We Must Do Hard Things: Five Day Devotional

Here are a few additional resources to guide your quiet time this week:

• Watch the replay of "We Must Do Hard Things" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

• Use this small group discussion guide with family, friends, and co-workers.

• Join us for our 6 AM Prayer Call, Monday through Friday (EST)

Day 1: The Journey from Defiance to Alliance

Based on the Message: “We Must Do Hard Things” by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." - James 4:4

Devotional: This week, we discussed a critical spiritual journey: the shift from defiance to alliance. Defiance isn't just bold, outright rebellion; it's any resistance or refusal to obey God. It’s the same deception that trapped King Saul into believing he could do what he wanted, offer a cheap sacrifice, and cover up the wicked condition of his heart. But God isn't looking for cover-ups; He's looking for obedience.

The first step out of defiance is compliance. Compliance requires at least doing the minimum that God requires. While it may get us on the right path, God never intended us to stay in the realm of compliance, treating our relationship with Him as if we're checking off a task list or filing taxes with the IRS. Instead, He calls us deeper into reliance: a place where we truly depend on Him rather than on our paychecks, relationships, or our abilities. It's in the realm of reliance that we learn He is the source of our strength and the foundation of our lives.

Our ultimate goal is alliance with God. This covenantal partnership with a holy God. Alliance is where our motivation for purity isn't driven by fear of consequences; we are driven by a desire to honor God with our body. Alliance is where we stop treating obedience as a chore and start embracing submission as a vital connection to the King of Kings. When we are in proper alliance with Yahweh, we are in covenant relations with the One who can make a way out of no way. Alliance is a loving relationship with a holy God, in which we are no longer slaves but sons and daughters.

Quote: "God is not in alliance with anyone who is in defiance. If you rebel and refuse to do what Yahweh tells you to do, congratulations; you've made an enemy of the Most High." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: How can we guard our hearts against spiritual defiance this week?

Prayer: Father, thank you for being a God who desires intimacy with us. Forgive us for the times we’ve operated in defiance, thinking we could get away with partial obedience. Lead us out of mere compliance and into total reliance on you. We want to be in a holy alliance with you, where our hearts are pure and our motives are to glorify you. Help us to see you not just as a rule-maker, but as our best friend and greatest partner. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Day 2: The High Cost of Hidden Sin

Based on the Message: “We Must Do Hard Things” by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

"But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for destruction. A man named Achan had stolen some of these things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites." - Joshua 7:1

Devotional: After the miraculous victory at Jericho, Israel walked into their next battle with great confidence. They thought Ai would be an easy victory. Instead, they suffered a crushing defeat. Why? It wasn't because of poor military strategy or a lack of resources. God’s diagnosis was clear and direct: 'Israel has sinned.'

One man, Achan, chose to keep what God had explicitly devoted to destruction. He not only stole the devoted items; he lied about it and hid the evidence among his own belongings. The consequences were devastating. Not only did Israel lose the battle; thirty-six men died, the nation was paralyzed with fear, and worst of all, the very presence of God was threatened.

The Lord explicitly told Joshua, 'I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.' This is a chilling reminder that our individual choices have corporate consequences. One person's hidden sin can bring trouble and defeat upon the entire camp.

This is why we must do the hard thing: challenge and address sin within ministry. We can't afford to harbor 'devoted things', forbidden habits, secret resentments, or unholy compromises. These behaviors block the flow of God's power and presence; not just in our own lives, but in our families, ministries, and communities. Victory is impossible when we hold on to the very things God has commanded us to remove. God is calling us to get up, purify ourselves, and remove the hidden things so that His presence can lead us to victory once more.

Quote: "God told Joshua: 'Your defeat ain't got nothing to do with your strategy. It has everything to do with the fact that there's sin in the camp. Israel has sinned and broken my covenant.'"- Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: Is there any area of your life where you are knowingly holding onto something God has told you to let go of? What 'devoted thing' do you need to bring into the light and remove from your life today?

Prayer: Sovereign Lord, get up in our hearts and reveal the hidden things. Expose the 'Achan' in each of us; the compromises, the secret sins, the disobedience we've tried to hide. We confess that these things have brought trouble and defeat. Give us the courage to do the hard work of purification. We don't want to grieve your Holy Spirit or forfeit your presence. We surrender it all to you and ask for your cleansing power so that we can walk in victory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 3: The 'If' in God's Promises

Based on the Message: “We Must Do Hard Things” by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

"Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night, so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." - Joshua 1:8

Devotional: When God commissioned Joshua, He didn't just give him a task; He gave him incredible promises. The promise of His presence: 'I will be with you '; the promise of possession: 'Wherever you set foot...I have given you.'; and the promise of prosperity: 'Then you will be successful in everything that you do.' We love to claim these types of promises; however, we often overlook the conditional terms attached to them.

Notice the strong, conditional language God often uses in connection with His promises. God told Solomon, 'If my people...then I will heal their land.' For Joshua, the condition was crystal clear: 'Be careful to obey all the instructions...Do not deviate from them...Only then will you prosper.' Success wasn't automatic. Victory wasn't guaranteed simply because they were God's people. It was directly dependent on their complete and consistent obedience to God's word. Our relationship with God is covenantal, where our obedience unlocks the fullness of His blessing.

