Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. - Genesis 18:14 REFERENCE Genesis 18:1-14 Whatever God does, He does according to a ‘timing’ and in respect to a season. Looking at today’s passage, you might wonder why Abraham and Sarah had to wait so long for a child; well for one, It definitely had to happen at the time God appointed. From Sarah’s standpoint, it seems excusable for her to operate in doubt. After all, she had tried...
And the satraps,…gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. - Daniel 3:27 REFERENCE Daniel 3:12-30 These three Hebrew men, went through what posed a threat and great fear for them with uncompromising faith in God; they stood strong in the face of adversity not minding they were minorities in a foreign land. Persecution is the word for what these men went through. They were persecuted because they wouldn’t...
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness, the people; But the LORD will arise over you and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising - Isaiah 60:2-3 REFERENCE Isaiah 60:1-9 This passage of scripture is God’s promise for you His child. It states clearly, that God’s glory (light) will arise over you. So, no matter how dark it seems right now around you, no matter how hard things are, His goodness, which depicts His glory will break forth and...
Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.' – Matthew 16:17 REFERENCE Matthew 16:13-17 As you go through life, certain philosophical questions will always plague your mind, and the way you answer them will determine the direction or outcome of your life. One such question is: “Who am I?” “Who am I?” for a believer, is a question of your identity in Christ. This is deeper than your tribe, academic qualification, background, etc. God does not want you to...
Jesus answered and said to them, 'Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the scriptures nor the power of God?' - Mark 12:24 REFERENCE Mark 12:18-24 Ignorance of scriptures opens the door to mistakes in life. Many people rashly conclude about matters that significantly affect their lives and this has led to many bad decisions, wrong judgment and bad choices. In answer to the Sadducees’ question, Jesus told them that they were ignorant of the scriptures and also of the power of God. Ignorance of scripture means one is unaware of God’s mind or position on...
Then He said to her, 'For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.' - Mark 7:29 REFERENCE Mark 7:24-30 What was so spectacular about what this Gentile woman said that prompted a positive response from Jesus, after He had publicly called her a dog? To find out, let’s examine her words: "…Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs." (Mark 7:28). Firstly, her words showed that she understood God’s love and care for ALL – both the children (Jews) and the dogs (Gentiles). So she wasn’t...
And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. - Mark 8:31 REFERENCE Mark 8:27-33 In today’s passage, we see that Jesus was as persuaded about His resurrection as He was of His rejection by His people; His persecution by the religious authority, and His execution by the governing authority. He said these things must happen (i.e. they are unavoidable), and though the bad must first take place, consequently, the good must necessarily...
Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, 'The people are greater and taller than we…' - Deuteronomy 1:28 REFERENCE Deuteronomy 1:21-30 It is easy to become discouraged in the times that we live in because of the economic situation; except for the grace of God, projecting into the future looks quite bleak. Discouragement is a loss of your confidence or drive, it is a feeling of hopelessness – sensing that what you expect may not happen. It is a potent strategy of the devil to keep your from fulfilling the plan of God for...
And He saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. – Mark 6:48 (KJV). REFERENCE Mark 6:45-51 Sometimes, life’s challenges can make you think you are all alone and that God cannot see your struggles; or worse, He cannot help you, which is why He hasn’t come to your rescue. We read in today’s passage, that the disciples were at sea in obedience to Jesus when they encountered a contrary wind, which made...
Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight! - 1 Samuel 4:9 REFERENCE 1 Samuel 4:2-11 Yesterday, we concluded with the thought that life may have many odds against you, but you can win with the right attitude. We see this play out as we continue our story from the passage. I believe, one of the Philistine soldiers’ who was tired of going through the same pattern of defeat and hopelessness rose up and told them to...