HORM Devotional

Deutronomy 2:2 
Moses speaking said ‘And the LORD spake unto me, saying, 3 Ye have compassed this mountain long enough:  turn you northward.’ 

• DAILY READING  1 Corinthians 14:1-25; 2 Kings 8; Jonah 3

At the 1936 Olympics, Owens was easily the most dominant athlete to compete. He captured four gold medals (the 100 meter, the long jump, the 200 meter and the 400-meter relay) and broke two Olympic records along the way.  Owens’ world record for the broad jump would last 25 years before being broken.

Yet Jesse Owens started out in life with virtually  nothing. The son of a sharecropper and the grandson of slaves, Jesse Owens was a frail child who was often sick from battles with chronic bronchial congestion and pneumonia. Still, he was expected to work, and at the young age of seven he was picking up to 100 pounds of cotton a day, to help his family put food on the table. When a teacher  suggested that he take up sports as a way for improving his poor health, the family could not afford a sporting equipment. But since, at least  he had his legs, he decided to put them to good use by running. The more he ran, the more his potentials as a good athlete began to manifest. 

At High School, Owens quickly made a name for himself as a nationally recognized sprinter, setting records in the 100 and 200-yard dashes as well as the long jump. After graduating, Owens enrolled at Ohio State University, where he continued to flourish as an athlete.

Indeed as he began to do what he could, with the little he had, God blessed his efforts.  

The 1936 Olympics, gave Owens the opportunity to greatly display his athletic ability. His stunning achievement of four gold medals, made him the best remembered athlete in Olympic history.

Yet, at the beginning, all Jesse had was his legs, but when he put them to good use, God multiplied his efforts.  

No matter how little or inconsequential your talent or ability, when you turn it over to God, it will become greatly multiplied. 

When the widow required Elijah’s help to pay off her husband’s creditor, so that her two boys would not become slaves, Elisha asked her, ‘Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

She said she had nothing except a jar of oil. However through God’s power, the oil was multiplied to meet all her needs. 

God has a grand plan for us this year. But for it to be accomplished, we have to entrust God with the little we have. 

When you are faithful in the  little, God will see to it that it becomes much.

Having come into the second month of the year, it is time for us to begin to move in the definite direction of God’s will.

In Deutronomy 2:2 Moses speaking said ‘And the LORD spake unto me, saying, Ye have compassed this mountain long enough:  turn you northward.’ 

God was asking them to stop going around in circles. It is time to go forward. We are in the year of the Eagle’s flight. And it is time to go forward. The race to the top has started. You can’t afford to be a spectator. January has gone and today marks the beginning of the second month. No matter how little what you have, as you turn it over to God, He will multiply it exceedingly.  

And one way to engage God’s multiplying ability is through the force of praise. You gain altitude through expressing gratitude. You’ll never drop in altitude unless you drop in gratitude.
Make up your mind that this is your year. It is your turning point year and season of forward movement. Therefore, don’t be deterred by any discouraging situation that may surround you. No matter how difficult or impossible the  circumstance, you can still overcome and move forward. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to soar even in the storm. 

Turn your worry into worship and watch God turn your battles into blessings. And as you engage the force of praise, God will turn every  test into a testimony for you in Jesus Name. 

PRAYER: Lord, please give me the wisdom to utilize the gifts and talents that You have given me. As I make the most of what is available, please do for me exceedingly, abundantly above all I could ever ask or imagine in Jesus Name. 
QUOTE 

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

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK REJOICE] 

Psalm 34:1 

I will bless The Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth…
• DAILY READING – 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Kings 7:3-20; Jonah 2
Blair Monique Walker  is an American  Gospel singer and Radio host.  She has sung background vocals for gospel artists like Smokie Norful, Earnest Pugh, Ted Winn and Beverly Crawford. In 2017 she shared an incredible testimony of her encounter with God’s power. 

She was diagnosed with uterine cancer. Her doctors told her she needed a hysterectomy, which is a surgery to remove the uterus. This meant she would not be able to become pregnant in the future. Her surgery was scheduled for October 12th 2017.

