Promotions come from doing something especially good. We get recognition for our time and efforts that we put in, usually without complaining. If a job is not done well or there is complaining involved then odds are you will never see that promotion. God promotes us too when we don't complain.

Getting lazy in our spiritual walk has reprocutions. Many people will be saved and set on fire for a while but then the fire starts to diminish and this person gets tired of waiting for God to DO something on their behalf so they quietly backslide into the world again. One big misconception that we have is we think that just because we get saved that God now owes us something. We want to be rewarded for this action, which in itself is a reward enough. It's true that God will bless His children but not just because we're good. We must be true and faithful and endure the race for the rest of our lives. It never ends.

2 Peter chapter one speaks about the benefits of being diligent. Once we are DILIGENT in our faith walk it then develops into KNOWLEDGE, this turns into SELF CONTROL, and this develops into STEADFASTNESS which turns into GODLINESS and that develops into BROTHERLY LOVE and that becomes CHRISTIAN LOVE.

Not only are we to be diligent, but we must learn to endure the rough trip ahead. It's having an attitude of fortitude. You'll never finish the race if you quit. There was one man who never gave up even though things looked pretty grim not just once, but ten times. He had alot of people depending on him.

His name was Moses. He begged with Pharoah on ten different occasions to free his people. God didn't make this task any easier either because God hardened his heart in order to show that He was God. This is mentioned at least 4 times in Exodus. Even though the Egyptians lived through all the plagues and curses Pharaoh was still obstinate in freeing the Israelites until the last one when God killed all the first born male children including Pharoah's own son. Pharoah not only demanded that Moses leave, but he also allowed him to take some of their valued possesions.

Throughout this whole time, Moses kept at it. There are so many times when we don't see our miracle break through right away and so we just figure that God doesn't care and we quit. We give up too quick. Moses never threw in the towel. God told him to prevail even though things didn't look too promising. In our own situations we must learn to do what God asks us to do. These are our tests for our promotions. Do we really want to fail these? When we show him our diligence in faithfulness then we will see our breakthroughs. It does no good to argue with God over these matters, He will never compromise. So many times we ask that God will use us and when He calls us we ask if He can use someone else. We don't want to make the sacrifices that He asks. But, forget it, God will just keep you going through the same tests over and over until you finally do get it.

Moses didn't want to be used either because he couldn't talk right. He asked God to use someone else. (Ex. 4:13) Moses wasn't any different than many of us today. He wanted to bargain with God.

"The ANGER of the Lord blazed against Moses." Ex. 4:14

Are you sure you want to do this? God gets angry when you go against him. This should just make us want to be all the more diligent and earnest in our walk with Christ. Personaly, I don't want to make God angry.

But Moses prevailed and finally God let the Israelites flee from captivity in Egypt. God is not only LOVE, but He is also a Warrior! God will fight for us.

"The Lord is a Man of War; the Lord is His name." Ex. 15:3

Once God fought for the Israelites and took them through the Red Sea and destroyed Pharoah and his army, the people were just so happy. They were singing and dancing and praising His name.

"The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He is my Salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God and I will exalt Him." Ex. 15:2

We get all excited too when we see God perform miracles on our behalf. We exalt His name and we praise Him and sing and dance when we "feel" good. What happens when that feeling goes away?

The Israelites were taken into the Wilderness of Shur where only three days later, they didn't like their situation so much. They grumbled and complained about their conditions. Aren't we still that way today?

"Moses cried to the Lord, God made an ordinance and here He proved them." Ex. 15:25

God had demands and here is what He told Moses; "Saying, if you WILL diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God and WILL do what is right in His sight and WILL listen AND obey His statutes, (then) I WILL put none of the diseases upon you which I brought upon the Egyptians, for I AM the Lord Who heals you!" Ex. 15:26

Take note of this agreement plan. When we DILIGENTLY listen to Him and DO what is right in His sight AND obey His commands...THEN He will deliver us! This is when we get our promotion. He heals us of all our diseases! It's spelled out very clearly that we also have a duty to Him.

His Word makes it clear that we must magnify the Lord in any and all situations, no matter how we feel. Paul the apostle was one man who learned the value of this test. He was put through many of them (2 Cor.11:23-28) when he was imprisoned, beaten, shipwrecked and left for dead. And we cry over the smallest things today.

"Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death." Phil. 1:20

Just like Paul, we should start putting our words of faith into action. We need to act with kindness, love, compassion and eagerness. This shows the world who Christ is. He's in you.

Remember, if God calls you to do a task, He will also include His strength to complete it.

Vivian Gordon writes articles pertaining to God's instructions and the examples He has given us in order to grow on this Christian walk with Him. She hopes that they can inspire the Christian to grow spiritualy and maturely in their lives.