“In the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”
REFERENCE
Daniel 9:1-21
Most of the wisdom and help you need is often in a book; some persons have faced the same challenge you are going through and written books on how they overcame. Such books are relevant; they will help you develop strength and strategy to tackle the issues you are dealing with. Therefore, ‘BOOKS’ are an integral part to reaching your goals and having your dreams fulfilled this year. The ultimate book however, is the Bible – the Word of God. The Word of God is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path; it will order your steps to good success, as well as illuminate your path to the point where you become outstanding in life.
From today’s passage, we saw that Jerusalem’s time for captivity should have elapsed but the Israelites were still in captivity. Daniel by reading the Scriptures understood that it was time for their release, so he pleaded for God’s mercy for them to be set free. When he got enlightened by reading, he couldn’t stay silent, he got the boldness to act, and he made a move. What transpired here simply shows that ignorance can keep you in captivity and bondage to something that shouldn’t bind you; little wonder God speaking to Prophet Hosea said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6)
Sometimes we are too lazy to read and that causes delay in our deliverance from the issues we deal with. So, as we commence a new year, we must commit to be a people who study. We must make conscious effort to stock our libraries with useful information that will help our faith, career, family, areas of struggle, or anything that would improve us and keep us on the cutting edge of our spheres of endeavors. This means, as we budget for food, clothes, and other necessities of life, we should equally set something aside for gaining knowledge which could come in form of books, audio and video messages, trainings, seminars, conferences, webinars, etc.
Wisdom, according to Proverbs 4:7 is the principal thing you need in life. Also get understanding, because the more you know, the more value you ‘bring to the table’ and the more indispensable you become. What often makes one person stand out amongst his peers (in life or his career) is what he knows that they don’t know. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
ADDITIONAL STUDY
Psalms 119:97-105, Proverbs 4:5-13, 20-22, & II Timothy 2:15
SCRIPTURE PHOTO
TO DO
+ Write out a list of study materials that will help you improve in different aspects of your life this year.
+ Make a budget for getting these materials.
+ Write down a reading (study) plan for 2021, e.g. read the bible for 30 minutes daily, read one book a month, listen to two messages per week, attend a quarterly seminar on career development, etc., then pray for God’s grace to help you follow through.
Knowledge is indeed POWER!