During  that period, she was dealing with a great deal of physical pain, to the point where she could hardly get out of bed, nor go to church. This situation almost led her to depression. However, her husband, musician Terrence Walker tried to encourage her with words like, “If you’re sad it’s going to be bad.” 

Such words encouraged her to switch from sadness to gladness, and to keep trusting God no matter the situation. Though it wasn’t easy, she knew that praise would help her better than depression.  

She recalls praying to God while preparing for the surgery. When the day arrived for her to visit her surgeon for a pre-operative visit, she says something amazing happened. The purpose of the visit was for the surgeon to look at an ultrasound of Blair’s uterus to see the size of the cancerous growth. But the doctor was amazed by what he found.  There was no  tumor! And not only was the tumor gone, there was a baby growing in Blair’s uterus instead.  The doctor looked at her and said, ‘It looks like your God removed all of your tumors and left you with a baby,'” what an amazing testimony! God removed her uterine tumor and replaced it with a baby. 

Psalms 30:11-12  says ‘You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.’

Indeed God turned Blair’s mourning into dancing! 

Through praise, God replaces sadness with gladness. He transforms pain to gain. He takes failure and creates success!

Though challenges are real, they can also become raw material for a divine transformation that God will accomplish in our lives. Indeed the force of praise  provokes divine intervention. We escape misfortune and enter into favor when we praise God. God answers your adversaries in the midst of praise. 

When we praise God He brings a sudden change of story to us. In the case of Blair, God turned the tumor to pregnancy. Within the exercise of genuine praise is the release of genuine blessings. 

Like Blair’s husband told her, ‘if you are sad, it will be bad’. The more depressed you are, the more the enemy will oppress you. But when you turn to praise,  God’s Presence is engaged for your deliverance.  As we praise God, Romans 8:28  becomes a reality to us; ‘all things work together for good to them that love Him, and to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

You can praise your way out from every form of misfortune to favor.  As you begin to praise God, break down will be converted into breakthroughs. Therefore rather than allow frustration to occupy you, occupy God with your praise. Praise excites God. Therefore as you engage the force of praise, expect God to bring about a sudden change of story in your life. Your  defeat will be turned into victory. Indeed God will turn your mourning into dancing and your sorrow into joy in Jesus name. 
PRAYER: Lord, please help me to praise you despite any situation, let nothing ever stop the continual flow of your praise from my mouth.  As I praise You, I know You are turning my mourning into dancing; and my sorrow into joy 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. 

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK REJOICE] 

Mark 9:23
‘If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth”

• DAILY READING – 1 Corinthians 12; 2 Kings 6:1-7:2; Jonah 1

•

Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus is the man who discovered America, which was known then as the ‘New World,’. In 1492, he sailed from Europe to America. It was a voyage into the unknown. However after  Columbus’ discovery, other Europeans began to explore and settle in America. 

Before Columbus made his voyages, the Spaniards thought they had discovered all lands, and reached the outer limits of the earth. Thus their motto was “Ne Plus Ultra,” which means “No More Beyond.” 

However with his discovery of  new lands, Columbus changed all of that. 

It is remarkable that without any prior knowledge of the existence of new lands, Christopher Columbus decided to set sail to go beyond where other men had gone. On his first expedition to the Americas, he sailed 33 continuous days into the unknown. 

Historians have written about Columbus’ first voyage to America from many points of view. However what is importantly evident is the fact that Columbus was guided by the Spirit of God. It is amazing, that Christopher did not make a single false move in the entire voyage.

However on this first voyage, Columbus’ faith was greatly tested, because he was sailing into uncharted territory, relying only on divine guidance. He kept on going forward even though there seemed no sign of finding land. His crew who could not understand why he kept on sailing forward, instead of turning back after many days of not seeing land, threatened to kill him. The threatened mutiny took place on Wednesday, 10 October 1492, after they had been at sea for over 31 days without seeing land. The sailors, who had been concealing their discontent, now openly threatened insurrection. They had come to believe that Columbus, had deceived them; and was taking them on a journey from which they would never return. The sailors conspired to do away with their leader, and throw him into the sea. Yet, Columbus, by using gentle words, and holding out promises, sought to gain time. As he succeeded in calming their fears, he promised the men that they would return if they did not sight land within two or three days. Columbus’ faith in God remained strong.  

