Romans 8:19

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.  

DAILY READING    Matthew 16; Numbers 1-2; Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

The manifestation of the sons of God is the manifestation of power. We are sent as deliverers to our families, communities and nations. Jesus said ‘as My Father sent Me so send I you’. We have a divine mandate to manifest signs and wonders wherever we go so that souls can be saved. This is the great commission that we must pursue. This is why we do not get born again and rest on our oars. The captives will only be set free through mighty signs and wonders, just as Moses did in Egypt. Jesus said, ‘except you see signs and wonders you will not believe’. We are not called to preach the gospel in enticing words of men’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power. This alone is what will make the enemy bow and let go of the captives. Verbal negotiations with Pharaoh will not work; he needs to see the power of the living God. It is when the power of the Holy Spirit manifests that every devil begins to run for cover.

As sons of God in this era, it is our responsibility to manifest His power. We are called to pay the price required to see the power of God in our generation. When His power comes, the devils holding people captive will let them go – the devils of sickness, disease, poverty, unbelief, etc will flee. People will know by the miracles that they are in the very presence of God. This is what makes them surrender their lives to God; this is what the manifestation of the sons of God will bring to the earth, and the whole of creation is groaning, waiting for it.

Psalm 66:3 says, ‘Say unto God, How terrible art Thou in Thy works! Through the greatness of Thy power shall Thine enemies submit themselves unto Thee’. It is through the greatness of the power of God, that the enemies will submit.

Power is released when we speak the Word of God with authority. As soon as the strangers hear our voice they will fade away out of their close places. As a child of God, you speak with power and authority to take charge of situations. When you are confronted, roar like a lion and all demons will steer clear. You must understand that your roar is no empty noise, rather it is indicative that you are born of God and the seed of God is in you.

We are in the days of His power. There is no room for spiritual weaklings. When confronted, you should know what to do. When attacked, you should know how to react. You can no longer afford to sit and watch the enemy run riot around you. Speak with authority and every devil must bow. It is power that ensures results when you speak. Therefore, if you speak and there is no result, check your power gauge! When you are living in purity and are connected to God’s Word, you will carry power because where the Word of a king is, there is power. The sons of Sceva spoke the words they heard Paul speak, but because they lacked power, the demons beat them up. The only language the devil bows to is the language of power.

Ensure you carry power so you can dominate; and that power is the power of the Holy Ghost. Jesus said you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we rule our world. We must take our place in God’s end time move. We must manifest the power of God to set the captives free. We are to preach the Gospel in the demonstration of the Spirit and power. This is God’s agenda for His Church for the hour. There is coming a great endtime harvest, which will precede the coming of the Lord. We must not forfeit this harvest  because we lack power. We cannot afford to disappoint Heaven. Let us therefore do what is required of us, because creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God.

PRAYER: Father, please give me the grace to pay the required price to manifest Your  power; may I not miss my place in this end time army. May I rise and take spiritual responsibility in Jesus’ name.

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When we fight by God’s help, we are sure of victory.

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

Romans 8:14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God

DAILY READING Matthew 15:21-39; Leviticus 26-27; Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26

God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us navigate the course of life. It is by His help we can escape traps. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. We profit by the divine guidance He gives. He leads us to our ordained place and also leads us away from danger.

In Mathew 24, Jesus speaking by the Holy Spirit warned His disciples about things to come. He told them, ‘when you see Jerusalem encompassed about with armies, know that the desolation thereof is near, let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains’. Though Jesus was speaking prophetically about the end of the age, He was also giving them insight of an impending doom. History records that in A.D 70, as the Roman armies began to advance towards Jerusalem, the disciples remembered the warning of Jesus, to flee to the mountains, and so they fled from Judea across the Jordan River to the mountains of Petra. This was how these Christians escaped the Roman invasion. They were not affected in the destruction of Jerusalem that followed, where many Jews died. Today, if you go on a tour of Israel, these mountains of Petra where the disciples fled to can be seen.

