HORM Devotional

Psalm 46:1-2 ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea’

DAILY READING; Luke 2:21-52; Ezekiel 38-39; Isaiah 61

From 1954 until 1960, Martin Luther King Jr. was the pastor of the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. It was the only church he ever pastored and the site where he began his Civil Rights activism.
He was just 26 years old when he was appointed leader of the civil rights campaign in Montgomery, Alabama. However despite being young, he was a person of tremendous courage. He endured vilification, beatings, imprisonments, death threats, his house was firebombed. What kept him going was his strong sense of God’s call upon his life. King often received terrifying threats from the Ku Klux Klan and other extremist groups. One night when he answered his phone, a menacing voice on the other end, threatened to kill him and burn his house if he didn’t leave the town within three days. On hearing this, King was unnerved and very afraid – for himself, for his wife and for his little children. As he pondered on the threat, he realized that on his own, he was weak. He knew he needed God to help him. So he bowed his head in prayer and asked the Lord for strength. And it seemed to him that moment that he experienced the presence of God like never before. It seemed as though he could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice, saying, “Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth. God will be at your side forever.” Almost at once his fears passed from him. His uncertainty disappeared and he felt ready to face anything. Though the outer situation remained the same, yet God had given him inner calm.
Three nights later, his home was bombed. Thankfully no one was hurt. King accepted the news of the bombing calmly. His experience in prayer a few nights before had given him the strength to face it. He knew that God was able to help him overcome the storms and trials in the journey ahead. This trust in God strengthened Martin Luther King, Jr. to lead peaceful protests that eventually resulted in the elimination of social injustice and racial discrimination in America.

Often in the midst of a storm, the tendency is to wonder, “Where is God”? But the Bible says God is an ever present help in the time of trouble. In other words, He is present right there in the storm.
In Mark 4 Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.’ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out. But soon a fierce storm came up and high waves began breaking into the boat, and it began to fill up with water. As the disciples desperately called upon Jesus, He arose and rebuked the storm and there was calm.
The lesson for us here is that; following Jesus doesn’t exempt you from life’s storms. Jesus was in the boat and could surely have prevented the storm in the first place, but He permitted the disciples to go through it because He was certain they would get through it.
It’s comforting to know that God is in control in the tough times of life and will help us always to triumph. Serving the Lord doesn’t exempt you from life’s storms, but it protects you when you’re in them. Jesus promised, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV).
When you are faithfully serving God, you can be sure that He is always with you in every situation. He said in Isaiah 43:2 ” When thou pass through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:..’
Even those times the storm seems toughest and the night appears darkest, Jesus is still right there in your boat. The winds may be strong, the circumstances may look tough, but God will carry you through it all and give you strength to overcome.
Though the storms will come and winds will blow, we are destined to be more than conquerors. Though we may go through fire and through water, certainly, God will bring us out into a wealthy place.(Psalms 66:12).
Despite the tough times, you will come back—even stronger than you were before. God knew that you would experience times of being stretched and being compressed. However, He has designed the storms to end up making you better. You may bend, but you are getting right back up again!
Sometimes, the reason for the storm, is because you are about to move to a higher place in destiny.
Therefore rather than be troubled, let it be a time of increasing spiritual strength. Time spent in studying the Word, prayer and worship will make you become grounded in faith and ready to overcome in every battle.
Surely as long as we remain strongly connected to God, we will triumph over every storm and keep soaring to greater heights.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the grace to stay rooted in Your Word and to abide strong in faith despite the oppositions I may face. I know that You are too faithful to fail me, and I will keep thriving and flourishing in Jesus Name.
QUOTE:
True success is not verifiable in the fact that a man has never fallen before but in the fact that he did not only fall but also got up. WORDBITE 222.

