“Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.” – Daniel 6:3 REFERENCE: Daniel 6:1-5 Daniel was a young man of princely lineage carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. From the day Daniel stepped into the foreign land, the trajectory of his life was nothing short of a miracle. It began with a decision not to defile himself with the idolatrous culture of Babylon but to keep his love and fear of God above other things. God...
“When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.” – Deuteronomy 8:10 REFERENCE: Deuteronomy 8:7-18 Watch global news or walk a few miles from your neighborhood, and you will notice the hundreds and thousands of people who lack most of life’s necessities. There is a scarcity of food and clean water; many are jobless, homeless, and living in abject poverty. I often feel pained that many may never be able to enter a fast-food joint and buy a beef burger. It’s sad. Reading this today is...
“So, she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.” – 1 Kings 17:15 REFERENCE: 1 Kings 17:8-16 Have you ever been in a place where you think you need all the help you can get, but you sense God is asking you to help someone in need or for His kingdom work? You wonder why God would ask you when He knows your current challenges and desires. You fail to see that God never does anything to shortchange you; never! IT IS A SETUP. It...
“Then Abner said to him, “Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.” – II Samuel 2:21 REFERENCE: II SAMUEL 2:13-23 Many of us are hustlers on the fast lane, like Asahel, always pursuing something. Asahel was a chaser and a hustler; he had the speed of a deer and thought he could catch whatever he chased. You may be divinely gifted with speed, quickness of mind, and the ability to pursue and catch things; that does not mean...
“So, David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.” – 2 Samuel 9:1 REFERENCE: 2 Samuel 9:1-10 A beautiful bond of friendship existed between David and Jonathan. I Sam 18:1 says, “The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” He further made a covenant of friendship and kindness with David; he stripped himself of his robe,...
“…and because he (Herod) saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also.” – Acts 12:3 REFERENCE: ACTS 12:1-5 Herod beheaded James and proceeded to take Peter; the illusion that the 12 apostles enjoyed 'unique' protection was shattered. Satan takes no prisoners and has no sacred cows; he comes for whoever is ‘exposed.’ Over the years, he has employed various agents to trouble God’s people: Pharaoh, Haman, Sanballat, Saul, Pharisees, Sennacherib, etc. They were all just satan’s tools, and today there are still many harassing hands stretched out against God’s people. Satan will use a pen, phone,...
“Again He said to me, Prophesy to these bones and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.” –Ezekiel 37:4 REFERENCE: Ezekiel 37:1-14 We may not know it, but as God’s children, our deliverance is often in our mouths. Jesus said, “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” Scripture reveals that all things are created by the spoken word of God and respond to it. The fig tree...
“…and you shall serve your brother; and it shall come to pass, when you become restless, that you shall break his yoke from your neck.” ~ Genesis 27:40 REFERENCE: Genesis 27:30-40 You may wonder what ‘congenital analgesia’ means. It is a birth disorder that makes it impossible for the sufferer to feel pain. Children suffering from this can chew off their tongues or fingers, fracture their bones, or crack their skulls, without feeling the pain. Many of them end up having amputated limbs or even dying young. It is also called Congenital Insensitivity to Pain (CIP). Seeing pain through this lens suggests...
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.” ~ Psalm 119:71 REFERENCE: Psalm 119:67-72 Pain is a constant companion in life. It is any suffering, discomfort, or distress; it can be physical or emotional. Nobody likes to go through pain; in fact, we pray not to, but pain has been the womb through which many great things were birthed. We were all born out of pain – ask the mothers. Pain will only be absent in heaven, so while here, we must find profit in pain. Pain can come in different...
"Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” – Judges 6:14 REFERENCE: JUDGES 6:11-16 “Go in this might of yours…!" What powerful words! Dictionary defines might as great and impressive power or strength. It is force, vigor, stamina, and toughness. When the Lord said to Gideon, “Go in this might of yours,” He commissioned him for great exploits and imparted divine ability to him. He was saying to him, “Go by this commission and in the strength...