HORM Devotional

Proverbs 29:18 KJV
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
• DAILY READING – 1 Corinthians 5; 1 Kings 18; Amos 2:1-3:2

Many years ago, a large American shoe company sent two sales representatives out to different parts of the Australian outback to see if they could get business among the Aborigines.

Some time later, the company received telegrams from both agents.

The first said, “No business here, Aborigines don’t wear shoes.”

The second one said, “Great opportunity here, Aborigines don’t wear shoes!”
These two salesmen saw things differently. Question is; How do you view situations that confront you? Do you see them as adversities or as opportunities? Your perspective is what shapes your result. 

For instance take a look at this word; GODISNOWHERE 

What do you see? “God is nowhere” or “God is now here?” It’s all in how you look at things, isn’t it? Perspective makes all the difference. 

Perspective is understanding something because you see things from a larger frame of reference. In a spiritual sense, it means seeing life from God’s point of view. Without perspective we follow our own natural inclinations.

For instance when we look at sin from God’s viewpoint, we realize the long-term consequences of sin are greater than any short-term pleasure sin might provide. This is why The Bible says in 

Proverbs 14:12  “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” 

We need to develop the right perspective if we’re going to get life right. We are to walk by faith, not by sight. We are to access situations based on the perspective of God’s Word. 

When goliath faced the army of Israel there were two different perspectives. While the men of Israel saw a looming crisis, David saw a looming opportunity. While they saw a giant too big to fight, David saw a target too big to miss, because God has imparted to him the right perspective. So while the army ran from goliath, David ran towards giant. The difference was perspective.

As a man thinks in his heart so is he. What you see within you is what eventually manifests around you.  

David could see differently because he looked through the spectacle of faith. He knew that God was able to destroy goliath. They that know their God shall be strong and do exploits. God imparted to David’s heart the faith to do exploit. 

It is through faith that while men say there is a casting down, you can say there is a lifting up, where they see mountains, you see possibilities, where they see adversities you see opportunities. Faith makes you see differently.  

The Bible lets us know in the book of Jeremiah 17, that the man whose heart departs from God will not see when good comes. But the man who trusts in God will not see hardship, but rather will see when good comes. 

In Numbers 13, When the ten spies gave their fear-filled report about the giants in Canaan, they said ‘we were in their eyes like grasshoppers’. But Caleb said ‘we are well able to overcome it’. Perspective made the difference. An inner vision makes men see victory where others see only defeat.

Lack of inner vision gives men a shallow perspective of life. Where no vision is the people perish. It is The Holy Spirit that paints the right picture on the canvass of our minds giving us the right perspective. 

God has been speaking to your heart to go forward and take territories, but so far you have been allowing the wrong perspective to becloud your vision. You have been thinking within you that you lack what it takes for accomplishment. Why not trust and take a step forward. Commit that situation to God in prayer and ask Him to give you the right perspective, God can help you achieve it, you only  just need to see it first. You need The Spirit to open your eyes to the opportunities that abound around you. When you can see the invisible, you can do the impossible. With the right perspective, what others see as crisis, you will see only as opportunity. 
PRAYER: Father please open my eyes to see the opportunities that abound around me. Enable me to have the right perspective so that I can act right in every situation 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

Revelation 12:11
‘And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death’

DAILY READING – 1 Corinthians 7:25-40; 1 Kings 21; Amos 5
Everlyne Muthoni, a Christian, was a second year education student when terrorists attacked Garissa University College Kenya, in 2015. However through faith, prayer, and the mercy of God, she was exempted from the evil. 

She was awoken by the sound of gunshots around 5.30 a.m. The first sound of a gunshot roused her and her four roommates. They dismissed it as an ordinary police operation. But when the shooting continued, they knew that something was wrong. Quickly, Everlyne, picked up her phone and left the room, not minding that it was all dark as electricity supply to the hostel had been cut off. Three of her roommates, who remained behind, were later killed by the terrorists.

Her first hiding place was a men’s room on the first floor. As confusion set in over where the attackers were in the dark hostel, she decided to seek refuge under a bed. There were four other students there.

Then they heard one of the attackers, ordering everybody to come out if they wanted to be spared. They all came out of their hiding places. But it was a trick. 

The attackers separated between the Christian and muslim students. They ordered the Christian students to lie down. Sensing what may occur next, Everlyne, miraculously, slipped into an open room, without being detected and hid in a wardrobe. As she was dashing for safety, all the other students she left were shot dead.

It was also a miracle that she neither sneezed nor coughed because she was nursing a terrible flu. Once inside, she sent messages to various people, including her father, asking for prayers. She started praying hoping for another miracle. Though the attackers were searching other rooms and shooting students, none of them came to the room where she was hiding,

It was all chaos until at around 6 pm, when Kenyan soldiers engaged the terrorists in intense gunfire. After the terrorists had been killed, soldiers started calling students to come out. Everlyne, came out, unhurt, blessing God for her miraculous escape. About 147 students had been killed.