Deuteronomy 31:8 ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’

DAILY READING; Luke 2:1-20; Ezekiel 37; Isaiah 60

In 2013, a number of media outlets reported the story of Diana Mckeown who was miraculously saved when a plane crashed upon her house.
Diana is a prayerful woman and on that day, she had been on her knees in her living room, reciting her daily prayers. She normally wouldn’t allow anything or anyone to interrupt this time with God. However, on this particular morning, she felt compelled to answer her phone when it began to ring. The phone was located on the other side of the room, so she got up, walked to it, and sat down in a chair to talk. The caller was a friend she hadn’t heard from in more than a year.
This phone call that had interrupted her prayer session was used by God to save her life.
The next thing she knew there was a huge explosion. A small jet had crashed into her house! She saw the walls fall around her and the roof pulled off so that she could see the sky above. In the devastation, the only part of the room that was left was the area where she was sitting.
In the midst of the chaos she felt as if God kept her in His arms. Firefighters had to come and pull her out of the rubble of the destroyed house. Diana Mckeown gave thanks to God for prompting her to answer the phone, which was a divine interruption that had saved her from destruction.

An intriguing dynamic of a believer’s life is that God often interrupts our plans to establish miracles of deliverance. Sometimes God will allow our schedule to be disrupted so as to preserve us.
While it may appear as if we are being distracted, it could in fact be that our steps are being ordered by the Lord.
The Bible says that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. (Psalm 37:23)
As long as we serve the Lord and trust in Him, He controls our lives and holds our destiny in His hand.
Many times, the course of our life are interrupted by God’s divine intervention as a demonstration of His love and mercy.
We may have things well planned, but then something totally unexpected happens that disrupts our course.
If we are only walking by sight, we could focus on the obvious and become frustrated, but if we are walking by faith and sensitive to the Spirit, we will inquire to know what God’s will is in that situation.
Some of the seeming setbacks and disappointments we may encounter often turn out to be blessings in disguise. Those random, meaningless events could be divinely placed in our paths for a reason. This is why it is important to keep our hearts and minds open to what God is doing. You may never know why something has happened, but when you are sincerely serving God, you can trust that He is working behind the scenes for your good.
Though the enemy may set traps and snares, God knows how to deliver us from harm. No crisis or circumstance can overwhelm God. He is never surprised or shaken. He is in perfect control of all things, including every detail of our lives.
Divine interruptions remind us that we can never fully figure out things on our own and we constantly need to depend on God. Certainly, we will live a more peaceful life when we diligently seek God’s will and always trust and obey Him. Though we may not always understand why things happen the way they do, we trust that God knows where every road is leading and He is in control of our journey.

Deuteronomy 31:8 says ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’

Surely, when we serve and trust God, we will not fear nor be dismayed about life’s unexpected twists and turns. Rather in every situation, we will always praise God, knowing that He is causing all things to work together for our good! .

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. I praise and bless You because even right now I know You are turning around every situation to my favor in Jesus Name.
QUOTE;
There is more to you than meets the eyes. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. – WORDBITE 222.

Proverbs 29:18 ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish, but he that keeps the law happy is he.’

DAILY READING – Luke 1:57-80; Ezekiel 35-36; Isaiah 59

In October of 1853, the Crimean War broke out. The British Empire was at war against the Russian Empire for control of the Ottoman Empire. Thousands of British soldiers were sent to the Black Sea, where supplies quickly dwindled. By 1854, no fewer than 18,000 soldiers had been admitted into military hospitals.
There were no female nurses stationed at hospitals in Crimea and sick soldiers languished in appallingly unsanitary and inhumane conditions.
At this time, there was a young woman named Florence Nightingale who had worked hard to educate herself in the art and science of nursing, despite great opposition from her family. Florence had received a divine call from God in February 1837, when she was 17 years old, prompting a strong desire to devote her life to the service of others.
In late 1854, Nightingale received a letter from Secretary of War Sidney Herbert, asking her to organize a corps of nurses to tend to the sick and fallen soldiers in the Crimea. Nightingale rose to her calling and quickly assembled a team of 34 nurses and they sailed to the Crimea just a few days later.
Nothing prepared Nightingale and her nurses for what they saw when they arrived at the British base hospital in Constantinople. Patients lay in a mess on stretchers strewn throughout the hallways. Rodents and bugs scurried past them. The most basic supplies, such as bandages and soap, were scarce. Even water needed to be rationed. More soldiers were dying from infectious diseases like typhoid and cholera than from injuries incurred in battle.
The no-nonsense Nightingale quickly set to work. She procured hundreds of scrub brushes and asked the least infirm patients to scrub the inside of the hospital from floor to ceiling. Nightingale herself spent every waking minute caring for the soldiers. In the evenings she moved through the dark hallways carrying a lamp while making her rounds, ministering to patient after patient. The soldiers, who were both moved and comforted by her endless supply of compassion, took to calling her “the Lady with the Lamp.” Others simply called her “the Angel of Crimea.” Her work reduced the hospital’s death rate by two-thirds

