Scripture: Genesis 13:5-9

Why God Removes 

God has a strategic way of taking people out of your life. But why would God want to remove people? 

The reality is, some of your problems that you are facing are the result of the people connected to you. These are the people that God is removing. 

The right relationships will produce the kind of future that you envision and take you where you could never go on your own. God wants you to have connections that bless you and add to you, not ones that drain you. 

God will remove people from you to save you from their influence. 

When God is removing a person, He is oftentimes removing the demons behind that person. Sometimes deliverance comes in the form of God removing unclean spirits from inside of you and other times, deliverance is when He removes a whole person from around you so that you can walk in freedom. 

God has always been the kind of God that will remove people from your life so that He can take you into your destiny. 

Take Abraham and Lot for example. God called Abraham to leave his family and travel to a new place. Abraham brought a close relative, Lot, with him on his journey. They were in relationship, but the existence of this connection began to negatively impact Abraham. 

Lot’s cattle and herd were eating more than their fair share, and it began to take too much bandwidth to have Lot around. 

When you have WIFI routers in your house, they can only support so many devices until all the bandwidth is eaten up and the connection begins to run slow. Consequently, the only way to remedy this is to disconnect some devices to free up bandwidth. 

The same is true with your mind. Your mind and emotions can only handle so much; if you have too many connected to you, it will begin to slow you down. 

Some of the fatigue that you have been experiencing could be second-hand demonic attacks because you are connected to people, and their drama has become your drama. 

So, God is getting ready to disconnect. 

Abraham told Lot, “We are close relatives, let’s not fight.” And they parted ways. 

This healthy separation is the exact thing that God is doing in your life. 

Reflect: 

As you read today’s devotion, what stood out to you? Did God highlight a particular person or situation to you? 

Document what He revealed to you and believe it. Don’t second-guess it or logic your way out of it. Simply yield to the work that God wants to complete in this area of your life. 

Scriptures: Galatians 2:11-13, Amos 3:3, John 15:2

The Vinedresser 

Even Paul had to walk away from his partner in ministry, Peter. He felt that Peter was leaning theologically too deeply into a works-based gospel, and He did not agree. So, a separation was needed. 

They agreed to disagree, but ultimately it was important that they went on their own journeys. 

Sometimes it is not a salvation issue that causes a separation. It is not always Christian versus non-Christian. It could be as simple as having a difference in opinion. 

Separation does not have to be messy, and it does not mean that the person you must disconnect from is doomed. It simply means that there is something that exists that is impeding your specific growth and development, so it must be plucked out. 

The removal process is necessary in the life of anything or anyone who seeks to grow and have longevity and success. 

In John 15, the Bible gives an amazing visual that perfectly depicts the dynamic of removal that God has with His people. Imagine a vineyard that is tended to by God as the vinedresser. In the vineyard, Jesus would be the vine, and we as believers would be the branches that are connected to Him. 

Anyone who has experience with gardening would agree that branches that do not bear fruit need to be pruned or cut away so that something stronger can grow in its place. A good gardener does this swiftly so that he yields his desired harvest. 

It is time to allow God to prune you and your circle. Everything and everyone connected to you that is not bearing good fruit must be severed so that you can become fruitful. 

Reflect: 

Bad relationships are like split ends. They will continue to spread damage until they are cut off completely. Are you willing to allow God to sever some ties in your life so that you can thrive, or do you feel some resistance? 

If you are willing and ready, great! If you are experiencing some resistance, this is normal. Dig deeper into that resistance, and question why you may feel it is better to keep something that God is trying to remove. After you process, ask God to change your heart to desire what He desires, and ask Him for His eyes to see the need for the removal as He sees it. 

Scriptures: Job 42:7, Ephesians 6:12, 1 Peter 5:8

The Need for Removal in Close Relationships 

Job was constantly being drawn into the negative thoughts and opinions of his friends. He had friends who were not friends to his purpose or his future. They were friends with his drama, shortcomings, and failures. 

