HORM Devotional

Hebrews 12:1

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us..

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

Having the proper attire is crucial for a marathon race. For comfort and performance, having the right gear is very important. In such a long race wearing even the wrong fabrics can cause chafing and blisters, which can cause discomfort, distract you and negatively affect your performance. Also carrying extra weight during a race will hinder and slow down your movement. Therefore good, proper running gear is very important. It’s a long race and you don’t need anything to distract or slow you down.

The race of life is similar, you don’t need weights and distractions, Rather you need to run focusing on the Word of God. It is a race we run with patience.  And patience means waiting upon The Lord, to hear from Him before we take any significant step. We do not rush into battles or quickly take rash decisions, we first of all patiently wait upon The Lord to hear what He will say to us. And as we hear, we then take actions.

Jesus said in John 5:30 ‘I can of my own self do nothing as I hear I judge’.

For us to run successfully the race of life, we must learn to wait upon God to receive His guidance. Those who lack the patience to wait in The Word and hear the next instruction are prone to run into ditches in life. But divine instruction delivers from death and destruction.  Not every open door is for you. Hear first what God is saying before you make a move. Some so called ‘open doors’ could be traps in disguise. So depending only on your physical senses and your wisdom is not enough to guarantee you will not fall into a trap. Do not be in a hurry, take time to seek God.   Depend on the guidance of The Holy Spirit, He is The one who knows the end from the beginning and is able to search out the secrets of men’s hearts. Let Him guide you in all your decisions, and as you follow His guidance you can be sure you will end well in this race of life. .

PRAYER:  Lord please grant me the patience to wait upon you so as to receive instructions on what next to do. Please enable me to always adhere to scriptural instructions as I run this race of life in Jesus Name. 

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

II Chronicles 20:12 ‘For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee”

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

Kenneth Hagin was born with a deformed heart and an incurable blood disease. He was so sickly as a child that doctors said due to his illness he was not expected to live long. And so Kenneth Hagin began to prepare early for Heaven. As a child he made his commitment to Christ and was baptized with water.  And by age nine he thought he had done all that was necessary to get him a place in heaven. At age 15, he became bedridden. A couple  of years later, in April 1933 he had a dramatic conversion experience, dying three times in 10 minutes, each time seeing the horrors of hell and then returning to life. However, on August 8, 1934 he was miraculously raised from his deathbed by the Power of God based on  the revelation of faith in God’s Word.  Two years later he preached his first sermon as the pastor of a small community church in Roland, Texas. And going on from there he would eventually  become a well known preacher and head an international ministry that spanned the globe.

It is indeed amazing how God marvelously turned Kenneth Hagin’s life around. With all the challenges lined up against Kenneth Hagin, even from birth, no one would have ever thought he could have risen to the great height he did in life and ministry. But he succeeded by God’s help despite the odds against him.  Indeed there is no opposition that can hinder a man who is being helped by God.

The story of man is battle from the womb to the tomb, from the cradle to the grave. This is why we need the help of God every inch of the way. . Many people, called to achieve great things, failed simply due to failure to acknowledge divine help, thinking they could achieve success on their own, they underestimated the greatness of the opposition against man. Indeed we need divine help to make it in life. And one way to engage divine help is through praise.

When King Jehoshaphat was faced with a  battle greater than him, he engaged divine help through praise. In II Chronicles 20:12 he prayed ‘For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee”

And when they tuned to praise, God took over their battles and gave them victory. Praise is the spiritual medium through which God takes over our battles. When the battles of life look stronger than your strength, learn to hand things over to God through praise. Praise stirs God into action. Praise provokes God’s Presence. And God’s presence is our only ark of safety. Proverbs 18:10 tells us that The name of The Lord is a strong tower, which the righteous run into and are safe.  In the journey of life we need to continually shelter in the strong tower of God’s Presence. We need to continually engage divine Presence through praise so that by God’s help we can eventually arrive at our glorious destiny.

