HORM Devotional

Psalm 34:1 “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad.’

DAILY READING; Acts 5:17-42; Deuteronomy 25-27; Job 16

Thomas Chisholm is the writer of one of 20th century’s most beloved hymns, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”.
His desire to write songs to encourage people stemmed from his own personal encounter with sufferings. He is quoted as saying ‘Having been led, for a part of my life, through some difficult paths, I have sought to gather from such experiences material out of which to write hymns of comfort and cheer for those in similarly circumstances.”

Indeed Thomas Chisholm did go through some difficult paths in life. As a child, after his basic education, he was unable to attend a high school.
After his conversion to Christianity when he was 27 years old, he was later ordained a Methodist minister in 1903. But he suffered so much poor health that he couldn’t continue serving as a minister. He served only a single, brief appointment at Scottsville, Kentucky before resigning. Due to his ill health, he had to leave the town and relocated his family to Winona Lake, Indiana where he stayed to recover. As a prolific writer of poetry, he began writing Hymns to bless God.
When he eventually became stronger, by 1916 he took up the job of an insurance salesman.
Through the difficulties and trials he passed in life, Thomas continued to write hymns to praise God and bless men. By the time of his retirement in 1953, he had written more than 1200 poems, 800 of which were published. Out of the many hymns he wrote, the depth of meaning and lyrical beauty of the words found in “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” has made it an especially beloved hymn for many people around the world.

Although, Thomas Chisholm had many things to complain about in his life, he chose rather to bless God. As a result God enabled him to overcome and end up as a celebrated hymnist.
Judging God faith in difficult seasons of life moves Him to act in our favour. Certainly, how we handle challenges determine how far we can go in destiny. Our attitude of gratitude will always determine our altitude.
Though we may sometimes face adversities, we have to shake off the desire to grumble or complain, but rather keep thanking God for His faithfulness.
The truth is that no matter what we may face in life, God is always faithful. Though we may fight battles, these are often fights of faith through which God’s faithfulness is proved in our lives.
While battles are real, our victory is always guaranteed through Christ. This is why in every situation rather than focus on the problem, we focus on God’s Word..
The ability to praise God effectively is through faith imparted in our heart by the Word. This is why it is important to diligently study the Word. The more the Word fills our heart, the more the joy of the Lord will strengthen us to be victorious over every conflict.
As the year draws to an end it is a good time to look back and recount God’s faithfulness in our lives. Indeed God has been good. Never mind some of the negative things that may seem to have happened. The only reason why you survived the things that came against you this year was because God is on your side.
There is no how we can count the many battles He has fought and won for us.
God is indeed good. And He is bigger than any challenge we will ever face in life. Therefore instead of complaining, or wearing a spirit of heaviness, let us rather put on the garment of praise. Let us in everything keep praising God and keep judging Him faithful.
Surely what He has begun in our lives this year, He will bring it to a flourishing and glorious completion.

PRAYER: Lord, I know You are always good and faithful. No matter what happens around me, I know You are in perfect control of my life. Please grant me the grace to always give You worthy praise at all times in Jesus Name.
QUOTE;
To get into the next level of your life, God will always give a specific instruction. – WORDBITE 222

Psalm 30:5 ‘For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’

