Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day (Wednesday 06/02/10)

Today’s Devotional Written by a Young Woman on a Journey to Promotion: Tracy Koweh (Soon To Be Dixon)

Pass but No Promotion Part I

1 Corinthians 15:58

⁵⁸ So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. Galatians 6:9

⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. A just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Recently, Shane found out that for the second time he passed his advancement test, but with no promotion. As someone not in the military, that concept made no sense to me at all. How do you pass the test, but not get promoted? What was the point of taking an advancement test then? And to add insult to injury, Shane had started tithing this year and fasting and praying. He planted a financial seed the first time around (as an act of obedience), and then the results came back, pass but no promotion.

This time around Shane studied more, committed more, focused more, asked for help, fasted and prayed...............and yet he still got pass but no promotion. Now had nobody close to him passed and got promoted the blow might not have been as hard to take, but his office buddy passed and got promoted. The man who sits less than 3 feet away from him every single day, passed and got promoted. A man Shane has been witnessing too, praying for and assisting at work, passed and got promoted. Wow, that’s got to hurt any mans ego. But I'm so very proud of my Kingdom man who said congrats, meant it and kept it moving. He had to go outside for a moment to process it all, but "mounted up" and went back to work with a kingdom mindset.

See despite Shane not getting promoted, he got money in the bank, certificates that are growing, he's been paying more on his car, he pays his tithes and offerings, he blesses others, and he walks in a level of favor that amazes me even at times. He doesn't even know it but his faithfulness to stand encouraged me. How many times have we done all the right things, said all the right prayers, fasted from the right things, said no to the booty call, gave up the addiction to have God say, "Good job my child, you passed but with no promotion." Sometimes the test is just that, a test. To see if we passed for the promotion or for the lesson. Do we still get up and go to church when we pass with no promotion? Do we still pay our tithes, when we pass with no promotion? Do we still love God, when he promotes the person right next to us?

For some we can do like Shane- - - have our moment and then realize God is still in control. Sometimes the promotion could cost us our peace, our sanity or our destiny, so God will let us pass up something that although to man is a blessing- -is the very thing that would take us out . We don't always understand why God would allow us to pass without promotion, but why not celebrate the fact we passed. The fact that we proved we can handle the promotion whether it comes or not. God's ways are not our ways, so lets get out of the way and make a way for God's plan to manifest in our lives. Trust when there is no reason too. Believe when there is evidence too and Stand when all around you has fallen. Thank you for being my kingdom example on Earth Shane A. Dixon :o).....