Perhaps, as a believer you have been trying your best to succeed and things have not worked the way you anticipated. Well, today, it doesn’t matter what may have been hindering your progress or the forces arrayed against you, you can forcefully turn things around through high praises. Through praise you can hand your battles over to God! And when God takes over, it is a walkover. As you engage in clamorous praise today, you will provoke God’s manifold presence that will deliver your desired victory to you in Jesus Name.

PRAYER: Lord, Please help me to maintain a praise-full lifestyle, so that I can engage your help to overcome the oppositions against me. I know that with Your help every opposition against my glorious destiny has been silenced forever in Jesus Name. 

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When we fight by God’s help we are sure of victory.    WORDBITE 222.

Gal. 6:7-8

“Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that will he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap life everlasting

DAILY READING –     Matthew 27:1-31; Deuteronomy 5-6; Job 6

According to a 17-year study reported in the journal Science, adolescents who often watch aggression on television are more likely to commit aggressive and violent acts when they become adults. The study, which began in 1983 tracked more than 700 adolescents from when they were 14 years till they reached 30 years of age. The study established a link between aggressive media and aggressive behavior. These findings have prompted the call for more parental control over children’s exposure to violent scenes in the media. Indeed since 1946, when television broadcasting began, fears about the negative influence of television  have often been voiced.  One study in the early 1960’s shocked the public by showing that children shown a TV program of adults beating a toy clown, ended up manifesting the same behavior. Over the years, other research evidence has been accumulating that suggests that exposure to violence in media increases the risk of violent behavior on the viewer’s part.

The truth is that what constantly enters your heart though your eye gates and ear gates eventually dominates you and controls your actions. The law of the mind is that what you put in is what you get out.

Gal. 6:7-8 says “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that will he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap life everlasting’

What you sow is what you reap.  And as a man thinks in his heart so is he. It then becomes important that we be careful the things that are going into our minds.

Every seed sown must find expression.  Some people watch immoralities on television, and then turn around and wonder why they struggle with those temptations. If you don’t want the fruit, then don’t sow the seed.   What you don’t want, don’t watch, or listen to. Because there is nothing hid that shall not be made manifest. You cannot sow fleshly things into your mind and then expect to reap a spiritual harvest.  God has given us the ability to control what we sow and thereby control what we reap.

Jesus said, by their fruits you shall know them. A child or adult produces the fruit of the seed sown in the heart.

Luke 6:45 says “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

The question then is; what is in your heart? Is it good treasure or evil treasure?

When we sow the treasure of The Word of God into our hearts, our lives blossom into an enviable treasure on the earth. The harvest of your tomorrow depends on the seed you sow today. In fact, what you are experiencing now, is due to the kind of seed you sowed in the past. Let us therefore endeavor  to always sow the right seeds.

Luke 8:10-11; says ‘The seed is the word of God’

When we sow The Word of God in our hearts we reap the fruit of signs and wonders in our lives.  God’s Word is pregnant with wonders.

Psalms 119:18 says ‘Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law’..

When you fill your heart with The Word of God your life becomes a wonder on earth. Instead of filling our hearts with chaff from social media or other media, let us rather commit to filling our minds with the precious seed of The Word of God, so that we can reap a harvest of the wonders of God in our lives.

PRAYER: Lord, Please grant me the grace to fill my heart constantly with Your Word. May I have a renewed desire and appetite to constantly sow Your Word into my heart so that I can reap a harvest of signs and wonders in Jesus Name. .  

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

Exodus 12:13  ‘When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.’

DAILY READING     – Matthew 26:47-75; Deuteronomy 3-4; Job 5

The greatest evangelist of the Twentieth Century, was believed to be Billy Graham. And the greatest evangelist before him of the Nineteenth Century was believed to be Dwight L. Moody. Both men shared a common trait. On different occasions they were criticized for preaching about the power in the Blood of Jesus. When Billy Graham was getting started in ministry, a professor from Cornell University wrote him a letter and said, “Mr. Graham, you have great talent, and you have what it takes to be a successful minister. But if you want to continue to be successful, you are going to have to leave out the preaching on the blood. It is out of date and no enlightened man of the Twentieth Century will swallow it.”

