"Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held — To subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut." ~ Isaiah 45:1 REFERENCE: Isaiah 45:1-4 Do you sometimes wonder if you have what it takes to do what God has called you to do? Do you feel you are to bless multitudes but struggle with the how or capacity to? What you need is divine enablement to do the work of God. That divine enablement is...
"And he said to him, 'Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!'" ~ John 2:10 REFERENCE: John 2:1-10 As the year winds down, I prophesy that it will end better than it started for you, in Jesus' name. God's plan is that the latter's glory is greater than the former. It is what Jesus did at the wedding in Cana when He gave good wine, better than what they started the party with. It was so good that...
"Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die?"- II Kings 7:3 REFERENCE: II Kings 7:1-8 Nothing moves until you move; this truth is one of Newton's laws of motion: 'Every object will remain in a position of rest unless acted upon by a greater external force.' The word of God is a powerful force; God created the world by it. However, as long as it remains on the pages of the bible or in our heads, it profits nothing. We must act...
“So, the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.” ~ Exodus 2:2 REFERENCE: Exodus 2:1-10 Moses was one of the greatest leaders who walked the face of the earth. He was a friend of God and was the only one recorded to have seen God’s body parts. God attested that He spoke with Moses face to face as a man talked to his friend. Described as the meekest of men, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Reading about Moses gives...
"Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening... And Joshua said, "Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? ...” ~ Joshua 7:6-7 REFERENCE: Joshua 7:1-9 'Why?' is often the pivot upon which our life improves. It forces us to probe our situation, seek for reasons, and discover solutions/answers. Isaac asked God, "Why?" when Rebecca had a difficult pregnancy. When in depression, David questioned, "Why are you cast down...
"Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God." ~ Romans 4:20 (NLT) REFERENCE: Romans 4:16-21 Waiting for something we anticipate can be mentally demanding, discouraging, and overwhelming. Since you have no control over the variables that determine the fulfillment of your expectations, you have to wait on God. Waiting takes faith and total dependence on God's integrity. Abraham, although desperately needed an heir, waited on God until the heir came. Abraham waited on God for 25 years, holding on only to what God had said....
“I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you...” ~ Jeremiah 29:14 REFERENCE: Jeremiah 29:10-14 Every real affliction a believer goes through can rightly be called captivity – a situation where you feel incarcerated and incapacitated. Being in a situation you would rather not be in is captivity. The same is true when you feel held back from doing what you desire by an event or bound by the power of something...
“Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So, all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.” ~ I Kings 18:30 REFERENCE: I Kings 18:1-2 & 25-39 Israel endured three years of no rain, putting the nation in dire economic straits and desperation. Rain symbolizes the earth’s nourishment, refreshing, cleansing, renewal, and fruitfulness. The absence of rain in the land was a bad omen for the people because they were a farming society; rain for them is life, and the lack of it is death...
“But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs; therefore, the king was furious, and his anger burned within him.” ~ Esther 1:10-12 REFERENCE: Esther 1:1-12 The unfolding drama in today’s text led to the divorce of this royal couple; it all started with an ill-informed and ill-timed request from a drunk king, drunk with power and wine. It shows how most quarrels start in relationships, friendships, and marriages: two wrongs. The husband started it, the wife responded, and it elicited a response from the husband, and it all went sour. In the...
"For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock." ~ Acts 20:29 REFERENCE: Acts 20:26-36 Paul significantly invested in leaving a spiritual legacy. He gathered this group on the eve of his travel and told them what to expect from the enemy after his departure. Yet, he reminded them that he had prepared them by his teachings and lifestyle and commended them to the word of God. He warned them that the enemy is diverse in his antics of attacks (savage wolves and perverse men); hence, they must also...