Florence Nightingale is viewed as a heroine the world over today. But that is so because she was faithful to obey the divine call she heard from God to serve humanity. Though she faced a lot of oppositions initially but because of her deep conviction of her call, she was able to prevail and achieve success in the end.
No one succeeds by accident. Men who succeed already see their success before it comes to pass. And this is what gives them the confidence to keep moving. Despite failures and oppositions, they know beyond doubt that at the end of the rainbow lies a pot of gold. Indeed you must see beyond the ordinary, before you can do the extraordinary.
It is the conviction of being in the will of God that gives men the power to forge though oppositions and achieve vision.
You must see it before you can march into it. And you can’t see it until you seek God. Only God can show you what lies ahead and when He shows it to you, it is as good as done. This is the secret of men who succeed. They seek to receive clear vision from God, before they step out in their calling. And when they see it, it gives them the confidence to move against any opposition, knowing God is backing them.
Life is a battle, there is an enemy that doesn’t want you to succeed, he is battling viciously against your progress, he is marking your every step trying to get you to stumble, therefore you can’t afford to keep moving about in life blindly without knowing your mission or vision and what God has called you to do on this earth.
To walk successfully, you need light, you need revelation, you need vision. You can’t keep living your life by guesswork or doing what seems convenient.
You need divine illumination to get ahead. One word from God can change everything for you. You need to hear from God for yourself. And we hear God through study of His Word and prayers. Therefore today, determine to take the time to sit down with the Word and hear what God has to say concerning your mission in life. You are born to do great things and the earlier you start pursuing your call, the more humanity will be blessed and the more God will be glorified.

PRAYER; Lord, please help me to hear You clearly concerning the assignment You have for me. No more guess work, from today may I receive the grace to seek Your precise instructions at every stage of my life in Jesus Name. .
QUOTE;
When you apply The Word of God, it will work for you, anywhere and anytime- WORDBITE 222.

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1 Thessalonians 5:18 ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’

DAILY READING ; Luke 1:26-56; Ezekiel 34; Isaiah 58

On June 16, 1934, Glenn Cunningham set the World Record for the Outdoor Mile. Four years later, he set the World Record for the Indoor Mile.
Glenn Cunningham is one of History’s greatest athletes. However, his story is an amazing testament of God’s faithfulness.
When he was eight years old, he had a fire accident that almost killed him and left him with severe burns on his legs. His case was so terrible that doctors believed he would be a hopeless cripple destined to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. But Glenn refused to believe the doctors. Growing up in a Christian family, he had attended church revivals and home Bible studies and had become a Christian at one of those home meetings. He believed that God could help him to walk again
Lying in bed, his skinny, red legs covered with scar tissue, Glenn vowed,” Next week, I’m going to get out of bed. I’m going to walk.” And he did just that.
Glenn, at first scooted a chair around the kitchen. Then he began to venture outside to hobble along a fence. He would take hold of an old plow in the yard. With a hand on each handle, he began to make his gnarled and twisted legs function. And with every step of pain, he came closer to walking. Soon he began to trot; before long he was running. When he started to run, he became even more determined and decided he was going to run faster than anybody had ever run.
Glenn kept on running until he became a champion—and he set the World Record for the Outdoor Mile.

