“Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.” – I Timothy 4:16 REFERENCE: JOSHUA 1:1-8 To succeed and grow as a Christian, there are habits you must develop and continually practice. In I Timothy 4:16, Paul counseled Timothy on the how and why of habits; he said, “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.” You will experience overwhelming growth or victory in anything you continually think about and entirely commit to practicing. A Christian must give himself to the continual exercise of...
Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams! – Genesis 37:20 REFERENCE: Genesis 37:5-20 Dreams change the world, but the world likes to change dreamers. The world rarely understands dreamers because they often speak of things they have seen which are loftier than where they are. Dreamers disrupt the status quo and shake the system; without them, the world would be stuck in the rut of the old ways, but thank God for the new that...
Then as he (Elijah) lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, ‘Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you. – 1 Kings 19:5 (NKJV). REFERENCE: 1 Kings 19:1-8 Congratulations! You have made it to the first day of the second half of the year. The grace of God has kept and sustained you till today; take a moment now and whisper a thank you to God. Great! The last six months have been a journey with various experiences – victories, losses, pain, rejection, or betrayals. In fact,...
“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.” – Isaiah 54:2. REFERENCE: ISAIAH 54:2-4 In order to experience the fulfillment of God’s promise, there is a part God plays, and there is a part you must play. God will not do what He has empowered you to do. We are the legal operators in the earth realm; God has given us the authority to execute His will here on earth by our actions. God has promised to increase you; in making room...
“…Let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.” – Isaiah 54:2. REFERENCE: ISAIAH 54:2-4 Yesterday, we saw that God wants us to experience uninhibited growth in every area of our lives. The instruction to ‘ENLARGE YOUR TENT’ is a call to action. What does this mean for you? What practical things can you do to ready yourself for the greater, bigger, and better you? Stretch out your curtains – The curtain is a tent’s covering and the part of the tent we see. It is the part of the...
“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.” – Isaiah 54:2. REFERENCE: ISAIAH 54:2-4 God is ready to do something new in your life. He says, “Enlarge the place of your tent and spread out;” that is, make room for more in your mind. Hold nothing back, and increase your capacity to receive bigger and better from God. Do away with small thinking and timid goals. God wants the second half of the year to be the better half of the year for you....
“I will bless the LORD at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” ~ Psalm 34:1 REFERENCE: Psalm 34:1-8 It is midyear, and thanksgiving is in order. Considering all God has done for you since the beginning of the year, your response should be unrestrained thanksgiving. Most Christians paused yesterday to thank God for bringing them midway in the year. It is easy, however, to emerge from the weekend and get into the hustle and bustle of life, treating thanksgiving like an event or a church service. But thanksgiving is not just for a particular day; it is for...
“For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.” – 1 Kings 11:4 REFERENCE: 1 KINGS 11:1-6 Bad boys can come from the loins of good men; therefore, fathers must get involved in the lives of their sons and, by a good example, teach them good and godly values that will help them in life. Boaz was Solomon’s forefather, but they were very different. Solomon gradually turned away from God after marrying many foreign...
“…have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.” – Ruth 2:9b REFERENCE: RUTH 2:5-12 Boaz met Ruth when she came to glean in his field; he inquired about her and discovered she was Naomi’s daughter-in-law. Boaz did not use his position or status to take advantage of her, considering she was at his mercy as a female foreigner. He chose to go about it the right way, following due process in making her his wife. He is one of the...
“And Samson said to them, “This time I shall be blameless regarding the Philistines if I harm them!” – Judges 15:1-5 REFERENCE: Judges 15:1-5 & Judges 16:23-31 Samson was a man with no clear sense of purpose; he lived thoughtlessly and sold his honor on beds of fornication; he sought independence without learning submission. He was taken by his looks and gift, assuming these qualify him for special treatments and the love of women. He despised correction and liked to have his way. Let’s see all these play out in Samson’s life: He Used God as a Means to an...