Deuteronomy 2:1-5. Basically, there are four operations of the devil targeting you. Three of them are found in one verse of Scripture: John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy. There you have it, Death, Diversion, Destruction. The fourth is Delay. Most people are deceived into thinking that delay is meant to be temporarily, but the plan of the devil is to turn it into stagnation leading to frustration. Actually, stagnation is unending delay.
We’re going to be looking at stagnation.
Please note that stagnation doesn’t end unless something is done about it. Deuteronomy 2:3, “3Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.” Israel had to do something to end stagnation.
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Israel under the leadership of Moses took forty years to complete a journey that should have taken 14 days. They were going round and round Mount Seir repeatedly, a land that didn’t belong to them. They were moving but not towards their destination. They were not making progress.
Are you making progress in every area of life? If not, why? What are the forces responsible and most importantly, how do you break free and move forward? These are the questions we will try to answer in the next few weeks.
Israel stagnated. An individual, a family, tribe, nation can stagnate. A church can stagnate. A business can stagnate. You have finished school for some time now but you have no job or anything doing. You are not making progress financially, you are stagnated. You have been praying for a husband or wife for long but nothing is happening.
5 Patterns of Human Development (5 Types of Growth)
1. Failure to rise—Non-starters—Some never take off at all
2. Stagnancy—Some take off and plateau. They don’t seem to be able to cross a particular ceiling. This is common.
3. Sudden Crash from the top. Some rise but spiral downwards (usually the activity of spiritual assassins)—victims of spiritual, material/financial, social catastrophe.
4. Wild fluctuations. Rise and fall. Some rise and fall and rise and fall again—fluctuating at regular or irregular intervals
5. Steady progress. Those who rise steadily with or without minor fluctuations. This is the mind of God for us.
What Is Stagnation?
Before we can correctly define stagnation, we have to first define what progress is from God’s perspective.
Progress is moving in time and space towards God’s chosen objective and according to God’s plan for your life. If you are not advancing towards God’s desired objective and according to God’s plan you are not making progress at all.
You were created for maximum impact. You were designed to be significant. You are loaded with so much potential that makes it impossible for you to be ignored. God designed you to be a champion and a giant-killer. Dominion is part of God’s original mandate for you. You are a chip off of the OLD BLOCK. You are a victor and not a victim. Greatness was wired into your mandate. God created and designed you for greatness and not for mediocrity.
You are designed to be the head and not the tail. You have no business with failure or littleness. You were designed to be a high achiever. You were created to soar high like the eagle with a keen sense of vision. God designed you for progress!
What is stagnation?
The Collins English dictionary defines the word stagnant as follows:
• Not growing or developing, static
• Stale, sluggish, or dull from inaction.
Most people are pregnant with opportunities, we are pregnant with dreams and possibilities, but some of these are shed and aborted on the highway of destiny. The longer it takes for us to get to our promised land, the more these dreams are shed or aborted. Satan’s plan is to keep you running in circles to wear you out, run you down with self-doubt until you run out of confidence and you abandon your dream all by yourself. The devil is a liar. Shout “No more delay.”
Stagnation does not necessarily mean being static. Israel was moving but around the same mountain in a circle. They were spending time and energy but without making progress. There was motion without advancement. There was activity without productivity. Every movement that does not lead to progress must be investigated and dealt with. Most times the devil doesn’t ground you completely. He lets you move but around the same spot. There are three steps that don’t lead to progress. (a) A step taken in the wrong direction, (b) A step taken out of sequence and (c) A step taken at the wrong time. Movement is useless unless it is in the direction of your goals or destiny. Israel was moving but in circles. In Deuteronomy 2:3 God told the children of Israel, “3Ye have compassed this mountain long enough…”
5 Ways to Slow a Man Down
1. Slow him down spiritually with sins. Put weights on him. You are stagnated spiritually when you discover that there are no new revelations in your life. The Bible becomes boring and going to church is no longer exciting. Prayer becomes an ordeal and you are indifferent to serving in the church. You are stagnated spiritually when watching a movie or a ball game or attending a business meeting regularly becomes more attractive than studying the Bible, praying or going to church.
2. Slow him down emotionally with fear, depression, frustration, etc. Make him sick from within.
3. Slow him down physically. Attack his body with sickness.
4. Slow him down socially, and financially. Entangle him in a relationship mess. Place obstacles on his path (potholes, speed breaks, road blocks, dig a trench etc.).
5. Slow him down strategically. But if you really want to stagnate him, confuse him, distract him, change his direction, bend his direction or road just a little. If the devil can change your vision, he can keep you running around in circles until you get frustrated and quit. A good example of this is Samson. He was distracted with women. He lost his vision. The Bible says the people perish where there is no vision.
The first gives birth to the others
Examples Of People Who Stagnated
• Sarah stagnated for 24+ years because she was barren—internal problems.
• Rachael stagnated because she was substituted—tradition or ancestral problems
• David stagnated for 13 years after being anointed by Samuel because someone else was occupying the throne he was to sit upon—professional rivals. Every Saul standing between you and your throne will give way.
• Joseph stagnated for 13 years because he was hated for his dream by those close to him—household enemies. Two things you must know: Your assignment may be misunderstood by those closest to you. The completion of your assignment is your enemy’s greatest fear—Mike Murdock.
• Israel stagnated because they disobeyed God—spiritual problems.
All forces of stagnation are anti-destiny forces. You are a powerful and influential weapon against Satan. He will assign demonic forces to fragment your focus, derail your assignment, and destroy your effectiveness. You have the potential to do great damage to Satan. You will become a special target. Demons are not assigned equally everywhere. They receive assignments according to the amount of danger and threat that Satan senses.
We shall be looking more closely at these forces subsequently and pray against them.
Bishop Dr Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l.
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