DAILY READING • Acts 5:1-16; Deuteronomy 23-24; Job 15

In A.D 70, Roman soldiers breached the city wall of Jerusalem. They massacred many of the Jewish people and burned their Temple and entire city.
The sight of their Temple burning was too much for many of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem to bear. Some threw themselves into the burning flames.
Their intense mourning was visible throughout the Land:
And from that day, the Jewish people began a dark and bitter journey into exile that lasted nearly two thousand years. Throughout the long Diaspora, generations of Jews never forgot Jerusalem. Three times daily they turned towards the holy city and prayed: ‘May our eyes behold your return to Zion’.
The Jewish leaders of that generation enacted memorials to the destruction of the Temple in every event and activity that called for rejoicing.
Some of these practices were that if a person built a home he would leave a square cubit opposite the entrance unpainted, as a reminder that joy in his new house could not be complete because of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.
Other customs included ashes being placed on the head of a bridegroom on his wedding day as a sign of mourning for Jerusalem on the day of his greatest joy. There was also a custom of shattering a glass under the wedding canopy, accompanied by the lament: ‘If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither; let my tongue stick to my palate if I cease to think of you, if I do not keep Jerusalem in memory even at my happiest hour’. (Ps. 137:5-6)
In these ways the Jews kept Jerusalem in remembrance.
When the Jews returned from exile after almost 2000 years, and the modern state of Israel was established, the longing for Jerusalem continued.
They kept on believing God and reminding Him of His promise. Finally, their long desire was fulfilled during the 6 day war in 1967 when Israel recaptured Jerusalem. This victory brought unimaginable joy to the Jews. Despite the long wait, their longing had been fulfilled and the prophesy of repossessing Jerusalem had finally come to pass.

Just like the Jews, let us keep pressing forward with our desire before God and never give up because there is coming a reaping season.
Delay is never denial. Weeping may endure for a night but joy finally comes in the morning [Psalms 30:5].
Indeed, there is a due season for those who refuse to quit believing in God’s promises.
Surely there is an end and your expectations will not be cut off.
Certainly, what God says He will do, He will do in your life. If you know that God has spoken to you then hold on to His Word. Do not be discouraged by the passage of time, or the contrary circumstances that seem to persist. God will fulfill His promise to you in due time. .
All the discouragement the enemy sends your way is only an attempt to get you to quit before your miracle comes. But quitters never win and winners never quit. It is he that endures to the end that shall be saved.
Though, in the natural you don’t see how it can happen, if you will stay in faith, you will surely see God’s wonders.
When we understand that all power belongs to God and all victories come from Him, then we will not fret or cry over any challenge.
Rather our focus will be on how to engage God to fight for us. And the way to engage God for speedy fulfillment of His Word is through praise.
Praise is expressing confidence in God’s ability to do what He has promised to do. As we praise God, He takes over our battles and delivers the victory to us.
Today, if you are yet to see the fulfillment of the prophecy of wonders for this year, you can forcefully attract your portion by giving God worthy praise.
As you do so, certainly, God who is fearful in praise, will arise to do inexplicable miracles that will truly turn you into a wonder.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for doing for me what You have promised in Your Word. Today as I hold on to Your promises, I know that Your Word concerning me this year will surely come to pass in Jesus Name.
QUOTE:
Illuminate your world for you are a star destined to shine. WORDBITE 222.

Psalm 67:5-6 ‘Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.’

DAILY READING – Acts 4:23-37; Deuteronomy 21-22; Job 14

The Earth is the only planet in the solar system that is habitable for people to live in.
There is no other place in the entire solar system like it. Despite great efforts by scientists to find another habitable planet perfectly suited for human existence, this search has continued to prove unrealistic.
God created the earth with abundance of air, water, and plants which are necessary for life to exist.
The Earth is the only planet with enough liquid water—such as the oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams. The earth is the only planet that has just the right amount of oxygen for plant and animal life.
The size of the Earth is perfect for maintaining the gravity we need so we can walk and move with ease, without floating away.
The Earth is in perfect positioning with regard to its distance from the Sun. The sun warms the Earth in such a way that it is not too hot or too cold. If Earth were any closer to the sun, the heat would be so extreme that fiery destruction would be inevitable. If any further we would freeze to death.
This perfect positioning of the earth from the sun is a main factor in creating the conditions that allow life to exist on Earth.
It is also amazing that Earth and the moon have orbit paths that ensure there is no collision with one another or the sun.
It is truly amazing to consider the complexity and the amazing diversity of life on earth, and the mathematical precision of the laws of physics and chemistry. These are all indicative of the incomprehensible creativity, intelligence, and power of God who made a world that complements each aspect of human existence.

Indeed we serve the God of wonders and every part of creation speaks of His glory. He has ordered everything in creation to work for the good of man’s existence. This shows indeed that His thoughts towards us are thoughts of good and not of evil. Certainly, God is for us and not against us.