Also when Dwight L. Moody started preaching, a woman wrote him a letter and said, “Brother Moody, if you want to be effective, you are going to have to leave out that blood stuff.” However both men when opposed about preaching about the  Blood determined rather to preach more on the blood of Jesus Christ than ever before. The opposition only strengthened their belief in the power and efficacy of The Blood, because they knew the enemy only fought what he feared.

Indeed the enemy is concerned about the preaching of The Blood. This is because the Blood of Jesus is one weapon the enemy has no answer or solution to. The children of Israel were terribly oppressed by pharaoh. Then in promising them deliverance God said in Exodus 11:1 ‘Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.’

And after the mystery of the Blood was applied, the Bible records that the siege of captivity over the Israelites was broken. Though Israel had been in captivity for hundreds of years, by the the mystery of the Blood, their immediate deliverance was secured. In the same way it doesn’t matter how long you may have been harassed or troubled by the forces of wickedness, when you invoke the Blood of Jesus against your oppressors, your deliverance is guaranteed. Though some situations may appear physically intimidating, don’t be frightened but rather focus on the truth of God’s word that says that you are an overcomer by the Blood of Jesus.  This is the high standpoint of the Christian faith. It doesn’t matter the pharaoh that may have been oppressing your life or how long the oppression may have lasted, once the blood is invoked every such oppression must come to an end. This is because the enemy has no defense against the weapon of The Blood. This is why he tries to stop believers from knowing the power that lies therein. But when we understand the worth of the Blood, and invoke it in battle, then we can silence every pharoah. Always remember that the battle is not ours but the Lord’s. This is why you do not confront the devil with human wisdom, rather, you confront him with the mystery of the Blood of Jesus Christ. In the blood is our victory. It is by the blood that our rest from every oppression is secured. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ When we come to Jesus through His blood, then we obtain rest from troubles and problems of life.

Exodus 12:13 says ‘when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.’

Once the mark of the blood is upon our lives, every trouble, problems and evil harassment must stay away from us because as Revelation 12:11 says, we are overcomers by the blood of the Lamb.

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me a deeper revelation of the power that is in The Blood of Jesus. And as I begin to invoke the power in The Blood against every oppression, I thank You Lord for granting me rest and victory 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  

JOHN 3:8  KJV

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

DAILY READING •          – Matthew 26:26-46; Deuteronomy 1-2; Job 4

The issue of bird migration is a great biological mystery.  It is amazing that birds can migrate, for thousands of miles, sometimes cross entire continents, and still return back to the exact same spot where they took off from. Often times when we see birds in our backyards we may have no idea these birds may have just returned from an overseas trip. Millions of migratory birds make epic journeys between their breeding and wintering grounds every year. Some of them in their life span, cover millions of miles, completing some of the longest flights known to science.

A famous experiment showed the ability of birds to find the right direction: A specie of  migrating birds called Starlings were caught in large numbers in the Netherlands. Scientists already knew that these birds were travelling from the north-east, and would reach southern England and northern France. They were transported south to Switzerland. Here they were marked, so that they would be reported if found, and then released: Yet they somehow they found the right direction and migrated back to their destinations. On a long journey, humans need at least a map and a compass to find their way—a map for route and distance, and a compass to stay on course. Yet it is amazing that these birds can travel thousands of miles without any gadget and still locate their exact destination. Humans have studied  the phenomenon of bird migration for  thousands of  years. And in recent times, scientists have begun to grasp a bit of how birds may manage such a feat. They are finding that some bird  species are born with migration routes genetically encoded in their brains. In other words they have a kind of inborn inner vision and guidance  that leads them on these  flights.

Inner vision is a mystery not only in birds, but also in humans. It is  like a homing device that guides men to their destiny. It is often a puzzle how men, though vision, can arise out of seemingly impossible situations,  to greatness.  The Bible abounds with such examples; Joseph, Moses,  David, Daniel, Esther, all rose from very obscure backgrounds to arrive at great destinies. This is what The guidance of The Holy Spirit does.

