government, do not limit your perspective to that of an attorney. If you are an accountant, do not limit your perspective to that of a bookkeeper. If you are in the transportation business, do not limit your perspective to that of a taxi driver. If you are a clerk in an insurance company, a bank, or another business, do not limit your perspective to that of a clerical worker. In the case of the clerk in the insurance company, you may wish to consider yourself in sales. In the case of the bank clerk, you may wish to think of yourself as a banker, practicing and implementing the principles of finance and banking. Although the clerk in the insurance company may not be working directly in sales, she has an opportunity to participate in sales commission by simply changing her thinking. Salespeople, on average, are the highest-earning professionals. In the case of the bank clerk, when she changes her mindset to that of a banker, there is no limit to where she can go in the financial industry. The health practitioner ought not limit themselves to prescriptions from the drug companies.

Remember that each of these persons has already limited views of his or her own chosen vocation. When you begin to view the world through their perspectives only, you will further limit yourself and distort the view of the world. If you so limit yourself, you will have allowed others to define your behavior and destiny. It is important to understand that we do not know in which direction these persons are headed. They may be on a large circular merry-go-around wilderness experience, which, to an outsider, appears to be a fun journey on a straight path. But little do we realize that he or she is being battered about and bruised. He or she deceives you falsely to become a part of the movement to gain greater strength and impetus along a useless path to destruction. The more persons that join in with him or her in the deception, the greater the approval and encouragement to continue therein!

Do You Know Where You Are Going?

It is said that if you do not know where you are going, then any destination would be acceptable. Clearly, an unknown destination is one void of a useful purpose! My daily prayer is that God, make me a tremendous blessing to all those with whom I come into contact. The blessings will only flow through to me when I use my talents and skills to glorify my Creator. It means that I must be passionate about what I do and do it with the highest degree of excellence and integrity, though I must be careful not to allow my standard of excellence to be defined by a select group of persons. Their view of the world is usually very limited, and their standard of excellence could be less than three on a ranking scale of 1–10. Therefore, we must ensure that we are aligning ourselves with an acceptable measuring standard. We ought to ensure that we are performing against our best measuring standard. Anything that is worthwhile doing is worth doing well!

If we fail to pursue our dreams and passions, we could very easily be without meaningful and gainful employment! Consequently, our basic needs and desires will go unmet, and so will the needs of others who depend on us!

You have got to be prepared to blaze new trails for yourself. You have got to be prepared to walk alone many times because friends and family will desert you. They will even call you stupid for going after your God-given purpose. But should you allow this to deter you? The choice is yours to continue to search for diamonds or be content seeking the approval of others, the result of which is massive discontent, frustration, dissatisfaction, and confusion. The fact that you will have to travel alone sometimes may be your greatest moment of creativity, discovery, and fulfillment.

Just picture the great research scientists of yesteryears; they usually spend much time in seclusion in search of new discovery. When these new inventions will have brought forth fruit, the whole world is the beneficiary. The scriptures tell us that Moses spent forty years at the back side of the desert. He was alone with God Almighty.

Difficult Spots along the Way

If I can borrow a few words from Dr. Robert Schuller, walk in your own shoes and fulfill God’s plan for your life. This requires your having to search for the shoes that fit your feet. You may have to walk through some stony grounds; your shoes should be able to withstand this. You may have to walk through hundreds of miles of mud; your shoes should be able to help you through the mud, with a fair degree of comfort. And yes, you may have to go through the forest where you are constantly greeted with the noises and threats of roaring lions. Through all this, I admonish you not to fear. The phrase walk in your own shoes is being used metaphorically to describe a mental and spiritual journey. The roaring lions are the frightful perspectives brought on by a spirit of fear. The roars are the echoes from your negative thoughts.

You may have to cross the Red Sea to get to dry land en route to your destination. Like the children of Israel, you will arrive at the juncture where you cannot turn to the left or to the right. You definitely cannot turn back because turning back is a sure way to final disaster and destruction! You cannot even stay where you are; otherwise, you will be annihilated by the enemy. Your only hope is to continue moving forward swiftly and boldly. Your faith must be such that just as the leading foot enters the water, the sea opens up just long enough for you to cross with your entourage. Immediately your crossing is completed, the gulf is restored such that anyone who dares to follow after you and your troop would be swallowed up by the great gulf of water. Whatever your destiny, you need to prepare for the journey.

Every journey requires preparation. Your preparation will be shaped by your path, mode of transportation, the season, and weather conditions.