Then just two days later, at about 2am in the morning on 12th  October, the fleet sighted land for certain. The men excitedly shouted “Tierra! tierra!” meaning land! 

One can only imagine the gratitude and relief they all must have felt, after more than a month of anxious days at sea, when their eyes first saw this obscure little island in the middle of the tropical Caribbean Sea. It goes without saying that the crews were ecstatic and their respect and admiration for the Columbus soared.

For Columbus, this historic sighting was a rendezvous with destiny. He had proven, in spite of mounting opposition and a lack of faith on the part of his crew, that it was possible to sail westward across the great Atlantic, and find the new lands beyond.

Due to his discovery of the new lands Christopher Columbus would enjoy great fame and worldwide acclaim. 

Many years later after the death of Columbus in May 1506, in remembrance of the great explorer, the Spaniards erected a monument. The most interesting feature of the memorial is a statue of a lion destroying one of the Latin words that had been part of Spain’s motto for centuries. Their motto was “Ne Plus Ultra,” which means “No More Beyond.” The word being torn away by the lion is “ne” or “no,” making it read “Plus Ultra.” Meaning ‘more beyond’. This was to honor 

Columbus who through his discovery of the new world , had proven indeed that there was “more beyond.’’
Indeed we should never come to the place where we draw a line and decide we have seen all there is to see. We cannot limit God. 

God is always moving forward. And there is more beyond. God is able to do exceedingly above all we could ever ask or think. 
According to human expectations men may think they have seen all there is to see about us and declared ‘no more beyond.’  But then with God , nothing is impossible. There is no limit to what God can still do with our lives.

Regardless of what you may have seen so far, the truth is- Your Greatest Days Are Ahead. You have not reached your full potential. The work God began in you He will finish. What God started in you He will complete!

When men think it is over that’s when God likes to take over.

Maybe you are in the middle of a trial, an affliction, or a setback that you cannot see any way out of. You may be in the midst of the greatest battle of your life. But always remember, that your destiny is greater than your disaster. There is more beyond. 

What God has said He will do in your life, He will surely do.  Do not allow men to place a limit or a seal over your destiny. Do not let them limit what your God can do. Do not let your situation or circumstances limit you. God is not man that He should lie, nether the son of man that He should repent. 

Indeed there are greater things ahead. God is not through with you yet. 

God didn’t bring you this far to forsake you. He has too much invested in you to give up on you now. 

Hebrews 12:2 Says “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

To fulfill destiny we must despise present challenges and keep our eyes on Jesus. There is nothing impossible to God.  If you want to live your life with your potential maximized to the fullness, you must not limit God.

Everything may be rising up against you. Yet do not limit God. He is able to deliver by many or by few. It doesn’t matter what may have happened, it is not over until God says so. 

And if you have experienced a setback, it is only positioning you for a comeback! The road to destiny consists of endings and beginnings, setbacks, and comebacks. A door shut means a door is about to open. An ending only means that there is getting ready to be a new beginning. Indeed greater things are ahead.

We’re in the last days, the time of the latter glory and the days of the heavier glory. And in this season, God will be operating with divine speed in lifting his people. Therefore begin to believe God for great things. Whatever you believe is possible. In Mark 9:23, Jesus said ‘If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth”

We are serving the God of miracles to whom nothing is impossible. Therefore do not limit what God can do in your life. The path of the just shines brighter and brighter. Therefore there is a brighter future ahead for you. Indeed there is more beyond, waiting for you. 

PRAYER: Father please enable me to believe You  for great things in my life. Help me never to limit You, for indeed You can do exceedingly abundantly above all I could ever ask or imagine. Thank You Lord for the amazing things You have in store for me this year 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. 

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS] 

Psalm 46:1-2  KJV

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

DAILY READING1 Corinthians 11:17-34; 2 Kings 5; Obadiah 1

George Washington, America’s first president,  was a man of prayer who greatly enjoyed divine protection from God. He was never even wounded in battle.  God’s hand was clearly upon his life.

