Emmanuel Okoro (aka MrLift)

Take It Now "Look, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deut. 1:21) When God makes a promise, He is not simply predicting the future. He is declaring what has already been settled in His plan, though we may not have stepped into it yet. In Christ, God has already provided everything we need for life and godliness. Our responsibility is to take hold of it by faith. Moses begins by saying, “Look.” This is a call to shift our focus. Many people are blinded by fear, doubt, or unbelief. But faith sees what natural eyes cannot. Faith looks beyond visible circumstances and holds on to what God has spoken. As Scripture reminds us: “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Once you see what God has placed before you, the next instruction follows: “Go ahead and take it now.” God’s promises are not vague hopes f...

I Will Handle It “Don’t play favorites; treat the little and the big alike; listen carefully to each. Don’t be impressed by big names. This is God’s judgment you’re dealing with. Hard cases you can bring to me; I’ll deal with them.” (Deut. 1:17) When God, through Moses, appointed wise and capable leaders over Israel, He knew there would be matters too difficult for them to handle. That is why Moses said, “Hard cases you can bring to me; I will deal with them.” This is the same assurance God gives you today. Your walk with Him is a partnership: there are things He expects you to handle with the wisdom and strength He has already given you, and there are things too heavy for you to carry. Those He says, “Bring to Me—I will deal with them.” Could it be that the reason some challenges linger is because you haven’t truly handed them over to God? Just as Israel had leaders over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens (Deut. 1:15), each of us faces challenges in different degrees. What may see...

No Favourites "Don’t play favorites; treat the little and the big alike; listen carefully to each. Don’t be impressed by big names. This is God’s judgment you’re dealing with. Hard cases you can bring to me; I’ll deal with them.” (Deut. 1:17) One timeless lesson we need to embrace in our world today is this: treat everyone alike. Sadly, favouritism has eaten deep into our societies—even into our churches. The Bible calls us to treat both the small and the great with the same fairness. How do we do this? The key is right there in the instruction: “Listen carefully to each.” Listening carefully ensures that our decisions are based on the merit of the matter—not on appearances, wealth, or status. That’s why Scripture warns, “Don’t be impressed by big names.” Why? Because when we make judgments, we are handling God’s judgment, not ours. No one is so great that they can impress God with their size, wealth, or influence. Before Him, the biggest of us all is still small. James re...

A dequate for the Task " So I went ahead and took the top men of your tribes, wise and seasoned, and made them your leaders--leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, officials adequate for each of your tribes." (Deut.1.15)  What stands out in this verse is the phrase “adequate for the task.” Moses carefully selected men who were not only gifted but proven—wise, respected, and seasoned—capable of leading at different levels of responsibility. Notice: some were leaders of thousands, others of hundreds, fifties, or tens. Yet regardless of their level, each was considered adequate for their tribe. The question then is: Are you adequate where you are? Moses’ yardstick can guide us today. Top-notch : responsible and excellent in character. Wise : able to make sound, reasoned judgments. Seasoned : not a one-time success, but consistent through practice and experience. The good news is that these qualities can be cultivated. Adequacy is not about perfec...

A thousand times more  "At the time I told you, "I can't do this, can't carry you all by myself. GOD, your God, has multiplied your numbers. Why, look at you--you rival the stars in the sky! And may GOD, the God--of-Your-Fathers, keep it up and multiply you another thousand times, bless you just as he promised."(Deut.1.9 -11) When you communicate your inadequacies to God, He does not mock you, nor does He leave you; He helps you. Our text began with, "At that time..." What time? The time when Israel began to multiply and the work seemed overwhelming for Moses. Moses cried out... "I can't carry you all by myself." In other words, I need You, God, to do this with me. A lot of people have stifled their progress because they have rejected growth possibilities and refused to grow; as a result, their capacity to take on more diminishes. The more we grow, the more we tend to grow. But if we reject growth, we become stunted. Moses was open to grow...

See… "See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the LORD swore He would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—and to their descendants after them." (Deut. 1:8 NIV) The power of vision cannot be overstated. Every lasting accomplishment begins first with sight—not with the eyes, but with the heart. That is why God told Israel, “See.” What were they to see? That He had already given them the land. “See, I have given you this land.” Until they saw it as theirs, they could never truly possess it. Everything is created twice: first within, then without. The first creation happens in vision—the “see” stage. The clearer the picture you carry within, the sooner it becomes reality. Vision fuels determination, and determination births possession. If you cannot see it, you cannot seize it. Only after vision comes possession. “Go in and take possession of the land…” God said. The journey to taking hold of His promises begins with what you c...

Make the Move "The Lord our God said to us at Horeb: 'You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, the mountains, the western foothills, the Negev, and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates.'" (Deut. 1:6–7) Israel had already tasted victories. They had conquered territories and brought down mighty kings—Sihon of the Amorites and Og of Bashan. Yet, despite these triumphs, they stalled. Perhaps they were weary of battle. Perhaps they felt they had achieved enough. Whatever the reason, they settled into comfort when God still had more for them. "This was after he defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth at Edrei." (Deut. 1:4) In the same way, many of us get stuck at the place of our last achievement. The glow of past ...