The Holy Spirit was active in guiding them away from danger. In the book of Acts, when Paul was to go up to Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit spoke through a number of prophets warning him of what lay ahead. It was also through the guidance of the Holy Spirit that Paul was able to escape the several attempts to capture him. By the guidance of the Spirit, Peter was delivered from prison a day before Herod would have killed him. During His earthly ministry Jesus Himself was dependent upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For thirty years, He could do no miracles until the Holy Spirit came on Him and then there was an explosion of signs and wonders. Several times when the Jews tried to kill Him, The Holy Spirit helped Him to escape. One time they took Him to the brow of a hill to cast Him down, but He simply walked out on them! The Holy Spirit blinded their eyes so that they could not see Him. Jesus did not die because He could not escape the Jews; rather, He died because He cooperated with God to carry out the salvation plan.  He lay down His life voluntarily in line with the salvation plan and when He was leaving the earth, He prayed the Father to also give us the Holy Spirit, because He knew we need Him to survive.

Today, the guidance of the Holy Spirit is available to the believer. As we draw towards the close of this age, we need Him more than ever before. These are indeed perilous days. As the hearts of men grow colder and the world grows darker, we need the Holy Spirit to navigate us to safe havens. We need Him to reveal the Father’s will to us and also to empower us to dominate every opposition. We are now in the days of power. There is a serious power tussle in the realm of the spirit.

You either attack or be attacked. There is no more room for spiritual laxity. A believer who will survive and thrive in these times must be clothed with power. If you lack power, evil forces will make mincemeat of you; you will become a plaything in the hands of the devil and you will wonder why your life is careening out of control and all manner of calamities coming your way. As a believer you must take charge. We have been given the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions; it’s time now to begin to exercise that power. There is no more room for lukewarm Christianity. It is either you are hot or you are not. There is no middle ground. The war is on, and the Holy Spirit is at hand to guide and empower us. Let us therefore begin to take advantage of His ministry. We need His wisdom for discernment. Not every opportunity that opens before us is from God. Not everyone that claims to be a Christian is one. It is only by the guidance of the Spirit that we know always what to do. By His guidance we are able to stay safe even as we pursue the will of God. The last days are the climax of spiritual warfare. We can’t continue operating merely by mental knowledge or common sense. Let us therefore through prayer begin to engage the help of the Spirit.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to seek the guidance of Your Spirit in all I do. Let me always seek first Your counsel before I make any move. 

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When you obey God’s instruction you are delivered from destruction

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK REJOICE]

 Ecclesiastes 3:1  

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

DAILY READING Matthew 15:1-20; Leviticus 24-25; Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

The Chinese inventors of the first clocks, in an early way of measuring time demonstrated how time could be lost irrecoverably. They would dangle a rope from the rafters with knots representing hours; they would then light a flame at the bottom which would burn evenly indicating the duration of time being lost. This showed that once time was gone, it could never be recaptured. The Bible talks about redeeming the time, using every time effectively to further the Gospel.

We must realize that we are truly living in the last days, and it has become crucial that we do the most we can with the little time left. A day is coming when we all will stand before the judgment throne of God and give account of how we spent our time on earth.

We must spend time with eternity in mind. Someone said ‘live everyday as if it is your last because one day you will be right.’ That is so true! Living everyday as our last places an urgency on our use of time. When we realize that we don’t have forever, it helps us to focus on what matters most and not waste time on frivolities.

We must use our time judiciously, constantly focusing on what God has called us to do. As believers, our priority is spreading the Gospel. The salvation of our souls and what we do now for the Kingdom of God is what will matter most in eternity. It is not about running around, it is about doing what God has called us to do. Don’t mistake activity for productivity. Always ask yourself, ‘what is the eternal value of what I am doing now? How is it impacting the Kingdom of God?’ If it is a question you cannot easily answer, then do a rethink.

Spend time effectively on what matters most. Eternity is counting. Time is fast running out on earth. You may delay, but time won’t. The clock is always ticking, the hours are always silently going by, many times unnoticed, even as the past increases and future possibilities recede. Unlike the wind, time cannot be felt. Unlike the sun, it cannot be seen; yet, of all nature’s forces, time has the most profound effect. If we don’t use it well, we end life in regret. Someone once said, ‘run the day or the day will run you.’ So let us do what we can while we can.

Our time on earth is limited; therefore we must learn to use it well. The Bible tells us there is time for everything. We must apportion our time rightly, so that we don’t waste time on things of no eternal value.

We must learn to invest time in what matters most and top on the priority of our time investment is our relationship with God which is the very bedrock of our existence. Time spent with God helps us to focus rightly on the necessary things that need to be done. It is while in God’s presence that we receive specific instructions on what to do, so that we can move with precision to execute them. Spending time with God is so important because if we don’t hear His instructions, we cannot know what to do. It is His instructions that lead out of destructions.

