HORM Devotional

Psalm 18:2-3: The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.’

DAILY READING; Hebrews 1; Genesis 45:1-46:27; Psalm 36

In 1994, Eric Irivuzumugabe was 16 years old when violence erupted in Rwanda. During the mayhem, as he was trying to escape with his family, he found himself separated from them and had to flee alone seeking a hiding place.
Eric was able to take refuge in a cluster of cypress trees which in their country is known as “trees of life”. Surprisingly, when he climbed up, he also found that some of his uncles were hiding in the trees.
And for the next 15 days they remained hidden there with barely any food or water. During this incredible massacre, their former Hutu neighbors hunted them down in the woods and in their villages, killing as many as they could in three months time, in an attempt to totally wipe out the Tutsi tribe.
As Eric and his uncles remained hidden high up in the cypress trees, the genocide raged all around them. Their survival was amazing and miraculous because somehow, God blinded the marauding Hutus from looking up and seeing them in the trees. It indeed seemed as if God had hidden them in plain sight of their enemies.
They remained in the trees until the Hutu militia was finally taken down by the invading Rwandan Patriotic Front, ending the genocide.
In the aftermath of the horror, Eric was reunited with some of his family members, who had also survived. Realizing that his survival had been solely due to God’s divine protection, Eric began to actively seek God and devoted his life to Him. Today, he runs a Christian ministry and his story is captured in his book ‘My Father, Maker of the Trees’.

Indeed God can hide us in plain view of our enemies. Though we may live in perilous times today, God still remains sovereign and is a refuge to all those who trust in Him.
It doesn’t matter the rage of evils in the world today, such as the pandemic, economic hardship or social instabilities, God remains our refuge. Despite the global trials and turmoil, our lives remains hidden in Christ. This is why instead of worrying, we should rather worship.

Psalm 18:2-3 says ‘The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.’

Indeed through praise, we can be saved from our enemies as we are hidden in God’s Presence. God inhabits the praises of His people and as we praise Him, we are covered under the shadow of His wings.
No matter the negative things going on in the world, God’s Presence remains our hiding place from it all.
Indeed the everlasting God is our refuge and our ever present help, therefore we will not fear. Even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling, through it all, the Lord remains our shelter, our hope, and our ever present help in time of need. [Psalm 46:2-3]

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for always being my refuge and hiding place from trouble. Please enable me to meditate constantly on Your Word and to always praise You, so that Your Presence can surround me at all times in Jesus Name.

Quote
God knows how to work everything together in your life for your own good WORDBITE 222

Hebrews 10:24-25 [NIV] ‘And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching’

DAILY READING; • Luke 24:13-53; Genesis 44; Psalm 35

One of the most touching moments in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, was when Eric Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea swam in the 100-meter free style. He had participated under a special program that permitted poorer countries into the Olympics even though their athletes may not meet required standards. The 22-year-old Eric, had only learned to swim 3 months earlier, and had never swam in an Olympic-size pool. And arriving in Australia for the competition was his first time of ever travelling outside of Equatorial Guinea.

After his fellow competitors were disqualified because of false starts, Eric was forced to swim alone. As he jumped into the pool, he seemed terrified swimming alone, in front of thousands of people at the Sydney Aquatic Centre. He was so distressed that at a point he almost seemed to be drowning. But as the capacity crowd noticed his struggle, they stood to their feet and began cheering him on. After what seemed like an eternity, Eric finally reached the wall at a time of 1:52:72. It was the slowest time anyone had ever swum the 100 meter men freestyle in Olympic history.

When he had finally caught his breath and regained his composure, the French-speaking Eric Moussambani said through an interpreter, “I want to send hugs and kisses to the crowd. It was their cheering that kept me going.”

Eric became a media sensation and gained overnight fame for his perseverance, despite the many obstacles lined up against him. After the Olympics he continued to improve his swimming, set new records for his country and later became the coach of their national swimming squad. However, his road to success began because of the Olympic crowd that cheered him on and encouraged him to reach the finish line, at a time when he could have given up because of his fear and inadequacies.

Hebrews 10:24-25 [NIV] ‘And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching’

Indeed as we go through the peculiar challenges of the last days, one way we can spur others on and help them go forward is by showing unconditional love despite their weaknesses. Sowing seeds of love and encouragement into the lives of others can go a long way in helping them finish their race well. One of the deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated. And our love, our friendship and encouragement, is a part of the plan God has designed to help others along the way. As believers our show of love to each other is the hallmark of our faith.

Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this will all men know that you’re my disciples, if you have love one for another”.

God’s love is not exclusive; it’s inclusive. It doesn’t exclude people or write them off despite their weakness or faults. The truth is that none of us is yet a finished product, we are all works in progress and still on the potter’s wheel. This is why we must be patient with others in their weakness and instead of being critical or judgmental, let us constantly show them love and encouragement.

Hebrews 3:13 [AMP] says ‘But continually encourage one another every day, as long as it is called “Today” [and there is an opportunity], so that none of you will be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [its cleverness, delusive glamour, and sophistication].’

The truth is that everyone at some point feels like no one believes in them, like they can’t seem to get a break or do anything right. At such times cheering them on will enable them make greater progress than if they are being criticized. We must understand that each person is on a journey. Where they are now is not where they’re going to end up. And we can make a difference and help them go further, when we show love, understanding and encouragement.

Discouragement can make even the greatest person ineffective. It can choke all growth and bring progress to a standstill. But when we chose rather to show love and encourage others with God’s Word, it can persuade them to persevere and give them the motivation to keep pressing forward until they finish well in life.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to trust you with the journey of my life, no matter the obstacles I may sometimes face. Truly, I know that by Your grace I shall surely finish well this year and always in Jesus Name.

QUOTE When God places His hand upon a man in life nothing can come against him, this is because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. – WORDBITE 222.

Isaiah 33:6 ‘And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure’

DAILY READING; Luke 24:1-12; Genesis 43; Psalm 34

The “Jonestown Massacre” occurred on November 18, 1978, when more than 900 members of an American cult called the Peoples Temple died in a mass suicide-murder under the direction of their leader Jim Jones.
Though Jim Jones had started out as a respected evangelical pastor, along the line he began to blend in teachings of New Age spirituality and radical social justice that attracted an enthusiastic following. He called his burgeoning church the Peoples Temple.
In 1977, following negative media attention, Jim Jones moved with some 1,000 of his followers from California to Guyana in South America, where they converted a dense jungle into a working agricultural commune, soon known as “Jonestown”.
However after some months, reports of abuse began to emerge from defecting members of the people’s temple.

On November 18, 1978, U.S. Representative Leo Ryan, travelled to Jonestown with some reporters for an investigation. But as he was leaving the town, Leo Ryan and four members of his delegation were murdered by men sent by Jones.
That same day, Jim Jones ordered his followers to drink poison which killed 900 of them. Prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the tragedy at Jonestown marked the single largest loss of U.S. civilian lives in a non-natural disaster.
A remarkable and noteworthy fact was that among Jim Jones’ followers were decent, hardworking, socially conscious people, who despite being highly educated, became deceived due to their lack of proper understanding of the Scriptures.

A personal understanding of the Scriptures is indeed crucial if we are to escape the deceptions of the end-times.
Spiritual things are slippery and anyone who lacks the stability of God’s Word will easily fall.

Isaiah 33:6 says, ‘And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times.’

Wisdom and knowledge from God’s Word is what will give us spiritual anchor and stability in these end-times.
Spiritual ignorance is the reason why many people are being tossed up and down by different doctrines from the pit of hell.

Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

Jesus stated that deception will be one of the glaring signs of the last days. The word “deceive” in the Greek is Plunao, which means “to lead along the wrong path.”
The way to avoid walking on the wrong path is to walk in the light of God’s Word.
Indeed the security of our destiny lies with illumination from the word of God.
God’s Words are not mere stories but mysteries, that act as a lamp unto our feet and light to our path as we travel the road of destiny. [Ps119:105].

Like the Berean Christians, we need to constantly cross check everything we hear with the Scriptures.
To truly avoid the deceptions of this age, it is important for us to grow in knowledge of God’s Word. Indeed as we grow in spiritual maturity and discernment, we will be able to stand strong despite the perilous winds of the end-times.

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me the grace to grow in wisdom and knowledge through in-depth study of Your Word, so that my spiritual senses can be sharpened for discernment in these end-times in Jesus Name. ..

QUOTE
Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will set you free.- – WORDBITE 222.

Psalm 66:3 ‘Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.’