Some friends are only friends with you because they love talking about your problems with other people. You are only a walking tabloid to them so that they have something good to talk about. 

Your bad situations are good gossip to bad friends. 

The Bible says that where there is gossip, there is every other evil work. 

This means that if you have friends in your close circle who are gossiping about you, you are likely giving access to demonic activity in your life. 

So, as you pray for God to remove demonic attacks and influences, do not resist His attempt to remove some of the closest people to you. He is not removing them to fight against them because the Bible says that we fight not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers and wickedness in high places. 

God is more focused on removing the thing that is connected to them versus rejecting the entire person. 

Sometimes we become so close to our friends that we do not question their obviously questionable behavior, nor do we test their spirit by the Spirit. We must remain sober and vigilant to be able to discern when even our loved ones are access points for the enemy to attack us. 

Reflect: 

When was the last time that you evaluated your circle? It is often easy for us to string friends and connections along because of who they were to us in the beginning, but sometimes what was once a good connection can go sour. 

Take some time and think of all the key people who you are vulnerable with. Ask God about each one, and heed the answer that He gives you. If a “friend” is an access point for the enemy to wreak havoc in your life, they are not a friend at all. 

Scripture: Luke 15:13-20

Don’t Lose Your Sense of Worth 

It is time to stop having friendships at the level of your self-esteem. You may have settled into expired relationships because you genuinely see yourself as lower or less than other people. 

If you are unable to see yourself the way that God sees you, then you will yoke yourself to people who do not match who you are. 

This goes for dating relationships that are at the level of your self-esteem, business partners who make you feel comfortable with your level of self-esteem, and even churches that match your level of self-esteem. 

God wants you to see yourself through His eyes! 

This is an identity issue. Even the prodigal son had to stop and realize that when he stepped away from his father’s covering, he consequently agreed to connect himself with people and things that were beneath him. 

He realized that he left royal positioning and connections only to work and eat below his means. Imagine having a space reserved for you by the Almighty God and choosing to believe that such spaces do not exist. 

I know that the enemy has done his best to make you think less of yourself, but make the decision today that he will not dictate your future any longer! 

Not only will your esteem match your true identity and position in Christ, but you will also connect with individuals who see and encourage that identity! 

Reflect: 

If you are struggling with your sense of worth in Christ, you must become intentional about renewing your mind with the Word of God. The Bible is filled with so much truth about your identity and how God sees you, but you must search it out. 

Take time today and make a list of truths that the Bible says about you and your worth to Christ. Rehearse and memorize them until you believe them. When you become solid in this, it will strengthen your ability to align with the right people.

Scripture: John 14:26

A Desire for Mentorship 

Sometimes we resist the counsel of the Holy Spirit because we have a deep desire to be mentored or guided by man. 

Sometimes God will allow a relationship like this, but that desire and connection should never be greater than our desire for the help of the Holy Spirit. 

We often want man to do the things that God desperately wants to do in our lives. 

Though we may esteem someone to be mature and full of wisdom, God knows everything. He knows what you need in each season, and He knows what you do not need. He knows the things and the people who will lead you astray from Him, and He aims to protect you from the wrong impartations. Not only does He want to protect us, but He also wants to teach us all things. 

The Holy Spirit wants to mentor you more than the person who you wish would mentor you. 

Stop waiting for them to call you and start calling up the Holy Spirit! 

This is the power of influence: The person you spend the most time with will be the person you act like the most. 

I make it a priority to spend the most time with Jesus because that is who I want to sound like. I spend time praying, studying, and walking with God so that I begin to think and act like Him. 

Spend time with the Holy Spirit—morning, noon, and night—and you will gain the discipleship you are looking for. You will receive the wisdom and the heart of the Father and find yourself so confident in your walk with Christ. 

Reflect:

The Holy Spirit is the best teacher and leader. If you ask Him, He will set up a whole curriculum for you. He may lead you to study certain scriptures for a certain time frame, or He may reveal pivotal things to you in prayer. He could bring someone new to you every day for ten days to reveal something to you, or He could impart healing or wisdom to you divinely! The Holy Spirit knows exactly what you need. So, I challenge you to simply ask Him to be your mentor! 