Serving God does not mean that you will never have challenges. But when you trust God, you will not only emerge victorious from the trial, you will be far better and greater that you were before.
Daniel was serving God when he found himself thrown into the Lion’s den. But then did his trial change his confession? No! He still believed God, still trusted God through the trial. And God saw him through, gave him the victory and promoted him to greater heights.
Though you may not be able to stop the trials that come your way, you can change or control your response to them. Your response and attitude is actually more important than the things that happen to you.
When you get in agreement with God’s Word and believe Him for your miracle, your faith can supersede any natural law. What you believe will be greater than what the expert medical report or bank account says.
There is incredible power in what we believe.
Ultimately the difference between winners and losers, is the way they view setbacks and adversities. Losers see setback as the end of the road, but winners see it as a bend in the road.
No matter your situation don’t conclude prematurely, because God is not yet through with you. Indeed God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ever ask or think. The truth is that 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. What may seem impossible to men is totally possible with God. This is why we keep thanking Him in every situation.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’

In every situation we keep praising God, because praise precedes the victory. Today, if you are going through any tough situation, go into clamorous praise. It is no time for you to complain or murmur, rather it is time for you to praise because praise brings God’s Presence. And when God steps into your situation, every devil must bow out.
So today, turn up the volume of your praise and watch God work your miracle!

PRAYER: Lord, You are always good and faithful, no matter what happens around me. Please grant me the grace to always give You worthy praise for I know You are working all things for my good in Jesus Name. .
QUOTE;
Your attitude always determines your altitude in life. –WORDBITE 222.

Romans 12:11-‘Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality..’

DAILY READING; Luke 1:1-25; Ezekiel 33; Isaiah 57

In 1921, a young Italian immigrant was among the thousands of Europeans who came searching for fortune in America.
At age 21, Anthony Rossi arrived from Sicily to America with nothing but the clothes on his back. He was unable to speak any English, without formal education, and with no money or connections to help him get started in America. However, his fortune changed when he was befriended by a Christian couple who helped him to come to know Christ as his Savior and Lord.
One Sunday in church, Rossi prayed to God to give him an idea for a business, and promised to be faithful to give back a portion of everything he made towards God’s work. After this prayer, he began to receive business ideas.
Within just a few years of arriving on America’s shores, Rossi purchased taxicabs, a grocery store, a farm, a cafeteria, and a restaurant. As he had promised God, Anthony Rossi faithfully gave 50% of his income to the work of the Gospel!
The most profound idea he received was the making of fresh orange juice. In the mid-1940s, Rossi relocated to Florida where he took over a small orange juice company and through innovation, creativity and tenacity, transformed it. In 1947 he established Tropicana Products, Inc. which employed 2,800 workers.
This company would eventually grow to become the largest fresh-chilled orange juice company in the world. Anthony Rossi continued to faithfully give towards the expansion of God’s kingdom. He supported missions, church planting, and eventually established the Aurora Foundation. This organization also funded Christian educational institutions, missions, and other charities.

Anthony Rossi arrived America, poor and with no formal education, yet his passionate commitment to seeking God and serving His kingdom soon changed his story.
Truly, serving God and the interest of His Kingdom pays unmatchable benefits!
Serving God is serious business, and those who engage in it are lifted by God’s grace to great heights.
It is only the believers who refuse to serve diligently that fail to enjoy the profits of redemption because profiting is reserved for those passionately engaged in the Father’s business.[Luke 2:49].
Paul said in Romans 12:11 [KJV] “be not slothful in business, but fervent in spirit; serving the Lord”
We must refuse to be slothful or lazy towards the Father’s business so as to see guaranteed returns on our kingdom investment. God is truly committed in taking care of those who seek Him.
Psalms 34:10 says ‘The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
The word ‘seek’ in the above scripture simply means ‘serve’. And Job 36:11 says: If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
Surely, you cannot place God first and come last in life. You can’t obey and serve Him sincerely and not end up blessed beyond measure. He is the ever covenant-keeping God who is ever reliable, ever dependable and always blesses those who choose to serve Him sincerely.
Kingdom service is a covenant with God. And God says in Psalm 89:34, ‘My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips’
When we keep our part of the covenant by sincerely serving God, surely He keeps His part by blessing and empowering us for dominion on the earth.
PRAYER;
Father, please grant me the grace to passionately serve You and pursue Your business on earth. Thank You Lord, for enabling me to always make the advancement of Your Kingdom my priority in Jesus Name. .
QUOTE
When you make God your priority, God automatically makes you priority in His own plan. – WORDBITE 222.

