HORM Devotional

LUKE 22: 46.  KJV
And said unto them why sleep ye, rise ye and pray lest you enter into temptation.

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

A soldier’s life during battle is that of constant alertness. Not knowing when or how the enemy would strike, he remains alert and watchful. And because the human body is limited in its capability, the military resort to drugs to help stretch the alertness of their troops,

During the Second World War, US soldiers and aviators were given benzedrine, an amphetamine drug, to increase their alertness during long periods on duty.  The  air force pilots also were able to use the drug to remain awake during combat flights. British troops used 72 million amphetamine tablets in the second world war, and the RAF used so many that it was said, that “Methedrine won the Battle of Britain”.  American bomber pilots use amphetamines (“go pills”) to stay awake during long missions.

The amount of these drugs consumed gives you an idea of the importance  soldiers attached to alertness

Severally Jesus told us as believers to watch and pray. But unlike the soldiers we don’t need drugs for alertness. The Holy Ghost is the power that will keep us watching and praying.

These are the days of spiritual preparation. Living in the world at such a time as this it is easy to get caught up in the affairs of life. But Paul warns us that no man that is at  war entangles himself with the affairs of this life. And even though we are in the world we are not of the world. Therefore there is a serious call for every Christian to live a life of spiritual alertness and readiness. For no man knows the day or the hour. The apostles in their own time always lived expectant of the Lord’s coming. And so should we at this time. We should not get carried away by the things around us because most of them are passing away. 2 Peter 3:10  says ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.’

Do you know that life on the earth in this is at the most precarious in history? The possibility of nuclear warfare is at its highest. In fact it has been said that this is the first generation with the capability to destroy the earth, because the enormous amount of nuclear weapons now in the world.

This is therefore the time to wake up from every spiritual slumber and stay alert. In this end-time, the enemy is unleashing the greatest distractions to shift the focus of believers, because he knows the time is short. There is an enemy on the prowl,  looking for whom to devour. . This is why we must be spiritually alert at this time and not allow ourselves to be carried away by the things of this world. We must keep our eyes on things that are above and not be entangled again in the yoke of bondage. In all we do we must keep our focus on heaven. While we live meaningful lives on earth, let men also know that we are heaven bound. Let our lifestyle reflect it. In Ephesians 4:1 Paul says ‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;’

We must be alert to maintain a heavenly lifestyle. It may not be easy to live differently  while still in the world, but by the help of The Spirit we can.

Let our life reflect where we are going. Let men look at us and know that there is something different about us. Let the joy and peace emanating from us be a magnet to their troubled souls. Let them come to us wanting to have what we have. It is the shinning of light that draws moths out of the darkness. Let the light of Heaven shine through us to draw men to God
PRAYER: Lord, please  give the grace to live ready and not to be entangled   again in the affairs of this world, give me the grace to live holy and separated unto You …  .

QUOTE

God is preparing you for the season He prepared for your breakthrough WORDBITE 222.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

Psalms 139:14  

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

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

In 2012 various News headlines carried the story of Michael Morton. For 25 years he served wrongfully on death row of a crime he did not commit. He was accused in 1987 of murdering his wife. But in 2012, DNA tests helped police identify the real killer. Thus Morton was declared innocent and released. But for the efficacy of DNA tests He would have been executed wrongfully.

His case is one of the cases that the discovery of DNA has helped. The past few years have seen a parade of DNA exonerations: People who were formerly convicted and awaiting on death row, but now due to DNA testing are proved innocent.

DNA contains most of our inherited traits, ranging from the color of our eyes to the diseases to which we are susceptible. . Because our DNA is unique, and contains our genetic code, forensic scientists are able to identify or eliminate suspects in crime cases through a process of genetic fingerprinting. All that is needed is a drop of blood, or even a single strand of hair.

In a sense, God has written our identity indelibly upon our cells from the moment of our conception. Think of David’s words in Psalm 139:14, ”I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”, the marvel of the human body declares the presence of Intelligent Design. It is the work of a Creator and not the natural selection and evolution, science would have us believe.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are created unique for your situation. .All that concerns you God has already decided and worked out before sending you to the earth, This is the wonder of the genetic code found in the DNA. It shows we have been carefully planned, predetermined and detailed, by God. And as scripture says, even the very hairs of our head are all numbered.

Therefore we are not here to decide destiny, but rather to discover it. We are not here to add to or alter  God’s plan for us,  but rather we are to seek it out and run with it.