Jesus said in John 3:8 ‘The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.’

Everyone born of The Spirit moves like the wind. People just hear the sound, they hear the news of the great happenings around him, but cannot understand how it is being accomplished. A man being guided by The Spirit, is unfathomable. You cannot predict his movements. He is unstoppable. He is headed for the top.  He may not look like it at the moment, but he is on his way there. It is only a matter of time before he arrives.

Inner vision is the light that leads men out of the darkness. Inner vision gives you the faith to ignore the physical symptoms of sickness and claim divine health. It makes you declare there is a lifting up, when men say there is a casting down. Inner vision shows you the way out of every challenge, it enables you to see God at work despite negative circumstances. This is what makes you to count it all joy, despite the trials. vision enables you to see the invisible and do the impossible. Indeed where no vision is the people perish, but where there is vision,the people flourish.

It is the entrance of God’s Word that gives light.  His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. When you are connected to The Word, you are no longer walking by sight, but by faith. It really doesn’t matter where you may be right now, once you can see beyond your present situation through the light of The Holy Spirit, victory is sure. To arrive at our destiny of greatness let us walk by The light of The Spirit. Let us seek His guidance. As we study The Word, from within He will begin to show us which way to go, and as we follow, we are sure to arrive at our glorious destination.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to walk by faith and not by sight. Show me the way to the great destiny you have  for me. Please guide me by Your Spirit until I arrive at the greatness You have preordained for me in Jesus Name. .

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

Romans 1:16 KJV

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

DAILY READING –Matthew 26:1-25; Numbers 35-36; Job 3

In the eighteenth-century Anglican clergyman George Whitefield was an outstanding preacher. He was one of the spearheads of the Great Awakening, which was a period of massive renewal of interest in Christianity across Western societies and a time of significant church growth. Whitefield was a riveting orator and is considered one of the greatest preachers in church history. He was also a man who decided to pour himself out for The Gospel of Jesus Christ. From his first outdoor sermon on February 17, 1739, at the age of 24 until his death 30 years later on September 30, 1770,, his life was one of almost daily preaching. Sober estimates are that he spoke about 1,000 times every year for 30 years. That included at least 18,000 sermons and 12,000 talks and exhortations to congregations numbering from 20,000 to 30,000. He preached almost six hours a day, seven days a week The daily pace he kept for 30 years meant that many weeks he was speaking more than he was sleeping.

He was a phenomenon not just of his age, but in the history of Christianity. There has been nothing like the combination of his preaching pace and geographic extent and auditory scope and attention-holding effect and converting power.

George Whitefield died at the age of 56 years. He preached even until the point of his death. He had just preached to a great congregation in Newburyport, Massachusetts, who followed him to his lodgings, urging him to preach again. Standing on the steps, with a candle in his hand, he preached until the candle flickered out. Then he went upstairs and died. He was buried there in the church, his grave today is beneath the pulpit of the Presbyterian church in  Newburyport, Massachusetts. Indeed he gave his all and  poured out all that was in him until his last breath.

We may not have to live as dramatically as he lived and died, but the lesson to be learned is that we are to give our all to The Lord. God requires us to love Him with all our heart, soul and mind.

In Ephesians 1:21 Paul said   ‘For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain’

Paul’s central passion in life was that Christ will be honored and magnified. For him, to live is to show that Christ is magnificent. And this should be our central theme too. We must be on fire and burning for the world to see. It is the blazing fire of The Holy Ghost in us that can overcome the darkness of this endtime. Lukewarm Christianity will not do, we need to be as burning lights.  Our lights must be burning and our lions girded about.  Lev 6:13 says the fire shall ever be burning upon the altar, it shall never go out. 

We are required to be spiritually on fire at all times. We must keep our lights constantly burning for the world to see. It is this burning light of the Gospel that will lead men out of the dark regions of sin and bondage to seek the true light of Christ.

