IT IS ALL ABOUT OBEDIENCE
John 2:1-12

In deed and in truth, obedience is better than sacrifice. Walking in the Word of God is obedience. Samuel could not have said it better when he stated in 1 Samuel 15:22, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.” Obedience will save a lot when it is in place in the life of a believer. Obeying the Word of God will prevent a believer from shame. Obeying the Word of God is the evidence of trusting in God and what He can do. It is written in John 2:1-2, “…there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.”During the course of wedding celebration, the merriment sustenance (wine) of the wedding celebration was out. As a result, the wedding ceremony was in direction of shame, humiliation and embarrassment. Have you invited Jesus into your life, your marriage, health or finances and things not going as expected? Jesus did not just show up at the wedding but was invited. Despite the fact that Jesus was there, shame was set to cloud the wedding party as a result of wine running out. At that wedding in Cana of Galilee, the mother of Jesus approached Jesus for intervention that would save the wedding celebration from shame and embarrassment. Jesus responded to His mother’s call for intervention, “Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:4) Jesus’ response was not discouraging to the mother of Jesus. She rather encouraged the servants at the wedding with her response in John 2:5. “His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” What is in the Word of God that is missing in your situation by virtue of your disobedience? If you will take an honest search within yourself, there is a step out of your situation by obeying what He has said to you in His word. John 2:7, “Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.” The servants were obedient by doing exactly what Jesus instructed them. Can you state with confidence that you are doing all according to His Word and commands? Jesus commanded them to fill all the empty gallons of wine and the wedding took a new turn; a new beginning and better celebration.  Let His command reign and rule in all your undertakings and nothing under heaven will overtake you.

Prayer for today: In you O Lord I trust, let me never be ashamed; deliver me in your righteousness.

WHAT IS YOUR ISSUE
Mark 5:25-34

The woman with the issue of blood came to Jesus to be delivered from what had been a heavy burden upon her life. She came expecting and she left with manifestation. If she had not come to Jesus, her story would have been like many that live and died because of their issue. Jesus was not telling jokes, neither was He sharing fables when He declared in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and you will find rest for your souls.” What is stopping you from taking your issue to Him today? Yesterday is gone, and the result of yesterday should not be a discouragement for today.  The woman with the issue of blood by law should not have been near anyone Leviticus 15:19, “If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening.” The law as stated in Leviticus could not prevent her nor set her apart from her deliverance when she went after Jesus to touch His garment. The Bible recorded that she came from behind. She was desperate for her healing after twelve years; she refused to remain quiet to herself but violated the law with expectation for her healing. The woman with the issue of blood, the man with an issue of lack, the brother with the issue of financial difficulties, the couple with the issue of barrenness, the people with issues that are troubling, and all kinds of issue will get their breakthrough if they reach out and touch the same garment of the Healing Healer. Nothing is too difficult for Him if you will not find it difficult to bring it to Him, regardless of all surrounding circumstances of denial. “Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.” (Mark 5:25-27) The woman with issue of blood had suffered enough to give up, but she didn’t. The Bible said when “she heard about Jesus” she made all the necessary effort to come and reach Him by touching Him. The woman with issue of blood exercised “against all odds faith”. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Go and remind Him concerning the work of His hands and He will be provoked to answer you.

Prayer for today: Hear my cry O Lord my God; give ear to my prayer, answer me according to the multitude of your mercy.

