HORM Devotional

Proverbs 15:24 KJV

24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.

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

There is always a struggle at the point of transition to greater heights. A moth will not become a beautiful butterfly until it has endured the struggle through the tiny hole in its cocoon. When a moth is struggling to get through the hole, it is actually forcing the fluid from its body into its wings. Without the struggle, the wings will not get the necessary fluid to grow; without the struggle, the butterfly’s wings would never be strong enough to function and fly. And without flight the butterfly will not be able to survive.

Challenges always come at the point of growth or moving to a new level. When you get into a seat on an airplane, what is the first thing you are told? “Fasten your seat belt.” Why? Because you are about to go up, brace yourself for the turbulence. In the same way, when you are about to move to your next level of accomplishment, you must fasten your mental and spiritual seat belts because you must endure the turbulence of change.

When you are about to soar to the next level, God will always allow you to receive an ‘examination.’ This is to prepare you to handle that new height, because new level comes with new devils, and you must be prepared beforehand to overcome, so that what was meant to become your throne does not become your tomb.

The challenges you are facing now may just mean you are about to go higher. Perhaps you are at the very edge of your promotion; so, don’t be discouraged, don’t waver. Rather, see every challenge as an opportunity to draw closer to God.

Though David was anointed king by Samuel, it took years of passing through difficult challenges before he could eventually mount the throne. But all that was part of the preparation for where he was going to. Life is a continuous succession of both small and large challenges. It seems no sooner you get control of one situation than another comes along. But yet, all these challenges come to make us stronger to prepare us for the heights we are destined to attain. Adversity pushes us to accelerate the development of our greatest potential. Without adversity there will be no growth.

See challenges as opportunities for rising, trusting that God is too faithful to allow you to be tempted more than you are able to handle. See them as times to praise God, because He is about to raise you. And as you praise God, He will indeed cause you to soar to your next level.

PRAYER: Father, please help me to overcome the trials and temptations that come my way, so that I can be qualified to ascend to greater heights in life in Jesus’ name.

quote :

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

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK ESTABLISHED BY THE WORD]

Romans 1:16 KJV

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

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

Today Bibles are everywhere, and very easily accessible. And often times we take that for granted. But do you know there was a time in history when it was a crime, punishable by death, for the common man to read the Bible. This was so until one man risked his life to make the Bible easily available. He stood up for the truth in his generation.

In 1408, the Roman Catholic Church had banned the unauthorized translation of the Bible into English, but William Tyndale defying the ban, translated the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into English, making a Bible for the common people. 90% of the King James Version of the Bible and 75% of the Revised Standard Version are from the translation of the Bible into English made by William Tyndale.

In 1535, he was arrested and sentenced to die a heretic’s death. His alleged crimes were disagreements with the Catholic Church’s teachings and his English-Bible translations. Just before he died, on October 6, 1536 he cried out his last words, asking God to  “open the eyes” of the then king, Henry VIII, to allow people in England to have access to their own Bibles. His prayer was answered within a year. And the Bible became accessible to the common man. .

Tyndale could have lived a ‘normal’ life without upsetting the cart. Yet knowing the risk to his life, he stood up for the truth and allowed his light to shine in the darkness. Today, everyman has access to the Bible because one man paid the price. We may not be required to die for what we believe but it is paramount as Christians that we be resolute in standing for our faith. Wherever we go, let us shine the light of the Gospel. There are people in darkness. Many people are confused by diverging messages in the world and they need a beacon in their darkness. Do not hide your light. Speak forth the truth of God’s Word to shatter the darkness in men’s hearts. Use every possible opportunity to preach the gospel. Don’t sit on the fence, knowing the truth and yet doing nothing to reach the dying world around you with the Gospel.

Life is about taking sides; it is dangerous to walk in the middle of the road. Be radical for Jesus; proclaim your faith boldly; let your light shine for men to see. In all that you do and say, let it be clear you represent God.

However, to live a life of such conviction, truth has to be deeply imparted into your heart. This is why there is a need to spend time in the Word of God until you are filled and controlled by His Word. You cannot impact your world until you have first been impacted by the Word. It is out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. It is only when you have been watered that you in turn can water others also.

 PRAYER: Lord, please help me to stand up for the truth, help me to preach Your Word in season and out of season. Grant me the boldness to proclaim Your Word before men without being ashamed.

 quote :

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

 [ADAPTED FROM TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS]

Proverbs 29:18 KJV

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

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

  When written in Chinese, the word “crisis” is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity. 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.