Yet it is interesting how we can sometimes forget the great workings of God in creation and wonder about His ability to supply our needs. But our mundane needs pale in significance when compared to the fact that God has already freely supplied the most basic needs of our existence on earth such as oxygen, water, sunlight etc.
And if God can take care of these greater needs, certainly, He is much more able to take care of our other needs.

However, just as God has set in motion laws that control the universe, He has also set laws in His Word to guide man into His divine provisions.
One of these important laws we must obey to experience increase and blessings in our lives, is to engage the power of praise.

Psalm 67:5-6 says ‘Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.’

There is a clear connection between praise and divine provision.. Praise provokes the release of God’s blessings and puts the earth under pressure to yield increase to those who praise God.
Therefore, if you know how to engage the power of praise, you will enjoy divine multiplications because no person, system or government can withhold what is due you.
As you remain persistent in faith and keep praising God, it is only a matter of time before your cup runs over.

Indeed, when we commit to walking in obedience to God’s laws our lives will eventually manifest His wonders and glory, just as seen in the universe. It is only when man gets out of order with God’s laws that frustration sets in. Disobedience to God’s law is what brings suffering and problems. But following God’s Word will bring provision, joy, peace and fulfillment.
Therefore, today, it doesn’t matter how disheveled things may look around you, once you can get on course with God’s Word, the lines will fall for you in pleasant places. Issues will sort themselves, situations will align with the will of God, and you will enjoy peace and order.
As we continually praise God, certainly we will experience a speedy change of season.
In this last month of the year, God will bring us out of every failure and establish us in success. He will bring an end to every confusion and frustration and usher us in to a season of wonders without number.

PRAYER: LORD, I thank You for releasing upon me the grace to praise You continually. Today, as I engage the power of praise, I thank You for causing the earth to yield its increase to me in abundance in Jesus’ Name.
QUOTE
When you make God your priority, God automatically makes you priority in His own plan. – WORDBITE 222

John 6:54-55 ‘Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.’

DAILY READING; Acts 4:1-22; Deuteronomy 19-20; Job 13

For many centuries science has been intrigued with the concept of restoration of youth in ageing people.
Indeed the concept of fighting ageing has long been woven into the human narrative.
In the 1930’s the field of ageing biology was started after scientists discovered that eating less could help rats live longer.
Recently, this field of ageing biology has experienced a revolution as scientists came to believe that aging can be treated, just as diseases are treated.
In the past five years investors have funneled billions of dollars into researches to develop therapies that could stop ageing.
Fueled by these huge investment, some scientists are working hard to reverse-engineer the human biological clock. They aim to eliminate not merely diseases that kill people, but also to prevent death itself.
For the first time in history, scientists believe they can actively change the process of ageing in humans alive today.
Recently, a biomedical gerontologist named Aubrey de Grey, drew wide attention by saying that the first person who will live to be up to 1,000 years old is already alive in the world today. He believes that the life expectancy for someone born in 2100 may well be 5,000 years, all depending on their ability to develop the adequate medicines to overcome ageing.

The truth is that, no matter how hard these scientists try, death cannot be prevented. The only way to prevent death is to prevent sin, because the wages of sin is death.
Death is the consequence of Adam’s disobedience.
Before Adam’s fall, frailties of ageing was not part of the fixed constant of life. When God created Adam there was no provision for his aging because he was meant to live forever. In the garden of Eden was a tree of life which he could eat from and live forever. However, after Adam and Eve sinned, God sent an angel to protect this tree of life, and prevent access to it.
Therefore man lost the ability to live forever when he lost his place at Eden. This marked the beginning of humanity’s troubles, which ageing, poverty, diseases are only a part of.
However, God did a new thing when He sent Jesus to the earth to pay the price for sin and deliver us from the shackles of death.
Jesus went to the cross and purchased eternal life for us. What it means is that at the end of our earthly sojourn, life continues for us in eternity, as our spirit lives on in Heaven forever.
We can therefore safely say that as new creatures in Christ, we are now Heavenly beings.
Because there is no disease in Heaven, no disease can be found in our bodies. As long as we remain connected to the life of God through His Word, diseases are eradicated from us.
Therefore what afflicts humans has no power over us. The diseases related with ageing are no longer our portion. Jesus has made the provision for long life for us through His Blood.
As we consistently partake of the communion and remain connected to the life of Jesus through His Word, we will live victorious and full of divine health all the days of our lives.
Certainly, we should continually bless and praise God for this amazing redemptive package purchased for us at Calvary through Christ’s precious Blood.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for all that You have made available for me through the death of Jesus Christ. Indeed through the power in the Blood, my divine health is guaranteed and I shall continue to live in total victory in every area of my life in Jesus Name

