And the Lord spoke to me, saying: ‘You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward.’ Deuteronomy 2:2-3 REFERENCE Deuteronomy 2:1-3 If you’ve had a particular experience for so long, you can get used to it and forget your assignment, and even lose every desire to go forward. This was the case with the Israelites in their wilderness journey until God came to stir their nest. Although they were at that time out of Egypt and slavery and had passed through the Red Sea and experienced miracles in the wilderness, they still had a ‘Promised Land’ to go to. But there they were, stuck...
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? Matthew 16:13 REFERENCE Matthew 16:13-17 As you go through life, the question of your identity – who you are will periodically run through your mind, and the way you answer this question will determine the direction or outcome of your life. Philosophers have proffered many open-ended answers to this question; people have subjected themselves to tests to help understand their personalities, others have resorted to medical science to answer them. However, your true identity as...
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. I Corinthians 2:14 REFERENCE I Corinthians 2:14-15 Our natural bent is to judge everything physically and forget the spiritual dimension. We mostly get too mindful of facts, circumstances and experts opinions, that our judgment becomes clouded. We unwittingly become slaves to our feelings – to our five senses: sight, taste, touch, sound and smell, basing most of all we do on sight, sound and sensations. If it is obvious or visible,...
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” I Samuel 7:12 REFERENCE I Samuel 7:5-12 This scripture account reveals how the Israelites, in trying to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives, consecrated themselves and sought His face for the next phase. The Philistines then came to resist their advancement, making it difficult for them to achieve their objective. Don’t expect the enemy to be happy whenever you make a commitment to fulfill God’s will for your life or make a move towards realizing...
He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. Psalms 112:7&8 (ESV) REFERENCE Psalms 112:1-10 Is it possible not to be afraid of bad news especially when it is close to home? Can you stay calm if you get news that a close family member is terminally ill? What if you get news of a planned mass retrenchment at your place of work, what will you do? How would you react if you suddenly hear that there...
Show that you are my followers by producing much fruit. This will bring honor to my Father. – John 15:8 (ERV) REFERENCE John 15:1-8 (ERV) The above statement implies that one of the ways we show the world that we are Jesus’ disciples or followers is by producing fruits – It is tantamount to being fertile and yielding results that will benefit others. A fruitful Christian life manifests the fruits of the Spirit; it is impactful and exists to bless others. God’s first words to mankind at creation were: “Be fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:28). This is literally a command – a...
So the Lord God took the man [He had made] and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. Genesis 2:15 (Amplified) REFERENCE Genesis 2:8-17 & 3:18 (Amplified) Since man fell in the Garden of Eden, the earth (soil) was put under a curse and it will always of itself yield thorns and thistles (Genesis 3:18). It follows therefore, that without any intervention or interference of man, the earth will always bring forth thorns. Vines in bible days were valuable plants; they were celebrated for both their luxuriant growth and for the immense clusters of grapes that they produced. If...
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the spear that was in his hand toward the city. So those in ambush arose quickly out of their place; they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand, and they entered the city and took it, and hurried to set the city on fire. - Joshua 8:18-19 REFERENCE Joshua 8:1-8 & 18-19 Joshua was a warrior leader who never slacked when it came to going after God’s promises;...
And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. Genesis 21:1 REFERENCE Genesis 21:1-7 The Word of God (Bible) is not just a storybook; the promises there are not just written to fill us with false hope or make us ‘feel good’ in bad times. They are promises that God intends to keep, they are a covenant that He has cut with us and has bound Himself to fulfill. They are an oath that He has sworn and sealed by the blood of Jesus His Son. He said in Psalm 89:34-35, “My covenant I will...
Do not let the son of the foreigner, who has joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, “The Lord has utterly separated me from His people”; nor let the eunuch say, “Here I am, a dry tree.” Isaiah 56:3 REFERENCE Isaiah 56:1-8 Who you are connected to determines so much; your connections in school, business, family, neighborhood, community, marriage, etc., can make so much impact and change your life. Such connections will often give you access to what the other person has, knows and does. In some cases, it allows you to use their name, titles and position beneficially....