One of the greatest enemies of time is procrastination.  Procrastination is putting off till tomorrow what you can do today. It is an unwillingness to embrace the urgency of time. Procrastination is evident in many Christians mainly in the area of evangelism. We know we are to share the Gospel with certain people, but we keep putting it off; but then, what if the person dies before we finally get round to telling him or her about Jesus? Paul said we should preach the Gospel in season and out of season. That means we are to keep sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ every day. We shouldn’t procrastinate about the souls of men.

The end of time is fast approaching; therefore let us make good use of our time on earth now, so that in the end, we can give a good account to God.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to stop wasting time and begin to make good use of my time. Help me to focus on what matters, and not on frivolities. Let preaching Your Word be top priority for me in Jesus’ name.

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For you to enjoy victory in the Kingdom of God, you need to develop a Kingdom mindset that thinks in line with the Word of God.  – WORDBITE 222.

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.    

DAILY READING – Matthew 14:22-36; Leviticus 22-23; Proverbs 31

Everyone makes mistakes. We all at one time or the other have made mistakes in life. There are things we regret and wish we never did, but then, no one can undo the past, so rather than crying over past mistakes, we let go of them, move on and try to make the most of the future. The most important thing is to know that God is not yet through with us. With Him, we still have a future and a hope.

Dwelling on past regrets will only hinder your progress. What happened is now in the past, and it’s important to learn from your mistake and move on to become a stronger and wiser you. The good news is that though the righteous may fall seven times, he gets up and keeps going forward. You may have been knocked down, but you don’t have to stay down. Get up, go back to the fork on the road where you missed it, take the right turn and continue on your journey. With God on your side, you can still make it in life, you can still succeed. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ever ask or think.

Jackie Robinson is known as one of the greatest baseball players in history, but Jackie started life on the wrong track. As a teenager, he was the leader of a street gang that majored in petty thefts and malicious mischiefs. The gang members became such a miserable trouble in the neighborhood, that to the police, Jackie became a priority take-down. However, Jackie’s mother was a woman of powerful Christian faith. She committed him to God in prayer and believed God for a miracle. Indeed, the Lord answered her prayers. Gradually, faith in God began to register in Jackie as he turned from his evil ways and turned his attention back to his studies and sports. An exceptional base runner, he became the highest-paid athlete in Dodgers’ history, and his success in the major leagues opened the door for other African-American players. He is celebrated today as a legendary sportsman.

Many times when men see the glory, they don’t know the story. Jackie started out on the wrong track, he could have lived and died as an unknown criminal, but God’s grace intervened. God gave him a change of identity and change of story and where once he was despised, he became celebrated. This should be an encouragement to parents over the destiny of their children. No matter how unpromising your child may seem now, know that God is able to do a work of grace in that young life, so don’t give up in your prayers; God will give you an amazing testimony over that child.

In the Holy Bible, we also read the story of Jacob, who started off on the wrong lane, as a supplanter, with a bad reputation but when he encountered God, God gave him a change of name and a change of story. We see the same Jacob transformed to become Israel, a patriarch and monumental figure in the Bible.

This is to say that there is no situation so bad that God cannot change it; there is no destiny so battered that God cannot recover it. God is in the business of second chances.

It doesn’t matter what has happened to you in the past or how negative your story has been, what matters is what God says about you, and God has the final say over your destiny. That is to say you can always retrace your steps and head in the right direction. You can recover from poverty, disease, disfavor, etc. You can recover from a life of mediocrity and low impact, and move forward. You can recover from broken relationships and hurts, and have a fresh start. No matter how long that situation may have lingered, you can always make a U-turn and head back on the path of destiny God has for you. Don’t let the past label you or condemn you to a life of running on the wrong track. You can make a comeback.

You may not be able to undo the past, but you can change the present and the future with the Lord’s help. Jeremiah 29:11 says, God wants to give you “a future and a hope”, so allow God to heal your past and transform your life into something beautiful. He did it for Jacob, He did it for Jackie Robinson, He can also do it for you.

PRAYER: Lord, I know You have so much in store for me, please enable me to meditate constantly on Your Word so that my heart can be filled with the faith I need for a supernatural change of story.

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God knows how to work everything together in your life for your own good

 WORDBITE 222.