QUOTE;
There is more to you than meets the eyes. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. – WORDBITE 222.

1 Timothy 1:12-13 ‘I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief..’

DAILY READING –Acts 3; Deuteronomy 17-18; Job 12

Robert Robinson was a famous hymnist, who authored the well beloved hymns “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” and “Mighty God, while angels bless Thee”.
His life story is a reflection of God’s amazing grace
Robert was only eight years old when his father died. He became an unruly child despite his loving mother’s efforts to raise him well.
When he was 14 years old, his mother sent him off to another town to work as an apprentice. As Robert began living away from his home, his life only got worse. Instead of working and learning, Robert chose drinking, gambling, and carousing with the wrong crowd.
Caught up in his reckless life, one day, Robert and his friends decided to go and make mischief at an evangelist meeting being held by the famous preacher, George Whitfield. However, as he sat in meeting, Robert felt as if the preacher’s words were being directed personally to him.
Robert left the meeting full of fear, and under a deep sense of conviction over his sins. He couldn’t shake the feeling that God wanted him to surrender his life and serve him.
Finally when he was twenty years old, in December 1755, Robinson fully gave his life to Christ. Three years later, he returned to his home town, where he began preaching in a declining Baptist church. Under his ministry, the Church experienced revival and the congregation soon outgrew the Church premises and a new building was erected.
At the age of 22, he wrote the song “Come Thou Fount,”. It was written as his own spiritual story — a story of pursuing pleasure in the wrong places but only finding true joy when he encountered Christ. Today, millions of believers who listen to his hymn are able to deeply relate to Robert Robinson’s testimony of God’s grace that found him.

Looking back on our own lives, we can also see how God’s grace has abounded towards us.
At several low points of life, the grace of God had reached down and pulled us up.
Even the times we had messed up and rightly deserved the consequences of our actions, yet somehow God’s grace has covered us. By His mercies we had not been consumed.
Certainly, there is no substitute for grace on our journey in life.
When a man runs alone, it is called ‘a race’, but when he runs with God it is called ‘grace’.
Not everyone who started the race this year was able to get to this month of December.
But our own race has been by grace, that is why we are still here.
For this, amongst many other reasons we ought to be grateful and sincerely bless God from the depths of our hearts.
Indeed, if we can think, we can thank.
We cannot possibly know all the details of God’s goodness this year; the many traps He delivered us from and the hidden battles He fought and won for us. However, for every of His blessings, known or unknown, we remain truly grateful.
And as we thank God for His blessings we have seen so far this year, He will ensure we see yet greater wonders in the coming days.
Thanksgiving is the mystery behind a sudden change of story. Genuine, heartfelt thanksgiving brings us in contact with Heaven’s inexplicable wonders.
Every time we offer genuine thanks, fresh oil for fresh impact comes upon us. And with this fresh anointing, we are guaranteed to scale greater heights.
Indeed gratitude is what empowers us for higher altitudes. You can’t change to a higher level without it.
Therefore, in these last days of the year, let us continually give God worthy praise, knowing He has been the glory and the lifter up of our heads.
Indeed if it had not been for the Lord on our side, where would we be? Despite all our frailties, faults and shortcomings, we have been kept by His mercies, we have been preserved by His love.
Let us therefore keep acknowledging His hand upon our endeavors and keep proclaiming Him the doer of every good thing in our lives.
Certainly, God has been faithful. And for all His goodness and amazing grace this year, we are truly grateful.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for Your amazing grace and faithfulness in my life. Please grant me the grace to adequately count my blessings this year so as to continually bless You at all times in Jesus Name.