We are to walk by faith, not by sight. We are to access situations based on revelation.

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 had imparted to him the right perspective. So while the army ran from Goliath, David ran towards the 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. Indeed, ‘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.

Abraham’s maid, Hagar and her child, Ishmael would have died of thirst until the angel opened her eyes to see a well of water. 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 to rise.

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]

Hebrews 12: 2

 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.

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

During the 2010 Haiti earthquake, a sixteen-year-old girl, Darlene Etienne was taking a shower when the walls collapsed around her, trapping her in a small space. Against all odds, she survived in this tiny hole for 15 days. When rescuers eventually found her, she was weak, but very much alive. It was a miracle! Medical experts said there was hardly any chance of her survival. Despite her injuries and the prospect of dehydration after so many days without water or food, she still made it. When asked how she was able to stay alive under the rubble for 15 days without food or water, she said she held on to her faith in God, she believed she would survive. Faith kept her alive even when the Haiti government had called off search and rescue 4 days earlier believing no one could still be alive under the rubble after so long. Indeed faith can do the impossible.

It doesn’t matter what the situation may look like, as long as you can focus on God, there is always a way out. He is the God of miracles and with Him nothing shall be impossible. Even if it seems you are shut in, as long as you can keep your focus on God, He will always make a way of escape for you.

What situation can be more desperate than that of the 3 Hebrew boys? They were already inside the fire, yet God appeared and carried out a rescue operation. Or what situation can be as hopeless as that of Lazarus, who had been in the grave 4 days? But then, even in the grave, Jesus is still Lord. There is no problem, trouble, situation or circumstance facing you today that God cannot handle.

When you focus on the Word of God in the face of any challenge, your victory is sure. Your focus on the Word invokes the reality of God in your heart. And when God dominates your heart, you will talk and act like a man from another realm. When men talk limitations and impossibilities, you talk possibilities, because you know with you is the one to whom nothing is impossible.

The truth is that God is the only eternal reality. Other things are temporal, the problems that seem to surround you are not real, they are optical illusions. Problems only become real once the enemy is able to shift your focus from God, and get you to concentrate on them. And the law of concentration states that the more you think about something, the more it grows, the more it becomes part of your reality. What you focus on paints an inner picture in your heart. And if you shift your focus from God’s Word and focus on problems, then those problems only grow bigger.

You must keep looking unto Jesus. The moment Peter shifted his gaze from Jesus to look at the storm, he began to sink. All the roaring of the storm was aimed at shifting his focus. Because the enemy is helpless against the end result, he fights the process by trying to shift your focus. But as long as you can focus on God via His Word, faith is imparted and your victory is assured. Because faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

 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 achieve the impossible. 

 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]

 John 8:31-32 –

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.       

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

 There is a simple concept that law students learn in the first few weeks of Criminal Law class,  it is Ignorance of the law is no excuse. This principle means that when an individual violates the law, it doesn’t matter whether or not they knew what the law said; if it’s a crime, and they are found to have committed the elements of that crime, they are guilty.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse. That’s the standard line motorists hear when they say they weren’t aware of the speed limit, or gun owners, when they say they didn’t know about the gun laws in their jurisdiction. Ignorance of the law has put so many people in jail today and they are suffering wrongfully for not being aware of what they are supposed to be aware of.

The same holds true when it comes to spiritual things. Many of us are victims of spiritual ignorance. We wonder why we are suffering, why we are broke; we wonder why we are sick, depressed and oppressed; but all these are the results of breaking certain spiritual laws.

Ignorance is inexcusable in spiritual things. The consequence of breaking a spiritual law is not suspended because you didn’t know about it. The law of gravity holds true anywhere in the world – no economy or climatic condition changes the law.

Even unbelievers cannot claim ignorance of the law. Romans 1:18-20, says  that God’s  eternal power and divine nature, has been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

You are expected to know the law. It is only the discovery of spiritual truths that can guarantee you lasting freedom. You should not wait until you are compelled by situations to find out what the law says. Unfortunately, many want to encounter truth without going through the search process. If you do not seek, you will not find or discover. When you do the search, your discovery leaves you with experiential knowledge that none can take that away from you. Searching requires discipline, diligence and time. One discovered Word from God will change your life.

The prize attained from discovering key truths is far more valuable than the price you have to pay to make that discovery. To attain this prize, there is the need to be spiritually educated, and fight spiritual ignorance. One way to fight spiritual ignorance is to befriend the Bible. Make up your mind to become addicted to God’s Word. That is the path to freedom.