God has already concluded everything that concerns us before the foundation of the world. Then He sends us into the world and gives us a choice. His will or our will?  That is to say, He is not imposing anything  on us, we are free to make a choice.

Wisdom of course is to choose His will and to follow it. The good work, He has begun in us,  He is able to complete. Philippians 1:6 says ‘’Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:’

Since we had no hand in the decision of our existence, or  how we are created, how then do we  think we can grow up, and then  begin to ignore the one who started the process. God decided our gender, color, height, tribe, nation etc . God knows us more than we can ever know ourselves.  And the best thing to do in life is to submit to His will, and follow His plan.  His thoughts towards us are always thoughts of good.

God has a plan and purpose for your destiny. There is a particular reason why He created you. You are not just part of a statistics. You are created unique, and designed to fulfill a particular purpose on earth. You are not ordinary, you are extra ordinary.

Enough of trying to do your own thing,, that is why the journey has been so difficult. Rebellion kept the children of Israel wondering about in the wilderness. A journey of a few weeks ended up taking them forty years. Let us therefore quit following our plans and begin to seek the original plan and blue print of God for our lives. That is the only way that life will make sense. A building while in progress may look scattered, but looking at the blue print, you begin to understand and appreciate the architect’s intended design.  The things happening to you which may seem not to make sense, will make perfect sense, when you can see and understand God’s original  plan for you. So make up your mind to keep seeking the face of God, so that He can keep revealing to you His plan per time. And as you run with His revealed plan, you can  be sure you  will end well in life.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to submit to your guidance, I know You have a grand plan for me, Please  help me to hear your voice so that I can follow your will to the  great destiny you have for me. … 

quote :

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

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK OPEN HEAVENS]

Joel 2:25

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

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

It is interesting to note that even before the Jews went into their long exile, God had 2700 years before, prophesied their restoration. God spoken of their return through prophet Isaiah; ‘Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth’ [Isaiah 43:5-6].

Almost 2000 years after their dispersal from their homeland in AD 70, this prophesy began to come into fulfillment. Jews from the east, west, north and south began to return back home to Israel.

By early 1900s, from the east, many Jews living in the Mid- East began to return to Israel. And during mid-1900s, from the west, many Jews living in western countries like Europe and America began to move back to Israel.

Note the precision of the word of God. The later portion of that Isaiah’s prophesy had indicated that the north and east may want to keep back the Jews. It said ‘I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back:’.

Now do you know that exactly as was prophesied the north and the south resisted the return of the Jews. North of Israel is Russia. During the Jewish exodus, they refused to allow the Jews resident in Russia to return back home to Israel. It took years of pressure from other countries before finally Russia caved in. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s during the 1980’s, as part of his reforms, allowed a massive number of Soviet Jews to return to Israel. Among these were many highly trained doctors, engineers, and scientists, who helped to build modern Israel, into the great nation it is today.

And south of Israel is Ethiopia. Ethiopia’s communist government also refused to allow the Ethiopian Jews to return back home. Israel had to strike a deal and pay money to the government of Ethiopia before they let the Jews go, and in 1984 an evacuation known as “Operation Moses” airlifted 6,500 Ethiopian Jews back to Israel. And in 1991, another evacuation called ‘’Operation Solomon’’ flew over 14000 Ethiopian Jews from Addis Ababa back to Israel.

Isaiah’s prophecy also said the Jews would return “from the ends of the earth,”. And during the past 100 years, Jews living as far east as China, as far west as the West Coast of the United States, as far north as Scandinavia, and as far south as South Africa, have moved back home to Israel. Since their return Israel has grown to become a force to reckon with. This small country with a population of about 8 million people, continues to amaze the world with its prowess. And today God has brought back restoration to His people according to His promise..

It is a sign to us that God is faithful to restore back to us what we may have lost, when we reconnect to Him. It is through sin or disobedience that we suffer losses. But when we repent and reconnect back to God He restores what was lost. In Joel 2:25 God says ‘And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm,’

In this season God is restoring back the years the canker worm has eaten. God is bringing restoration back to us both as a church and as individuals.

God has a plan of restoration for His people. It doesn’t matter how much the enemy has tried to tamper with your life and destiny there is restoration. Your joy will be restored, your peace will be restored, everything stolen from you is about to be restored fully in Jesus name.

