Summary: Pressure (tests are part of life) how we handle our tests determine whether we are promoted to the next level or not.

Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:

24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

The patriarch describes Joseph as attacked by envy, revenge, temptation, ingratitude; yet still, by the grace of God, he triumphed over all opposition, so that he became the sustainer of Israel; and then Jacob proceeds to shower blessings of every kind upon the head of this favored son.

Ps 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Eze 19:10 Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.

2Co 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Triumphant victorious living is not problem free living, Sometimes the door of victory is not marked exit but (thru the red sea) (thru the fiery furnace) (thru the giant) (through the valley of the shadow of death)

*The overcoming triumphant Christian life is not in problem free living but in promised filled living

Here in Ps 23 David expresses what it means to be an overcomer. While walking through the very shadow of death

#1 I will fear no evil: #2 for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

#3 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

#4 Thou anointest my head with oil; #5 my cup runneth over.

Ps 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

There is no Triumph w/out a battle, No testimony w/out a test, No comfort w/out sorrow and grief, No healing w/out sickness, No deliverance w/out a captivity or a bondage, No overcoming without an adversary.

One of the greatest evidences that you are near your promise land is giants.

The greater the test the greater the testimony, The deeper the grief the fuller and more complete is the comfort, the more serious the sickness the greater is the healing.

The higher the walls of adversity and opposition, the greater is the supply of strength to overcome them.

When the devil sends something big your way (like a Goliath) just say this:

God must be up to something big.

We say we want to be like Jesus but we often forget that Jesus great anointing didn’t come while on the mountain top of peace and serenity but in the wilderness of trial and temptation.

Mt 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Lu 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

If God has ordained a wilderness for you, just remember the door to promotion is marked wilderness, trial, testing. Giants,

Many times we miss our promotion because of carnal fleshly attitudes and responses in our wilderness.

As much as we hate it the wilderness is the training ground for the promise land ( you could call it training for reigning).

The wilderness doesn’t make or break us, it just brings to the surface who we really are, it makes us face ourselves so we can be delivered from ourselves.

If you never see giants in your life you are living too far from your inheritance.

To never face a giant is to never do anything worth being opposed or resisted.

Every giant has two names (obstacle-opportunity) The way we respond to them determines whether they are obstacle or opportunity.

To King Saul “Goliath” was an obstacle, a problem, a stumbling stone, a wall.

To David “Goliath” was an opportunity, a door way, a stepping stone to the throne,

1Pet 1:6=7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Faith that cannot stand the trial cannot be trusted with the prize

Faith that dies in the heat of the fire, is too weak to sit on the throne

KJV

Jer 12:5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?

Message Bible

Jer 12:55 "So, Jeremiah, if you’re worn out in this footrace with men, what makes you think you can race against horses? And if you can’t keep your wits during times of calm, what’s going to happen when troubles break loose like the Jordan in flood?

This is just a test