QUOTE;
Whenever God places a demand on you, He is only positioning you to receive more from Him. WORDBITE 222.

1 Peter 1:8 ‘Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:’

DAILY READING; Acts 2:14-47; Deuteronomy 15-16; Job 11

Aristotle Socrates Onassis was a Greek shipping magnate who amassed the world’s largest privately-owned shipping fleet. Popularly called ‘Aristo Onassis’ , his life story was the subject of the 1988 movie ‘the richest man in the world.”
After his death in 1975, his only surviving child, Christina Onassis became the heiress of the Onassis shipping fortune. However, despite all her inherited wealth, Christina Onassis lived a short and sad life. All the money never seemed to make her happy. She was often depressed and weighed down by the sad.loss of her immediate family members.
In 1973, her only sibling, Alexander had died in a plane crash . A year later, her mother died in a drug overdose which was speculated to be suicide.
When her father died in 1975, Christina had lamented “I am all alone in the world now.”
After inheriting his wealth, she lived in absolute luxury and indulgence, hoping to find happiness. She occasionally spent $30,000 to send a private jet from Argentina to America to buy her Diet Cokes. She once ordered a helicopter to fly from Austria to Switzerland to retrieve a music cassette she forgot there.
When friends said they were too busy to spend time with her, Onassis would give them cash, as much as $30,000 a month, to clear their schedules so they could come and stay with her.
Yet all the money could not buy her happiness. She remained additionally saddened by her unfortunate experiences in marriage.
She ended up getting married and divorced four times in her life. Also her struggles with her weight and drug use were widely known.
By age 30 she was diagnosed with clinical depression and on November 19, 1988, at 38 years of age she died in Argentina due to a heart attack brought on by years of drug abuse.

It is often said ‘Money can’t buy happiness.’
However, most of people don’t believe this. We live in a world organized around the unspoken belief that money can buy happiness- if only you have enough of it and if you spend it on the right things.
It may be easy to think that more money will make you happy, but the truth is that you can have all the money to spend and indulge in all your heart’s desires, and still not be fulfilled.
You can climb to the top of the corporate ladder, own homes on multiple continents, and have a bank account bursting at the seams, but still be depressed.
True peace and joy comes from walking in communion with God. Whenever we are surrounded by His Presence we will always have joy unspeakable full of glory. This joy enables us to continually praise God no matter the state of our finances or conditions around us. In every situation we keep blessing God esteeming His presence in our lives more valuable than all the gold in the world.

The truth is that no matter how much money you make, save, invest, or keep, eventually one day, your money will leave you or you will leave your money.
But when you invest your life in seeking God and living for His glory, His presence will abide with you forever and continually fill your life with joy and peace.
Without God’s presence in our lives, there will always be a certain void and emptiness. We may attempt to fill this void with possessions and materials pleasures, but without the Lord, we will always feel unfulfilled.

The joy of the Lord is what gives us the strength and power to overcome in life.
Without Christ holding us up, it is difficult to bear the pains and struggles of life alone.
Many people today are trying to shoulder their struggles alone and they are ending up depressed and oppressed.
But through abiding in God’s presence, we operate from the place of fullness of joy, where we are strengthened to overcome the trials and tribulations in the world.
Prioritizing God’s presence in our lives will make us triumphant and victorious in life. Certainly, as we first seek God and His kingdom, every other thing becomes added unto us.

PRAYER
Lord, please help me to praise you despite any situation, let nothing ever stop the continual flow of your praise from my mouth. I trust that You are in control of my life and I know that even right now You are working out everything together for my good in Jesus name.

QUOTE;
Praise always guarantees you power for a raise. Learning to praise God in season and out of season is key to fulfilling destiny. – WORDBITE 222.