But don’t forget, if you remain far away from God you remain far from this restoration. Understand that the enemy only has power over you as long as you are in rebellion to God. As we have seen from the story of Israel, suffering losses only come as a result of straying outside of God’s will. But the moment you return back to God, He turns His hand against your enemies and brings restoration to you. So make up your mind today, to pay whatever price it takes, to stay in the center of God’s will for you. Never mind what you may seem to have lost in the past, as you draw closer to God today, be assured of all round restoration in Jesus Name. .

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to draw closer to You, so that I can begin to experience restoration of the years the canker worms may have eaten away from my life. Thank You Lord for enabling me to begin to experience full restoration, starting from this moment, in every area of my life in Jesus name. .

quote

God’s promises in Christ in your life may appear delayed, but never forget that delays are not denials. WORDBITE 222.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

Psalms 110:1

The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.  The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

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

Jerusalem means the city of peace, yet it is the bloodiest city on earth. More wars have been fought over Jerusalem than any other city in the world.  Throughout history, nations and empires have always sought to grab it as the ultimate jewel.

Jerusalem, known as the city of God, is the most celebrated city on earth. News about the mid-east often focuses on Jerusalem. Jerusalem is sacred to the three major faiths in the world.  For Jews it is the center of who they are as a people, for Christians it is the scene of Jesus’ agony and triumph; for Muslims it is the site of one of Islam’s most sacred shrines, the dome of the rock from where according to them,  mohammed ascended to heaven.

The Jewish occupation of Jerusalem today is a miracle. For 2552 years the Jews had no control of Jerusalem. But in the 1967 Arab/Isreali war, famously known as ‘the 6 day war’. God miraculously returned control of Jerusalem back to the Jews.

However contention over who really owns Jerusalem still continues.

Perhaps this contention over Jerusalem has a spiritual significance. In Rev 21, we read of the New Jerusalem which will come down as a bride adorned. That is the bride of Christ, the Church. And just as Jerusalem has seen many wars, spiritually also the church has seen many wars,

Especially now as we draw to the close of the age, the tempo of the spiritual warfare has greatly increased. However we have been assured by Christ that the gates of hell shall never prevail.

Psalms 110:1  says ‘The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.  The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.’

Despite the raging spiritual opposition, it is our season to rule in the midst of our enemies. God has already made them our footstool.

In this season, God has ordained victory and dominion for us both as a church and as individuals.

Victory comes through prayer. Let us therefore receive grace for constant prayer, so that we can remain ever victorious. We are therefore called to be constantly vigilant. Vigilance is in the place of prayer. Jesus said we should rise and pray lest we enter into temptation. Without prayer a Child of God cannot hope to  be victorious against the forces of darkness. Some Christians have found themselves in situations they never bargained for, all due to prayerlessness.

Leviticus 6:13 says ‘The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.’ We are to maintain constant fire on our prayer altar. There must be a ceaseless flow of prayer by The Holy Ghost. Prayer is the breath of our spirit man. It is what keeps us spiritually conscious and alert. If you lack fire on your prayer altar you will become spiritually cold and insensitive. Which means you can easily fall prey to the enemy.

Through prayer we are constantly guided by The Holy Spirit. It doesn’t matter the level of opposition, when you are guided by The Holy Spirit you will always dominate. .

So though this may be a season of heightened spiritual conflict for the church, it is also a season of constant victory. The Light of a candle shines brightest when the night is darkest.  If perhaps you have been experiencing unusual spiritual warfare around you, don’t be surprised. But know also that every such battle  is an opportunity to experience supernatural victory by the help of The Spirit. Whatever you may be confronted with today, have a victory mentality towards it. Go into your prayer closet, knowing that you are not about to negotiate with the enemy, but rather  about to establish your victory by the blood of Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord ,help me to be victorious in the battles of life,  please use me in this generation to affect my world. Let my light so shine that men may be brought into your kingdom.  

quote

The battle you are faced with today is a good warfare because God has already foreordained  victorious end for you.- WORDBITE 222. 

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS]

 Psalms 107:20  

He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

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

Smith Wigglesworth was one of the greatest men of God who ever lived. Few individuals have made such an impact on the world for the gospel as this plumber turned evangelist.. He was among those that shaped the Pentecostal Movement in the early twentieth century. Multitudes were saved worldwide as he ministered, and miracles of healing and deliverance occurred that have rarely been witnessed since the days of the apostles.