Just make sure that you are ready to heed His instructions! 

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There is a Time for Everything 

There is a time and a season for everything. 

Perhaps your last season was a season for blessing. 

God used you to pour into others, to be there for people who couldn’t reciprocate it, and to be a blessing to His people in various ways. In our walk with Christ, He uses various seasons for different purposes to complete His will in the lives of others and to complete His will in our lives. 

Because of this, it is dangerous to settle so firmly into one season that we cannot discern or move when He is calling us to a different season. 

I believe that He is calling many of us from a season of blessing to a season of building. Building requires a different level of support and different tools. In this season, it may not be wise to spend all of your resources fixing everyone else’s needs when God has given you an assignment to work towards. 

Here is a wisdom principle: You cannot carry the burden of being everybody’s savior. They have to learn how to take care of themselves. 

Think of yourself like a Lego. 

On the underside of a Lego, there are only a few connection grooves. Once those grooves are filled, something must be removed for something else to be added. 

Some of you cannot even build the connections that God is telling you to build because you have too many connections underneath your Lego—connections that are draining you and that have no ability to show up for you. 

God is going to free you to build by disconnecting unfruitful connections so that you have the room and bandwidth to build. 

Reflect: 

If you had to label your current season with one word, what would it be? 

Each season has different temperatures with different requirements to thrive. If we think of weather seasons, we can agree that the temperature and requirements of winter vary greatly from the temperature and requirements of summer. 

Based on what your current season is, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your unique requirements. Who do you have the capacity to keep in your life right now, and who is not meant for this season? Maybe you aren’t meant to spend hours on the phone with your friends this season or maybe you need to create some boundaries. 

Discern it and obey!

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Guest Appearances 

Think about sitcom TV shows like Friends, Martin, Family Matters, or The Office. In every show, there are the regular cast members, and then there are guest appearances. 

The same dynamic is true with our lives. We have long-term relationships, and we also have seasonal connections. The issue comes in when we begin to treat the guest appearances in our lives like the regular cast members! 

Yes, they came into your life for a reason, but they were only meant for a season. They’ve played their part, and now it is time to let them go. They were part of the plot, but they are not the full story. 

When we keep these people in our lives, we begin to put lifetime expectations on people who only have the capacity to show up temporarily. 

This can be hard, especially for those who love deeply and easily see the good in people. It will be easy for you to see a way for them to stay in your life, but if it is not the vision or dream that God gave you concerning them, then it has the potential to stall your growth and set you back. 

You may have compassion for them and try to hold on to them, but if it is outside of the plan for your life, the connection will be more toxic and harmful than helpful. 

Make up your mind that you will not resist what God is trying to remove. 

Pray this with me: 

Lord, thank you for highlighting this truth to me. Help me to value your plan and intentions over my emotions. Break every toxic soul tie that I have with people and remove them from my life! I surrender my will to you. What looks good in my eyes may not be good in your eyes, so align me with your vision of good for me. Show me who is meant to walk with me long-term and who is only meant for short term. I give you permission to have your way in my connections. Amen.

Scripture: Joshua 7:10-21

Make Room for Caleb! 

Joshua was called by God to take the promised land. 

You have a promised land—a destination that God designated just for you. 

Before there was Joshua, there was Moses and Aaron. However, due to their disobedience, God told Moses that he would not enter into the promised land. So, God raised up Joshua to complete the job. 

God knew that Joshua could not complete this task alone, so He joined together Joshua and Caleb. 

The Bible says that Caleb had a different spirit. Caleb looked at the task before him and reasoned, “We are well able!” 

This is important to note because there was another man named Achan. Achan lied and sparked the wrath of God on the Israelites. 

Joshua had no tolerance for this and refused to forfeit the fullness of what God had for Him and the children of Israel. 

After this, they eliminated Achan from their camp because they recognized that it is not about where you are going, it is about who you go with. Who you go with determines whether or not you even arrive at your destination! 