Hebrews 11:6 ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’

DAILY READING –Acts 2:1-13; Deuteronomy 13-14; Job 10

Hurricane Harvey was a devastating Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on Texas and Louisiana in August 2017. It caused catastrophic flooding and more than 100 deaths. It is regarded as one of the costliest tropical cyclone on record, inflicting $125 billion in damages. Its catastrophic flooding made the storm the costliest natural disaster recorded in Texas at the time.
The town of Rockport, Texas was one of the places where Hurricane Harvey made a major landfall. The 108 mph winds and more than 40 inches of rain destroyed houses, and schools. But amazingly a 1,100-year-old oak tree survived this onslaught and was left standing at the Goose Island State Park. This old oak tree has survived many such hurricanes. This is not surprising because oaks are known to withstand incredibly strong storms, like tornados and hurricanes. Even when they are stripped of their leaves, oak trees survive because of their strength, their curvy branches, and their incredible root systems.

The oak tree is known in many different cultures around the world as a symbol of strength. The oak is designated the National Tree in at least 14 countries around the world, including the United States, where six states have designated a species of oak as their official state tree.
Perhaps the most interesting fact about the oaks is that their root systems will grow to almost the same depth as their height, pushing down as deep as the tree is high, and branching out as wide as the branches! This dynamic strength and tenacity of its root system keeps the oak firmly grounded and stable even in the midst of the greatest storms.

In the same way spiritually, the deeper our roots in God, the greater the heights we can attain in life. Before attaining to greatness there must be seasons of preparation when we develop great faith in God. Such adequate preparation is what enables us to survive the great storms and hurricanes of life. .
In our lives and ministry, a hidden season of spiritual preparation must precede a period of visibility or outward prominence. In the life of David for instance, we saw how God first prepared him in a hidden season before taking him to greatness. While serving unseen and unknown, God prepared David for the throne.
In that hidden season of his life, he learned to trust God and make God his strong refuge. Indeed preparation will lead to great manifestations.

2 Chronicles 27:6 says ‘So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.’

Building great faith that gives us spiritual establishment is crucial to our success in life..
Spiritual preparation determines the results you get in the physical because the physical is controlled by the spiritual.
You become a champion by adequate spiritual preparation. Successful seasons of preparation involve times of separation spent in deep studying of God’s Word. This is how we
achieve the triumphant faith that will give us constant victories.
The depth of our revelation from the Word, will indeed lead to the height of the revolution we can experience in life.

Hebrews 11:6 says ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’
If our goal is to please God and fulfill His plan for our lives then we must invest in building great faith in the Word. Certainly, the deeper our understanding, the more outstanding our lives will become.

PRAYER: Lord, Please help me to pay the price of diligent study of Your Word, so that I can build up my faith. Thank You Lord, for preparing me for the great destiny You have foreordained for me in Jesus Name.
QUOTE;
Everything that ultimately has a glorious ending usually has a humble beginning. WORDBITE 222

Proverbs 4:7 ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.’

DAILY READING • Acts 1; Deuteronomy 11-12; Job 9

Albert Einstein is often cited as one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century. However,
Albert Einstein said his own achievements were because ‘he stood on the shoulders of James Clerk Maxwell’,. He kept the portrait of Maxwell on his wall as an inspiration.
James Clerk Maxwell was undoubtedly one of the greatest physicists, the world had ever known.
Maxwell’s insights on electromagnetism laid the foundation for our modern world: radio, television, smartphones and the Internet.
When James Clerk Maxwell was born in 1831, he was an extraordinarily curious child who investigated everything he could find. He grew up in a deeply Christian home and by the age of eight could recite all 176 verses of the 119th Psalm!
When 19 years, Maxwell went to study at Cambridge University. There, he fully committed his life to Christ, and developed solid faith that would pull him through many difficult situations.
Rising rapidly in the science world, in 1856 he was appointed professor at the young age of 25.
About 15 years later, he created the Cavendish Laboratory, an institution that was to acquire a legendary reputation as a centre for physics, generating 30 Nobel prizes.
Maxwell’s personal faith was reflected in the inscription of Psalm 111:2 inscribed on the doors: ‘Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.’
He combined his commitment to the Christian faith with the very highest levels of science. He built his life around a Biblical principles and was stimulated constantly by his faith.
Maxwell connection to divine wisdom and inspiration made him to greatly impact the world.