Despite your level and extent of preparation, the journey will at times get tough. You will have to encourage yourself sometimes. When I sought the advice of Dr. Robert Schuller, he told me that tough times never last, but tough people do. Further on in my journey, I met the prophet Isaiah; he reminded me that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Let me encourage you to keep on going. For the race is not to the swift but to he who endures to the end. Although there are times that survival demands your having to quicken the pace. Yet at other times, survival demands your having to stand still and allow the tornado to pass! The Holy Spirit (some call it instinct) and your training direct your course on when and what to do.

As you turn a new page in your life’s journey, you can’t afford to let your past poison your present or sabotage your future. That’s why certain things that refuse to be healed must be discarded, deserted, forsaken, cremated, and forgotten! In this process, you will also have to avoid and ditch some people, especially if their primary role is to take you back and keep you in the poisonous past. Yes, you will have to leave some friends and family members behind in order to attain your goal and receive the blessings that await you at the end of your journey. These blessings are needed in order for you to be a blessing to others and to feed the many thousands who are depending on you. Let it be known that many of these persons who are depending on you, you have no idea about who they are.

Overcoming Obstacles in Your Way

There are people praising God in church every Sabbath who lie awake in the privacy of their homes digging up bones, picking at scars, and reliving old negative memories. Oftentimes, they will do this in your presence as well. You need to accept that some issues will never be resolved, and if you let them, they’ll take up residence in your head and your heart. They will convince you of lies that never were. Let’s always remember, As a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Prov. 23:7).

In other words, stop pursuing dead issues; admit them, quit them, and forget them! Instead of struggling to change what you can’t change, let the Creator’s transforming power sweep through your life and sever the ties between you and all those tormenting thoughts from your past. Dead issues have the sole purpose of diverting your attention and focus from life’s transforming power. Their intent is to kill your desire to pursue your dreams. Their intent is to appear to befriend you just to keep you in bondage. Release yourself from the dark alley of your mind and pursue life. Pursue your destiny as only you can.

Look forward with excitement, great anticipation, and expectation in your life from this time forward. I encourage you to expect the best and get it. I implore you to decree your desired positive outcomes until they are manifested in the natural. You shall decree a thing, and it shall be established (Job 22:28). Make sure that you are traveling in your shoes and that you are wearing your helmet—a helmet that fits your head. If you try to wear someone else’s shoes, clothing, and helmet, your launch may be aborted. And guess what, you become the laughing stock of the owner of the outfits you are wearing if they are not yours.

It is therefore incumbent upon you and me not to abandon our search for real diamond. I encourage you to continually refresh and renew your mind with positive affirmations, with positive words. Surround yourself with positive thinking, speaking people always. God Almighty recognized the importance of this from Psalms 1:1–2, in which we are reminded that blessed or happy is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly or stands in the way of sinners. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. They that delight themselves in the LORD, he shall grant them the desires of their heart.

What then is your destiny? In response to this question, we need to address the following issues: Who have you allowed into your hospitality suite? Are you providing a hospitality suite to sustain poverty? Are you providing a hospitality suite to encourage negative thinking, complaining, gossipers, procrastinators, or can’t-do workers? Is your suite one in which nothing positive can be accomplished? Does your hospitality suite consist of groups of committees? It is said that, if you want to stall or prevent doing something productive, the standing order is to appoint a committee. Committees have proven to be the most potent force in postponing the completion of any project. For the most part, committees usually perform the role of ensuring that nothing gets done. Does your hospitality suite have nobody in it? If Nobody is in your hospitality suite, you must have her removed immediately even if police escort is required. Remember that Nobody will help you do nothing and might even help you to sabotage your future!

Nobody is a person that you will find in the hospitality suite of all negative thinkers. You will also find Can’t Do sitting right next to Nobody and Procrastination. These three characters always travel together. Wherever you see them, I strongly suggest that you run for your life because they are not only lazy but are also dangerous. Do not allow them into your space. You may require some form of spiritual nuclear weapon to combat and destroy them. If you do not destroy them, they will reemerge somewhere in your life.

Above all, the best prescription for overcoming your obstacles is giving praise and thanks unto God in all things. Why? Because we know that praise is an instrument of war. Furthermore, we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28).

Breaking Down Your Jericho Wall

Walls are not always bad. It all depends on the purpose for which the walls are being used and which side of the wall you find yourself. Walls may be used as a form of protection or a means of separation. The separation may be for success, or lack thereof. We see in Exodus 14:29–31 that walls were used for the protection of children of Israel as they journeyed across the Red Sea to the Promised Land.