God was willing to remove Moses and Aaron, and Joshua was willing to remove Achan so that those who had the right mindset and mentality could enter into the promise. 

You must be willing to allow God to remove people from your life if you desire to enter into your personal promised land. There are promises and callings available for you, but the people you surround yourself with will ultimately determine if you get there. 

God wants to send you a Caleb to push you into your destiny, but cannot send him until you get rid of your Achan. 

Reflect: 

What stood out to you in today’s devotional? 

In the past, how have you responded when you have discovered an Achan in your camp? Did you tolerate and excuse their behavior? Why or why not? 

Do you have room for God to send you a Caleb? In your current state, would a Caleb feel purposeful with you or frustrated?

Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 6:14, Proverbs 13:20

How to Discern if a Person Should Stay or Go 

If you are trying to discern if a person should stay in your life or leave it, consider this: 

Do you want their lifestyle? 

This question is vital because, if you do not desire the life that someone has, you should not spend time receiving from them. The Bible says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 

So, when people are talking to you, their talk is a reflection of what is in their hearts. 

And the reflection of their life is a result of what they say. 

They created the life that they live with their tongue. If you do not desire what they have built with their tongue, why are you subjecting yourself and yoking yourself to their words? 

Do not be unequally yoked. 

The concept of being unequally yoked is the image of two oxen yoked together—one that is strong and one that is weak. When it is time to walk forward, the stronger oxen will be strong enough to hold the other one up, but will eventually be burdened with doing the work of two oxen alone, as well as carrying the dead weight of the weaker oxen. 

Walk with the wise and become wise. 

If you do not want their life, do not accept their advice because you will become who they are. This is a principle of wisdom found in Proverbs 13:20. 

This means that there is an impartation that happens when you walk with someone. You will always become the total sum of the people surrounding you. This is why God will change your circle to change your level. 

Reflect: 

Do you ever feel heavy or drained after speaking with a particular person? Are you close friends with someone who lives contrary to the life you were called to live? How can two walk together unless they agree? If you don’t want to become like them, then you must not receive impartation from them. Today, pray for wisdom to identify these people in your life and to remove their access to you in love. 

Scriptures: Ephesians 5:18, Joel 2:25

He Removes to Replace! 

If you are faithful to allow God to remove the people that He is removing, then you can trust that He will replace them. He will never remove something from you just to leave a gap in your life. 

The Bible commands believers not to get drunk with wine. 

In this, God is removing the drunkenness that has a penalty. 

In its place, the Bible encourages believers to be filled with the spirit of God. 

In this, He replaces natural drunkenness with the drunkenness and the new wine of the Holy Spirit. 

He is so good; He removes and replaces what is harmful with what is right and beneficial to us. 

God is not taking your friends so that you are friendless. He wants you to have friends. 

When He replaces, He will replace with people who are going to remind you of who you really are. He is going to remove friendships and replace them with people who remind you of the old you—the best of the old you. 

Maybe you used to be an artist, and you stopped creating. 

Maybe you used to be a preacher, and you stopped preaching. 

Maybe you used to be a dancer, and you stopped dancing. 

God is going to surround you with people who can reactivate your true design and purpose. After you spend time with them, you will feel reconnected with the original you. 

In this, God is going to restore to you the years that you feel were wasted and ruined. 

One of the ways that He restores the years is that He replaces harmful connections with connections that remind you of who you used to be and who you truly are. 

So, through this process of removal, be encouraged that God’s plans also include an even better restoration. 

Reflect: 

You’ve reached the last day of this reading plan! What are the main things that resonated with you? 

Pray this with me: 

Lord, thank you for revealing your heart and intentions for me. Thank you for being so intentional about me that you watch over my connections and friendships. I trust you to remove and replace people as you see fit in my life. I trust your judgment and your decisions. Help me not to work against you in this, but to align with your will and plan for my life. Teach me to handle even those who you remove with love and care, but also teach me to be firm and consistent in my boundaries. I declare that strong and healthy connections are my portion and that I lack no good thing! Amen.