Nothing is Normal Anymore  "Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir. (Deut.1.2 NLT) We live in a world where nothing feels normal anymore. Not the way we relate with one another, not the way we raise our children, not even the way we see ourselves. Nothing is normal anymore. Our text says 'normally', which means when everything is the way it is supposed to be. However, nothing is normal anymore. It should have taken Israel eleven days to travel from slavery to freedom but because nothing is normal anymore, it took forty years.  "It is [only] eleven days ' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea [on Canaan 's border; yet Israel took forty years to get beyond it]." (Deut.1.2 AMP) Why was this the case?  The writer of Hebrews tells us that it was because those who heard the preaching did not mix the word they heard with faith. In other words, faith is your compass through...

Hold Tight to Your Possession "No inheritance-land may be passed from tribe to tribe; each tribe of the People of Israel must hold tight to its own land." (Num. 36:9) The Promised Land to Israel is what God’s promises are to the believer today. Just as the Israelites were commanded to take possession of their land, so we must also lay hold of the promises God has given us—and hold them tightly. When Joshua divided the land among the tribes, the people were constantly challenged by enemies who resisted them. This reveals a spiritual truth: the enemy will always fight to stop you from possessing what God has promised. That’s why Moses instructed Israel to hold tight to their inheritance. The New Testament echoes this same call. Jude exhorts us to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). John also admonishes us: “Only hold tightly to what you have until I come.” (Rev. 2:25) “I am coming quickly. Hold fast what you have, so that no one...

Possess and Enjoy Your Inheritance "And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the Israelites shall be wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father, so that the Israelites may each one possess the inheritance of his fathers." (Num. 36:8 AMP) The daughters of Zelophehad not only made history by being the first women granted an inheritance, but their case also gave rise to the principle that inheritance must remain within the tribe. God commanded that if a daughter received an inheritance, she was to marry within her father’s tribe. This ensured that what was given would not be transferred away, but rather enjoyed within the family line. "…that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers." (Num. 36:8 KJV) The principle carries into the New Testament. Whatever God has provided, He intends for us not just to have it in name but to possess it and to enjoy it . Paul reminds us that God has blessed us with ...

Marry, as Long as… "This is GOD's command to Zelophehad's daughters: They are free to marry anyone they choose as long as they marry within their ancestral clan." (Num.36:6) God’s instruction to the daughters of Zelophehad is more than an Old Testament regulation—it is a guiding principle for believers today. They were free to marry anyone they desired, but within the boundary of their own clan. How does this apply to us? As a believer, you are free to marry anyone you choose, but only within the family of faith. The reason is simple: God did not want the inheritance of Israel transferred from one tribe to another. In the same way, He does not want your spiritual inheritance and value as a daughter or son of Zion diluted by unbelief. This is exactly what Paul meant when he said: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Cor. 6:14) ...

Treat You as I Planned to Treat Them "And I'll start treating you the way I planned to treat them." (Numbers 33:56) God gave Israel a sober warning: if they failed to drive out the native population, those very people would bring endless trouble right into Israel’s own backyard. But that wasn’t all—God said He would also treat Israel the same way He intended to treat those nations. The native population were people who had turned their backs on God. Because of their persistent sins, God had removed them from the land and given it to Israel as an inheritance. Yet, God’s message was clear: if Israel began to live like those nations, they would share the same fate as those nations they refused to drive out. The principle is timeless. If you claim to be a Christian but live no differently from the world, you should not expect special treatment. God does not show favoritism. As He asked Cain, "If you do well, will you not be accepted?" (Genesis 4:7). And as Joh...

Trouble in Your Own Backyard "But if you don't drive out the native population, everyone you let stay there will become a cinder in your eye and a splinter in your foot. They'll give you endless trouble right in your own backyards." (Numbers 33:55) This passage carries deep truths hidden in plain sight. Let’s unpack them one at a time. God gave this instruction to the children of Israel as they prepared to occupy the land He had promised them. To fully take possession, they were commanded to drive out every native inhabitant—those who had lived in the land before them. Spiritually, this speaks to our old nature before we gave our lives to Christ. God calls us to die to our “old man” and put on the “new man.” "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:24 KJV) "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature..." (2 Corinthians 5:17) If we do not remove this “native ...

At God’s Command "Aaron the priest climbed Mount Hor at GOD’s command and died there. It was the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after the People of Israel had left Egypt." (Num. 33:38) Few commands are harder to obey than this one. Every living creature has an instinct to survive, so imagine the weight of Aaron’s obedience—climbing Mount Hor knowing it was where he would die. Yet there’s a truth I’ve come to understand: within every command of God lies the power to obey it. His instructions are never without the grace to carry them out. But that power is unlocked by willingness. When we choose to be willing, God supplies the strength to follow through. It’s no wonder Isaiah declares: "If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land." (Isa. 1:19 AMP) God’s commands are never trivial—they carry eternal purpose. So, what has God commanded you to do? Show Him your willingness, and He will empower your obedience. Remember, Go...