However Wigglesworth personally encountered The Healing Power of Jesus before he could minister same to others. He tells his story ‘At one time I was so bound that no human power could help me. For six months I had been suffering from appendicitis. I went to the mission of which I was pastor, but I was brought to the floor in awful agony, and they brought me home to my bed. My wife was sure it was my home call and sent for a physician. He said that there was no possible chance for me-my body was too weak.. He left my wife in a state of broken-heartedness. But after he left, there came to our door a young man and an old lady. I knew that she was a woman of real prayer. This young man jumped on the bed and commanded the evil spirit to come out of me. He shouted, “Come out, you devil; I command you to come out in the name of Jesus!” There was no chance for an argument, to tell him that I would never believe that there was a devil inside of me. The thing had to go in the name of Jesus, and it went, and I was instantly healed.’

On receiving his healing, Wigglesworth immediately dressed and went out to his plumbing work. The doctor later came back to check on him, and on hearing that he had gone out to work, “they’ll bring him back a corpse.” He said. But that never happened, and Smith Wigglesworth was never sick again.

Psalms 107:20  says ‘He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.’

The woman with the issue of blood could not be healed by the physicians. She had spent all her money on doctors. But when she came to Jesus she got her healing.

Today, Jesus is the healer. He takes over where doctors fail. Are you still looking at the doctor’s report? It is time for the Son of righteousness to arise with healing in his wings for you.

Jesus has great compassion for the sick. Throughout His earthly ministry He went about healing the sick and oppressed. He has not changed. He wants to heal you, He wants to deliver you from every destruction. He came and died that you might have life and have it more abundantly. And by His stripes we are healed.

He is waiting in His word to heal those that come to Him. His power for deliverance is embedded in His Word. Victory comes through in depth knowledge of the word of God. People only perish for lack of knowledge of The Word. The victory that overcomes the world is our faith. Your level of faith is a function of how much time you spend in the word of God, because faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The home of faith is the word of God.

Scriptures are the power of God in written form. When you load your heart with the written word, you are loading your heart with power. It is like loading a gun with bullet. When you shoot forth in prayer, every devil flees.

To know the word is to know God. And they that do know their God they shall be strong and do exploits. When you come to know God through His Word, power is imparted into you, it is this power that brings healing and deliverance.

He sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions. So begin a fresh search today into the Word of life so as to encounter God’s power for your healing and deliverance.

PRAYER Lord today I receive power from your Word to overcome every infirmity. Give me the grace to spend time in Your Word so I can have my total deliverance  from every affliction in Jesus Name. 

quote 

God’s word is God’s ‘prescription’ for every area of your life, let God’s word fix that situation in your life. WORDBITE 222.

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK DIVINE HEALTH AND HEALING]

 Joshua 1:8

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

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

General William booth is the founder of the Salvation army. . The salvation army is a Christian movement with a quasi-military structure founded in 1865, which has spread from London, England, to many parts of the world, it is known for being one of the largest distributors of humanitarian aid. In 2002, Booth was named among the 100 Greatest Britons in a BBC poll.

Once General booth was asked the secret of his success. Tears came to his eyes as he answered , ‘I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me. There have been men with greater brains than I, men with greater opportunities; but I made up my mind that God would have all of William Booth there was. And if there is anything of power in the Salvation Army today, it is because God has all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life.’”

William booth gave his all to God. And God worked through him to achieve great success in the salvation army.

Ability to lay it all down comes from being deeply impacted by Jesus. When the apostles encountered Him, they forsook all and followed Him. When Paul encountered Him, he counted all things dung, that he may win Christ. And such  encounter with Christ comes through meditation in The Word.

In meditation we are rubbing minds with God. As The Word goes into the heart,  it dispels everything not of God and begins to infuse  the life and nature of God into us. .

This is how God takes us over and begins to control us.

When you let God have all of you, He will work through you to accomplish  His will. He will release His power to you. This power envelopes you and empowers you to go forth and conquer. This is how men like William Booth made great impacts,. As Paul said in Galatians 2;20, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me.

When self dies, and God takes you over, you make great impacts in your generation. It is God that works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Some of us may still be seeking the help of men to rise in life, but in Isaiah 30:7-8, God says ‘For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, their strength is to sit still. Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book..’

God is asking us to sit down in His book, in His Word, and study.  God is saying you can never outrun the enemy on your own. It is only by the Power in the Word, that you can overcome, and succeed in life. It is through meditation in the Word that we can have good success [Joshua 1:8]

There is always a price to pay. And why it seems some of us don’t experience  His mighty works, is because we never spend enough time in His  word. We don’t seem to have the patience to sit down for long until God takes control of us.