Psalm 34:7 ‘The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.’

DAILY READING; Colossians 3:18-4:18; Ezekiel 31-32; Isaiah 56

The book Angels, Miracles and Answered Prayers by Kelsey Tyler, contain remarkable stories of divine deliverance. One of these is the story of Chris Smith who served as a full-time counselor for Angeles Crest Christian Camp. This camp was 7,300 feet above sea level, atop the San Gabriel Mountains outside of Los Angeles. The road to it was a winding, dangerous road which Chris had driven on many times to get to work.
One afternoon, he drove up this tricky road, carrying his little daughter, Kailey, who was singing at the backseat.
While trying to avoid another vehicle, Chris’ Range rover suddenly slipped off the road. Before he knew what was happening, the vehicle began falling down the steep canyon beside the road.
Chris felt his head banging dangerously through the fall but was more worried about his little daughter whom he could no longer hear her voice.
Finally, after falling more than 500 feet down the mountain, Chris’ Ranger came to rest upside down. People who had seen the accident quickly rushed down to help him. Chris came out of the wrecked vehicle with his face bruised and bloodied. But there was no sign of Kailey. As a frantic search began for her, Kailey was soon found sitting cross-legged on top of a soft, fern-fronded bush, virtually unharmed. When asked how she had gotten out of the vehicle, Kailey said that when the car started to fall, two angels took her out and set her down on the soft bushes.
Police investigating the accident were amazed at Chris’ survival of a fall of 500 feet along the Angeles Crest Highway, which no one else had ever survived.
But what baffled them the most was how Kailey incurred no severe injury after tumbling out of the falling truck and then landed on the only small patch of soft bushes in an area mostly covered with sharp, pointed yucca plants, which could easily have killed her. The only thing that could explain it was her incredulous story of angels carrying her out of the falling vehicle.
Chris attributed their miraculous deliverance to God who had sent His angels that day to preserve their lives.

Throughout the Scriptures, we see diverse operations of angels in the deliverance of God’s people.
As servants of God, angelic intervention is a vital force of our divine rescue on earth. Angels are ministering spirits sent to minister to those who are heirs of salvation.
Because we are joint heirs with Christ and redeemed by His Blood, we have the covenant right to angelic interventions.

Psalm 34:7 says ‘The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.’
When you fear God which means to serve Him, then you are entitled to divine rescue anytime you are edged in.
Daniel came out unscathed from the Lion’s den and testified ‘My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me:’ [Daniel 6:22].
Likewise today, any lion’s den you may find yourself in, God’s warfare angels will show up for your rescue.
Psalm 103:20 says that angels of God excel in strength.
We saw a clear exhibition of that strength in 2 Kings 19:35, when God sent just one angel into the camp of Assyrians as they came to fight Israel. By the next morning, the Assyrians woke up and saw dead men all over the camp. That one angel had killed 185,000 of the Assyrian soldiers and the rest fled in fear.

Let us always be assured that there are warrior angels assigned to fight for us.
It doesn’t matter the trials, troubles and tribulations in the world, we are too defended to be victims.
Despite news of calamities, terrorism, disasters etc, we need not fear. As long as we are walking in line with God’s Word, we are never alone in the journey of destiny. At every time and in every place, God gives His angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways.

PRAYER: Lord, please enable me to always walk in line with Your Word, so that I can enjoy the benefits of kingdom service . Thank You Lord, for Your constant divine security around me and my loved ones in Jesus Name. .
QUOTE
When you obey God’s instruction you are delivered from destruction. WORDBITE 222

Jeremiah 1:19 ‘And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.’

