When God makes you a promise, He STANDS OVER and BESIDE you with strong affirmation.

In 1734 BC, Genesis 33:18-19 records: "When Jacob came from Padan-aram, he arrived safely and in peace at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan, and pitched his tents before the [enclosed] town.  Then he bought the piece of land on which he had encamped from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money. 

Two journeys.

Two seasons.

Two entirely different men.

One incredible promise.

In Genesis 28, while Jacob was homeless and sleeping on rocks (as pillows), the writer declared "And he dreamed..." It was here, on the run for his life, he encounters God and is given an incredible promise: "I will give to you and to your descendants the land on which you are lying."

In other words, God said, "The territory, dreams and plans I have for you are too big for one generation.  You won't be able to accomplish all of them in one lifetime. But what you fail to possess, I will give to future generations (your descendants that love and obey me.)"

I promise.

By Genesis 33, Jacob is a changed man.  He has worked 20 years for a decietful employer, yet paid his debts off and in verse 11, tells his estranged brother who once was his bitter enemy: "Accept, I beg of you, my blessing and gift that I have brought to you; for God has dealt graciously with me and I have everything."

Jacob went from having nothing in chapter 28 to having everything in chapter 33 (five chapters later.)

Verse 18 records that Jacob pitched his tent in the promised land of Canaan as a stranger in a foreign land.  Then he bought the piece of land on which he had encamped. (v. 19)

You can possess the place of your temporary habitation.

You can possess a permanent position or role at that temporary job you are on.  You can be President of the company you are employed in.  If you can touch and see it, you can own it.  But you must allow God to position you for it.

Dictionary.com defines that word, "position" as: The manner of being placed, disposed, or arranged; to put in a particular or appropriate position; An advantageous place or location; It is a strategic area occupied by members of a force: The area for which a particular player is responsible.

True champions know their position.

They know that every season positions and qualifies them for the promise.  Recently, we have been looking for commercial properties to purchase or lease to expand our operations and house a training center. As I was looking at a potential space to lease yesterday, the owner asked, "Why don't you just buy this shopping center?"

As he started to explain the property rental income, expenses, appraisal value and sale price, although I did not have six million dollars to buy it or did not know if I could qualify for a loan of that size, I wasn't intimidated.

You see, my Daddy is the 100% stockholder of all the earth.  All the silver, all the gold and resources belong to Him.  As I stood there, I kept hearing God say, "I will give you the land on which you are lying."

"I will give you the land on which you are lying."

"Every place the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that (ground) have I given to you."

"Why can't I give you these 4 acres?"

"Why can't this be yours?"

"Why can't I give you an entire block in your city?"

Something happened to me yesterday as I walked on that shopping center parking lot.  A bold fierceness suddenly came upon me for land.  I pray the same happens to you as this is one of our greatest hours.

Land is influence.

If that wasn't enough, last night sitting in church, my Pastor drops this bomb: "You can't experience something you have not touched; you can't have faith for something if you don't know what it is like.  If you can't imagine, see or experience something, it's hard to believe God for it.  You cannot effectively believe God for a million dollar home, until you know what it is like to walk in one (in an open house.) You cannot effectively latch your faith onto a new Porsche until you sit in and test-drive one." 

Listen, you may not be able to afford it now, but if you will dare experience and pray in the proximity of what you want, you can have it. 
 
Interestingly, God didn't make a promise of territory to Jacob until He could show him what it looked like.

Jacob, cried, laid, slept, marched, worshipped and prayed on it; then, five chapters later, he owned it.

Today, the place that people, mistakes and circumstances drove you to represents the place, industry or city that God wants to give you.

Every dream has a price.

Every author must write a sequence of chapters to get to the end.

What chapter (or season) are you writing?

What price will you pay to position yourself for the dream beyond a lifetime?