KNOWLEDGE IS GOOD
Jeremiah 29

What you do not know will not work for you. Also, whatever it is that fail to work for you can work against you. How can a man with a loaded gun in his pocket run away from a man with an ordinary table-knife? Often time acclaimed believers operate as the one who lacks knowledge. Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” Clearly, the people of God are the ones being referred to as those that are destroyed or the perishable bunch, because they lack of knowledge. Do you lack knowledge? Knowledge is not scarce but, man has made himself scarce from finding knowledge. Knowledge is available for anyone who cares to find it. Essentially, the lack of knowledge is evidence of the absence of the fear of God. Proverbs 2:5, “Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” Seek the knowledge, wisdom and understanding of God and the fear of the Lord will not elude you. Based upon all the evil and wickedness that takes place in our world today, we can clearly see that people no longer have the fear of God dwelling on the inside of them. It is a testimony to the fact that knowledge is not common and it is hardly implemented in every area of life where the fear of God is missing. Do you handle the pressing challenges of your life with knowledge? God testified that He knows His goodness towards us when He spoke, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) The Apostle Paul, because of his understanding of what God said in Jeremiah 29:11, he took his stand and claimed it in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Regardless of how difficult and challenging the situation is, what you know about God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11 and other verses in the Bible will always give you the assurance that things will change and turn around for our good. What do you not know about the goodness of God? Believe that all things will work together for our good and hold on to God’s Word and always remember to give thanks to God in everything. (Ephesians 5:20) Exercising your knowledge of what God can do in your life will cause the favor of God to come into your life and to move on your behalf.

Prayer for today: Lord as You have promised that you will put your fear in the hearts of Your children so that they will not depart from You( Jeremiah 32:40) I ask O Lord let Your fear overtake my life that I may find Your knowledge.

UNDERSTAND HIM
Daniel 4

It was recorded in Daniel 2:1-2, “Now in the second year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, he had a dream and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. The king then gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to explain the dream to him. So they came and stood before the king. He wanted to know the interpretation of his dream without him giving them the details of the dream. He made it clear to the interpreters, “My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap. However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.”(Daniel 2:5-6) No one could interpret the king’s dream except Daniel. In order to avoid the killing of the magicians who could not interpret the king’s dream, “Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time that he might tell the king the interpretation. (Daniel 2:16) Daniel sought God in prayer and God gave Daniel the interpretation of the dream. Daniel immediately told the king all about his dream. “Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.” (Daniel 2:46-47) The same king sentenced Daniel’s three friends into the fiery furnace because they failed to worship his golden image. After God delivered Daniel’s three friends from the fiery furnace, king Nebuchadnezzar testified, “…Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!” (Daniel 3:28) You would think that after king Nebuchadnezzar witnessed the amazing miracles of God, he would understand that God alone is all powerful. Obviously, he had no understanding of God until after he was driven away from men to dwell with the beasts of the field. At the end of his time with the beasts he testified, “… I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever.” (Daniel 4:34) He had every reason to understand God before ending up in the wilderness. Do you really understand God or do you only know about understanding God? When you understand the fear of God, you will find the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:5)

Prayer for today: Let God know about your desire for understanding Him indeed and in truth.

KNOWN IN HIM?
Acts 1:11-20

So many knows about Jesus and His name is often in the mouth of those that knows about Him. Knowing about Jesus does not cut it and will not get anyone far in the face of life challenges. Also, knowing Him is not enough if you are not known in Him. If in your knowing Him, you are not known in Him you are limited on dangerous grounds. It is possible to be conversant in calling the Name of the Lord Jesus without any power connection if the caller is not known in Him. As an acclaimed believer, do you only have Jesus’ name at the tip of your lips or in the depth of your heart? Have you sincerely set yourself aside to determine your relationship with the Word of God or the world around you? Are you just a part of the crowd or the crowd is part of you? The book of Acts described in Acts 19:13-14, “Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.  Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know: but who are you?”” Paul did not just know Jesus but was also known in Him. Can you identify yourself in the name of Jesus or can you be identified with His name? Where do you stand? It is not enough if the living Word of God is not living inside of you and you do not represent His name in your walk of life. The name that you do not represent will not answer for you in times of confrontation. Acts 19:16, “Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” The attempt of the Jewish itinerant exorcists to present what they do not represent could not prevail. Playing around in the name of Jesus is as dangerous as driving around in the dark with no headlights. Have you been getting away by toying with name of Jesus for long time? It is time and now is the day for you to let Jesus have His name embedded in you from the inside to outside of you. Be His representative and His name will be presenting you as an over-comer against all forms opposition. With the name of Jesus as your covering, you will never be naked like the itinerant Jewish exorcists that took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus that was not known in them.

Prayer for today: Ask that the Lord will open the eyes of your heart to know Jesus.

TRUST IN THE LORD
1 Samuel 23:1-5, Philippians 4:1-8

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.” (Isaiah 26:3-4) Have you really put your trust in Him? There is a difference in saying “I trust in the Lord” and in putting your trust in the Lord. Many times words are easier said than done. When confronting situation encompasses you into a position of no escape against destructive forces, will you still hold on to trusting God? Once in David’s running away from Saul, David with his small band of warriors was in place to deliver inhabitants of Keilah from the hands of the Philistines. “Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”” (1 Samuel 23:2) Have you taken some time out to inquire of the Lord about your next move or your move is going to be based on reactions that are surrounding you? After David heard from God, man came up with their reaction based on the confronting situation that encompasses them. David’s men said to him, “…Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” (1 Samuel 23:3) The men of David were very correct because they were actually running from fear. By virtue of their confession, the fear of the past was impacting the present. Despite their discouragement, David’s trust in the Lord could not be shaken. David trusted his God and he could not allow the past to terminate where he was going. Knowing that God is a God of confirmation, you can always seek Him to confirm His Word in every area of life. David went back to God. “Then David inquired of the LORD once again. And the LORD answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”” (1 Samuel 23:4) You cannot hear from Him and doubt what you have heard. When you hear from God, there will be no fear. The whole world can say no; but you will say yes. The existence of doubt is the evidence that you have not heard from Him. David went forward and delivered the inhabitants of Keilah. It is all about placing trust in the Lord. Having a perfect peace is having a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Ask for the grace against anxiousness in your life. As a believer, go to God in prayer, supplication and with thanksgiving. 

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to constantly trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)