Promoted to colonel in the colonial militia by his early 20s, Washington became an aide to the British, fighting the French in 1755.  Although his mother tried to dissuade him, he reminded her, “The God to whom you commended me,  defended me from all harm, and I trust He will do so now. ”  He was right. God continually fought for him in battles and defended him always. 

During the French and Indian War, Washington fought alongside British officers who refused to hide behind trees like their opponents.  In a battle on July 9, 1755,  British soldiers on horseback were being picked off by enemy bullets. But God’s hand of protection was on George Washington.  Horses were shot out from under him twice, but he was never injured.  When a volley of clear shots left  Washington untouched, an Indian warrior declared, “This man was not born to be killed by a bullet!”  An awe-struck Indian chief ordered his braves to cease firing. He said  “This one is under the special protection of the Great Spirit.”

In a letter to his brother, Washington gave glory to God for his deliverance.  He wrote in the letter ‘By the all powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat and two horses shot under me yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me.”

When Washington revisited the area in 1770, an aged Indian chief told how his warriors had fired in vain at Washington that day.  He told Washington, “A power mightier  than us shielded you.”  Then he prophesied:  “Listen!  The Great Spirit protects that man and guides his destinies – he will become the chief of nations and a people yet unborn will hail him as the founder of a mighty empire.  I am come to pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of Heaven and who can never die in battle.”

As God’s plan for him unfolded, Washington was elected commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775.  During the American Revolution, divine guidance and protection would become increasingly evident in his life, until eventually he became the first American president.
Indeed God protects those who trust in Him. Battles are real to life. Whether you like it or not, whether you are conscious of it or not, we are all involved in warfare, we are born into it. But as believers we don’t have any cause to worry, because God protects us and gives us victory.

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

Though battles of life are real, much more real is our victory and triumph in the faith.

The Psalmist states that while some trust in chariots and some in horses, we shall trust in the name of the Lord our God. Trusting in chariots and horses means putting trust in human abilities and capabilities, which is an empty trust. Only God can truly protect us in this perilous times.  As arrows of the wicked fly by day and by night, our only place of safety is in the Name of The Lord. 

Proverbs 21:31 says ‘The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.’ 

In other words our human effort and security systems set in place, are only the horses prepared against the day of battle. But true safety only comes from The Lord. If The Lord does not watch over the city, the watchmen are awake in vain. When God gives peace, who can make war? therefore our hope and trust should be in God alone. He alone can protect His people through the battles of life.  He, alone is able to keep us and cover our heads in the day of battle. 

Especially in this endtime, as the tempo of spiritual battles increase, this is the time to build up our relationship with God more than ever before. We should  continually bring our families under the covering of the blood of Jesus,  even as we maintain a fervent family prayer altar. We should take our family devotion times serious. Many Christians have testimonies of how members of their families were saved from evil because of the prayer covering they received before stepping out into the day. 

It doesn’t matter what people in the world may be experiencing our case is different. Because we are under the covenant of divine protection. We have the mark of the blood of the lamb, therefore we are exempted from afflictions of the Egyptians, just as the case of Goshen was different. God has promised that evil shall not befall us. Psalm 91 says that when we make The Lord our refuge a thousand will fall by our side and ten thousand at our right hand yet it will not come near us. Why? Because of God’s strong Presence. 

And one sure way of engaging and maintaining God’s Presence is through praise.

The name of The lord is a strong tower that the righteous run into and are safe. . 

David knew the secret of maintaining God’s Presence. This is why he gave himself to constant praise and despite all the bloody battles he fought he never lost any and was never wounded. It is therefore, time to engage a praiseful lifestyle so as to maintain God’s presence, that will ensure our continual defense in Jesus Name. .  
PRAYER: Lord, I thank you for your protection over me and my household in this trying times, by your grace we shall never be visited by any evil, in Jesus Name. .   

QUOTE 

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

 Adapted from the book, Faith Classics.