The attack caused outrage all over the world. However, it was another signal to Christians of the increasing tempo of the spiritual warfare against the church. The clear target was the Christian students. When the gunmen arrived, their first target was an early morning Christian prayer meeting.

Indeed there is a serious warfare against the church, both spiritually and physically. 

All over the world the battle is getting hotter, the tempo of spiritual attacks have increased. This is therefore no more the time for anyone to still be playing ‘church’. But rather we are to be vigilant and watchful. We must be fully committed to what we believe, and live absolutely for Jesus. 

Since the root of our battles are essentially spiritual, we must know how to engage the mysteries of scriptures, to overcome. We must know what to do to escape the scourge that is sweeping through the earth in this end-times. 

And no matter what may be happening in the world, we must be assured that God is irrevocably committed to His children’s protection. But it takes knowledge to enjoy the benefits of divine protection.  

Isaiah 54:17 says no weapon formed against us shall prosper. And Psalm 91:11 says  “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” 

God’s promises of protection are real. 

When by knowledge we engage the weapons of our warfare, we can be able to pull down any stronghold of the enemy. We therefore need to go for knowledge on our covenant rights and privileges. We need to walk in a conscious understanding of divine protection. And one of our covenant ways of divine escape is understanding the power of the blood of Jesus. 

In Exodus 12:13, God’s condition for exemption is ‘when I see the blood, I will pass over you’ 

The night that God passed through Egypt there was wailing in every house except the houses whose door posts were marked with blood. Why the Israelites escaped was because they knew what to do. Now supposing some Israelites refused to apply the blood as instructed, they would have been victims of the great slaughter that night. This is why it is important for us to know what to do to be exempted from the evil of the end-times. For the law of divine exemption to work for you, you must walk in an understanding of God’s Word and His covenant.  

As a child of God, things are not permitted to happen to you anyhow. Evil may be happening to others, but it is not permitted to happen to you; only with your eyes you will see the reward of the wicked. All those who serve the Lord genuinely are exempted from the evil and affliction that affects others.

Revelation 12:11 says ‘And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death’ 

By the blood we are able to overcome every evil. The blood of Jesus is powerful enough to ward off evil from a man’s life. Therefore in your goings and comings continually plead the blood over you and your household. As you do The Spirit of The Lord will lift up the standard of the blood against every flood of the enemy. By the blood no evil can befall you nor plague come near your dwelling. 

And today as you begin to apply the mystery of the blood, indeed the rod of the wicked shall never rest upon your lot, nor upon anything that has to do with you. by the shed blood of Christ you are indeed separated from every evil in Jesus Name. 
.   
PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the covenant of divine exemption. I know that indeed my case is different, because by the blood of Jesus I am separated from all evil in Jesus Name. .. 
QUOTE 

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

 [CULLED FROM THE BOOK SUPERNATURAL LOVE OF GOD] 

2 Chronicles 20:17 KJV

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

• DAILY READING – 1 Corinthians 6; 1 Kings 19; Amos 3:3-4:3
When the state of Israel declared independence, on May 14, 1948, the Arabs immediately declared war against them. 

The Arab-Israeli War broke out soon afterwards. At the beginning of this war, Israel was grossly outnumbered, and without military support from any other nation. However, God arose and fought for His people. Among the many stories of miracles during this war, is a remarkable story, referred to as the Battle of Netanyahu. 

At the start of the war, Israel had no army and no weapons. The nation was mostly made up of Jews who had recently escaped Hitler’s holocaust. These war refugees possessed no means of protection. In fact, all the fledgling Jewish nation possessed at that time were approximately five machine guns with about fifteen rounds of ammunition and one tank.

However as the surrounding Arab nations planned a major offensive, the Jews realized that they had to come up with ways to survive. They came up with a plan that they hoped would at least buy them some time to prepare for war. On May 23, at midnight, they lined up cars, trucks, taxis, and anything they could find with an engine, side by side along the beaches from Tel Aviv through Netanya and Haifa. They then removed the exhaust pipes from the vehicles, making them sound much louder.
They then loaded large oil drums with rocks and took them to the top of the adjacent hill. When the time was right, early in the morning, the signal was given and the engines were started while the oil drums were rolled down the hill.
The unsuspecting Arab forces were suddenly awakened by the incredible noise, which completely shook the area. Since they had no idea from where the racket was coming, they could only guess – and they assumed that American forces had come to Israel’s rescue with Sherman Tanks.
The entire Arab army fled, leaving behind a treasure trove of artillery. The Jews immediately took possession of these weapons, which helped them in the initial fighting until more weapons could be purchased.  

