HLM Live | LIVING IN CONTINUOUS INCREASE | Next Level Series | Elvis Ghansah

May 17, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Shepherd’s Provision in Wilderness

The disciples knew lack. David faced lions and giants, yet declared, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” He didn’t say this in a palace but in wilderness seasons. His confidence came from covenant understanding—not circumstances. God’s promises became his daily bread. Like David, your attitude toward God’s covenant determines whether lack or provision defines your perspective. [34:11]

Jesus proved God’s faithfulness in the desert when Satan tempted Him. He refused to turn stones to bread, trusting the Father’s timing. Covenant living means clinging to God’s character when your bank account, health, or relationships scream scarcity. The Shepherd’s rod drives off predators; His staff pulls you back from cliffs.

Where is your “wilderness” today—the place demanding you take control instead of trusting? What practical need makes you question God’s provision? Write it down. Now read Psalm 23 aloud, inserting your name: “The Lord is [Your Name]’s shepherd.” How might declaring this daily reshape your anxiety?

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
(Psalm 23:1, NKJV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal one area where you’ve relied on self-provision over His covenant care.

Challenge: Write three needs on paper. Pray over each: “Shepherd, I trust Your timing for this.”

Day 2: Waters Covering the Sea

Habakkuk stood in ruins, yet prophesied: “The earth will be filled with God’s glory as waters cover the sea.” Waters don’t struggle to fill ocean depths—they simply obey gravity. God’s glory operates with same certainty. Your current crisis is a container waiting for His weighty presence. [42:20]

Jesus told stormy waves, “Peace,” and they stilled. He didn’t negotiate with chaos but released heaven’s order. The “waters” of God’s glory drown doubt, sickness, and lack when we stop resisting His flow. Noah’s ark floated because water always rises—never retreats—when God commands increase.

What “sea” in your life feels overwhelming—finances, relationships, purpose? Name it. Now open your hands and say: “Flood this area with Your glory, Lord.” What practical step can you take today to cooperate with His rising tide?

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
(Habakkuk 2:14, NKJV)

Prayer: Thank God for one situation where His glory is already advancing, even if unseen.

Challenge: Text someone: “God’s glory is filling [specific area] in my life—watch with me!”

Day 3: Stewards of the Secret

Joseph managed Potiphar’s house, prison, and Egypt’s grain—all while unjustly enslaved. Paul said stewards must “be found faithful.” Joseph’s integrity in hidden places prepared him for palaces. Faithfulness isn’t grand gestures but daily choices to honor God with what’s in your hand. [56:04]

Jesus entrusted his disciples with parables before giving them kingdoms. He tests small things first: how you treat cashiers, deadlines, or family. Joseph’s brothers saw a dreamer; God saw a prime minister. Your faithfulness in folding laundry, filing taxes, or forgiving insults trains you for greater assignments.

What mundane task or relationship have you neglected? Who watches your daily conduct—coworkers, children, neighbors? List three “small” areas you’ll steward faithfully this week. Which one needs immediate attention?

Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
(1 Corinthians 4:2, NKJV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve been careless. Ask for grace to manage it excellently.

Challenge: Review your calendar/to-do list. Circle one task to complete with Joseph-level diligence today.

Day 4: From Cistern to Throne Room

Joseph’s brothers shoved him into a pit, but 22 years later, he declared: “God sent me ahead to preserve life.” Betrayal became a bridge. The same hands that sold him now bowed—not to Joseph, but to God’s redemptive plot. Your pain has a purpose bigger than your enemies’ plans. [01:09:38]

Jesus transformed the cross from torture device to salvation symbol. Joseph’s prison years taught him to trace God’s handwriting in others’ malice. What looks like sabotage is often divine setup. Your tears water seeds of future harvests. Delay isn’t denial; it’s incubation.

Who has wronged you? Write their name. Now pray: “God, show me how You’re using this hurt for greater good.” What might forgiveness—not excusing their actions, but releasing your rage—unlock in your journey?

But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.
(Genesis 45:5, NKJV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal one way He’s repurposing your pain for others’ salvation.

Challenge: Write a grudge on paper. Burn or tear it while praying: “I release this to Your redemption.”

Day 5: Meant Evil, Meant Good

Joseph told his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” The same betrayal that isolated him positioned him to save nations. God doesn’t cause sin but hijacks hell’s plots. Your darkest valley is a tunnel—not a tomb—if you keep walking. [01:19:02]

Jesus’ crucifixion became the enemy’s greatest miscalculation. Resurrection rewrote the story. Joseph’s 13-year delay birthed Israel’s survival. Your waiting season isn’t wasted; it’s weaving a tapestry you’ll see only in hindsight. Stop demanding answers; start declaring, “God is working.”