Moderate Christianity will produce moderate results, and extreme Christianity will produce extreme results.  God must be Lord of all or not Lord at all.  Seeking God first has to be the priority. The place of God in our heart determines our placing upon the earth.

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

You cannot make God first, and become the last. If you will let Him get the throne of your heart, He will secure a throne for you on the earth. When you are lost in His will, He will be lost in your welfare. Indeed let today mark a new beginning in our quest for God. Let fresh fire be ignited in our hearts. Beloveth, stop living for things and start living for God! All you need is to seek first the kingdom of God, and every other thing will fall into place.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to make You priority in everything, as I travel in this journey of life. Please keep my heart always panting after You and the affairs of Your Kingdom, May my zeal for You never wane 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.

John 1:12

‘for as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become sons of God

• DAILY READING        Matthew 25; 31-46; Numbers 32-34; Job 2

Former US President John F. Kennedy, in 1962 made a famous speech championing efforts to go to the Moon. In this speech he compared the power of a rocket to the power generated when “10,000 cars are being driven at such extreme speed that their accelerators are pushed to the floor.’ That is indeed great power! And it is through such great force that a rocket is able to launch into space. In science ‘escape velocity’ is the speed an object needs to break away or escape from the pull of gravity.

On the earth, the force of gravity pulls everything downward. Therefore for any object to go up, it needs great speed and a huge amount of energy to escape this pull of gravity.

The same holds true spiritually; to go up, we need great power. In other words, the power pulling us up, has to be greater than the force pushing us down.

It is only by the exercise of great power that we can overcome the forces of the enemy. Psalm 66:3  says “Through the greatness of thy power shall thy enemy submit themselves unto thee.”

Indeed life is a warfare. And it is our power level that determines our level of dominion. The greater your power, the more you can dominate.

To fly high on the eagle’s flight, we need supernatural empowerment. And Supernatural empowerment answers to our study of The Word of God and an effectual prayer life.

In Acts 6:4 the disciples declared “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” And the effect of this was that power kept on erupting, resulting in miracles, signs ad wonders!

We are in the last days which are the days of God’s power. As such, every child of God is empowered to operate in the realms of supernatural exploits. John 1:12 says ‘for as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become sons of God.’

With salvation comes a level of power, but we need to keep increasing that power, because the battles of life are getting hotter everyday. In the school of power, power is in degrees.

Though, Jesus was anointed without measure, yet He kept going to the mountain of prayer to increase His power.

We increase our power through a strong prayer life and study of The Word of God.

It is our depth in the Word that determines our level of dominion. You can’t dominate the world until you are dominated by God through His Word. Staying in the word of God will make you to be on top of the world. To fly high, we must therefore determine to pay the required price of spending time in The Word of God and maintaining a fervent prayer life.

PRAYER: Lord, Please grant me a renewed desire for Your Word and prayer, so that I can be empowered to fly to the great heights You have ordained for me this year in Jesus Name.  

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The study of The Word will keep  shame and disgrace far from you.

Ecclesiastes 7:8   ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit’.

DAILY READING – – Matthew 25:1-30; Numbers 30-31; Job 1

Psychological warfare was strongly employed by the Japanese during World War 2 to target American servicemen. Radio, a technology in its infancy then, became a prominent part of war propaganda. And one of the most famous examples was an on-air propagandist  well-known then as“Tokyo Rose.”

“Tokyo Rose” was the name given by American GI’s to a group of female, English-speaking broadcasters who served as propaganda agents on behalf of the Japanese. With the aim of encouraging American sailors to give up and go home, Tokyo Rose would tell of Japanese victories and America’s defeats. This female Radio propagandists succeeded  in discouraging many American service men.

At the end of the war, the search for “Tokyo Rose” began. It became a sensational story in the United States. Two reporters eventually tracked down one Japanese American, Iva Toguri, who had participated in the broadcasts. Although her role was minimal, American courts still convicted Toguri of treason and put her in jail for almost thirty years before she received a presidential pardon.