But there is a price to pay, if we don’t want to see defeat. For us to experience victory then Jesus must have all of us. We must lay all else down, and let Him take us over. That is the path to victory. That is the path great men like William booth followed. And that is the path we are called to follow today, so as to have great success in our service to God.

PRAYER Lord help me to return to the place of sitting at your feet, learning from Your Word until You have taken me over, so that I can go forth and do exploits by Your Power  in Jesus Name. .

quote

The price you pay to discover anything in God’s word is nothing ever to be compared to the prize of the discovery- WORDBITE 222.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK REJOICE]

Habakkuk 2:3

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

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

Smith Wigglesworth was converted when he was eight years of age. And immediately he felt God’s hand on his life. Grounded in Bible teaching by the Plymouth Brethren, he marched under the blood and fire banner of the Salvation Army, learning to win souls in the open air. He thought perhaps there would be an immediate manifestation of God’s call on him, But after many years of fervent Christian service, when it seemed nothing significant was happening in his life, he settled for a nominal Christian life while pursuing work as a plumber. But in his mid forties, God orchestrated events that will catapult him into a world acclaimed ministry. His ministry exploded in such miracles as seldom has been seen since the days of the apostles. Over 23 dead were raised through his ministry, and many healed by the mighty power of God. And from an ordinary plumber, who couldn’t read or write correctly, he became a world acclaimed preacher. Smith Wigglesworth was without doubt one of the most anointed men of God that has lived in recent times. And up till today his name carries weight in Christendom.  .

Indeed God is faithful Delays are not denials. Have you been called by God? Does it seem as if it taking a long time for that call to fully manifest? Keep serving faithfully, God has not forgotten your labour of love. Keep sowing good seeds, because your time of reaping is coming and in due season you shall reap if you faint not.

Do not get impatient or weary if you are not immediately getting the result you desire, keep sowing the seed required of you because harvest is coming, only he that endures to the end will reap, if he faint not. Those who enjoy multiplied blessings from God are those who go all the way with Him, In whatever capacity you are serving God, make up your mind to go all the way, and not stop halfway. Jesus said he that puts his hand to the plough and looks back is not worthy of His Kingdom. So do not get weary or give up midway, no matter the level of discouragement you may face. Because there is an appointed time for your reward and if you are not willing to go all the way you may not see fully what God has in store for you. .

When Joseph had the dream and saw his brothers sheaves bowing to his, it was a vision of what his future would be. He knew he would one day reign over his brethren but what he didn’t know was that it would take quite a number of years before the dream would come to fruition.

Whatever dream or vision God has given to you, trust that it will come to pass in its time. God is not man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent. His promises are always sure. If you know of a certainty He has spoken to you then hold on to His promises. Do not be discouraged by the passage of time, or the circumstances around you. God will fulfill His promise to you in due time. . Just keep walking in obedience trusting Him all the way.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to follow patiently the path you have set before me so that I can arrive at my great destiny.

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]

Romans 10:6   But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart:

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

In 1895, the story was told of a ship that was lost at sea for many days. Then this ship  suddenly sighted a friendly vessel. From the mast of the unfortunate ship was a signal that said: “Water, water. We die of thirst.” The answer from the friendly vessel at once came back: “Cast down your bucket where you are.” A second time, the signal, “Water, send us water!” went up from the distressed vessel. And was answered: “Cast down your bucket where you are.” A third and fourth signal for water was answered: “Cast down your bucket where you are.” The captain of the distressed vessel, at last heeding the injunction, cast down his bucket and it came up full of fresh, sparkling water from the mouth of the Amazon River.

The fresh drinkable water he was looking for had been with him all along.

Romans 10:6   But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

The Word is near us. The Word  of God contains all we need to excel in life. Yet many people are looking to the hills for help, while the Word is near.

The starting point on the journey of success is access to the Word of life. It is the foundation. It is good to have great dreams and aspirations, and have great plans, but first, start casting your bucket where you are. Start searching the scriptures to know first what God says. And when you are certain what God’s will is for you, don’t sit around and do nothing about , get up and begin to run with the vision.

Start taking small steps, while you await the giant stride. A journey of a 1000 miles starts with a step. Start doing the little you can where you are, and before you know it, the trickles will turn into a river.