GOD IS AWESOME
Exodus 1:15-22, 2:1-10

“Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” (Exodus 1:15-16) There is no work of God that is accidental. After king Pharaoh’s command to kill all the Hebrew sons, a boy was born by a couple from the house of Levi. Pharaoh’s plot was to kill and to destroy while the hand of God was in place to heal and to deliver. Moses’ birth came in due season. However, his due season was a season of destruction yet he lived as a vessel of deliverance for his people. The kind of season you are will not determine or affect what God wants to do with your life. It does not matter how people see your situation, but it does matter for you to believe that the God who delivered Moses at the time of destruction will have a way of seeing you through. Moses, after three months, the parents placed him in an ark of bulrushes to protect him from the being killed by Pharaoh. As God will have it for Moses, the ark ended up in the hand of Pharaoh’s daughter and that called for a need to have someone to take care of Moses. “Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother.” (Exodus 2:7-8) Miracle working God placed Moses on the same ground where judgment was passed for the killing of Hebrew sons. He was also delivered into his mother’s hand and he did not have to miss the early infant age from his mother. When the mother took over the caring contract, “Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.”” (Exodus 2:9) God did not only deliver Moses, but He also preserved him. The house of Pharaoh was responsible for all of Moses’ provision. God does have His own way of operating and no man or situation can derail the operations of God. God is an awesome God. He will deliver you and preserve you for His glory in Jesus name.

Prayer for today: Ancient of Days, the Excellence of Jacob, allow your mercy and let me not be placed outside of Your plan in all areas of my life.

COMMIT TO NO MAN
2 Chronicles 14-16

“But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.” (John 2: 24-25) Commit yourself unto no man; but only unto God. Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, could not commit Himself unto any man. If Jesus, our Lord and savior could not commit Himself to any man, you should never commit yourself unto any man. Deception is rooted in the heart of man. A deceptive heart is a wicked heart and it is also an evil heart. God testified against the heart of man in Genesis 6:5, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Commitment unto man is the cheapest way unto self destruction. In the journey of life, you have been an over-comer in all areas of challenges because you have constantly committed all unto God. Why are you now seeking man’s commitment concerning new challenges? Switching from God to man will undoubtedly bring destruction. Asa, king of Judah, was a good example. Having fought wars of conquest against stronger and mightier Ethiopians and the Lubim army solely by the hand of God, he failed to maintain a continuous victory when he committed his reliance to the king of Syria. 2 Chronicles 16:7-8, “And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand.”Are you encountering a challenge and it seems there is no way out? Today, remember the miracles of God and all He has done for you when you were in a challenging situation. Are you looking for a quick answer to the confronting situation? It will not be resolved if you take it to a man for support. Take it to the Lord because that is the true solution to your situation. The grace to wait and to give it up to God is a demonstration of trust and loyalty to the One who is in charge. It is written in 2 Chronicles 16:9, the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”Let Him alone fight your battle.

Prayer for today: Endue me O Lord with the grace not to commit myself onto any man.

EXPECTATION
Luke 9:12-17

Do you lay claim on what you are expecting? Lay a claim for your blessings because God is a merciful God who cares for His children. In your expectation eliminate contamination. As you begin to expect from the hand that has been keeping you by grace and not by works, do not allow your location or situation to become an agent of contamination to your expectation. Jesus is the One who can convert our expectation into manifestation. Jesus has never been limited or delayed by any location or situation when it is time for Him to convert our expectation to manifestation. Once in a desert, despite the late hour where there was no food to feed a stranded multitude, Jesus extended His hand of provision. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He will extend His hand in any location and situation that you have found yourself in. Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed a multitude that was no less than five thousand. Before the miracle, there was a command in place that was to be activated before manifestation. Have you been following His commands? Before the miracle of the loaves and fish, Jesus gave a command in Luke 9:14-15, “For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” And they did so, and made them all sit down.”As a believer how have you positioned yourself in your expectation for the visitation of His miracle? Jesus did not do anything to the loaves and fish, until after His command to the disciples was carefully delivered and responded to by the multitude. After He observed their obedience, “Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.” (Luke 9:16-17) In obedience to His command, miracles followed in every area of their needs. The miracles became a manifestation where there was no hope for provision. There was no documentation of any struggle by the crowd, neither was there any documentation of rowdiness because they followed His command. It became a simple direction. Are you having problems following His commands? If you will obey His commands the direction of getting your expectation will become a simple one. Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and forever can perform the same miracle for you today. Taking a seat of obedience will bring forth your abundance. Claim your blessings because He has come that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

Prayer for today: Ask God to direct your heart to trust on His name in every area of need in your life.