Psalm 124:6-8

‘Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth”

• DAILY READING: 1 Corinthians 9; 2 Kings 1-2; Amos 7.

It has been called the most daring rescue mission of all times. In July 1976, the Israeli military carried out a daring rescue operation that has become the reference point for many military operations around the world. 

 It all began on Sunday 27 June 1976, when terrorists hijacked an Air France flight from Tel Aviv to Paris, carrying 247 passengers and 12 crew. The  hijackers were terrorists affiliated to the Palestinian Liberation Organization [PLO]. 

Taking over the plane from the pilot, they flew to Uganda, where the Israeli passengers were held hostage by the Ugandan president Idi Amin. Non-Israeli passengers were released to go home, while the remaining 94 Israeli passengers were held captive. 

As soon as news of the hijacking broke in Israel, the military brass gathered in Tel Aviv, to find a solution. Since the Israeli government had a policy of “no talking to terrorists”, therefore the only option was to plan an immediate rescue operation. The hijackers had given Sunday as the deadline, after which they would start killing the Israeli passengers. 

However, in a matter of hours a daring rescue plan was formed. The future Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak, was the military intelligence officer who led the planning, while Yonathan Netanyahu, elder brother to the Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would lead the main operation. Divine providence began to play out, when it was discovered that Israeli soldiers had trained the Ugandan military including Idi Amin. Also an Israeli engineer who had been involved in the building of the Ugandan airport, where the hostages were kept,  provided the blueprint of the airport. 

On Saturday afternoon a force of more than 200 Israeli soldiers took off, bound for Entebbe, Uganda. To avoid radar, they flew extraordinarily low – at one point no more than 35ft off the ground. Arriving at Entebbe they had to land in the dark on the unlit runway. 

In a daring move, the Israeli soldiers overran the Ugandan soldiers guarding the hostages at the airport. With their understanding of the airport’s  blueprint, they were able to move quickly, shooting down the hijackers and reaching the hostages in time before any one of them could be killed. In all, the raid had lasted a total of only 99 minutes. The hostages were loaded into a plane and flown back to Israel.

The Israeli operation at Entebbe drew global admiration for the Israeli military. And from then on, Entebbe would become a byword for military daring. It is a subject taught and studied by armies around the world. And it motivated three blockbuster movies. 

However, it was a display of God’s divine wisdom and guidance upon His people. Though the terrorists had a water tight plan, what they didn’t know was that God had gone ahead to arrange a rescue. Crucial to the rescue operation was the information provided by the soldiers that trained the Uganda military and the engineer who had the blueprint of the Ugandan airport.  

Indeed it takes the wisdom of God to escape the trap of the wicked.

Psalm 119:98 says ‘Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies:’.

When the wisdom of God is at work in your life, you will be wiser than your enemies. It doesn’t matter where, how or when they gather against you, as long as you are guided by God’s wisdom you will always escape any trap. 

Psalm 124:6-8 says ‘Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth” 

We need the wisdom of God constantly operating in our lives, for us to successfully navigate through the narrow corridors of this world.  The bible lets us know the whole world lies in wicked and that the hearts of men are desperately wicked. That means, you cannot afford to walk only by sight or draw conclusions merely from facial expressions. We need the wisdom of God to escape and excel. 

And one of the ways of accessing divine wisdom is when we call unto God in the place of prayer. God has told those that lack wisdom to ask Him for it. 

Jeremiah 33:3 says ‘Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.’

In 2 Samuel 5:19; when the Philistines gathered against Israel, David stood up to the task and asked the Lord for wisdom on what to do. He said : Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.’

Through the wisdom of God David prevailed and won the victory. Also through divine wisdom David was able to escape many traps set for him.  

When Saul was after David’s life, he escaped through divine wisdom. 1 Samuel 18:14-15 says ‘And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him. Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.’

Also through divine wisdom Jesus severally escaped the many traps set for him by the Jews. 

Divine wisdom will always cause you to escape the enemy’s trap. 