The reason she was given such a harsh treatment was because the demoralizing effect of her propaganda was a very lethal weapon that adversely affected the American troops.

Indeed the battle of the mind is real. And interestingly psychological warfare existed even in biblical times. When Goliath challenged the Israeli army for 40 days his attack was targeted against their minds. In First Samuel 17, Goliath, would come out and shout threats and insults toward the Israelites, trying to intimidate them. This worked because the Israelites fled before him each time he appeared. For 40 days the Israelites were tormented, they were intimidated, worried and living in fear. But one day, a young man showed up named David. He had a secret weapon. He knew how to praise and he knew the Word of God. And instead of listening silently to Goliath’s harassing words he spoke back in faith. He told Goliath he would bring down his head in the Name of The Lord. And that was what happened.

And today, it is time to bring down the head of every Goliath mocking your destiny. Filling our hearts with The Word of God is the way to overcome. We are asked to take up the shield of faith wherewith we can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And faith comes by hearing and hearing The Word. On the mount of temptation, Jesus overcame by firing back the Word of God against the enemy’s attack. Perhaps the enemy may have been attacking your mind with thoughts of fear, trying to intimidate and discourage you, telling you that you will never make it, bringing fears about your health, finances, future etc.

Well stop listening to his negative words silently. It is time to attack back in faith with God’s Word. Perhaps the enemy has told you that today is the first day of December, the last month, and that it is too late for you to make further progress this year. Well reply in faith and declare that God’s Word in Ecclesiastes 7:8 says ‘Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof’

Indeed you are in the better part of the year. Though it may be the last month, it is your best month. And  in this last month you will see the kind of favor you have not seen since the beginning of the year.  In this month of December God will deck you with new colors and greater beauty. He will shew you a token for good. God will give you divine speed, He will give you beauty for ashes and make a way for you where there seems to be no way. Indeed you shall finish strong and finish well in Jesus Name. 

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to focus on Your Word instead of the happenings around me, I know that You are too faithful to fail and all Your promises to me this year will still surely come to pass in Jesus Name. .

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Illuminate your world for you are a star destined to shine. WORDBITE 222

Psalm 69:30-31 ‘‘I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.

DAILY READING:   Matthew 24:32-51; Numbers 28-29; Song of Solomon 8:5-14 

Twice in the scriptures God says that in King David he had found ‘a man after my own heart.’. (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22). And a reflection of king David’s heart for God is recorded in 1 Chronicles 29:3, which states that he extravagantly prepared materials, over and above, intent on building a magnificent temple for God. And as a result of the abundant  provision David made available, the Temple his son King Solomon built is today, considered the most expensive building in human history!  Its total cost is well over half a billion dollars!  This is an unimaginable cost for one house, but that’s what the value comes to when you include  a total of over 108,002.5 talents of gold, 1,017,000 talents of silver, and greater quantities of bronze. This cost of course may appear crazy to people in modern times; But its extravagance, perhaps also reflects David’s extravagant love for God.

David loved God deeply and ended up a trans-generational celebrity, immortalized by God in history.  David is arguably the most celebrated individual in Israelite history, even in modern times.  No wonder the Jewish badge is the Shield of David. His shield is also the centerpiece of Israel’s flag, and his tomb is a place of pilgrimage, Jerusalem is the City of David, and the city’s best hotel is named after him and stands in King David Street.

1 Corinthians 2:9 says ‘It is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him’.  

Those that truly love God become celebrated on the earth. Every certified lover of God ends up as a living wonder. God is a God of love.  And He wants love to be the real motivation in our relationship and our service to Him.

1 Corinthians 13 makes it clear that whatsoever we do outside of love in service to God, it will profit us nothing. God wants us to serve Him  out of the overflow of the love for Him already in our heart. When we love God our aim will be to please Him always. And one key way we please God is through Thanksgiving and praise. David was also a man who greatly praised God. And in Psalm 69:30-31 he says ‘‘I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.’