This story is similar to what happened in 2 Kings 7, when God amplified the sounds of the lepers’ footsteps. The sounds from their steps became so loud that the Aramean army thought it was the speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. So, they fled their camps, leaving behind their valuables and abundant food supplies. 

Indeed God is not limited in how He will save. He can save by few or many.  God can use unimaginable things to send confusion into the camp of the enemy. God can amplify your sound so that news about you will strike fear into the hearts of the opposition. When God arises for you, He will turn your little efforts into a wonder that will cause the world to ponder. When God arises, our enemies are scattered.

Deuteronomy 28:7 says ‘The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.’
Do not limit how God can fight for you. He can raise help for you from strange quarters. He can use the unexpected , the unimagined. 

God is not looking for any man who is capable, but the man who is available. Just stay in God’s will and He will take care of the oppositions against you. He says in Isaiah 54 that whosoever gathers against you shall fall for your sake. He goes on to say that it is your heritage as a servant of The Lord.  

In 2 Chronicles 20, God made the enemies of king Jehoshaphat to begin to fight amongst themselves. 

And one of the key ways we engage God to fight for us is through praise. Praise is what triggers the intervention of the Omnipotent God. When you begin to sing and praise God, He sets ambushment against your enemies. God will always take over your battles when you praise Him. Praise is God’s hotline anytime! You can pray amiss, but you can never praise amiss!

It is therefore time to hand over the battle to God. 

And when God steps in, every devil bows out. Today as God arises in your favour, be assured that the victory is won in Jesus Name. .
PRAYER; Lord, Please  help me to hand over my battles to You through maintaining a praise-full lifestyle. I know that indeed You are able to take care of  whatever comes my way, including those that rise up against me. Thank You Lord for causing me to triumph always in Jesus Name. . 
QUOTE 

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

 [CULLED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

Luke 6:48 
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock . 

— DAILY READING 1 Corinthians 5; 1 Kings 18; Amos 2:1-3:2
On January 12, 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, hit the nation of Haiti. The earthquake caused major damage in Port-au-Prince, and other cities in the region. Notable landmark buildings were damaged or destroyed, including the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail. 

One of the reasons why there was so much damage, was due to the poor strength of buildings in Haiti. So many were killed because these buildings were poorly constructed.

This poor quality of the buildings, was traceable to the grinding poverty in the country. Haiti, at that time, was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with sixty per cent of its ten million citizens living in poverty. This situation, led to people building anyhow, with whatever material they could afford. Moreover, the country had no national building code, so most buildings were not built to engineering standards. Structures were built on slopes without proper foundations or containment structures, using improper building practices, and insufficient steel. Thus when the earthquake struck, these buildings were hopelessly fragile in the grip of such a strong quake. 

In contrast, after the March 2011 earthquake that hit Japan, many buildings in the country survived. Though it was a large magnitude earthquake, many buildings were not destroyed due to the nation’s stringent building codes and advanced structural engineering. This ensured deep foundation and massive shock absorbers that prevented the energy produced by the earthquake from tearing many buildings apart. 

In Haiti, many houses toppled in the earthquake, because they were poorly constructed on weak foundations. 

In Mathew 7: 24 Jesus says ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;  and it fell not:  for it was founded upon a rock.’

You can’t build a great building on a weak foundation. You must have a solid foundation if you’re going to have a strong superstructure. So it is with our lives. We cannot be thinking of rising to great heights in the eagle’s flight, without first laying a strong, and deep foundation in The Word of God. Supporting any truly great life must be a solid foundation.

In Mathew 7: 24 , the man that built his foundation on the rock, paid the price of digging deep. While the man that built on the sand did not bother to go the extra mile. 

For our lives to be truly unshakable, we must pay the price of building a strong foundation on The Word of God. The depth of your foundation in the Word of God will ensure you are not torn apart when storms strike. The stream, rain, wind, in the parable of Jesus represents the storms of life. Life is full of such storms. Troubles and challenges will often come unexpectedly to test our foundations.  A man will stand or fall based on his depth in The Word of God.  

Often people seem more occupied with building great heights of business or career, while their spiritual foundation remains shallow. They pursue success, wealth and the good life, without first ensuring their spiritual depth. Success attracts enemies. After building a great success, all that, can suddenly be sent toppling by one spiritual attack. Their tall house falls because there was no spiritual strength built from the Word of God to resist and overcome evil attacks. One misfortune, one sickness can wipe out everything a man has spent all his lifetime laboring to build. This is why Jesus asked ‘what does it profit a man to gain the world and yet lose his own soul?’  It is our spiritual depths that sustain the heights we attain. And if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Spiritually, the deeper and stronger your foundation, the higher you can go in life. Therefore we must strive to build on a strong foundation.  To be victorious over every challenge, we must build our lives upon the strong foundation of The Word of God. So  that  no matter how we are shaken, we will never fall.