DAILY RRADING; Luke 23:26-56; Genesis 42; Psalm 33

In May, 1953, many global headlines carried the sensational news of a strange occurrence in Manila, Philippines . It was the story of a 17 year old girl, who was a minor offender being held in prison, but was being bitten visibly by invisible forces. Her case had baffled the medical and mental science experts and seemed to defy every solution. The best professionals were at loss about what to do and the government of Manila were calling for help from around the world to solve the strange case.
At this time the American Pastor Lester Sumrall was serving as a missionary in the Philippines, when he heard about the strange news on the radio. Realizing that what the girl needed was deliverance by the power of God, he prayed and asked God to heal the girl. But as he prayed, he heard God ask him to go to Manila and pray for the girl and He would heal her. Though Dr. Sumrall was initially reluctant to go, eventually he boarded a plane and flew to manila. Having spiritually prepared through fasting, praying and study of the Word, when he saw the girl, he immediately took authority over the situation. Through pleading the Blood of Jesus and declaring God’s Word, the girl was eventually delivered from the demonic attack.
The news of her deliverance made another sensational headlines across the world. The incredible story changed the spiritual climate of the Philippines, as over 150,000 people accepted Christ as their Savior. News of the deliverance brought great glory to God and the work God was doing through Dr. Lester Sumrall became widely recognized both in the Philippines and globally.

Romans 8:19 says ‘For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.’

Indeed the whole creature is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. People are groaning and crying and looking for solutions to their problems. We must therefore take our place as sons of God in this generation and begin to manifest His Power for the deliverance of humanity. Indeed our families, our communities and the society, are all waiting for our manifestation.

Jesus shed His Blood to redeem humanity from the oppressions of the devil. 2,000 years ago He cried on the cross, “It is finished!”. And as believers today, we are God’s agents of deliverance to establish this victory Christ won on Calvary for humanity’s benefit.
Salvation is not an escape route to heaven, it is our seal of dominion on the earth. As long as you are born again you have what it takes to bring deliverance to your environment.
However, our level of manifestation will be a function of the degree of God’s power at work in us.
The world is not waiting for the manifestation of children, but for the manifestation of sons.
This is why we must take responsibility to grow spiritually. It is through the greatness of God’s power manifesting through us that every enemy will submit. Let us therefore in this season, begin to pay the required spiritual price to grow in knowledge and power, so that God’s divine agenda for the deliverance of mankind will indeed begin to manifest through us.

PRAYER; Lord, Please enable me to pay the required price to grow in power and spiritual maturity. As I align to Your divine agenda, thank You for manifesting Your power mightily through me in this season in Jesus Name.

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It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. – WORDBITE 201.

2 Chronicles 16:9 ‘For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.’

DAILY READING; – Luke 23:1-25; Genesis 41; Psalm 32

California’s most famous stagecoach robber was a man called , “Black Bart.”
For 6 years starting in 1877, Black Bart committed 28 robberies wearing a flour sack over his head and brandishing a shotgun. However, during his last robbery, he was wounded. As he fled the scene he mistakenly dropped a handkerchief behind. The handkerchief had the laundry marking, FX07, which was traced to San Francisco. As the police investigated the owner of the handkerchief, they made one of the most surprising, arrests in the city’s history. ‘Black Bart’ the stagecoach robber turned out to be Charles Bolton, one of San Francisco’s leading citizens with close ties to the police department. He had a reputation of being a non-smoking, non-drinking big businessman with interests in the gold mines. People believed him to be a God-fearing man. It was hard for the citizens of San Francisco to believe who he really was. Deceived by his impeccable outward appearance, no one ever suspected that he was a criminal at heart, comfortably living a double life in their midst.

Indeed many times we can be deceived by appearances. We have often heard it said: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
That is quite true. We often judge people based on the outward impression they give us. However, unlike man, God does not look at outward appearance, He looks at the heart.