The truth is that the enemy uses spiritual ignorance to keep even believers in bondage. Decide today to escape his captivity by searching out truths for yourself in The Bible. Do not be too busy for the truth. Create time and sit down with the Word of God. And you will find that many of the confusions of your life will disappear as light comes, and The Holy Spirit begins to teach you truth from the pages of scriptures.

PRAYER; Lord I know there are treasures stored up in your Word for me, I need to find them, please give me the grace to locate them in Jesus name.

quote 

In law ignorance is no excuse, as a child of God, failure is simply inexcusable. WORDBITE 222.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

Psalm 119:130

“The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple”

 DAILY READING Luke 21; Genesis 38; Psalm 29

Some cities have become so violent that they are now tagged crime capitals of the world. One of these is Venezuela, which has become one of the most weaponized places on earth with one firearm for every two people. The crime rate is such that the Venezuelan government has refused to officially publish murder statistics since 2011.

In this so called crime capitals, one major way governments have been fighting crimes is by lighting up dark streets and corners. Hitherto crime zones once flooded with light had criminal activities drastically reduce. Criminals like to hide under the cover of darkness to carry out their evil activities. But when light comes and they have no more hiding place they are forced to quit the area.

Spiritually also, man is oppressed from the regions of darkness. The psalmist says that the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. It is the dark regions in a man’s life that gives room to the operations of darkness but when light comes, every darkness  must disappear. What you need to guarantee victory against the operations of evil forces is an introduction of the light of God’s Word. It doesn’t matter the trial or challenge facing you, the Bible declares, “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. [John 1:5.]

Any challenge faced by any man is from the region of darkness. This includes sickness, failure and repetitive evil cycles. You cannot fight darkness in darkness! The solution to every work of darkness is the introduction of light. You cannot wrestle sickness in ignorance; what you need to do is to go into God’s Word and find out God’s promises for your health and wellbeing and introduce that Word into this area of darkness and darkness will naturally flee, because light and darkness don’t struggle for right of place. “The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” [Psalm 119:130]

This means that it is your responsibility to access The Word that will give the light to dispel every darkness in your life. The Psalmist prayed: “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law” [Psalms 119:18.]

As you begin today to flood your life with the light of The Word of God I see every darkness disappear from around you. From today may your life be permanently flooded with light as you commit to the constant study of God’s Word!

PRAYER:  Lord, help me to keep my life covered by your light so that there will be no hiding place for darkness in Jesus name.

quote

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

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK TRIUMPH OF LIGHT ]

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Matthew 25:7-10

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

 On July 19, 1989, for the first time in aviation history a completely un-steerable plane was brought to the runway in what was a clear Miracle.  Helen Young Hayes who was onboard, shared the story of God’s deliverance, on a CBN News interview, recalling her experience after she boarded United Airlines Flight 232 in Denver, bound for Chicago. As the plane was careening and going down: Chaos filled the cabin with passengers thrown in their seats and flames all around them. But in the midst of that chaos, The Word of God came to fore in Helen’s mind as she prayed that God literally guide the pilots’ hands as they attempted to land a DC-10 with no hydraulic assistance – something that had never been done before. She closed her eyes, focused on the pilots’ hands, and “asked the Lord to give them guidance and wisdom and show them what to do.” God answered her prayers, and the plane was landed safely. 

The battles of life come suddenly; in a time of crisis what works is The Word already stored within you. When confronted suddenly, what is inside of you is what rises to the fore. Spend quality time building up The Word within you is important for during trials and challenges the Word will rise to give you guidance and grant you victory.

Every believer has the responsibility to go in pursuit of the Word. The Word you are going for may not be the Word you need today necessarily, but it is a Word you will need to access and draw from in the future when faced with a test or trial. When you study your Bible therefore, it should be a deliberate action of making daily withdrawals from the Book of life. It is something you must do consistently, because by so doing you prepare yourself against the day of temptation. When the challenge arises, there should be strength within you to rise up to the challenge.

You don’t have to wait for trouble to come first before you know you are to study  The Word, because if you do, it may be too late then. Decide today to begin to store The Word in enough quantity and quality in your heart so that whenever trouble knocks, your victory is assured.

 PRAYER Lord help me to live ready by always storing up your Word in my heart.

quote 

When you apply The Word of God, it will work for you, anywhere and anytime- WORDBITE 222.