We cannot live on the fumes of yesterday's obedience. What we did 27 years ago was good for New Vision's founding. However, God is asking, 'Are we obedient now?' New Vision, are we settling for partial obedience, like King Saul? Or are we pursuing complete obedience, even when it is hard? Consistent obedience through the tough times is what separates mediocrity from mastery. If we want God's presence, provision, and success, we must be faithful to His conditions.

Quote: "Our prosperity and success depend on our complete and consistent obedience to God. Complete obedience requires that we do all that He said, not just part of it. Consistent obedience means that even when things get tough, we are going to stay obedient to his commands." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: Are you treating God's promises as unconditional guarantees or as conditional blessings tied to obedience? Identify one area where you have been partially obedient and commit to complete, consistent obedience this week.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for claiming your promises while ignoring your conditions. We repent of the times when we seek success without submission and prosperity without purity. Write your Word on our hearts so that we may not sin against you. Give us the strength to be both completely and consistently obedient; not just when it feels good, but especially when it's hard. We want all that you have for us, and we choose to meet the conditions of your covenant today. In your mighty name, Amen.

Day 4: It's Not a Cruise Ship, It's a Battleship

Based on the Message: “We Must Do Hard Things” by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your true and proper worship." - Romans 12:1

Devotional: In our consumer culture, it’s easy to treat church like a cruise ship. We show up looking for amenities, expecting to be served and entertained. If the music isn't to our liking or the preaching doesn't move us, we're ready to complain. But the church of Jesus Christ was never meant to be a cruise ship; it's a battleship. It’s not a place for passive consumers; it’s a preparation ground where active soldiers get equipped for spiritual warfare. We don't come for amenities; we come for the anointing.

The anointing flows in an atmosphere of His presence. Consistently accessing the presence of God requires preparation and consecration. On a Sunday morning, before a single note is played, a camera angle is set, or a door is kept, the hearts of people serving must be right. We can't just roll out of bed, show up unprepared, and expect holy fire to fall. It's hard for wet wood to catch fire. We have a personal responsibility to bring our own kindling, ready for ignition: a heart prepared through prayer, a spirit hungry for God, and a life consecrated throughout the week.

God is calling us to a higher level of personal preparation for worship and ministry work. Go to bed on Saturday night, ready to be alert on Sunday morning. Begin your worship before you leave the house, so you are ready to catch fire by the time you enter the sanctuary. If we all arrive to God's house prepared, the fire of God will come quickly.

Quote: "This isn't a cruise ship, it's a battleship. This isn't a place where we come for amenities; this is a place where we come for the anointing." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: How do you prepare for worship on a Sunday morning? What is one practical change you can make to shift from a 'cruise ship' consumer to a 'battleship' contributor?

Prayer: Father, forgive us for treating your house like a venue for our entertainment. We repent for our spiritual laziness. Remind us that we are soldiers on a battleship, not tourists on a cruise ship. Teach us to prepare for worship with intentionality. Stir a hunger in us for Your presence, not just production. Help us arrive at our corporate gathering as living sacrifices, ready to give our all for Your glory and to receive the anointing you have for us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Day 5: Shifting from 'We Can' to 'We Must' Do Hard Things

Based on the Message: “We Must Do Hard Things” by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

“Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Hidden among you, O Israel, are the things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.'” - Joshua 7:13

Devotional: New Vision, there's a critical shift happening in this season. We are evolving from the hopeful declaration that 'we can do hard things' to the urgent, non-negotiable mandate that 'we must do hard things.' This isn't just about facing external giants or conquering impossible territories like Jericho. The truly hard things often happen internally, within the camp. The test of Joshua's leadership wasn't simply marching around a city; it was confronting the sin that caused Israel's defeat by carrying out God's purification process.

After Israel lost the battle at Ai, God didn't give Joshua a new battle plan; He gave him an instruction: Get up and deal with the sin that's destroying the camp from the inside out. For Joshua, doing "the hard thing" included a painful, tribe-by-tribe investigation to expose what was hidden. It required confronting Achan and bringing judgment. This was necessary because God declared, 'You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things.'

What "hard thing" is God calling you to do today? Maybe it is confessing a sin that has created distance between you and the Lord. Maybe it's completing a divine task you have been delaying out of fear. Maybe your "hard thing" is initiating a difficult conversation based on the leading of the Holy Spirit. Whatever it is, our progress is stalled until we obey. We must stop negotiating with God about the hard things He has commanded us to do. Our victory and His very presence with us depend on our obedience.

Quote: "I told you in February that we can do hard things. But I need to tweak that statement in this season. We need to shift from 'we can' to 'we must'" - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: Moving from 'can' to 'must' implies urgency and necessity. What 'hard thing' have you been putting off that God is now saying you 'must' do for your own spiritual progress and victory?

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage to move from 'can' to 'must.' We repent for the hard things we have avoided: difficult conversations, necessary confrontations, and personal purification. We don't want to be stalled in our journey with you, and we dare not live outside of your presence. So today, we say yes. We will get up. We will obey. Strengthen us by your Spirit to do what is required, no matter the cost. We will remove what hinders us and walk in the fullness of your victory, in Jesus' name. Amen.