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)

BLESS WITH PRAISE
Psalm 103

God is worthy of our praises at all time. The Psalmist declared, “For God is the King of all the earth;sing praises with understanding.” (Psalm 47:7) Praise from the root of your heart and not the root of your mouth. With sincere honesty to God, when was the last time that you have taken a timeout to bless the name of the Lord despite all forms of confrontations before you? When was the last time? It is not a question of blessing His name inside the church or among the gathering of believers. It is a question of when was the last time that you, yourself have actually blessed His name not because of what is at hand but when what is expected to be at hand is not at hand. David, the writer of Psalm 103, exhorted himself to give praise to the Lord with his whole being. Will you learn from David today by meditating on some of his words as recorded in Psalm 103:1-5, “Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” If you can testify to any of the above pronouncement in your life, God is due for another round of praising His name regardless of where you are. Being in an office setting cannot stop you because it will not take a noise making for you to get into praising Him. Believe it that if you are able to read through by yourself then you are a testimony of the fact that God has done great things. He is still doing great things and He will do greater things. Bless the name of God. Before this day, do you know that you have been crowned? Let it be registered in you that having been redeemed from destruction, having been forgiven is evidence to the fact that He crowns us with loving-kindness and tender mercies. God is constantly and consistently worthy of our praise. He alone is faithful and worth to be worship. Do not delay but deliver unto Him praise because He alone is worthy to be praised. Bless the Lord with all your heart for He is the King of all the earth so let your praises be with understanding.

Prayer for today: Ask that the crown that He has placed upon your life will not fall off. Ask Him to keep you in keeping His testimonies so that you will seek Him more for His name to be glorified in your life.