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

 Mathew 7: 24

‘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:  25 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.-

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

It was the worst financial and economic disaster of the 20th century!

It began on October 24, 1929, the day that in the economic world has come to be known as black Thursday. This was the day of the great stock market crash of 1929, which led to a loss of  $30 billion in market value. That’s the equivalent of $396 billion today, which is even more than the total cost of World War I. The market crash wiped people out. Those who had borrowed money to buy stocks, were forced to sell businesses and cash in their life savings to pay their debts. Many out of depression committed suicide. This led to the period in world history known as the great depression, which lasted almost 10 years and resulted in massive loss of income, record unemployment rates, especially in industrialized nations.

This is what building on world systems and having faith in the ways of men can lead to. It can be likened to building on sand, which is ever shifting. Policies, Governments, people can change overnight. And as its often said, the only permanent thing is change. Building on shifting foundations of the world, is building on sand, which  means your world can come crashing at any time.

However building on the rock is building your life based on the Immovable Word of God. Rock is strong and immovable. God’s word abides forever, it never shifts or changes. What God said 6000 years ago still remains the same today. Heaven and earth shall pass away but His Word remains infallible forever. It doesn’t matter the present situation, The Word always prevails in the end.  It’s like pouring water over oil, the oil will always ascend to be on top of the water. The Word of God will always arise to be on top of every situation. The arm of flesh will fail, but when you base your life on the Word and trust in God, no matter what happens God will always keep you, so that you cannot fall.

Each time the Word of God comes, it is to establish you. It comes to grant you a particular truth that will cause your inheritance to come your way. Paul said, “I commend to God, and unto the Word of His grace which is able to build you up, and to give an inheritance (Acts 20:32).

The World of God, not only gives you a sure foundation it also builds you up, establishes you and ushers you into your inheritance. You must therefore ensure that your life is rooted and grounded in the Word of God, because it is only what God builds that will not suffer loss.

quote

God’s Word is ever unchanging, changing everybody who truly comes in genuine contact with it. – WORDBITE 222.

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK ESTABLISHED BY THE WORD OF GOD]

Genesis 37:5

Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.     

DAILY READING Luke 19:28-48; Genesis 34; Psalm 26

 True dreams never die. Joseph was a dreamer, and not only did his dreams come true but some parts of his dream are still affecting the world today.

One of the most fertile areas in Egypt was the land around Lake Quarun. This lake used to receive water from one of the branches of the Nile, but droughts in Egypt caused this branch to dry up, leaving the land around the Lake destitute. However history records that between 1850 and 1650 BC, around the time when Joseph reigned as prime minister in Egypt, a canal was built from the Nile that permanently supplied water to fill Lake Quaran and keep the land fertile.  This canal was so effective that it still successfully functions today, causing the land around Lake Quarun to be one of the most fertile areas in Egypt. It is believed that this is part of the innovations Joseph brought to Egypt during his reign. It is interesting that for thousands of years this waterway has only been known by one name. In Arabic it’s the Bahr Yusef, which  translates into English as The Waterway of Joseph.

 More than 3600 years after, Joseph’s dream is still speaking. Incredible!

Has God given you a dream, a vision? Hold on to it. Don’t give up. Keep the picture before you. One day that picture will bring you to your future.  Joseph had a sneak preview that someday God was going to cause him to sit upon a throne. That didn’t happen overnight, he went through many stops, curves and detours. All through the journey, Joseph kept a picture of the vision that God showed him.

It doesn’t matter where you maybe now, your situations and circumstances, there is still hope for you.  No matter what you go through now, know that it is only a matter of time before you get to your ordained destination.

Storms, situations and trials will always come to try to shift your focus, But keep a steady gaze upon The Word of God. Let The Holy Spirit keep painting a picture of your future through the scriptures. And as long as you don’t quit you will surely win. So whatever tries to oppose your dream today, disregard it, ignore it, know that your  manifestation is on the way. It is only a matter of time. Don’t give in to discouragement, don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the enemy. Keep your focus on your vision. The Bible says in 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 [seems to delay] wait for it, because it will surely come…’’.

What an encouraging verse! Dreams do not speak at the beginning, they only speak at the end, so wait for it.  Do not give up, do not give in, your day is surely coming. And one day, what may look now like a dream will become your reality.

PRAYER:  Lord by your Word please paint a clear picture of my future before me in Jesus Name.

quote

Just because The Lord showed you a picture of your future doesn’t mean your future is coming to pass today — WORDBITE 222. 

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]