Breaking New Ground and Possessing the Land
- Apostle Dr. Premla Mahadevan
- Oct 24, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: May 13, 2024
Break new ground—not just literal gound-stubborn patterns.
Gain or take the ground—not just take the ground, but we have to then possess it as well.
Possesses the land
The Lord is raising many people to break new ground, gain the ground, and possess the land in this particular time and season through God-given insight and strategy. The concept of breaking the ground is crucial in our lives, as we are all creatures of habit and comfort. The Horeb at Mount Sinai was a place of comfort for Moses and the Israelites, providing security and rest. However, change is inevitable and necessary for our growth and development. God wants us to be consistent with His Word, which remains constant. When faced with change, we can choose to go along, rebel, or find something good in the situation. The moment of decision will determine how we proceed in our lives, whether we proceed in the first place.
3 key areas of breaking new ground.
Coming out of Stagnation: Stagnation refers to staying in a position for longer than expected, often without progress in various aspects of life, making breaking new ground crucial.
Dismantling Mediocre and Unprofitable Allies (friendships, relationships, or partnerships): At Horeb, everyone, including Moses, accepted mediocrity and forgot their mission. Pruning and cutting off certain partnerships, friendships, and camps is necessary to achieve one's destination.
Progress and Advancement: Breaking new grounds involves stepping into unknown territories in various aspects of life, such as career, ministry, and destiny, as God may guide you towards marriage, children, good jobs, new businesses, or ministry positions.
Change requires a new mindset and approach, and it is essential to ask the Lord to break old mindsets that are not suitable for the new season He has in store for you. The term 'groundbreaking' was originally a farming term, but it has been used to describe the process of preparing for a new season. God has demonstrated this pattern throughout the history of the church, breaking new ground when His people become calloused, hardened, or blinded to their spiritual pride or worldly sin.
In Acts 11:1-18, Peter shares the gospel with Gentiles, challenging the Jewish Christians of the early church who felt spiritually superior due to their uniqueness. Peter was initially uncomfortable with the changes but became an advocate to help make the transition happen. This decision determined the course of everything.
God is constantly pushing us to resist the temptation of getting too comfortable in our similarities, as our own preconceptions, prejudices, and stereotyping control our thinking and behavior. Faith in God is not about doing everything exactly as we always have, but about changing and having transformational experiences that guide us closer and deeper into a relationship with God.
Opening doors wider to allow a more eclectic, believing body to walk through would lead to a greater and richer experience of who God is. However, this change is not easily achieved, as we are creatures of habits and may not recognize the new things that can be born in the moment.
Another example is Hosea. Hosea knew something about breaking new ground, and he probably had reservations. God told him to marry a harlot, Gomer—can you imagine that? So through his marriage, God taught Hosea about the spirit of idolatry that existed in the people of Israel. The prophet told Israel to stop worshipping physical and heart idols and to serve the Lord.
Hosea 10:12, NKJV | Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.
Now, how do we break new ground?
1. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND TIMES AND SEASONS (Isaiah 55:10–11).
Life has seasons, including summer, winter, and spring, each with a specific time frame. No single season should last forever, as described in 1 Chronicles 12:32. The tribe in 1 Chronicles had understanding of the times, as seen in the anointing of Issachar.
2. BE READY TO WALK AND FIGHT ALONE. (In Genesis 32:24:28, we observe how Jacob had to wrestle alone.)
Success in life isn't always achieved in groups, and blessings come on an individual basis. Breaking new ground requires faith, hard work, and confronting fears head-on. Comfort isn't enough; it requires constant effort and perseverance.
3. DO WHAT YOU HAVE NOT DONE BEFORE.
Moses died without providing Joshua with notes, prompting God to instruct Joshua on the importance of strength and courage. Being strong means having the power and strength to fulfill one's assignment, while courage involves confronting and taking bold steps towards goals and assignments.
After breaking new ground, it's crucial to gain new ground by growing, increasing capacity, increasing prominence, and achieving more.
Acts 6:7, NKJV | Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
The apostles plateaued in their church's growth, but lost focus and became comfortable with their current state. Issues arose, prompting the apostles to focus on prayer and the word, while serving tables and sharing were given to selected Men-Deacons. This led to the church gaining new ground and multiplying greatly. We must be uncomfortable with the status quo and seek more like the Apostles to progress into a new phase.
To gain ground:
Be unsatisfied with the status quo.
Have an intense desire for more.
We must increase our capacity to perceive what God can do (perception and vision).
We must be strategic in our thinking and approach. Think differently.
Embrace the Word of God and act in faith.
Partner with the Holy Spirit.
We must engage in prayer for new ground. Every new ground demands warfare. Problems sometimes have spiritual roots. Bad fruit. More often than not, this is the case. We can’t remain in our comfort zones.
Never get to a place in life where you are satisfied with your walk with God. The Bible says we go from glory to glory.
Continually examine yourself. Re-evaluate things consistently.
Your passion for more of God should be consistent. When your passion to seek God dies, growth and new experiences are inhibited. For every Christian, spiritual hunger is the key to seeking daily for God. Pursuit of God and godly people, e.g., Elisha and Elijah
We must continually ask ourselves, “What more?
David had destroyed a lion and a bear, but yet there was a giant killer within yet to emerge. God desires us to seek new grounds in our spiritual walk with Him.
If you have mastered how to break new grounds and gain those grounds, you will ultimately possess the land!
Deuteronomy 11:24, NKJV | Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the [a]Western Sea, shall be your territory.
Joshua 1:3, NKJV | Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
"Set your foot" (NIV) is literally "that the sole of your foot will tread upon" (NRSV, ESV, KJV). Moses' promise to the people of Israel, provided that they are faithful to the Lord, is repeated to Joshua at the beginning of the Conquest. Later, Caleb recalls the promise as he prepares to take Hebron:
Joshua 14:9, NKJV | So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’
Joshua's conquest of the land, as described in chapters 11 and 12, involved the conquest of thirty-one kings and royal cities. Although the land was largely subdued, Joshua did not completely remove the inhabitants from the land in one campaign. The chapters rehearse the areas conquered and list the cities subdued, highlighting the importance of establishing a stronghold on one's own land and occupying it according to God's promises.
Three words describe steps in the process:
1. Take
Joshua 11:16a | "So Joshua took all that land."
Joshua 11:23 | "So Joshua took the whole land."
2. Divide
"Be sure to allocate [44] this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you, and divide it as an inheritance among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh." (13:6b-7). Whether or not the land has been completely subjugated, Joshua is to allocate it to the various tribes, who will then complete the subjugation. "Divide" in verse 7 means to "share, divide, allot, apportion, assign." [45]
3. Possess
The third step is to possess the land, that is, to take up residence on the land.
Prayer
Father, I pray for the anointing needed to break new ground in every area of my life. Lord, open my eyes to see and understand the times and seasons. I ask for grace to walk along and fight for breakthroughs and new dimensions. Baptise me with fresh strength and courage to break new ground. Awaken my desires for more of you and a passion for new experiences in you, Lord. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.
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