LOOKING UP< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Psalm 34

In your looking what are you looking for? Where are you looking to or who is it that you are looking for? Whenever any challenge confronts a believer there should be nowhere to look up to except unto the Almighty God, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent. He is the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy (Isaiah 57:15). Whenever deception, delay, denial, or destruction, knocks or shows up unexpectedly He is always there for us to look up to Him. Many giants in the hand of God repeatedly looked up to Him in the course of their journey while they were on the face of the earth. You can always look up to him for direction, provision and for every area of need. Looking up to God should not be just at times of challenges, but also at the time of lifting His Holy name high. It is recorded in, Psalm 34:5, ÒThey looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.Ó Is there any confronting shameful situation that is confronting you inside and outside of your house? Have you taken any step that could generate shame in your life? God will never be absent from where you have been looking up to Him, only if you are not absent from where He is waiting for you. In waiting for the Lord God of Israel, He will acknowledge you when your eyes are set on Him. It is written in the book of Micah 7:7, ÒTherefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me.Ó Looking up to God is a demonstration of faith and when faith takes its place fear will have no reason but to subside. Be encouraged to look up to God like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David and so many that were able to do great exploit the name of God. Begin to look up to Him with consistency and He will lift you up above and beyond all that confronts you. God is waiting for you to wait on Him by looking in His direction.

NOBODY< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Judges 6:11-40, 7

In the eyes of God there is nothing like I am Ònobody.Ó God is God and He alone will use anything or anybody that is ordinary to carry out an extraordinary assignment. He alone is worthy of all glory because there is none like Him and forever there will not be any like Him. Lately have you considered yourself as nobody? What is it that is making you to think or consider yourself as nobody? Is it the size of your family or the age that you carry? Are you looking into what surrounds you as a measurement of what you can do and what you cannot do? Are you considering what is being said about you as a determinant for what you can do or what you cannot do? In this world, there is no man or power that can determine what you can do or what you cannot do. God is the only God that can determine and can bring to pass what ever He wants you to be. Underestimating oneÕs usefulness is nothing new. When God was looking for someone to conquer the troublesome Midianites, He chose a ÒnobodyÓ Gideon, and he called him a Òmighty man of valorÓ (Judges 6:12). Gideon, knowing his limitation responded, ÒHow can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my fatherÕs houseÓ (v. 15). God did not give up on Gideon but persisted, saying, ÒSurely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.Ó Gideon was the LordÕs choice for the assignment and all that surrounded Gideon could not stop GodÕs plan. It is also confirmed by Paul the Apostle in 1Corinthians 1:27, ÒBut God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.Ó Despite all that you have been hearing and all that you have seen, if you are someone that still considers yourself as a nobody, giving a further review to the story of Gideon will let go of the negative thoughts in your life. In the eyes of God no man or situation can reduce you if the Lord did not reduce you. He will increase you to His glory in Jesus name. Amen.

CONVENIENCE< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Mark 14:43-52

It is recorded in the book of Job 1:6, ÒNow there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.Ó Can you imagine Satan having access to the gathering of the sons of God? Satan was asked about where he was coming from, he declared that he was going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it (Job 1:7). Do you wonder why he was going to and fro? Business as usual, looking for someone to devour will not be a strange reason for his going to and fro. Since the days of the Bible, Satan has been going to and fro looking for someone to devour, today he is still looking for whom to devour and tomorrow he will continue to look for someone to devour until his time is up. The devil is at work and he has not given up his hope of frustrating the business of the kingdom just as he has been doing since he was driven out of heaven. When Jesus was here, the devil also found its way to use Judas one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. Judas became an agent for the devil when he got paid to betray Jesus. It is written in the book of Mark 14:10, ÒThen Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.Ó Indeed and in truth, when it was time for Satan to work through Judas, it was through a convenient way. Judas gave Jesus up with a kiss. What is the convenient way that you are taking or that you have taken in giving up Jesus? It does not matter where you are or what you do, if your walk in the Lord is short of fully obeying Jesus you have also taken a convenient way of betraying Him. You have been singing how you love Jesus long enough but your walk in the Lord is not consistent with your confession. Judas sold Him out conveniently by setting him up with a kiss. When you become committed with the whole heart, your convenient way of betraying Him will cease. Ask for the grace to be committed.

YOU WILL RISE< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>2 Kings 9: 1-13

Jehu was only a commander in the army of Ahab at the time God elevated him to become the King over Israel. Before he was elevated there was no prior announcement or any indication of what was going to become of Jehu. Your own elevation will come just like it went and located Jehu. It was business as usual when Elisha sent one of the prophets to go and anoint Jehu with oil as the king of Israel. It is written in 2 Kings 9:2, ÒNow when you arrive at that place, look there for Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, and go in and make him rise up from among his associates, and take him to an inner room.Ó Jehu was made to rise up from among his associates to become the head among his associates. Interestingly, Jehu did not pray a single prayer, he did not campaign, neither did he struggle or take any stand of opposition before the anointing came unexpectedly to lift him up above and beyond his associates. JehuÕs elevation was from God as a result, his associates could not resist nor reject him as the King. When God promotes you, He will put people in position to dress you and not reject you. 2Kings 9: 13 recorded that, ÒThen each man hastened to take his garment and put it under him on the top of the steps; and they blew trumpets, saying, ÒJehu is king!ÓÓ Jehu did not only received dressing but he was announced with the blast of trumpets and with a loud announcement of his new position. Are you wondering if you will ever rise above and beyond where you are now? God is a great God and He is still in the business of extending favor, mercy, grace and blessings. Let no man or condition dictate to you or discourage you of what you can become or what you cannot become. God, the lifting lifter, will lift you up above your associates in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen.

CHANGED STORY< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Judges 11

Jephthah the Gileadite was referred to as a mighty man of valor, but a son of a harlot. He was driven out of his fatherÕs house because he was born by another woman. Jephthah was in a situation that was not called for by him. He was in a situation that was outside of his control and he was paying for what he did not bargain for. Are you experiencing any similar situation such as that of Jephthah? Wait, watch and see what the Lord will do to your case. In regard to Jephthah, the children of Israel came back asking him for help. The children of Israel were confronted by enemies and there was a need for a commander. The elders of Gilead had to go and seek Jephthah for help. It was recorded in Judges 11:6, ÒThen they said to Jephthah, ÔCome and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon.ÕÓ Whenever man condemns, God has His way of redeeming every condemned. Jephthah became a hot commodity. A son of harlot; driven out by brothers, now being sought to be a leader. Jephthah responded in Judges 11:7, ÒSo Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, ÒDid you not hate me, and expel me from my fatherÕs house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?ÓÓ The same God that set up a situation for Jephthah to be called back to rise above and beyond where he was before being expelled will always be available to turn your story around for His name to be glorified. God can never be too late or too soon, God will show up in your situation at His divine timing. Jephthah accepted the assignment and victory was delivered to the children of Israel. Jephthah did not just end up as a commander but he became the head because victory was delivered into his hand. The story of Jephthah was changed for good. Your story will change for good to the glory of God. Amen.