When God sent Samuel to anoint a new king among Jesse’s sons, Samuel saw the oldest son—Eliab and immediately concluded he must be the one. But despite Eliab’s impressive looks, God rejected him along with the other sons Jesse had lined up. God said to Samuel ‘..for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart”.
Though Jesse had considered his youngest son, David, as the least qualified, when David arrived, God told Samuel: “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.”
God saw David’s heart when no one else could see it.
Acts 13:21-23 says ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes.”
God said ‘I have found’ meaning He had been searching.
2 Chronicles 16:9 says ‘For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.’
Even today, God is searching for those whose hearts are right towards Him. This is why our concern should be always to please God and not man. David was in the bush yet God located him. Likewise, though you may be serving in the secret place today, studying the Word, praying and worshiping, the God who looks at the heart is about to locate you. You may not look anything like a king, but God is about to divinely elevate you.
Like David, men may count you out, but as long as you heart remains right, God will count you His prime candidate.
God will take you from the back to the front. What He spoke over your life He is about to fulfill. People may say that you don’t qualify, but the God who has the final say over your destiny, says ‘you are the head and not the tail, above only and never beneath.’
Indeed as you remain faithful, serving God sincerely from the heart, it is only a matter of time before the God who sees in secret will surely reward you openly.

PRAYER; Lord please grant me the right heart to always serve You diligently. Thank You indeed for locating me in this season for Your divine promotion and upliftment in Jesus Name.

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

Psalm 119:98 ‘Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.’

DAILY RREADING; • Luke 22:39-71; Genesis 40; Psalm 31

One of the great tragedies to occur in the British royal family is what is known as ‘the princes in the tower’.
On 9th April 1483, King Edward IV of England suddenly died, leaving behind his two young sons, Edward aged 12 years, and Richard aged 9 years.
Before dying, the king made his trusted younger brother, Duke Richard, Protector of his two sons. This meant that Richard would help run the country because of the young age of the princes.
After the king died, his first son, 12 year old Edward immediately became the king of England. Though there were signs to indicate Duke Richard was disloyal, the young King Edward lacked the discernment to suspect his seemingly loving and caring uncle. As preparations began for the official coronation ceremony, Richard lodged the new king Edward and his younger brother in the tower of London.
However, before young Edward could be crowned, Richard surprised everyone by declaring that Edward was not qualified to be king because he had been born illegitimately. Richard rather crowned himself King of England in July 1483.
This of course caused an uproar as people loyal to the dead King vowed to ensure his two young sons rightfully inherited the throne.
Richard kept the two young boys who were still lodged in the tower of London, as virtual prisoners, refusing anyone access to them. However, it seemed the boys’ young minds still couldn’t grasp the looming danger as they were often seen playing around in the tower. Then one day these two boys finally disappeared and were never seen again. Their disappearance became a great mystery.
With no other contender to the throne, the people of England were then forced to accept Richard as their king.
However almost 200 years later, in 1674 the bones of these two young princes were finally found hidden away under a staircase in the Tower of London. History believes that they had been murdered by their uncle, King Richard.
Being a child and lacking the discernment of a matured mind had greatly contributed to the dethronement and murder of the young King Edward.

Ecclesiastes 10:16 says ‘Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!’

Truly it is dangerous for kingship to be conferred upon a child who lacks the wit and wisdom to overcome his enemies.
As believers, we are ordained to be Kings and to reign on earth. As joint heirs with Jesus, we are the seed of Abraham and inheritors of the blessings that made the whole earth his possession.
However though a throne has been appointed unto us, we need to grow in knowledge and power to be able to overcome the contentions that are bound to arise.
To indeed rule in the midst of our enemies we can’t afford to remain spiritual babes, but must grow in maturity and be able to discern what goes on spiritually around us. The truth is that things are not always what they appear to be. People are not always whom they seem to be. We need spiritual wisdom and discernment to see beyond the obvious.

When David was about to ascend his throne he was able to overcome the opposition through application of divine wisdom.

In Psalm 119:98 David said ‘Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.’

Because David was a youth, king Saul had thought he could easily outwit him and destroy him, but the Bible said David behaved himself so wisely that Saul became afraid of David.
In the same way, our enemies ought to become afraid of us when they see us operate with the wisdom from above. When they conspire and set traps for your feet, and yet through the guidance of the Holy Spirit you escape those traps, they would become alarmed about you.
Because you are born of the Spirit, you are born to operate like the wind. No one can tell how you come or how you go [ John 3:8]. That indeed is our mode of operation as sons of God on the earth. Your life should be a mystery and a great puzzle to your detractors. They cannot predict you, they cannot fathom you and they cannot explain you, because of the superior wisdom of God at work in you.