Are you still sitting around waiting for something big to first happen to you? Well, it may never happen if you never take the first small steps. Enough daydreaming and wishing, if wishes were horses even beggars would ride. Decide to do something with what God has imparted to your heart. You must have what to present to God for Him to multiply.

When the widow of the prophet complained to the prophet Elisha about her financial difficulties, the question he asked her was ‘what do you have?’ She said nothing but a pot of oil. He asked her to bring it and when he prayed over it, the oil began to multiply. The same with the widow of Zarephath, she told Elijah she just has a little oil and flour. Again God multiplied what she presented until it was sufficient.

So the question to you today is what do you have, what can you offer, what talent or abilities do you have? It doesn’t matter how insufficient it maybe, when you turn it over to God and begin to do what you can, God will multiply it to meet your needs.

Many times we have great dreams God has put in our hearts, but when we look at how accomplish it, it appears impossible. The common complaint often is insufficient fund, or inadequate qualification or lack of human connections etc. But then we forget that the Bible has already said with God nothing shall be impossible.

So start casting your bucket where you are, believing God for the best and you will surely get to the top by His grace in Jesus name. Amen

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to learn to align with your word, to allow your Word to control my life so that  I can begin to walk into the good things you have prepared for me.Grant me the wisdom to know what to per time..

quote

God is preparing you for the season He prepared your breakthrough. – WORDBITE 222. 

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK DIVINE ORDER FOR A LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS]

Romans 8: 28  –

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”      

• DAILY READING   Matthew 23:13-39; Numbers 23:27-24:25; Song of Solomon 5:2-6:3

Oswald Jeffrey Smith was a great man of God, who made a profound  impact on Christendom in the last century.  He was a  pastor, author, and missions advocate. He founded The People’s Church in Toronto in 1928. Over the course of eighty years he preached more than 12,000 sermons in 80 countries, wrote thirty-five books (with translations into 128 languages), as well as 1,200 poems, of which 100 have been set to music, including “Deeper and Deeper”

However this great man of God would have been unheard of had he adhered to human selection. In 1920, as a young man, Oswald Smith, stood before the examining board for selecting missionaries. One dream dominated his heart. He wanted to be a missionary. Over and over again, he prayed, “Lord, I want to go as a missionary for you. Open a door of service for me.” Standing before the board he felt his prayers would be answered. But when the examination was over, the board had turned Oswald Smith down. He did not meet their qualifications. He failed the test. They felt he was not healthy enough.  Imagine how disappointment this young man was. His life dream had just been shattered before his eyes.

He could have been offended at members of the board, but rather he chose to seek God’s face.

As Oswald Smith prayed, God planted another idea in his heart. If he could not go as a missionary, he would build a church which could send out missionaries. That is what he did. Oswald Smith pastored The People’s Church in Toronto, Canada, which sent out more missionaries than any other church at that time. God transformed his detour into a main thoroughfare of service.

Talk about turning a disappointment into a blessing. Though Oswald was faced with disappointment, he decided not to sit and bemoan his fate. He sought God for a way out, and  by  following divine counsel, was able to fulfill his destiny.

Anyone who is getting ahead in life is always going to have to overcome setbacks.  As long as you are getting up and trying to do something with your life you will have to confront disappointing situations. . But the difference between the winners and losers is the way they view such setbacks.

While losers see setback as the end of the road, winners only see it as a bend in the road.

Jesus said in the Bible that ‘offences must come.’ That is to say we are bound to face offending situations in life. Situations where you are treated unjustly or unfairly, but the question is what do you do in such situations. Someone said life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you take it or react to it.

You don’t let people’s actions determine the outcome of your life. You don’t let how someone treated you become the full stop in your life story. No matter what they did to you, you can put it behind you, still forge ahead and become all that God said you are to be in life.

Sometimes things happen that may you think your world has turned upside down. But if you look deep enough you will see a seed of blessing that can help you turn that situation around. Don’t just look at things on the face value. Always find out what is the will of God for you. The bible says that with every temptation God makes a way of escape. Hidden in that seeming disappointment is a seed of equivalent benefit. Find it. When you apply it, you will find that what the enemy meant for evil in your life, God will turn around for your greater good in Jesus Name.

PRAYER: Lord, by the power from your Word let what may have looked like disappointment in my life, be reversed into a blessing , let the good seed You have embedded for me within this situation come into manifestation in Jesus Name.  

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Faith is more than just believing, it is acting upon The Word that you believe.

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]