Let us learn to love God totally and also give expression to that love through continual praise.  And as the year rounds up, we need to deliberately sit down and count our blessings and praise God for all His goodness. No matter what you may have passed through this year, God is the only reason why you survived and still continue to survive. Indeed it is of The lord’s mercies that you were not consumed. And as long as long as you are joined to the living there is still hope for you. So on this last day of November, let us look back to the days gone by and deliberately bless God for all His goodness and mercies. Indeed God is good and worthy of our extravagant love and praise. 

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to love You totally, please birth afresh in my heart a deep and abiding love for You. And also grant me the grace to give expression to that love through the continual flow of Your praise from my lips in Jesus Name. 

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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.

Psalms 46:10  ‘Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth’.

DAILY READING  Matthew 24:1-31; Numbers 25-27; Song of Solomon 6:4-8:4

In North Africa, Islam is the dominant religion and oftentimes in these countries, persecutions arise against Christians. During one of these times of persecution, a believer, named Frederick Nolan, was fleeing from his enemies. As he ran he was pursued by them over hills and valleys with no place to hide. Finally, he fell exhausted into a wayside cave, expecting his enemies to find him at any moment and kill him.

Awaiting his death, he saw a spider weaving a web by the mouth of the cave. Within minutes, the little bug had woven a beautiful web across the mouth of the cave. When the pursuers arrived and saw the cave, they wondered if Nolan was hiding there, but when they saw the unbroken and unmangled piece of spider web covering the mouth of the cave, they concluded he couldn’t be there. They  thought it impossible for him to have entered the cave without dismantling the web. And so not intending to waste any further time lest he escape they rent on past the cave and continued running hoping to catch him. When he was sure, they were gone, Frederick Nolan burst out of the cave, and realized how God has used a tiny spider to save his life. He would later say “Where God is, a spider’s web is like a wall, and where God is not, a wall is like a spider’s web.”

Indeed God can use anything or anyone to deliver us from the enemy. We just need to be still and trust in Him to see His salvation.

Psalms 46:10 says ‘Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth’.

There are times in life we may find our backs against the wall. At such times, it seems we may not know what else to do, But God is an ever present help in the time of trouble. And no matter how tough things may look, He is able to make a way of escape out of every temptation.

So despite the raging storm, stand still and know that He is God. Despite the closeness of Pharaoh and his troops, stand, and know that you are serving a miracle working God. He is the God who makes a way where there seems to be no way. He is the God who can close the mouth of lions, He moves mountains and causes walls of Jericho to fall. Stand, knowing that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Stand, knowing that with every temptation God will surely make a way of escape for you.  He will deliver you from every temptation of financial troubles, sickness, troubles, trials etc. Stand, knowing that it cannot be over until God says so.

Jehovah indeed has the final say. He is the man of war with whom nothing is impossible. He is the God of all flesh and nothing is ever too hard for him. He can do exceedingly abundantly above all you could ever ask or think. So no matter how the storm rages, stand, knowing that you serve a God who can calm every storm. He raises a standard against the flood and makes a path through the mighty waters. Therefore learn to declare His faithfulness even in the midst of your trouble. Judge Him faithful even in the midst of your trials. Never mind what may be happening, keep looking at what is written in God’s Word, because what is written will eventually control what is happening.

So it doesn’t matter what it may look like right now, know of a surety, that as long as you keep looking to Jesus, the red sea will never swallow you. The storm will not stop you and the billows will not blow you away. When all is said and done, you will still be standing. So learn to trust God even when you cannot trace Him. Learn to follow Him even when you cannot fathom Him, learn to keep holding on to Him, no matter what comes. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. He will be your ever present help in the time of your need. He will arise for you, He will prevail for you. He will surely see you through. Indeed He will perfect all that concerns you. He will put a new song in your mouth and set your feet upon the solid rock.

PRAYER: Lord, Please help me to know that You are always there to deliver me. No matter what I may face in life,  I know I have the victory,  because You  will always cause me to triumph in Jesus Name.  ….

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The battle you are faced with today is a good warfare because God has already foreordained  victorious end for you.