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK METAMORPHOSIS]

Matthew 7:24-25

Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock

DAILY READING – Matthew 13:1-23; Leviticus 17-18; Proverbs 28

Skyscrapers are well-known for their deep foundations. The world’s tallest building, The Burj Khalifa opened in Dubai January 4, 2010. It is a staggering 2,717 feet tall, which is more than half a mile high. It stands double the height of the renowned Empire State Building and easily overshadows the previous world’s tallest building, Taipei in Taiwan which is but 1,671 feet tall. While most attention focuses on its height, perhaps the greater attention should be on the foundation. Without a solid foundation, the world’s tallest building could easily become the world’s longest pile of rubble. It took a whole year just to build the foundation, which extends 164 feet deep and lies on 58,900 cubic yards of concrete weighing over 120,000 tons! Such deep, strong foundation is needed to carry such great height.

As long as you have a good foundation, you can build as high as you like. You can’t build a great building on a weak foundation. You must have a solid foundation if you’re going to have a strong superstructure. To build high, you must first dig deep. So it is with our lives. We cannot be thinking of rising to great heights in life, without first laying a strong and deep foundation. Supporting any truly great life must be a solid foundation. Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25).

For our lives to be truly unshakable, we must be held by the strong foundation of the Word of God. When storms come, it is only the houses built on solid foundations that stand. The Japan earthquake of March 2011 could have been far more destructive than it was, were it not for the nation’s stringent building codes and advanced structural engineering, which ensured deep foundations and massive shock absorbers. This prevented the energy produced by the earthquake from tearing many skyscrapers apart.

The depth of your foundation in the Word of God will ensure you are not torn apart when storms strike. The stream, rain, wind, in the parable of Jesus represents the storms of life. Life is full of such storms. Troubles and challenges will often come unexpectedly to test our foundations. A man will stand or fall based on his depth in the Word of God.

Often, people seem more occupied with building great heights with their lives while their spiritual foundation remains shallow. They pursue success, wealth and the good life, without first ensuring their spiritual depth. Success attracts enemies. After building a great success, all that can suddenly be sent toppling down by one spiritual attack. Their tall house falls because there was no spiritual strength built from the Word of God to resist and overcome such an attack.

One misfortune, one sickness, can wipe out everything a man has spent all his lifetime laboring to build. This is why Jesus asked, ‘what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul?’ It is our spiritual depths that sustain the heights we attain. And if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? [The  Psalms 11]. Therefore, we must strive to build on a strong foundation.  To stand in the face of any challenge, build your life upon the strong foundation of the Word of God, so that no matter how you are shaken, you will never fall.

PRAYER; Lord, please help me to build my life on the strong foundation of Your Word, so that no matter what comes my way I can stand. 

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For you to enjoy victory in the Kingdom of God, you need to develop a Kingdom mindset, that thinks in line with the Word of God.  – WORDBITE 222.

  [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK DIVINE ORDER FOR A LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS

Habakkuk 2:3

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

DAILY READING – Matthew 12:22-50; Leviticus 15-16; Proverbs 27

On April 1982, Brother David, as he was then known, stood before a sparse congregation. It was just a handful of people. As he began to share what God had spoken to him concerning the future of the ministry, it sounded incredulous. He stated that, “At the base of the commission will be a tent which will sit 50,000 people”. He said that very soon there will be millions gathering at the base to listen to the gospel. He added that he saw them flying with the gospel on wings which showed that soon the ministry will have her own aircraft. He said that the whole world will soon be able to hear the message of the commission from the base. What he was recounting was what he heard from God after an 18 hour visionary encounter on May 2, 1981 that dramatically launched him into ministry.

David Oyedepo was so convinced by this global vision that he went ahead to put up a signpost outside the small Church, announcing the ministry as ‘a Worldwide Outreach Centre.’ This was at a time when the ministry didn’t even have a proper place of worship, had no funds and just a handful as its congregation. With such an audacious signpost, the mockers had a field day laughing at Oyedepo’s seeming delusion.

Fourteen years later, the ministry acquired its first aircraft and seventeen years later on 18th September 1999, the 50,000 seat, Faith Tabernacle was dedicated and would later be listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest Church auditorium. And today, through television and the internet the whole world is indeed hearing the message of the commission from the base. The vision God gave him years ago had come into full manifestation. Incidentally those who mocked at the beginning of the vision are nowhere to be found.