Indeed through feeding on the strong meat of God’s Word, we will grow in spiritual wisdom and maturity and be empowered by the Spirit to overcome every opposition and truly reign as sons of God on the earth.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the grace to constantly feed on Your Word so that I can be empowered to rule and reign on earth. Thank You for indeed giving me the victory over every opposition in Jesus Name.

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Your heart needs to be filled with The Word of God to the point of overflow. – WORDBITE 222.

James 5:16 [AMPC] ‘Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].’

’DAILY READING; – Luke 22:1-38; Genesis 39; Psalm 30

John Nelson Hyde was an American missionary to India in the 19th century, who became famous for his fervent prayers. Interestingly, John himself was an answer to the prayers of his own father.
John’s father was a Presbyterian minister, who would frequently pray for laborers to be sent into the harvest. Eventually, three of his six children were sent to the Mission’s field as an answer to his prayers.
John’s elder brother Edmund, who had gone to seminary to become a missionary, unfortunately died before he could accomplish his goal. As a result, John decided to take his brother’s place on the mission field. Once John had settled the issue with God, he started praying for missions. It was during those years that the foundation for John’s prayer life was laid.
After graduating from the seminary, months later John set sail for India. When he first arrived in India he found the people very unreceptive to the Gospel. For eight years he labored without any results. The lack of conversion drove him into deep prayer. He would spend hours and hours with The Lord, forgetting about sleep and food, standing in the gap for believers and those to be saved. “Oh God, give me souls or I die!” would become one of his most famous prayers. He finally decided to pray and fast until there was revival. During those days, he spent continuous hours on his knees, begging God for His power until he became known as “Praying Hyde. The Indians began to call him “The man who never sleeps.” .
Not long after this, his prayers began to have their desired effect and the Lord started moving. When John Hyde started the Sialkot Conventions in 1904, God’s revival power came down. This revival greatly affected many missionaries and indigenous people. Indeed through the prayers of John Hyde, God eventually changed the spiritual landscape of India.

Truly, we are in the last days, which are the days of the manifestation of God’s power on earth. It is also the time of the manifestation of the sons of God. In this era, the power of God will be on display more than ever before. However for us to manifest the power of God in our lives, prayer is an absolute necessity.

James 5:16 [AMPC] says ‘…The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].’

Effectual prayer is absolutely necessary for our empowerment and manifestation. The truth is that we will only take our place of dominion on earth when we become willing to pay the price of prayer.
It is through prayers that we connect to the power needed to confront every challenge we may face in life. It is in the place of prayer that we settle matters of our divine calling and assignment. Victory in battle and success in life happens in the place of prayer. It is the deficiency of prayer that leads to the deficiency of power which results in failure in life and ministry.

God is committed to answering us every time we sincerely seek Him. In prayer we are able to deal with any issue of concern and demand for heaven’s intervention.
Jesus promised us in Mathew 21:22 that ‘all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’

Indeed there is so much available to us through prayer. We must therefore fight against spiritual laziness and begin to pay the required price of prayer to achieve all God has in store for us. Enough of making excuses for failure. Let us engage God’s power for our desired solutions. let us get into the depth of the Word, prayer and deep worship. As we do so, we will see God’s power in a new and great dimension. Indeed through a committed prayer life, we can reign in life and dominate as sons of God on the earth.

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me a deeper hunger for prayer, praise and Your Word. Help me Lord to experience the revival that will lead to my desired change of story 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

Psalm 44:3 “for they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but the light of their own countenance, because thou had a favour unto them”

DAILY READING; Luke 21; Genesis 38; Psalm 29

Imelda Marcos was the wife of Ferdinand Marcos, who was President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. At the height of her reign as First Lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos was known as the ‘Steel Butterfly’. She was given this name on account of her authoritarian manner and extraordinary glamour. She was often in the News for her legendary materialism and flamboyant lifestyle. She was famous for her collection of shoes numbering about 3,000. She bought her perfume by the gallons rather than by the ounce. She once bought up her favorite perfume from all duty frees racks across the world, simply so that no-one else would smell like her.
Her extravagance was especially glaring because of the crippling poverty in their country, where many families struggled to feed.
Eventually, after 21 years of brutality and extreme poverty under the Marcos regime, the people revolted in 1986, forcing President Ferdinand Marcos and his family to flee for exile in Hawaii.
At the end of their regime, Imelda Marcos’ extravagant lifestyle came under international scrutiny. In 1980, the Guinness World Records credited both Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos for the largest ever plundering from a government, which was between $5 billion to $10 billion. This amount could have paid off the entirety of the Philippines’ foreign debt.