DAILY READING; Colossians 2:20-3:17; Ezekiel 29-30; Isaiah 55

Emperor Constantine was the first Christian Emperor to rule in Rome. During his reign, Christianity greatly flourished and spread. However, after his death, his relative, Emperor Julian took over the throne and reverted to the former pagan Roman religions and tried in many ways to stop Christianity.
Julian ordered the rebuilding of pagan temples, prohibited Christians from serving in the Emperor’s bodyguard, and removed Christian officials from government.
He then devised other ways to hinder the growth of Christianity by trying to turn the Jews against Christians.
Having learned the Bible in his youth he began to use Old Testament scriptures to flavor his arguments against Christians, saying that they did not strictly adhere to the ancient Jewish laws and so could not be believed.
To gain support of the Jews and encourage them to oppose Christianity, he planned to rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem which had earlier been destroyed by the Roman army.
In 363 A.D, Julian ordered work of the rebuilding to start earnestly. But Historians recorded that the venture was brought to an abrupt end by a strange occurrence. Fearful balls of fire, broke out near the foundations of the building and began to attack the workmen until they abandoned the project.
This strange occurrence was seen as God fighting for the Christians and it led many in Jerusalem to convert to Christianity, causing Emperor Julian’s plan to backfire.
Shortly after this, Julian lay dying on his deathbed. He was quoted as saying “Thou hast conquered, O Galilean”. The ‘Galilean’ he referred to was Jesus Christ of Galilee. Truly, Christ had conquered over all of Emperor Julian’s attacks against Christianity.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 ‘I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’
God is able to fight for His people and scatter every gang-up against them. As servants of God we are not designed to be cheap victims of the evil schemes of men.
Divine deliverance and victory is certainly the portion of the people who are genuinely serving God and walking in covenant with Him.
Through the Blood of Jesus, God has made provision for our divine protection and dominion.
It doesn’t matter how much anyone may hate you or try to hinder you, God will ensure their evil plans never prevails against you.
Jeremiah 1:19 says ‘And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.’
By shedding His blood at Calvary Christ has positioned us to overcome every attack of the enemy.
God says in Isaiah 54:15 ‘Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.’ Then He goes further on to say that this is your heritage as a servant of The Lord.
Through our commitment to serve God, we enjoy His diverse blessings as He blesses our bread, and water; and takes sickness away from our midst. [Exodus 23:25-26]
Just as various persecutions could not hinder the early Church from thriving and multiplying, as members of the Body of Christ today, we are truly unstoppable.
In these last days, we are in the golden era of the Church, which is our era of dominion.
In God’s end-time agenda, it is our prophetic season to be propelled forward to supernatural progress and divine advancement.
We should therefore endeavor to carefully follow God’s Word and abide under His glory cloud, so as not to miss our place, as He moves His Church from victory to victory.

PRAYER; Father, I rejoice that I am the blessed of the Lord and protected by the Blood of Jesus Christ. As I serve You diligently, I thank You Lord for the overflow of Your blessings upon my life in Jesus Name.
QUOTE;
It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. – WORDBITE 201.

Proverbs 1:33 ‘But whosoever hearkens unto Me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil.’

DAILY READING; Colossians 1:24-2:19; Ezekiel 27-28; Isaiah 54

On October 31, 1999, the co-pilot of EgyptAir Flight 990, deliberately crashed the plane as an act of revenge, killing 217 people.
The co-pilot, Gamil el-Batouty had earlier been reprimanded for gross misconduct by the chief of EgyptAir’s Boeing 767 pilot group. The chief told Gamil, he would not be allowed again to fly transatlantic routes.
This disciplinary action spelled financial ruin for Gamil because it meant he would no longer receive the heavy extra pay that came from flying transatlantic routes.
Gamil’s last transatlantic flight was to take place on 31st October 1999, en route to Cairo from Kennedy Airport in New York.
Incidentally, the chief of EgyptAir’s Boeing 767 pilot group, who had reprimanded him was also on board the same flight.
Other colleagues at the airport said that when the chief reminded Gamil, ‘this is your last flight’ , Gamil’s attitude was ‘this is the last flight for you too’,”
But at that moment no one knew the ominous revenge plans forming in Gamil’s head.
The blackbox recordings indicated that during the flight, the main pilot had stepped out to the rest room. Immediately, Gamil had entered the cockpit and switched off the auto-pilot. He pushed the plane into a nosedive and then shut down the fuel to both engines, causing the plane to descend rapidly to a fatal crash. In his revenge bid to kill his boss for disciplining him, Gamil killed all the other 216 people on the flight who had no idea of his personal vendetta.