Every vision speaks in the end. When God calls you and gives you an assignment, no matter how grand the vision, it will pass through the process of time. Often, God will allow men to first mock you before He will make you.  Perhaps the mockery makes the victory sweeter. The last laugh is always the best laugh. So no matter how unrealistic your vision may seem now, hold on to it. Don’t allow the mockery of men to influence you or make you shelve your dream. If you listen to naysayers you will not make much progress. Giving heed to the opposition will only cause you to lose your position. When you have heard from God, go forth in boldness and carry out the assignment. Let the results speak for you, only fools doubt proofs.

When Paul heard from God, he conferred not with flesh and blood. Sometimes conferring with flesh and blood is what whittles down your vision. Often what God may say to you does not make sense, so how can men’s mind comprehend it? So when they mock you like Joseph’s brothers did to his dream, ignore the mockery and keep moving forward. Your day is coming. Yes, it may not look like it now; yes, there may be no visible signs of the greatness within; in fact it may even look like the very opposite, but keep running, keep doing all you can. Don’t give up no matter the opposition, be prepared to race till the end. Put your hands to the plough and do not consider the option of turning back. Jesus said anyone who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God. [Luke 9:62]. So be prepared to go all the way with God.

When God gives you a vision, it is for an appointed season. Every vision is for an appointed time, and it will only speak in the end. No matter how audacious the vision God has given you, know there is an appointed time for it. Keep forging ahead, keep going forward, keep pursuing the dream, because in the end it shall speak. And when it does, you will find that even your mockers will come around to celebrate with you.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to run with the vision You have given me; help me to focus on the assignment with no room for distractions in Jesus’ name.

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Everything that ultimately has a glorious ending usually has a humble beginning.  WORDBITE 222. 

  [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK DIVINE ORDER FOR A LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS]

Romans 1:16 KJV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

 DAILY READING – Matthew 12:1-21; Leviticus 14; Proverbs 26

The first liquid ever poured on the moon by man and the very first food eaten there, was the communion. This was done by Buzz Aldrin, a Christian astronaut. He had smuggled aboard the Apollo 11 spaceship a Bible, a silver chalice, and sacramental bread and wine. Though NASA frowned on the display of religion, Buzz had decided to take the risk.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the moon on the Apollo 11 space mission. On Sunday, July 20, 1969, at 3:17 Eastern Standard Time the moon lander touched down, and just before they emerged from the spaceship, Buzz  slipped  out his smuggled items. And as he stepped on the moon, his first act was to celebrate communion. He ate the bread and wine reading from his Bible the Scripture, ‘I am the Vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in Me will bring forth much fruit.’

Taking this action was a risk to his job. Already at that time NASA was embroiled in a legal battle with an atheist opposing Christianity, because on an earlier mission, Apollo 8, the astronauts had broadcast reading from the Bible while orbiting the moon at Christmas. But for Aldrin, honoring God was more important than what the government or anyone else thought. This would be the first time of man ever being on the moon, and he wanted God to be honored in that. And since his mission to the moon, Buzz Aldrin as an evangelist goes around the globe telling people about God’s wonder in outer space.

Men who truly fear God seek to honor Him in everything. We live in a world where the enemy is trying desperately to silence the voice of Christianity. In places like America atheists are fighting every inch to ensure Christianity is silenced. Prayer has long ago been removed from public schools, and Christian religious symbols removed from public places. In Britain even wearing a chain with a crucifix to work can be termed an offensive display of religion. Even quoting Bible verses that condemn sin, can be seen as hate speech! This is no time to be a secret service Christian. In every possible way, we must let the voice of the gospel be heard. Through our deeds, through our speech, we must let men know there is a risen Christ.

In Acts 18:9, Jesus told Paul ‘be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace…’ We must let our light shine. Light shines brightest when the darkness is thickest. God has placed some of us strategically in certain places and offices, simply as ambassadors of His Kingdom. Like Esther, Daniel and Joseph, in this generation, God has placed you where you are, to be a light in the darkness. You are not just on a job, you are on a missionary assignment. And no matter what your job description may be, you are first and foremost a Christian. You are there to lighten the darkness around you.

As the Bible questions, ‘How can they hear without a preacher?’ We must proclaim God’s Word. We must preach it in season and out of season. Daniel so shone his light that even the king respected him. Joseph was revered by Pharaoh, and referred to as the one in whom the Spirit of God dwells.