Indeed through connection to divine wisdom a man becomes a wonder to his world. It is the wisdom of God that makes stars of men.
It has been said that until something changes within you, nothing changes around you.
To go far in life, we need more than common sense, we need extra ordinary sense that comes through divine connection to the God of all wisdom. Just one idea from God is enough to cause your generation to celebrate you. Truly, in the quest for success, wisdom is the principal thing.

Proverbs 4:7 says ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.’

Wisdom controls success and riches. Solomon who was the wisest king also became the richest king in history. Through the display of divine wisdom Joseph was promoted from a slave to the prime minster of Egypt.
However, the wisdom we manifest depends on the level of attention we pay to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit begins to relate with a man’s spirit, He connects him to the deep things of God, which make him a wonder on the earth.

I Corinthians 2:9-10 says that the spirit of God searches out all things which includes, intellectual things, scientific things, economic things, political things etc
If we must have good success, then we must connect to divine wisdom because it is indispensable. Therefore today, let us make the deliberate decision to seek divine wisdom through a lifestyle of diligent study of God’s Word, fervent prayers, and passionate praise. In all our endeavors we must let God have first place. Truly when we make seeking God our priority then everything else will be added unto us. [Mathew 6:33]

PRAYER: Lord, Please give me the grace to always put You first in my life. Please help me to connect to Your Wisdom, so that Your foreordained plan and purpose for me, can come into full manifestation, in Jesus Name. .

QUOTE
When you obey God’s instruction you are delivered from destruction WORDBITE 222

Isaiah 61:3 ‘ To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;’

DAILY READING Matthew 28; Deuteronomy 9-10; Job 8

While there are several wonders in praise, there are also enemies of praise which could stop the miracles of God in our lives. One of these is unforgiveness.
In her best-selling book ‘Left to tell’ Immaculée Ilibagiza recounted her struggle with unforgivenss.
Immaculée is a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Her family was brutally murdered during the killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans.
For 91 days, she and seven other women hid silently in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them. During this time, Immaculee discovered the power of prayer.
When she finally emerged from her hideout and heard the terrible news of her family’s death, for a long time she struggled to forgive their murderers. She was more appalled to learn that the killers were people who had been close to her family.
However after a process of journeying into deep prayers, she finally came to the point where she realized she couldn’t truly praise and worship God except she obeyed His commandment of forgiveness.
When she learned that the man who had killed her mother was in a local jail, Immaculée went to visit him.
As she waited for the jailers to bring out the murderer,, the official in charge of the jail, who was also a Tutsi survivor, gave her the permission to slap the murderer and spit on him. However, when the man came into the room in rags, looking haggard, she only felt pity for him and even began to cry. She then told him that she had forgiven him.
The Tutsi prison official grew angry with Immaculee and questioned how she could be able to forgive the killer of her mother.
But after Immaculee left, her act of forgiveness began to affect this Jail official.
He later located her office at the United Nations quarters in Kigali, to tell her how what she did had deeply transformed him.
Indeed Immaculee’s ability to forgive caused her to experience God’s overwhelming blessings. It made her to emerge as a victor and not a victim from the genocide and led to a triumphant end to her story.

Sometimes, people pass through awful, painful tragedies in life that seem to justify their harboring hatred and unforgiveness.
In our own lives, we can sometimes allow ourselves to feel bouts of bitterness and resentment toward those that have deeply hurt us. However, no matter how legitimate our reasons, God makes no allowances for unforgiveness or bitterness in a believer’s life.
One of the key strategies of the devil is to keep people depressed through past traumatic experiences, so as to weigh them down with the spirit of heaviness.

Isaiah 61:3 tells us that the spirit of heaviness needs to be exchanged with the garment of praise.

As believers, we must avoid anything that tries to weigh us down spiritually. This is why it is important to forgive people no matter what they have done to us.
We must remember that Jesus already said that offenses will come. Therefore it does not really matter why someone may choose to hurt us, what matters is that we recognize that forgiveness is a necessity.
Forgiveness causes the windows of Heaven to open over us and releases blessings of peace and joy into our lives..
The forgiving process means letting go and leaving all judgment to God.

