Glory Days (Thomas Nelson, 2015)
Glory Days: Living Your Promised Land Life Now is the latest book by Max Lucado, teaching pastor at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. Max’s book is based on the Glory Days of Israel- seven glistening years sandwiched between the difficult days of Exodus and the dark days of the judges. Canaan is a metaphor for the life we can have right now, a real state of the heart and mind, a spiritual reality. Canaan is “a life defined by grace, refined by challenge, and aligned with a heavenly call.” God already has given us Canaan. We have everything we need to be everything God desires. In Canaan we don’t fight for victory, we fight from victory.
The most important tool in your spiritual growth is the Bible. Pastor Lucado emphasizes that it is not enough for you to possess the Bible. God wants the Bible to possess you. In the Promised Land it is necessary to walk by faith, lean on grace, and hear God’s voice more. Satan isn’t troubled at all by your wilderness days, but he steps up his attacks as you enter the Promised Land. In order to see Jesus, your eyes cannot be on your Jericho and your lips cannot speak the language of impossibility.
Help comes when we lift our eyes to see Jesus and live out of our inheritance, not our circumstance. In doing so, we move from false premises to God’s promises. Although the blessing of God’s favor is no guarantee of an easy life, it is the assurance of God’s help. It is essential to consult God in everything and call on God for great things. As we apply this to God’s unique gifting for us, Max reminds us that God’s definition of a promotion isn’t a move up the corporate or educational ladder, but a move toward our call.
Promised Land people don’t naively deny the existence of problems. They immerse their minds in God-thoughts. Standing at the crossroads of faith and unbelief, Promised Land people choose faith and press into God’s promises. God not only stays with you, He fights for you so you can live the Promised Land life He desires for you. Max summarizes God’s goal for you:
“This is your inheritance: more victory than defeat, more joy than sadness, more hope than despair. These days are Glory Days.”