When your aim is to honor God, He will show you how to effectively share your faith.

God says He will honor them that honor Him, so be rest assured that in honoring God through proclaiming the Word, He will in turn honor you before men.

PRAYER: Father, please help me to shine as light in the darkness. Let Your presence make the difference everywhere I go, let men come to You as they see your light through my life in Jesus’ name.

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To get into the next level of your life, God will always give a specific instruction. – WORDBITE 222.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK ESTABLISHED BY THE WORD]

Isaiah 50:10

‘Who is among you that feareth The Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of The Lord and stay upon his God’.

 DAILY READING Matthew 10:1-25; Leviticus 7-8; Proverbs 22

When Wilma Rudolph’s parents received the doctor’s verdict that their daughter will never walk again, it was a heartbreaking experience. They were Christians who believed in God, but a bout of pneumonia and scarlet fever had just paralyzed the left leg of their four year old daughter, Wilma, leading the doctors to declare that she would never walk again. On the way back from the hospital little Wilma asked her parents, “Will I ever be able to run and play like the other children?” Her mother replied, “Honey, you have to believe in God and never give up hope. If you believe, God will make it happen.” Taking her parents’ counsel, she chose to believe God rather than accept what the doctors had said. So as she grew she painfully struggled to walk.

When she was 6 years, she was fitted with metal leg braces on her paralyzed leg. Her parents were very poor and couldn’t afford a therapist, so her mother got her brothers and sisters to massage her legs 4 times every day. Her mother instilled in her that despite her leg, she could do whatever she wanted to do with her life. She told her that all she needed to do was to have faith, persistence, courage and an indomitable spirit. Still believing God, when she was nine years old, Wilma took off her braces and took a step that the doctor told her she never could take. By thirteen years of age she began to enter races in her school. At first she would always come last. People out of pity beg her to stop, but she refused. Finally one day, she was able to win a race; and from then on, she won every race that she ran. God gave her a natural ability she couldn’t explain. By the time she got to University, she was running so well she was enlisted to join the U.S. Olympics team. When she got to the 1960 Rome Olympics, Wilma Rudolph confounded the world. She won the 100- and 200-meter races and anchored the U.S. team to victory in the 4 x 100-meter relay, breaking records along the way. She won three gold medals and became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics game. Most importantly however, was the fact that she ran so fast that she was labeled “the fastest woman in the world”. What an incredible miracle for someone who the doctors had said would never be able to walk!

So it is not over until God says so. Whatever may seem crippled in your life right now can still get up and run. Whatever they said can never be done can still be done in your life. With God all things are possible. Don’t look at the negative things around you. Look unto Jesus. He is able. If He can make a girl whom doctors said will never walk become the fastest runner in her time, then He can do even more for you. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ever ask or think. No matter your situation, don’t conclude yet because God is not yet through with you. Even if it seems you are alone in your struggles, and no one understands or cares, don’t forget that God is always there, and He cares. Just turn to Him and hold on to Him, He will surely see you through. No matter the situation facing you now, God will come through for you. Despite the raging of the storm, you will survive; God will give you a testimony. Serving God does not mean that you will never have challenges, it however guarantees that you will overcome them all.

There is an encouraging verse in Isaiah 50:10 that says, ‘Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God’. You may fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully, yet still sometimes find yourself in a difficult situation. Daniel found himself in this kind of situation, when thrown into the lion’s den, but, did his trial change his confession? No! He still trusted God through the trial. And God saw him through and gave him victory in the end.

When challenges come to us while we are serving God, the Bible tells us in the above verse, ‘stay upon the Lord.’ That is to say, no matter how dark the situation may seem, be steadfast and hold on to Him. Even when it seems you cannot see your way forward, still stay upon the Lord, because they that put their trust in the Lord shall never be ashamed. It doesn’t matter what it may look like now, He will surely see you through. He will make a way for you. He will turn around that situation for you. What men meant for evil, God will turn it for your good. Where you were meant to stumble, God will cause you to soar. He will lift you up, He will turn your mourning into dancing. He will put off your sack cloth and gird you with gladness. He will turn your test into a testimony.

  PRAYER: Lord, please help me to always know that with You nothing is impossible. Help me never to limit You in my thinking. Grant me the faith to believe for the impossible in my life, because indeed You can do all things.

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When God is on your side, anything is possible. WORDBITE  201

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]