The story of the Marcos regime is only a reflection of the dissatisfaction that marks the world today. We seem to be in an age of greed, where the single word that summarizes the hopes and obsessions of this generation is — More!
People want more money, more success, more luxuries, more gadgets etc. Indeed the hearts of men seem to keep screaming for more, and yet they never seem satisfied. All over the world many people are hotly in pursuit of money because they feel that having enough wealth will bring them satisfaction.

Yet, Solomon who was one of the richest kings in history said in Ecclesiastes 5:10 [NLT] ‘Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!’

King Solomon had everything, yet he came to this conclusion about life: ‘Vanity of vanity, all is wind!’
Indeed outside of Christ all is vanity and chasing after the wind. Only God satisfies, only an intimate relationship with Him can fill the deep hunger and longing in our souls.

When we take time to build a deep foundation of an intimate relationship with God, then we will find life’s true treasure. God will teach us to profit and will open to us the treasures and hidden riches of secret places (Isaiah 45:3).

True wealth is not achieved by greed, struggles or labour, it is gotten by divine favor.

Psalm 44:3 says “for they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but the light of their own countenance, because thou had a favour unto them”

When God’s favor is upon you, then His blessings will make you rich. In the book of Exodus it was the blessings of God that caused the wealth transfer from the Egyptians to the Israelites. And in this end-time, the blessings of God is initiating an unstoppable divine agenda of wealth transfer from the wicked to the righteous.

This is why you don’t need to run after wealth to the detriment of your spiritual life. When you seek God’s kingdom first, then all else will be added unto you. Truly those who seek God meet gold, but those who seek gold miss God. Therefore rather than waste time chasing after mundane things, let’s invest our time in seeking more of God. Indeed when we find Him, we have found life’s greatest treasure.

PRAYER; Lord I thank You for granting me the grace to always seek Your kingdom first. Please fill my heart with the desire and zeal to always seek more and more of You in Jesus Name.

Quote

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

Galatians 6:9 ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.’

DAILY READING; Luke 20:27-47; Genesis 37; Psalm 28•

The California Gold Rush was the largest mass migration in American history. The Gold Rush which began on January 24, 1848, caused a mass immigration of approximately 300,000 people to California. The sudden population increase made California to grow rapidly to statehood.
During this period, an astounding amount of gold was mined from the ground in California and a number of fortunate gold miners became quickly rich.
Among these fortunate miners, were two brothers, John and Daniel Murphy who had arrived in California in 1848 and struck gold within days. In a year, they mined $1.5 million worth of the precious metal, which is about $40 million today. The town of Murphys, California, is named after them.
However there were other two brothers who were not so fortunate. A popular story says these two brothers had also come to California to prospect for gold. They had discovered a vein of gold and then proceeded to the serious business of getting the gold ore of the mine. All went well at first, but then a strange thing happened. The vein of gold suddenly disappeared! It seemed they had come to the end of the rainbow, and the pot of gold was no longer there. The brothers continued to dig further, but couldn’t seem to trace the vein of gold anymore. They were thoroughly disappointed, their hope of becoming overnight millionaires was dashed. Disgusted, they gave up digging and planned to return back home. Someone else bought their equipment and claim rights for a few hundred dollars. As the brother took the train back home, the new person picked up digging from where the brothers left off. And just three feet deeper, the new owner struck gold!
A little more persistence and the two brothers would have been millionaires themselves. But they gave up too soon.

Galatians 6:9 says ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.’

Indeed there is a reaping for us when we refuse to give up too soon. It doesn’t matter how long you may have toiled in the past, if you refuse to quit, it is only a matter of time before you win.
Many times, we miss out on God’s best because we gave up too soon. And some of the times we feel the need to give up, may have been when we were closest to our victory.
If we don’t get answers to our prayers immediately, we often get tempted to stop praying. But then oftentimes too that could have been the point when the tides were just about to turn. The truth is that you are never a failure until you quit. Persistence eventually wears down resistance, this is why you should not give up no matter the trials that sometimes come your way.

