“For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.” – Proverbs 23:18 REFERENCE: PROVERBS 23:15-18 Have you heard voices lately that fill your mind with negative thoughts because of past or present happenings? Have you concluded, “This is the beginning of the end, and everything has started to crash?” Do not be deceived; it is a lie. It is neither the end nor the beginning of the end, but the end of a bad cycle. Life continues beyond this point. Some bible characters found themselves where the future looked bleak. Let us consider God’s response...
“And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.” – I Kings 17:13 REFERENCE: I Kings 17:8-16 On the third day of creation, God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself…” Every plant carries its seed within itself and has the power to reproduce itself endlessly. The seed bears the roots, stem,...
“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness...” – II Corinthians 9:10 REFERENCE: II CORINTHIANS 9:6-15 God supplies our every need, whether bread to eat or seed to sow. He gives seeds to the farmer to plant and then good crops to harvest and eat. This principle of sowing seeds and reaping their harvests ensures the farmer always has seeds to plant to perpetuate a cycle of having to both eat and sow. God started everything using His word...
“Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed, every man’s sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion.” ~ I Samuel 14:20 REFERENCE: I Samuel 14:13-20 How mighty is our God! Outnumbered, and facing a military garrison with his armorbearer, Jonathan declared, “nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few,” – I Sam 14:6. They bravely approached the Philistine soldiers, and miraculously, they killed about 20 men. The Philistines were at war with Israel and all the odds were stacked against Israel. Worse still, the Philistines...
“This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots.” – I Samuel 8:11 MAIN TEXT: I Samuel 8:9-20 Israel had God as their Monarch, but they soon envied their neighbors ruled by kings. These kings wore rich clothes, lived in regal buildings, rode strong stallions, and majestically led their armies into battle. Impressed, Israel felt having a king would earn them regional respect. They clamored to have their own king. What...
“Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him because the soul of all the people was grieved... But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” – I Samuel 30:6 REFERENCE: I Samuel 30:1-8 Almost all men encounter failure on their journey to success. Their response is the difference between average people and achieving people. Winston Churchill said, “…failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” It is this courage to continue that many find difficult. The failing is not the problem; the question is, “Will failure move you forward?” Failure can either stagnate or...
“So, David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” – I Samuel 30:8 REFERENCE: I Samuel 30:1-8 There is hardly a successful man that never went through a season of failure or setback. It is their response that determines their outcomes in life. When we see people at the top of the ladder, we never think that they may have fallen back several times on the rung before getting to the top. David was and still is a...
“Therefore, say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD God: ‘None of My words will be postponed any more, but the words which I speak will be done,” says the LORD God.” – Ezekiel 12:28 REFERENCE: Ezekiel 12:26-28 In Old Testament times, God spoke through His prophets; they were His mouthpieces, and when they spoke, it was as though God Himself had spoken. No wonder the Bible says, “Believe in the Lord your God, you will be established; believe in His prophets, and you will prosper” (II Chronicles 20:20). In this verse, God and the prophets seem to be on the same...
“And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.” ~ Acts 27:22 REFERENCE: Acts 27:18-26 It is said, “As long as there is life, there is hope.” Life is the most precious of the gifts God gave to man because you cannot benefit from other gifts without it. The worst the devil can do to a man on a mission is to cut his life short so that he will not reach his destination; for as long as he has life, he will arrive, although he...
“For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again…” – Job 14:7a REFERENCE: JOB 14:7-9 No matter what a tree has suffered – chopped and cut down by the axe of circumstances, there is still hope for it. Its roots are buried deep in the soil; therefore, it will sprout again when droplets of water touch it. Trees in the northern hemisphere often drop all their leaves in autumn to help them weather the winter. They look naked, bare, and exposed, but when spring comes, they blossom again. You can...