Heads Held High and Confident "They marched out of Rameses the day after the Passover, on the fifteenth day of the first month. They went out with heads held high and full of confidence." (Num. 33:3) Four hundred years of slavery has a way of bending a person—stealing their dignity, forcing their head down, and draining their confidence. But that was not the case for the children of Israel when they left Egypt. After all God had done for them—the plagues, the Passover, the deliverance—something had been restored deep within them. They could walk with their heads high, chests out, and hearts full of confidence. Confidence is a powerful ingredient for success. Without it, even great skill may lead nowhere. That’s why God often told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous” (Josh. 1:6 AMP) —because a confident leader can carry people further than a talented but timid one. A confident person with fewer skills will often go farther than a highly skilled person with little self-bel...

Document the Process "Under God’s instruction, Moses kept a log of every time they moved, camp by camp." (Numbers 33:2) God instructed Moses to record every stage of Israel’s journey through the wilderness. This was not just for historical record, but for posterity. God wanted them to remember what had happened so they could understand what was possible. Documenting your journey — the process, the challenges, and the victories — is vital. Often, it’s those recorded victories that strengthen you for future battles. When you recall what God has done, you are reminded of what He is still able to do. Well-documented processes also benefit those who come after you. They can save time, avoid past mistakes, and move forward faster because they know where they’ve been and where they can go. Daniel, for example, gained insight through recorded history: "During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, was studying the writings of the prophets. I learned from the word of the L...

U nder Moses and Aaron — Under God “These are the camping sites in the journey of the People of Israel after they left Egypt, deployed militarily under the command of Moses and Aaron. Under God's instruction, Moses kept a log of every time they moved—camp by camp.” (Numbers 33:1–2) As we often say in local parlance, “Follow who know road.” The Scripture paints a clear picture of the Israelites journeying under the leadership of Moses and Aaron — but only because Moses and Aaron themselves were under the leadership of God . Israel left Egypt not just under men, but under men who were aligned with God. It is crucial that you are following someone who is following God. And if you are the one being followed , make sure you are following God yourself. The Apostle Paul laid this principle down clearly: “Pattern yourselves after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).” (1 Corinthians 11:1, AMP) Samuel followed Eli — and sadly, Samuel’s children...

Don't quit  "They went as far as the Valley of Eshcol, took one look and quit. They completely demoralized the People of Israel from entering the land GOD had given them." (Num.32.9)  Quitting is never a viable option. It is better to stick it out and fail than to quit halfway. Those who quit never have the option of succeeding. It was Winston Churchill in his speech at Harrow School in 1941 that said, "Never, never, never give up."  Moses recounted for us the story of the spies he had sent to spy on the land of promise. They quit just before the job was done. He says they took one look and quit. They were put off by the giants in the land. They got as far as the valley but could not climb the mountain to take on the possibilities that God had in store for them, so they quit.  It is better to try and fail than to quit. If you quit, you'd never know what could have been possible. That is one reason why athletes go the full distance, even if they are coming fr...

Thank God, not one is missing  "The military officers--commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds--came to Moses and said, "We have counted the soldiers under our command and not a man is missing. We've brought offerings to GOD from the gold jewelry we got--armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, ornaments--to make atonement for our lives before GOD." (Num.31.48 -50) The gift of life cannot and should not be taken for granted. The purpose of living is to make a meaningful contribution and when we are offered that possibility, it calls not only for celebration but also gratitude.  And that was the position of the commanders who came to make a report to Moses. After the war, they came and said to Moses that they had counted the soldiers under their command and not a man was missing. This is worth celebrating.  Then they proceeded to say, "We've brought an offering to God." They recognized that it was God's doing that they are alive. Irrespective ...

Follow through with God  "Moses and Eleazar followed through with what GOD had commanded Moses." (Num.31.31)  One of the banes of our time is the inability to follow through, especially with God. A lot of people suffer from what I refer to as ASD (Attention Span Deficit). Others begin with God, and then try to finish up in their own strength. Most businesses fail because people lack the skill to follow through. The Bible says that Moses and Eleazar followed through with what God had commanded.  It was the wise preacher that told us that: "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning of it, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. (Eccl.7.8 AMP) The truth is that there will be no end if there is not a beginning: but of what use is the beginning if there will be no ending? We have to learn to stick with it until the end. Don't quit halfway and expect to get the result of finishing.  A lot of people start the project but do not follow through. Fo...

A solider and a gentleman  "I want you and Eleazar the priest and the family leaders in the community to count the captives, people and animals. Split the plunder between the soldiers who fought the battle and the rest of the congregation." (Num.31.26 - 27) Israel had won a great victory and the spoils of war were being collated and shared. And God instituted how the spoils of war were to be divided. He says split the plunder between the soldiers who fought the battle and the rest of the congregation. We see David operated using this standard.  "Do you think anyone will listen to you when you talk like this? We share and share alike--those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment." (1Sam.30.24 NLT) This is interesting because there was a group of people in our text referred to as the congregation that did not go to battle, did not fight in the war, but God says they get to share in the spoils of war.  There are those who are at the frontline and those who ...