2 Corinthians 4:17 [NLT] says “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!”

Indeed to see the manifestation of glory in our lives we must be persistent. Do you know that a little acorn eventually becomes a mighty oak tree, when it refuses to give up? Likewise, to manifest as sons of God we must persist through the process of growth.
No matter what we go through, it is all working for our good. In every situation, let’s continually bless God and let His praise always be on our lips.
As we draw close to the end of this year, some people may feel tempted to become weary because they have not yet seen the kind of results they had hoped for. But then never forget that we serve the God of 11th hour miracles.
God is going to surprise you. You may have been digging for long, but suddenly, out of the ordinary, God will cause you to strike gold. God will exceed your expectations and amaze you with His goodness. You’ll see amazing favor, health and increase as God causes His blessings to flow towards you. But the secret is never to give up. Keep trusting God in all situations. Surely, if you don’t quit, you will eventually win.

PRAYER; Lord I thank You for granting me the grace to keep pressing forward. By Your grace I will not be discouraged nor give up. And as I keep praising You, I know indeed my miracle is on the way in Jesus Name.

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QUOTE
When you praise God despite your situation power is released for a raise. WORDBITE 222..

Romans 8:19-21 “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God…”

DAILY READING; Luke 20:1-26; Genesis 35:1-36:43; Psalm 27

Hollywood actress and singer, Brenda Epperson is well known as a Christian. She has starred in films on HBO and has also appeared on a host of other networks including TBN and CNN. She has also maintained a fruitful music career. Though she has been a Christian for long, her faith became greatly tested when her family moved to a new home in California.

From the day they moved in, she felt an inexplicable urge to pray over every inch of the property. And for a year and a half she would often wake up and walk around the property, declaring God’s promises over the property. She also wrote Scriptures of protection on wooden stakes and put them around the property.

On November 8th, 2018, the Woolsey Fire, broke out and began to consume Los Angeles and Ventura counties, taking lives and hundreds of homes in its wake. When it became unsafe and the police insisted everyone evacuate, Brenda and her family had to flee to a friend’s house in Burbank. Over the news Brenda and her family watched as the hills around their home burned with fire. Though it seemed their home was gone in the fire, Brenda chose faith over fear. After a couple of days, Brenda and her husband decided to venture back home. When they got to their neighborhood, there was just smoke everywhere. However, when they came to their home, they were amazed. They saw that the fire had burned the entire mountain all the way down, but the fire had stopped just at the edge of their fence. It did not cross over into their compound. While the fire had devastated the environment around them, their home was safe and totally untouched.

On seeing this, Brenda fell on her knees in awe of God. Ever since, she has been publicly sharing this amazing testimony of God’s divine exemption.

From Scriptures we understand that the last days will be times of disasters and difficulties in the world.
Malachi 4: 1-4 says that they will be days that will burn as oven on the earth, however in the midst of these fiery days, those that fear God will be exempted.

Indeed while the last days may be difficult and perilous times for the world, God has a demarcation plan for His people. The same way He exempted the Israelites from the plagues of Egypt, God shall be separating the redeemed from the evils of the end-times. In the midst of the darkness the sons of God will be shinning as lights. They will dominate their environment and their cases will be different.

Romans 8:19-21 says: “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God…”

The manifestation of the sons of God will be the manifestation of glory. In the midst of the gross darkness in the world, our light will so shine with glorious testimonies and good works, that men will continually glorify God. However what we believe is what we will receive. This is why as this year draws to a close we need to build up our faith and trust that the year will surely end in glory for us.

Today is the first day of October, which marks the beginning of the last three months of the year. It was within three months that God changed the story of Obededom. [2 Samuel 6]. Likewise in these remaining three months, God’s goodness will indeed distinguish us. Just as Obededom brought the ark of the Lord into his house, and was blessed beyond measure, as we take our service in God’s house to a new level, God will indeed surprise us. God’s hand will be so evident upon our lives that men will truly wonder. Though the world may be complaining of disaster and difficulty, we will be celebrating the goodness of God. By the Blood of Jesus, the anointing to finish well and strong will come upon us. Indeed through the mighty manifestations of God, we will become a sign and wonder to our world.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the great and amazing things You are set to do in my life in this new month. I thank You for unprecedented blessings and favor. Surely, my expectations to see glory this year will speedily come to pass, in Jesus Name.

Quote
Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will set you free.-WORDBITE 222