PRAYER:  Lord, please help me to always seek first Your kingdom. Please, enable me to build my life upon the solid foundation of Your Word, so that no matter what comes my way, I will never fall in Jesus Name. .

 QUOTE 

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

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS] 

Ephesians 3:20
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”  

DAILY READING – – 1 Corinthians 4; 1 Kings 17; Amos 1
When Abbey D’Agostino was to run the women’s 5000-meter qualifying race in the 2016 Olympics, she didn’t know what to expect. However, she knew God was able to exceed her expectations. Relying on God’s grace, she had written on her hand in ink, ‘To Him who is able’. This, she quoted from Ephesians 3:20 that says: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.”

And indeed, God did for her abundantly above all she could ask or think. Before the end of that race, from an obscure athlete, she was suddenly thrust on the global stage, as she found herself basking in worldwide acclaim. 

What led to this was an unusually kind gesture that she showed to her rival.  During  the race, Abbey had collided with Nikki Hamblin from New Zealand, causing both women to fall.  Abbey instinctively jumped up right away, and should have continued her race, as other athletes would. But instead she turned, saw competitor Nikki Hamblin lying on the track, and helped Nikki to her feet. She told Nikki that they both had to finish the race.  As the two women continued running, Abby’s gesture of selflessness drew acclaim, from millions watching the Olympics from around the world.  Many commended her for her sportsmanship, including the American president. 

Also her perseverance and indefatigable spirit in the race drew attention. Due to the collision with Nikki, Abbey suffered a serious injury in her right knee, that caused her to fall a few times on the track. And though she should have stopped, it became a tremendous demonstration of faith, as she continued running with her injury. As she ran with the pain, she managed to run for almost another 2000 meters, which is a distance of over 21 football fields!  She essentially ran 40% of the race on one leg. When later asked how she managed to complete this incredible feat, she attributed it all to the power of God and His exceeding grace. 

Her action in the race earned her  the International Olympic Committee’s Fair Play Award. She was also nominated for several other awards. 

Faced with sudden fame and seemingly endless media requests, Abbey  embraced the opportunity to talk to the world about her faith.

Indeed the scripture verse she had written in her hand became her reality. God did for Abbey, far more abundantly than all that she could  ask or think. 

Throughout the scriptures we find expressed God’s excessive benevolence towards His children. Our God is a God of abundance, a God of miracles, who desires to pour His blessing into our lives in an exceeding abundant way. He is able to do more for us than we can ever ask or think possible. 

God’s capacity to do far exceeds our capacity of asking or our capacity of even imagining. Whatever we can believe, we can receive. And whatever we can conceive, we can achieve. We serve the God of all possibilities.  

This year, God has given us wings to fly! We are to mount up and soar like eagles. No walls can confine us! No barriers can hold  us back!  There is no limit to the heights we can attain. Let us therefore not limit God in our thinking. Let us know that in this year of eagle’s flight, anything and everything is possible. There is nothing God can not do. There is no height He cannot take us to, if only we believe. As far as your eyes can see, it shall be given to you. All things are possible to him that believes. 

Indeed our God is able. There is no inability in Him. It is possible for man to think and not have the ability to do, but not God. Whatever His mouth promises, His hand is also able to perform. Nothing handicaps Him.
God is able to do infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope—more than we would dare to imagine. God is far above and beyond our finite minds.  

His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways. Our thoughts, even at their best, are not His thoughts! As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are His thoughts above ours. 

God is not only able to do amazing things for us, but also able to do great things for us in  ways and manners that exceeds our imagination. 

How much blessing does He want you to have? Luke 6:38 answers, “…good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over shall men give into your bosom.”

How much victory can we have in Christ? Romans 8:37 says that, “…we are more than conquerors  through Him that loved us.”

How much grace is available to us? Romans 5:20 states, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound ”

How great is His peace? Philippians 4:7 answers, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” 

How much power can we have in our lives? Ephesians 1:19,  says that we can know, “…what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe…” 

Indeed we serve the God of excessive power, excessive grace, and excessive peace. And through study of The Word we build our faith to be able to receive His abundant blessings.  When we line up with His Word in our thoughts, words and actions, He will do exceedingly abundantly far and beyond what we could ever ask or imagine!
PRAYER: 

Lord please help me to stretch the limits of my faith. I know indeed You can do exceedingly abundantly above all I could ever ask or imagine, therefore do in my life that which only You can do. Turn me into a sign and wonder to my world, this year in Jesus Name. 

QUOTE 

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

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK SUPERNATURAL LOVE OF GOD]