Romans 12:20 says “If; your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

Forgiveness has less to do with the guilty person and has more to do with our willingness to obey God no matter the cost.
As we draw close to the end of this year, it is a good time to look back and make a deliberate choice to forgive anyone who has hurt us. It is certainly time to let go and let God.
When we realize the vast extent of how much Jesus has forgiven us, it will make it easy to forgive others.
As we learn to let go of hurts, the spirit of heaviness will lift from us and we will receive the garment of praise that will enable us to truly worship God in spirit and truth.

PRAYER: Lord, please uproot every form of bitterness and unforgiveness in me. Please fill my heart with your peace and joy. May your love constantly flow through me and cause me to live as a reflection of Christ in Jesus Name.

QUOTE;
Your attitude always determines your altitude in life. -WORDBITE 222.

Psalm 34:1 ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.’

DAILY READING Matthew 27:32-66; Deuteronomy 7-8; Job 7

In 2018, China cracked down on churches, requiring them to register and submit to government control. While most of the country’s Protestant House Churches operated underground, one particular Church was not afraid to operate openly. The Early Rain Covenant Church was one of China’s most prominent unregistered churches.They often preached and evangelized openly.
After receiving warnings from the Chinese authorities, finally in December 2018, the government swooped down on the Early Rain Covenant Church. On December 9th and 10th, government officials arrested leaders and members of the Church. They detained the pastor, his wife and about a hundred people from the congregation. .
However, the Church members reacted by thanking God for this persecution at the hands of the Government.
Shortly before his own arrest, their leader wrote a letter to the Church citing 1 Peter 4:12-14. He asked his fellow Christians, “Are you rejoicing in the fact that you are suffering with Christ because of this Church? Do you know that we are blessed?”
He then thanked God for being with them during the ordeal, training them through the days of hardship and sculpting them through the persecutions.
He expressed their willingness to pay an even greater price to bear witness to the Gospel.
He wrote “We are willing to have 200, 300 or 500 people arrested and imprisoned.”
He then encouraged other Chinese Christians to be filled with hope, no matter how heavy cross they were required to bear for the sake of the Gospel.

Despite their many trials, most Chinese Church leaders refuse to be discouraged or lose their joy. Rather they choose to see each season of pain and persecution as only training them and strengthening their faith.

At some point in life, every believer will face seasons of adversities and difficulties. However, how we handle these pressures of life often reflect the depth of our spiritual growth.
While change is inevitable in life, growth is optional.
It is your choice to either grow through adversity or groan through it. You can choose to either become better or become bitter.
The way we respond in adversity shows our readiness for our next level. When we choose to give thanks to God in every situation, it shows we can be entrusted with greater glory. Indeed our attitude of gratitude will determine our altitude in life. Certainly, praise will always precede the victory. To rise to the mountaintop, we must be willing to praise God while still in the valley.
Every time you praise despite the pain, you’re making preparation for the rain. In the scripture rain represents blessing, favor, increase. As we continue to bless God even in the midst of adversities, things will begin to shift spiritually in our favor.
You may not see anything happening outwardly, but behind the scenes, God begins to move to change your story and justify your reason for praising Him.

When Paul and Silas were put in jail, there was no outward sign that they would experience deliverance. Yet instead of despairing, they chose to praise God even in their pain.
Bloodied and bruised, they mustered up strength to pray and then sing loudly. As they praised God, He came down suddenly in an earthquake and delivered them from that prison.
Today, you may be facing difficulties and adversities, but you can praise your way out of it. Shake off the desire to grumble or complain and just keep thanking God for His goodness and faithfulness. As you continue to praise, rain is coming your way. You will soon experience downpours of favor, blessings and abundance of God’s goodness.
However, the ability to praise God effectively is through faith imparted in our heart by the Word. This is why it is important to diligently study the Word. The more the Word fills our heart, the more the joy of the Lord will strengthen us to be victorious over every conflict.

PRAYER: Lord, I know You are always good and faithful. No matter what happens around me, I know You are in perfect control of my life. Please grant me the grace to always give You worthy praise at all times in Jesus Name.

QUOTE;
Your attitude always determines your altitude in life. –WORDBITE 222.