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Your Destiny is in the Deep: Five Day Devotional

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


Day 1: Leaving the Shallows

Based on the Message: "Your Destiny is in the Deep" by Bishop Derek L. Calhoun


"I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites out of your way. But, I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land."- Exodus 23:28-30

Devotional: We often find ourselves wading in the shallow waters of our faith, comfortable with just enough of God to feel spiritual but not enough to be transformed. Yet God calls us deeper. He beckons us beyond the familiar shoreline of our comfort zones into the depths where true growth happens. The shallow waters represent our complacency—places where we've settled for less than God's best. Perhaps we attend church regularly, say our prayers, and read Scripture occasionally, but we're not fully surrendered. We're holding back parts of ourselves, keeping one foot on the shore. But your true purpose—your destiny—isn't found in these shallow waters. It's found in the deep, where faith is tested and character is formed. It's where you learn to trust God when you can no longer touch the bottom with your own feet. God is patient with us in this journey. He doesn't push us into overwhelming depths all at once. Instead, He works gradually, inviting us step by step into deeper waters of faith and obedience. Each step requires more trust, more surrender, and more dependence on Him rather than ourselves.


Quote: "There are hidden agendas for your life. There are some things that God does not reveal to you until you get into a certain place- a certain posture, relationship, and understanding in him." - Bishop Derek L. Calhoun.

Question: What areas of your spiritual life have you been keeping in the shallows, and what might it look like for you to step into deeper waters with God?


Prayer: Lord, forgive me for being content in the shallows when You've called me to the deep. Give me courage to move beyond my comfort zone and into the fullness of all You have for me. Help me trust You even when I can't see the bottom. Amen.


Day 2: Divine Demolition

Based on the Message: "Your Destiny is in the Deep" by Bishop Derek L. Calhoun


"I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out before you. Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you."-Exodus 23:31-33

Devotional: Before building something new, demolition must often occur first. The same is true in our spiritual lives. God wants to build something beautiful in us, but first, He needs to tear down what's hindering His work—old habits, harmful mindsets, generational patterns, and unhealthy relationships. This demolition process can be uncomfortable. We cling to the familiar, even when it's harmful. Like someone who hired a closet organizer but keeps saying "Wait, I need that!" when they try to discard unused items, we resist God's pruning work in our lives. But God's demolition is always purposeful. He never tears down without a plan to rebuild something better. His intention isn't to leave us in ruins but to clear space for His perfect design. When God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, He didn't just free them from slavery—He had a promised land prepared for them. But before they could fully inhabit that land, the idols and influences of the previous inhabitants had to be removed. God knew that leaving these things intact would eventually corrupt His people.


Quote: "When God delivers you, it’s not to harm you but to bless you, build you up, and take you higher, and like any good builder, He must first perform demolition." - Bishop Derek L. Calhoun.

Question: What is God trying to demolish in your life that you keep holding onto, and how might letting go create space for something better?


Prayer: Father, help me recognize the areas in my life that need Your divine demolition. Give me the courage to let go of what's familiar but harmful. I trust that Your plans for rebuilding are far better than anything I'm clinging to. Amen.


Day 3: Channels, Not Reservoirs

Based on the Message: "Your Destiny is in the Deep" by Bishop Derek L. Calhoun

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin." - Hebrews 11:24-25

Devotional: God designed us to be channels of blessing, not reservoirs. When we hoard our gifts, talents, time, and resources instead of using them for God's purposes, we become spiritually stagnant—like sheep with too much wool that become slow and vulnerable to attacks. Many believers are weighed down by unused potential. We've been blessed with abilities and resources that were meant to flow through us to others, but instead, we've kept them for ourselves. We wonder why we're not experiencing spiritual growth or breakthrough, yet we're unwilling to give what God has entrusted to us. In God's kingdom economy, giving leads to receiving. When we release what's in our hands—our time, talents, treasures—God replenishes and multiplies. But when we clutch tightly to what we have, we actually hinder our own spiritual progress. Moses understood this principle. He chose to identify with God's people rather than hoard his privileged position in Pharaoh's household. By releasing his grip on worldly status and comfort, he positioned himself to be used mightily by God.