While we may control what goes on within us, we have little control over the thoughts and actions of other people.
Passengers on that flight may have had wonderful dreams for their lives, and moving towards their goals, but another man’s reckless actions had suddenly shattered all those meticulous plans.
Life is precarious and unpredictable because many things are beyond man’s immediate control. While you may vouch for yourself, you cannot vouch for other people whose decisions and actions can be crucial in life’s outcome.
This is why we need God’s grace to make it from one moment to the other.
As we run the race of life, we can never outgrow our need for grace. Truly, it is only by the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed..
Despite the madness in the world, the various troubles and tribulations, through reliance on God’s Word, we can abide secure and live in safety.

Proverbs 1:33 says ‘But whosoever hearkens unto Me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil.’

As long as we are willing to accept spiritual responsibility, we don’t have to worry about life’s instability. The truth is that not everyone can be victim of evil occurrences. As servants of God our case is different because we are under the covenant of divine exemption.
When we take our relationship with God seriously and serve Him acceptably, we will definitely enjoy divine immunity. Certainly, not a hair shall fall from our heads without His permission.
Though we may not have control over other people’s actions, we serve the God who has the whole world in His hand. Because, He never sleeps, nor slumbers and is constantly watching over us, we can rest in His love because He is in perfect control of our lives!

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me the grace, to build a strong relationship with You by spending quality time in Your Presence daily. By Your grace, I shall never be a victim of evil rather I will keep triumphing always in Jesus Name.
QUOTE;
As a child of God you have to recognize that you are in the middle of an ongoing battle, and your victory is assured’. WORDBITE 222

Exodus 14:13-14 ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day.’

DAILY REAING; • Colossians 1:1-23; Ezekiel 25-26; Isaiah 53.

Willis Hotchkiss, was one of the first missionaries of the Africa Inland Mission. In 1898 he served in Kenya, a country known for its diverse species of wildlife in Africa.
One day, missionary Willis Hotchkiss and a native were hunting in the veld when they found themselves in a precarious situation. In front of them were a lioness and her three cubs. Not wanting to face the angry lioness, known to be very dangerous when protecting her cubs, they started to go back. But then, they found that two rhinoceroses were coming up behind them. The two men stood still, as though riveted to the earth, not knowing which way to go.
To their dismay, the lioness began to approach them, until it stood within a few feet of them. They knew that it would be futile to run, as that would throw them into the path of the rhinoceroses that could crush them.
In that difficult and dangerous position, caught between those vicious beasts, the missionary prayed and asked God to protect them. As they watched, the lioness bellied down on the earth and made ready to spring on them. But then something amazing happened! Suddenly, they saw that the great frame of the lioness began to tremble as she cowered in fear. Then she turned, and ran away from them. With the lioness out of their way, the two men quickly moved forward until they had escaped. In a way he could not explain, missionary Willis Hotchkiss knew God had miraculously delivered them from death and harm.