In Daniel 2:12, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered the execution of all the wise men in Babylon because they couldn’t tell him his dream or the interpretation of his dream. Daniel on the other hand was spared. His life was not cut short because he had the wisdom of God to know the king’s dream and the interpretation of the dream. Calamity overtook the wise men of Babylon, death knocked on their doors, but in the midst of all of this, Daniel was at ease without fear of harm because he had something they didn’t have. He had divine wisdom.

Because divine wisdom is from above, it is above all, and is superior to all other kinds of wisdom.  Divine wisdom is also drawn through meditation in God’s Word. In fact, it is impossible to flow in divine wisdom without genuine commitment to the Word. This is because God’s Word is His wisdom bank where we draw the virtues of divine wisdom. 

In conclusion, divine wisdom is a highly valuable virtue, which we must seek after for us to excel and make the most of our destiny in Christ. 

 PRAYER: Lord, I need Your Wisdom daily as I go through this journey of life. Please  grant me the wisdom to escape every trap and to excel in life 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. 
 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK DIVINE ORDER FOR A LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS] 

Psalm 34;5 

‘They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

• DAILY READING – 1 Corinthians 8; 1 Kings 22; Amos 6
The goldfish is one of the most common ornamental fishes in the world. They are quite popular as pets. In many homes they are kept in aquariums, fish bowls, or small ponds. The goldfish breed, was developed in China over 2,000 years ago. There are many types or breeds of goldfish. They can vary in size, color, and shape. Their colorful skin  is usually their main attraction. There are many different colors of gold fish, the more popular ones being the orange-gold color.

The gold fish can actually live up to 40 years, when taken good care of. But unfortunately, in home aquariums, due to inadequate conditions, the gold fish has an average lifespan of only 7 years. The key to getting a goldfish to live a long, healthy life is optimum conditions. And one of the main things a goldfish requires to achieve longevity is the right lighting conditions. Like the majority of plants and animals, a goldfish needs light to survive. It uses light for three main purposes; to find food, to protect itself  from predators and to maintain its color. The goldfish has pigment in its skin that reacts to light. It will lose its color if it is  not kept near the light. If  kept in darkness for a certain length of time, or light that isn’t bright enough, the color of the goldfish begins to fade. And over time, they can lose their color and turn white. In other words for the gold fish to maintain its glowing color it needs to stay close to the light.

In the same way we as Christians, like the gold fish, can only maintain our color when we stay close to the light of God’s Word. 

2 Corinthians 3:18 says ‘But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord’

In Exodus 33:18-23 when Moses was on Mt. Sinai in the presence of the Lord, his face radiated with the glory of the Lord And the glow continued  even after he came down from the mountain. Moses didn’t manufacture the brightness with his own ability. The light that came from his face was a result of being in God’s presence. 

Psalm 34;5 says ‘They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.’

Our shinning is dependent upon our being in the light of God’s Presence.  Men may see you and marvel at your life and the happenings around you, but it is only the reflection of the glory of God through you. You are not the source of the shining, it is the glorious light of Christ shining through you. It is important for us to know this so that we can fervently seek to always dwell in the light of God’s Presence. .

James 1:17 says ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.’
Our source of shinning is our connection to the Father of lights. The moment you disconnect from that source you lose color and become like any other fish in the pond. Therefore for you to keep shining, hang around the light. Always stay in the light of the Word of God. Jesus said without Him we can do nothing. It is only in Him that we can live and move and have our being. 

We manifest the glory of God when we spend time in His presence. And when we are truly reflecting the Lord’s light, people will notice it and will be drawn to Him through us. 

In Mathew 5:16 Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” 

Let us therefore daily abide in the light of His Presence, through daily meditation in The Word of God and fellowship with The Spirit, so that His glory can continually manifest through us for the world to see.

PRAYER: Father please help me to always walk in Your light so that Your Glory can continually reflect through me. Indeed without You I can do nothing. Therefore, enable me Oh Lord to abide  close to you, so that as You shine through me, I can be a wonder to my world 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. 

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS] 

2 Corinthians 3:18

 ‘But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord’
 DAILY READING – 1 Corinthians 7:25-40; 1 Kings 21; Amos 5

It is thrilling for athletes to win a gold medal at the Olympics. As they stand to be awarded the medals, they are the pride of their nations. They become hot news items as their faces are splashed on major news headlines. And after the games, when they return home, they are treated to a hero’s welcome. Indeed, it can be thrilling to be a winner. 