What situation feels irredeemable? Speak aloud: “What [person/situation] meant for harm, God will use for good.” How might shifting from “Why me?” to “What’s next?” change your posture today?

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
(Genesis 50:20, NKJV)

Prayer: Thank God for one past hurt He’s already turned into a testimony.

Challenge: Share that testimony with someone today—by call, text, or conversation.

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Habakkuk 2:14 (NKJV)
"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

Observation Questions

The sermon emphasized that "covenant living guarantees progress." What specific examples from Noah’s and Joseph’s lives illustrate this principle? [44:02]
How does the imagery of "waters covering the sea" in Habakkuk 2:14 reflect God’s vision for His glory in our lives?
According to the sermon, what practical habits (like prayer, Scripture engagement, and obedience) form "systems" for lasting increase? [41:01]
Joseph’s response to his brothers in Genesis 45:3-8 included the phrase, "God sent me before you." How did this perspective shape his actions? [01:07:53]

Interpretation Questions

Why might "covenant awareness" transform scarcity into stewardship, as mentioned in the sermon? How does identity in God’s promises change our daily decisions? [44:02]
Joseph maintained integrity even when falsely accused. How does integrity under pressure create a platform for trust and future influence? [01:04:20]
The sermon states, "Forgiveness reframes suffering’s purpose." How did Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers reveal God’s redemptive design in his pain? [01:18:20]
What does it mean to "treat every assignment, however small, as stewardship before God"? How does this prepare us for greater responsibility? [54:29]

Application Questions

What daily habits (prayer, Scripture reading, etc.) could you prioritize to build "systems" for God’s increase in your life? How might these habits shift your perspective from seeking occasional breakthroughs to expecting steady growth? [41:01]
Reflect on a situation where you faced pressure to compromise your integrity. What practical steps can you take to prioritize moral clarity in similar future moments? [01:04:20]
Is there a relationship or past hurt where bitterness has taken root? How might choosing forgiveness this week open your heart to see God’s larger purpose in that pain? [01:18:20]
In your workplace, home, or community, what "small assignment" has God entrusted to you? How can you approach it this week as an act of faithfulness and stewardship? [54:29]
The sermon mentions "waiting on divine timing without bitterness." Where do you need to trust God’s timing instead of striving for immediate results? What would confident expectation look like in that area? [44:02]
How can you intentionally "give credit to God" for open doors or blessings this week, both in your words and actions? [01:17:26]

Sermon Summary

We believe God intends for our lives to move in steady, measurable increase, not merely occasional breakthroughs. We commit to a covenant posture that shapes how we wake, work, and worship, because covenant awareness reorients fear into confident expectation. We pursue faithfulness as a daily practice, knowing that faithful stewardship of what God entrusts to us sustains every promotion and protects spiritual maturity. We recognize that God builds systems for growth: regular engagement with Scripture, prayer, and obedience form structures that convert singular miracles into ongoing provision. Biblical examples show covenant trust and steady faithfulness at work. Noah obeyed the covenant word and found preservation; Joseph kept integrity under pressure, served where he was placed, forgave his brothers, and saw suffering become the means of saving many. We refuse to reduce increase to luck or human effort. Instead, we cultivate a life that honors God as owner, practices loyalty in small things, waits on divine timing without bitterness, and gives credit to God for every open door. Practically, we serve wholeheartedly in our workplaces and homes, steward resources as trustees rather than owners, and speak our expectations to God with bold dependence. We also commit to forgiving wrongs that would harden our hearts so that God can repurpose pain for posterity. As we live this way, the Lord’s presence will make our trials prove fruitful, and the knowledge of God’s glory will spread like waters covering the sea. We will therefore step into disciplined habits of prayer, giving, and study, confident that God will continue to manifest Himself in our affairs and bring increase that endures.

