When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’ Then He will save the humble person - Job22:29   REFERENCE Job 22:28-30   One thing Satan hopes to achieve with all the goings-on in society, the pandemic, famine, lack of opportunities, evil report, uncertainty, redundancies, slow business, closure of businesses, etc., is to get you to a point of hopelessness; and more often than not, quite a number of people get to that point. From then on, the way they talk changes and negativity begins to pour out from their mouths. The enemy has come to identify this...

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground - Isaiah 53:2   REFERENCE Isaiah 53:1-5   This Scripture speaks of Jesus, who though from a royal lineage, the tribe of Judah, was born into an impoverished family on earth. Considering that he was from the line of King David, He should have been born into wealth and prestige; but He came on the scene as a mere carpenter’s son. There are times in our lives when all we have are the memories of how good things were in the...

Then Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper and continued prospering until he became very prosperous - Genesis 26:12-13   REFERENCE Genesis 26:1-5 & 12 -14   Grace is divine enablement or help from God that strengthens us to attain heights or get things we ordinarily cannot get in our own strength. Someone said it is “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.” Therefore, the grace to thrive in adversity is the divine and supernatural empowerment upon a man that makes him thrive even in a...

Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.  When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. Luke 7:2-3 (ESV) REFERENCE Luke 7:1-10 (ESV) We are often so overwhelmed by the figure of the Centurion in this story that we never think much of the servant who was struggling for his life in the Centurion’s Servants Quarters. Not much is known about this nameless servant, but one is quickly amazed that for his sake, his master would go...

Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.  When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. Luke 7:2-3 (ESV)   REFERENCE Luke 7:1-10 (ESV)   Centurions in biblical times were professional high ranking officers of the Roman army, known for their position of authority. For the centurion in this story to ask for help from Jews who were seen as inferior to the Romans, and ruled by the Romans at the time, shows his desperation and perhaps...

Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 18:3   REFERENCE Matthew 18:1-5   Do you remember when you were a child? The hopes, the dreams, the innocence, and living in a world of possibilities? You believed you could be anything and have anything; you were freely forgiving and easily trusting. Your father was your hero (or any adult that occupied the position) and you dreamed of days you would ‘spread your wings and fly.’ Unfortunately, many of us lost that glow,...

Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 REFERENCE Proverbs 16:18 Pride, amongst other things that it is, can be described as ‘the quality of having an excessively high opinion of oneself or of one’s importance, especially over others.’ It is having an over-inflated self-ego. Pride is one major reason why conflicts remain unresolved in relationships. It is rare to find people who are proud ever go out of their way to seek peace and reconciliation when conflicts arise in a relationship they are involved in, regardless of the type of relationship. Such people would rather walk...

So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; FOR WE ARE BRETHREN.  Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.” Genesis 13:8&9   REFERENCE Genesis 13:1-12 Earlier, we established that conflicts are a normal occurrence in human relations because people are different and have different opinions, idiosyncrasies, and life’s experiences. We have also examined different approaches to managing and resolving conflicts, so let us proceed along the same line...

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.  Proverbs 15:18 (ESV) REFERENCE Proverbs 15:18 (ESV)   A constant ingredient of conflict in our relationships is anger: allowing our tempers flare up at the provocation or perceived provocation of others. It was in a spur of the moment and in anger, that King Ahasuerus took a decision that ended his marriage with Queen Vashti. Even today, anger causes so much conflict and ruins many relationships. Often, when anger is allowed to take control of situations, it results in bitterness, arguments and destruction of relationships. Therefore, an important practical...