In Exodus 14, the Israelites found themselves in a difficult situation. They were trapped between Pharaoh’s Army and the Red Sea
They couldn’t go back and they couldn’t go forward. The future looked impassible and the present seemed impossible. But in that position of profound difficulty, was where God’s miracle power showed up for their deliverance.
Like the Israelites, we can sometimes feel trapped between a rock and a hard place. It might be financial challenges, where your bills outweigh your income, or problems with your health, business, family, relationship etc, where there seems to be no immediate solution in sight.
However, those places, where it feels our backs are against the wall can become platforms for the display of God’s mighty grace and power. Those times of impossibilities, could be times of divine opportunities. When it seems you can’t go forward and you have run out of options, is when you realize, “It’s not by might, it’s not by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord”.
In those times when it seems it is over, is when God arises to take over and do what no man can do in your life.
The key for Israel’s deliverance was obeying God’s divine instructions. God told them “go forward” (Exodus 14:15). As they marched toward the Red Sea, God split a path right through the middle of it.
It is important therefore that we position ourselves to hear God through a lifestyle of diligent study of Scriptures, fervent prayers and worship.
As we hear and obey God, certainly, He will create a path of miracle through that hard situation. Because you serve Him, He will part that Red Sea before you. He will restore your health, prosper you, promote you and calm every raging storm around you. Surely, today, God will fight your battles and show you His salvation.
PRAYER:
Father, today I choose to trust You and hold my peace, knowing that You are indeed able to fight all my battles. Thank You Lord for the grace to continually build up my faith through diligent study of Your Word in Jesus Name.
QUOTES
Trials, oppositions, resistances are oftentimes only an indication that your promotion is around the corner. WORDBITE 222

Proverbs 22:29 “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men”

DAILY READING; Philippians 4; Ezekiel 24; Isaiah 52

One of the greatest things to happen to modern Christianity was the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, after having been stored in jars for almost 2000 years.
These Dead Sea Scrolls were copies of ancient Bibles made by a Jewish sect called the Essenes. The exact identity and philosophy of the sect of these Jewish scribes are part of the mystery that has surrounded the scrolls since their 1947 discovery.
The much that is known today about the Essenes is that they were an all-male group that pledged themselves to chastity.
When the Roman army invaded Israel and took over power, the Essenes hid themselves and went to live in the desert, away from influence of the Roman government. Barricading themselves away from the society, they lived in a sort of bubble where they were unaffected by the world around them. They lived in isolation in caves along the Dead Sea where they dedicated themselves to the propagation of God’s work and would copy important Jewish texts.
The Essenes painstakingly copied by hand each text of the Dead Sea scrolls. There are no mistakes in the scripts because of their carefulness and loyalty to their cause.
They were almost forgotten by history until the discovery of their work, the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, about two thousand years after they wrote them.
Because of their dedication, diligence and disciplined life style they helped to produce the Dead Sea scrolls, which today has given major authentication to the modern Bible by showing that there is not much difference between them and the ancient texts.

As believers, our lives are spiritual seeds and dedication is the process through which the seed of our lives are planted in the soil of God’s Kingdom.
Wherever we are serving in God’s kingdom, we must learn to be dedicated and faithful in every assignment.
The truth is that everything we are called to do in God’s kingdom is adding up to achieve a greater purpose. When the Essenes were painstakingly copying the Dead Sea scrolls, they had no idea how important its discovery 2000 years later, would prove. Likewise whatever work we are doing in God’s kingdom today, we must be diligent to follow His direction and instructions because we may never know how essentially it would fit into His overall plans. God alone knows the bigger picture and how He is working it all together.
Our own part is to be faithful and run with the vision He shows us per time. Every part of the body of Christ does a crucial work. Therefore in everything we do we must aim for excellence.
As believers, we have the capacity to achieve great results, because we have the mind of Christ. Through redemption, we have been empowered to be effective and efficient. Therefore we must accept full responsibility and be committed to being the best in our service to God and humanity.
When we aim to be the best in what we do God is glorified. We are called to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.
However you cannot impact your world until you have first been impacted by God. This is why it is important to sow the right spiritual seeds into our lives. Our spiritual life is the engine room that generates the light that shines from our lives to the world.
It is when we have been first watered in God’s Presence that we can be able to water others also. You cannot give what you don’t have.
Therefore to diligently fulfill destiny and our divine purpose let us seek God and His kingdom first.
As we do, surely our lives will overflow with abundant blessings, miracles and unending wonders.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to serve diligently and make pursuit of the affairs of Your kingdom priority in my life. May my love for You only grow deeper and may my zeal for Your House never wane in Jesus Name.
QUOTE: Illuminate your world for you are a star destined to shine. – WORDBITE 222.