Key Takeaways

1. Covenant living guarantees progress Living in covenant awareness redefines scarcity into stewardship. When we hold a living covenant with God, our decisions flow from identity, not impulse; we act out of belonging rather than desperation. That posture makes provision and protection habitual realities rather than occasional surprises. [44:02]
2. Faithfulness sustains lasting elevation Elevation without faithfulness proves temporary; faithful service evidences a heart entrusted to God and readies us for higher responsibility. We treat every assignment, however small, as stewardship before God and build a character that promotions can rest upon. Sustained elevation requires the discipline of loyalty, consistency, and sincere devotion. [54:29]
3. God builds systems for increase God intends structural growth, not one-off miracles; regular rhythms of Scripture, prayer, and obedience become the infrastructure of lasting provision. We participate in those systems by prioritizing spiritual disciplines that cultivate capacity for the blessings God sends. Systems turn isolated breakthroughs into scalable flourishing. [41:01]
4. Integrity wins under pressure Integrity preserves opportunity when circumstances turn hostile; doing right under temptation protects future influence. We choose moral clarity in private so public fruit can follow, and we let character, not circumstance, determine our next step. Integrity converts trials into platforms for trust. [64:20]
5. Forgiveness reframes suffering's purpose Forgiveness frees us from corrosive bitterness and exposes suffering to God’s redemptive design. When we release vengeance, we accept that God can turn intended harm toward larger rescue and restoration. Forgiveness opens our vision to the larger purposes woven through pain. [78:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[40:39] - Living in Continuous Increase
[44:02] - Covenant Living Guarantees Progress
[51:10] - Noah's Covenant Example
[54:29] - Faithfulness Sustains Elevation
[64:20] - Joseph's Integrity and Rise
[67:53] - Joseph's Forgiveness and Purpose
[80:14] - Practical Applications and Prayer
[90:47] - Closing and Invitations

Sermon Clips

45s

#ChooseForgiveness

“Choose forgiveness over bitterness. Tell somebody, choose forgiveness over bitterness. Praise the lord. Choose forgiveness over bitterness. Genesis 50 verse 20, you meant it for evil, but God turned it for good. Hallelujah. When given the perfect opportunity to seek revenge against his the brothers who sold him into slavery. Now because he has already psyched himself or already come to the understanding that even though it physically look like the brothers told him it is God, he had nothing against them. That I believe that made it easy for him to forgive them.”

29s

#CovenantProtection

“Listen. The witch has no power over your life. Principalities have no power over your life. They may threaten. They may try to scare you. They may want you to be afraid, but you have a covenant relationship with God. I have a covenant relationship with God. Live in that covenant relationship. Live with the understanding of that covenant relationship. Hallelujah. And you will you will move forward. Covenant living will guarantee your progress.”

40s

#FaithfulInAdversity

“Even in prison, where he's supposed to be punished, he still remained very loyal and faithful to the point that the the prison prison war wards, you know, saw its face to put him in charge. Someone who has been accused of rape, of the high of the living commander's wife. That that's that's a high crime. But Joseph, his character, his attitude, made them put him in charge to the extent that he was able to interpret a dream a dream for those who came from the palace. And that opened the door for him to enter the palace.”

45s

#GodIsWatching

“God start God started using, you know, security cameras way before we started bringing about security cameras. It's been monitoring your life. Way before we we came out with street cameras. There's nothing you understand. So whatever you are doing, God is watching. Hallelujah. God is watching. So serve faithfully where you are. Joseph did that. Recognize God's presence in pain. Amen. Even in pain, recognize God's presence. Tell somebody, recognize God's presence even in pain. Hallelujah.”

53s

#SeeGodAtWork

“So and Joseph said to his brothers, please come near to me. So they came near. Then he said, I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now hear this. But now tell somebody about now. Do not therefore be agreed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here for God sent you said this for what? Because you sold me here, but God sent me before you to preserve life. You sold the brothers thought that they have sold him, but Joseph saw it differently. How do you perceive the promise of God? If you want to look at the negative side of things, then you'll be angry. You'll be bitter. It will affect your loyalty and faithfulness towards God.”

45s

#ServeLikeItsYourLast

“All I'm trying to say is that don't let anything take away your trust and your belief in God. And whatever you believe God has entrusted you to do, committed you to do, gifted you to do, do it faithfully, diligently, sincerely. If you are a worshiper, worship from the bottom of your heart. If you are a prayer warrior, pray sincerely. Wherever God has placed you, discharge your responsibility as if it was it is your last opportunity. Amen. Do that which God has called you to do as if it is your last opportunity. Give off your best. That's how you sustain elevation.”

35s

#FaithThatElevates

“If you are faithful, you'll be elevated. But we don't know faithfulness. It depends on what your faithfulness is geared towards. It's about the faithfulness towards God and towards pleasing God. Hallelujah. If you are faithful towards God, everything that you do, you have God in mind. And trust in God will elevate you. God will lift you up. Praise the Lord. Just do the best you can to please god for what he has done for you. He will continue to glorify himself in your life. Hallelujah.”

36s

#WorkWithExcellence

“Now if you are employed at a job, at a workplace, and, you know, you go there with a mentality that, oh, this is what they are just paying me, just paying or whatever. And so you go not committed to the job. You may end up missing a great opportunity that will come. Because sometimes people are looking at your attitude. They're looking at your behavior. They're looking at how you handle things and all of that. So the environment may not be at the best, but you are there to do your best. Because you don't know who is watching. You don't know who is noticing you.”

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