But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus, the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses. (Exod. 14:29–31)

Just as there are physical walls, there are also mental and spiritual walls.

The walls separating us from success include the walls of:

• Envy and jealousy

• Unforgiveness

• Ignorance

• Negative thinking

• Fear and worry

• Conformity

• Limiting and disempowering beliefs

• Procrastination

• Hatred

• Spirit of infirmity

We have the power to shatter these walls of impediments to success.

The people marched around the Jericho Walls seven times, and the wall came tumbling down. Praise unto the Lord is a weapon of war. King Jehoshaphat was able to prove in 2 Chronicles 20—when the nations of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir came against Judah—that praise and worship were weapons of war. God told King Jehoshaphat that they would not have to fight against the enemy but just go to the battlefield and begin to praise him. For the battle is mine, said the Lord.

We see in 2 Chronicles 20:22–25 how the power of God worked through the praises and worship by King Jehoshaphat and his people to destroy the enemy.

And when they began to sing and to praise God, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Mount Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much. (2 Chron. 20:22–25)

When we look at what God did for King Jehoshaphat and his people, he will do the same for you and me. For God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is no respecter of persons. How big are the armies that are coming against you? What or who are the giants in your life? Are they too mighty for you to defeat on your own? Just trust God, for he is a majority all by himself and mightier than the mightiest forces that may come against you. It does not matter whether these forces are physical, mental, or spiritual. With God on your side, you are more than a winner. Furthermore, with Christ in your vessel, you can smile at any storm. For if God be for you, who can be against you? What is your Jericho Wall?

Chart Your Own Course

I beseech you not to allow others to define your destiny! Otherwise, you will be like the man in Matthew 25:28, who refused to use the one talent that he had been given. Therefore, his one talent was taken away and given to the man who had ten talents (the one with the most). In a sense, when this happens, you will be like those who have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; they have ears, but they hear not; noses have they, but they smell not; they have hands, but they handle not; feet have they, but they walk not; neither speak they through their throat. They have refused to utilize their talents and gifts! I implore you therefore to chart your own destiny and follow it passionately with definiteness of purpose. I entreat you to blow your own horn because no one else can blow your horn the way you can.

The story was told about a young man who was at the bottom of his class. His grades averaged a D and below. It was decided to give him an IQ test in which he scored 98. Anyone who scores a 98 in an IQ test is considered dumb. But guess what, this young man looked at the score as being out of 100. He placed his own meaning on the score of 98. He therefore reasoned that he was a genius. This is a clear demonstration of the power of perspective. It is not what they are doing to you, but it is your perspective on what they are doing to you and for you. After he changed his mindset, his grades rose to Bs and As. He ended up in the top percentile of his class. He searched and found the shoes that fitted his feet. He decided to wear his own shoes. He did not allow other people to cast him under the dark shadows of other unknown persons. He walked into his own destiny. What about you?

Are You in the Right Lane?

A tennis racket is useless in the hands of a non-tennis player. However, it is said that a tennis racquet in the hands of Roger Federer or Serena Williams is worth tens of millions of dollars. It depends in whose hands it is. A rod in the hands of the average person will keep the dogs away. A rod in Moses’s hands parted the mighty Red Sea. It all depends in whose hands it is. A slingshot in the average person’s hands is a mere toy. A slingshot in David’s hand was a mighty weapon that delivered a whole nation by defeating Goliath, the Philistine Giant (see 1 Sam. 18). It all depends in whose hands it is. Two fishes and five loaves of bread in the hands of my family is a mere breakfast feeding. Two fishes and five loaves of bread in the hands of Jesus Christ fed more than five thousand (see Matt. 14:15–21). It all depends in whose hands it is. Nails in the hands of the average person might just cause injury. Nails in the hands of Jesus Christ produced salvation for the entire world. It all depends in whose hands it is.

As we can all see now, it all depends in whose hands it is. Let us therefore put our concerns, worries, fears, hopes, dreams, families, and relationships in God’s hands and watch amazing transformation that will take place in our lives. But we should stay in our own lane for the entire journey.

Successful entrepreneurs know how to bring together and combine resources and generate billions of dollars. The above scenarios highlight the significance of certain skills and tools being in the hands of the right people.

One person’s dreams and longings are pure torture for another person. It depends on who is dreaming. I know of homes where mothers complain about the noise from other family members disturbing them from their sleep. I also know of homes where couples with no children or single women with no children long for the noises and