However to win a gold medal is never easy. The athletes must first go through rigorous training.

Athletes train vigorously for years in preparation for the Olympics. Though they seem to perform with effortless grace, their success is only as a result of grueling hard work. Just to run a 10-second race, a runner would train for at least four years!

Studies have shown that the average Olympian needs to train four hours a day, at least 310 days a year for six years before succeeding. The four years before an Olympics, divers probably practice each of their dives 3,000 times. A gymnastic would probably have done every flip in their gymnastics routine at least 20,000 times, and a runner may have  completed more than 240,000 laps on the tracks. Swimmers train an average of 10 miles a day, at speeds of 5 mph in the pool. Marathon runners average 160 miles a week at 10 mph. 

Getting better begins with working out every day. By 7:a.m. most athletes have done more than many people do all day. How well an athlete performs depends on how well he has trained. The better-trained athlete can generally outperform the one who did not give a serious effort to training. 

In the days of Apostle Paul, the Isthmian games in Corinth were like the Olympics of today. And this is what Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 when he said “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” 

Paul used this earthly games to demonstrate a spiritual truth. 

Indeed life is a race, and  God will award His “gold medals” to those who have run faithfully. We are all in a race of destiny.

In Genesis 1:26-28, God created man in His image and entrusted him with a glorious destiny to dominate, rule and reign on the earth. Though Adam failed, yet through the victory of Christ, we are restored to reign as the sons of God on earth. 

Our goal in this race is to be Christ-like. And for us to fully manifest as sons of God we must be guided and trained by The Holy Spirit. Because as many as are led by The Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 

2 Corinthians 3:18 says ‘But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord’ 

The Spirit of God trains us daily to conform to the image of Christ so as to manifest His glory. 

Through training the treasures God imbedded in us are made manifest for the world to see. The account of David in the cave of Abdullam paints a graphic picture of the benefits of training in the life of any man. We saw how David gathered riffraffs under his tutelage and they became the mighty men of David. Although, they were basically human trash, training brought out the treasure in them.  

It doesn’t matter where you  may be today, as you submit to the training of The Spirit, He will take you from a zero to a hero, from a nobody to a somebody, from a little shot to a big shot.  

There is a treasure in you. There is greatness that God has embedded within you, however, it will take The Holy Spirit for it to come into manifestation. You are to rule and reign in the midst of your enemies. You are to be the head and never the tail; above only and never beneath. You are the light to your world, a city set on a hill that cannot be hid. 

Especially in this year of the eagle’s flight, we have been ordained by God to soar to great heights. We are to emerge as winners in our fields of endeavors. We are to be an amazement to our world. It is God’s will to take us to the topmost top. But to get there it will not be by power or might, but by The Spirit of God. 

To be able to reign in life, we must be trained to walk in conformity with The Word  and to be led by The Spirit. This requires daily discipline in meditation in the Word and maintaining a fervent prayer altar. We must pay the required price if we are to win in this race. 

We have seen that athletes train rigorously to win a medal. In the same way we need to commit to a life of tireless spiritual exercise. More than a gold medal there is a crown of life laid up for us. And if we faint not, surely we will reap in due season.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to submit daily to the training of The Spirit, as He helps me to live in conformity with Your Word. Please grant me the grace to daily become Christ-like. By Your grace, I will surely win this race and obtain the crown, You have laid up for me in Jesus Name.  
QUOTE : 

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

Jeremiah 32:27 says ‘I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?’

DAILY READING – 1 Corinthians 7:1-24; 1 Kings 20; Amos 4:4-13
The faith-based  movie, ‘Miracles from Heaven’, released in 2016, has become a great inspiration to many people across the globe. It is the true life story of God’s miracle and mercy to the Beam family, when they desperately needed His help.  Annabel Beam, born in 2002, was diagnosed by doctors as having an incurable, deadly digestive disease. With these chronic and life threatening disorders, Annabel’s family life revolved around hospital emergency rooms and rare disease specialists. Doctors tried their best, but it seemed a losing battle. Annabel suffered through years of pain, invasive hospital tests, and failed surgeries, before doctors unable to do anymore for her, finally sent her home to die. 

