For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them. - Psalm 44:3. REFERENCE Psalm 44:1-8 To be favored means, you have been given preferential treatment or shown a special privilege in getting something you didn’t struggle or qualify for. The psalmist here talks about the favor of God upon his ancestors which upgraded them to “landowners’ status” even when they didn’t work for it. A careful study of the...
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. - Psalm 46:1 REFERENCE Psalm 46:1-11 Trouble is anything that gets you worried and agitated; it normally brings discomfort, inconvenience, anxiety, fear and discouragement. In John 16:33 Jesus said: “…In this world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” So whether you expect it or not trouble always comes, but you can rejoice in the truth that Jesus HAS (past tense) already overcome the troubles in the world for you and stripped it of its power to harm you....
Now concerning spiritual gifts brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant. - 1 Corinthians 12:1 REFERENCE 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Apostle Paul realized that ignorance would rob you of something that has already been paid for you to enjoy; so he says you can’t afford to be ignorant where spiritual gifts are concerned. Spiritual gifts are special abilities distributed to believers by the Holy Spirit with the sole aim of building the body of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that wills what gift(s) a believer can have; but verse 31 of the passage admonished that you should desire...
Nevertheless, my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God. - Joshua 14:8 REFERENCE Joshua 14:6-12 The things you say can either kill or make (faith) alive. Your mouth and the words you speak hold the keys to the door of your future, prosperity, experience, etc. the earlier you start speaking the right words i.e. God’s words even when nothing around you points to that, the faster the manifestation of those things you have been saying. As leaders in one capacity or the other (e.g. children’s...
Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine. - Ezekiel 47:12 REFERENCE Ezekiel 47:7-12 Uniquely represented in this passage is a life that constantly receives it’s true life from Jesus the ‘River/Water of life.’ Here it describes some features that are commonplace for the tree (man), which grows “Along the bank of the...
Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. - Genesis 40:23 REFERENCE Genesis 40:5-15, 23 Isn’t it typical of us (humans) to easily forget the kindness and goodness others have shown to us? In this passage, we saw how Joseph helped to interpret the butler’s dream who was then restored back to his position from prison. Although the butler made a promise to repay Joseph’s kindness by mentioning him to Pharaoh (who has power to release him from prison), he still forgot about him once he was out of the prison and Joseph remained in his...
But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. - 1 Corinthians 12:20 REFERENCE 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 As believers God expects us to function as one body in Christ. We all occupy different offices and have different callings and gifts, but we need to work together as a single unit in order so we can arrive at our destination quicker. It is our duty to look out for each other in the body because If one part becomes weak or fails, it will definitely affect the rest of the body. Sometimes, people tend to envy those with the more...
Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing,… For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman… ~ Isaiah 54:1 REFERENCE Isaiah 54:1-10 It takes real faith and sacrifice to sing when things are not adding up and you are not seeing fruits from your labor. It seems almost unfair to tell someone who is experiencing a drought to rejoice, because the person doesn’t have any reason to be joyful. However, God who knows the end from the beginning gave the directive for the barren to rejoice in this...
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! ~ 1 John 3:1 REFERENCE 1 John 3:1-12 The world celebrates today (February 14th) as Valentine’s Day – a day of love, set aside for people to both receive and show love to others. Love connotes different things to different people, but in its pure form, it is the nature of God. God showed us His nature by giving us His unconditional love although we were undeserving of it. Because of this love, we are now called ‘Children of God.’...
But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands… and they did not repent of their murders… or their thefts. - Revelation 9:20-21 REFERENCE Revelation 9:13-21 One wonders why, in spite of all the calamities that befall thousands around us daily; the famine, earthquakes, untold hardships, landslides & mudslides, etc, mankind never pauses to consider his Maker. Systems are failing, money is failing, otherwise strong nations are being shaken, uprising and protests everywhere, religious fanaticism and persecution…and so on. The times we are in and the events...