Quote: "When you withhold your gifts, talents, time, and resources from God, you limit your own ability to soar into the next dimension." - Bishop Derek L. Calhoun.

Question: What gifts, talents, or resources has God given you that you've been storing up rather than sharing with others?


Prayer: Lord, forgive me for hoarding what You've given me instead of being a channel of Your blessing. Help me to hold loosely to my gifts, talents, time, and resources. Show me how to use them for Your glory and the benefit of others. Amen.


Day 4: The Currency of Obedience

Based on the Message: "Your Destiny is in the Deep" by Bishop Derek L. Calhoun


"Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." - Exodus 19:5-6

Devotional: In God's economy, there are two types of currency: the counterfeit currency of the flesh and the true currency of obedience. The flesh—our natural inclinations and desires—speaks loudly in this world but has no voice in heaven. Obedience, on the other hand, may be quieter but carries supernatural power. Obedience rarely feels natural. In fact, true obedience often means doing what we don't want to do—choosing God's way over our own preferences and comfort. It means swimming against the current of our culture and sometimes even against our own desires. When Israel agreed to obey God at Mount Sinai, they were choosing a path that set them apart from the surrounding nations. Their obedience wasn't just about following rules; it was about entering into covenant relationship with God. Through their obedience, they would become God's treasured possession—a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. The beautiful promise attached to obedience is that God becomes our defender. When we choose to obey, even when it's difficult, God fights our battles. He stands against our enemies and works on our behalf in ways we could never accomplish on our own.

Quote: "Disobedience is natural. Obedience is supernatural." - Bishop Derek L. Calhoun.

Question: In what area of your life is God asking for obedience that feels contrary to your natural desires, and what might be holding you back from saying yes?


Prayer: Heavenly Father, I confess that obedience doesn't always come naturally to me. Help me to value Your ways above my own preferences. Give me strength to obey even when it's difficult, knowing that You fight for me when I choose to follow You. Amen.


Day 5: Little by Little

Based on the Message: "Your Destiny is in the Deep" by Bishop Derek L. Calhoun


"The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you." - Exodus 23:29

Devotional: We live in an instant society. We want microwave results in a slow-cooker world. But God often works gradually in our lives—little by little—not because He's slow, but because He's wise. When God promised to drive out Israel's enemies "little by little," it wasn't a limitation of His power but an expression of His wisdom. He knew that if He removed all obstacles at once, the land would become desolate and wild beasts would multiply. Similarly, if God instantly transformed every area of our lives, we might not be ready to steward the changes properly. The "little by little" approach gives us time to adjust to supernatural obedience and learn faithfulness with small responsibilities before He entrusts us with greater ones. It allows our character to develop alongside our blessings. When God pulls us into deeper spiritual waters, our natural instinct might be to fight against the current and swim back to familiar shores. But sometimes the wisest response is to relax in His control and trust Him to protect us as we experience Him in new ways. Like being caught in an ocean's rip current, fighting against God's direction only exhausts us. Surrendering to His guidance brings us safely to where He wants us to be.

Quote: "There’s a blessing in little by little, a blessing in being released step by step, because it’s foreign to us to truly serve God the way He wants to be served. And little by little, He is teaching us how—so that in His time, we will walk fully in His will." - Bishop Derek L. Calhoun.

Question: Where have you been resisting God's gradual work in your life, and how might embracing His "little by little" approach change your perspective on your current season?


Prayer: God, help me to trust Your timing and Your methods. When I want instant transformation, remind me of the wisdom in Your "little by little" approach. Give me patience to celebrate small victories and faith to believe that each small step of obedience is bringing me closer to Your purposes. Amen.

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