While at home from the hospital, Annabel was weak and often needed pain medicines to endure the pain. One time Annabel said to her mother, “Mommy…I just want to die and go to Heaven and be with Jesus where there’s no pain.” While the family continued in prayer, they did not know God will answer them in unexpected ways. 

On December 30, 2011, Annabel’s mother was pleased when nine year old Annabel, who had been bedridden for some time, decided to go outside and play with her sister.  Annabel joined her sister Abigail in climbing a cotton tree in their yard. But while climbing high, Annabel accidentally stepped on the edge of the tree trunk, which suddenly crumbled beneath her feet. She fell head first, thirty feet below into the dark hollow of the tree trunk. Alarmed, Abigail quickly climbed down, and alerted their parents.  

When their father climbed up, and  looked down into the tree’s hollow, he could see Annabel lying motionless at the bottom. The parents immediately called the emergency response team. It took firemen over two hours to finally lift her out of the tree. Fortunately she was alive. Immediately she was air lifted to the hospital, and went through a barrage of tests and exams to access the damage.  But to everyone’s surprise, the ER doctor reported that she didn’t have any serious injury. Not only that, medical specialists were amazed to later find that her long standing incurable digestive disease was gone. They couldn’t understand it. However Annabel revealed that while lying at the bottom of the tree trunk, she had a divine visitation and encounter with Jesus, and He had healed her of her incurable disease.  Annabel’s transformation was undeniable. Soon she got off all her medications and became a happy, healthy child. Her incredible story is captured in the award winning movie ‘Miracles from heaven’ which has inspired millions of people around the world. 

Indeed we serve the God of miracles to whom nothing is impossible. 

Sometimes like Annabel’s parents we may find ourselves faced with problems that seem bigger than us. At those times, the natural tendency is to worry and fret. But what we really ought to do is to hand over that situation to God and believe Him for the incredible. 

Indeed it is not over until God says so. After you have done all, just stand in faith and believe God for your miracle. God is able to do incredible things in ways and manners that we cannot fathom.  

How could falling 30 feet into the hollow of a tree cure a child of a deadly chronic disease?  Well, when it doesn’t make sense, it makes God. Doctors had given up and sent Annabel home to die, yet God showed up in an unexpected and unprecedented way. 

This is why we cannot limit what God can do in our lives.  

Jeremiah 32:27 says ‘I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?’

Indeed there is nothing God cannot do. This is why we should quit looking at our challenges and rather get our eyes on the all-powerful, Almighty Creator of the universe. Quit talking to God about how big your problems are and start talking to your problems about how big your God is. 

No matter what it may look like, as long as we trust in God, we can be assured He is working it all out together for our good. 

Numbers 23:19 says ‘God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’

Whatever God Has promised, He is able to perform. There is no situation that we may face that is too difficult for Him. Whatever adversity or challenge you may go through, always remember that God is well able to see you through. 

Psalm 46:1 says ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear,’ 

In God, we have an immovable rock that we can always run to. In your darkest night, when you feel the weakest and it looks the most hopeless , be assured that your loving Heavenly Father is right there with you. Even when nothing seems to be happening, He is moving mountains and orchestrating situations to bring forth your miracle. Therefore don’t quit praying, don’t quit believing.  God will send help to you out of Zion. He will bring deliverance in ways and manners your thinking could never even fathom. He will give you the victory, because He is a good father. Indeed, to God, nothing is impossible. 
PRAYER: Lord, I know with you nothing shall be impossible. Please help me to always focus on your Word so that I can possess the faith to believe You for my miracle. Thank You Lord for the amazing things You are set to do in my life this year in Jesus Name..    
QUOTE 
It is only when you can see God in the light of who He truly is that you can begin to walk in the overflow of His blessings. – WORDBITE 222. 
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK ESTABLISHED IN THE WORD OF GOD]