A KNOWING EDGE
Daniel 1, Acts 9:1-22

The failure in how we respond to the challenges around us is a pointer to the fact that the wisdom from above is missing. Also in situations where wisdom is not missing, it is rather being used remotely instead of consistently. It is stated in Proverbs 4:7 that “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” Having wisdom and understanding will constantly lead you to having a knowing edge over every confronting challenge that comes in the way of life. This kind of wisdom does have its source. We are made to understand it in Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” The word of God cannot lie and neither shall His word fail from now till everlasting. As an acclaimed believer, your challenge remains or continues to be persistent and it seems there is no end in sight. Prayer seems to be flying against the roof and support from every side seems to be running out like water going down the drain. Have you sincerely waited on Him to be able to hear from Him about what has gone wrong? Without doubt with wisdom and understanding, gaining a knowing edge will bring peace over every confronting challenge. The wisdom of God is all over the pages of the Bible and it is there for anyone who will approach it and draw from it. What then can be a solution to your challenge? Is your challenge a self invented one or one that is outside of your control? 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.” Which of the two do you represent? Are you one who love God or one who is called according to His purpose? It is always worth it to search the Scripture and measure ourselves with men and women who have passed in the word. Evidently, Daniel’s love of God was clear when he “…Purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with wine…” (Daniel 1:8) Daniel was a young man in captivity yet he did not renounce his God but rather served with love. Paul, the apostle, was called. He was in all his ways against the work of God in Christ Jesus. At the time of his calling by Jesus, he was on his way to do havoc in Damascus. The life of Daniel and Paul was with insurmountable challenges that are beyond comprehension. At the end of it all, we know it through the Bible that all worked together for good for both Daniel and Paul. Search yourself: is your challenge outside of your control or self invented?

Prayer for today: Be pleased, O Lord my God, to deliver me; make haste to help me.

DIVINE PROTECTION
Numbers 22-24

The children of Israel, while on the course of their journey out of the bondage of over four hundred years and on their way to the Promised Land, had a stopover in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho. (Numbers 22:1) The stopover did not settle well with Balak, the son of Zippor. Balak was afraid of the population of the children of Israel. Balak under the influence of fear, “…sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: ‘Look, a people have come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! Therefore please come at once; curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” (Numbers 22:5-6) Balak and his agent, Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, got the wrong people to attempt their curse. The children were only on track with the One who brought them out of bondage. The children of Israel had no idea whatsoever that the hand of God that was upon their life had become a headache for any other group of people. Often times, our enemies charge at us without us knowing that they are charging at us because of the Lord’s doing in our life. Balaam knew better enough to consult with God before responding to the request of Balak. In Balaam’s request, “…God said to Balaam, ‘You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.’” (Numbers 22:12) Whoever is blessed of God, no man can curse. The children of Israel were blessed of God and it didn’t matter if they knew what was militating against them or not because the enemy could not prevail. Balak did all within his power to get Balaam into cursing the children of Israel, but God did not permit the move to get them cursed. Just like the children of Israel, when we do not know how enemies are fashioning against us neither the kind of weapon that is in place against us, God is definitely not asleep concerning our protection. Are you on course with the word of God? Are you walking in line with His command? God is faithful to honor His word. The Psalmist testified in Psalm 33:18, “Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy.” God is true to those who are true to His word and He will bless the ones He chooses to bless. He is the unquestionable God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to keep you in protection against known and unknown forces that are militating against your destiny.

PROVISION PROVIDER
1 Kings 17:1-16

In every area of breakthrough, allowing fear can possibly be a hindering factor. The case of the woman of Zarephath demands close attention in order to gain understanding of how fear can deny a breakthrough. The Zarephath woman was approached by Elijah. At the time she was approached, there was no indication of any prior knowledge of this Zarephath woman to Elijah. He approached her requesting, “’…Please bring me a little water in a cup that I may drink.’ And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.’” (1 Kings 17:10-11) Evidently, the woman of Zarephath only had just enough for herself and her son to eat because it was a time of famine in the whole land. In her sincerity and honesty, she responded to Elijah’s demand by stating that she only had enough for herself and son to eat and die; meaning that after they ate, there would be nothing coming forth. Elijah did not hesitate when he responded to her. “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’”(1 Kings 17:13-14) The encouraging word of Elijah was not to allow fear to deny her from obeying the word of God. Fear would have provoked doubt and doubt is the agent of denial. The woman of Zarephath responded well to the word of Elijah. How often have you unconsciously allowed fear to give way to doubt and doubt to deny your obedience? The Zarephath woman had no good reason to trust or respond to a stranger in the name of God. Just like the Zarephath woman, you also do not have any reason responding to a stranger in the name of God. However, we do have evidence that when means of provision seem to be over, He gives provision in a new and meaningful way. In response and full compliance to Elijah, the Zarephath woman, “…Went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.” God is beautiful for situation. Trust in Him that nothing forms against you, not even a deceiver, shall prosper. In time of lack, do all that is within you in the name of God for your neighbor and God will not overlook you.

Prayer for today: O Lord my God, only you can help me to increase in love offering to others. 

SERVE OTHERS
John 13:1-20

Jesus is the Master of masters who washed feet. As the feet washing Master, He passed it down to those who would follow Him; not just those who wanted to be a member of the multitudes. To learn and become a master feet washer, one has to be sitting at the feet of the Master at times without number. It is at the feet of Jesus where every believer will have to sit before learning to become a true follower of Jesus. Jesus confirmed in Luke 10:42, “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Jesus was letting Martha know that it was not all about the work of service alone. At the feet of Jesus, a believer will get what cannot be taken away. Also, it is at the feet of Jesus that a believer can sit and learn all that it takes to become a master feet washer. Jesus preached by example and was demonstrating by example when He offered to wash His disciples’ feet. Peter attempted to deny Jesus from washing his feet. John 13:8-9, “Peter said to Him, ‘You shall never wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.’ 9 Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!’” As a believer who has answered the call of salvation without being schooled at the school of washing feet, there will be no other way to having a part with the Lord. Jesus has delivered all the lessons that it takes for a man to be a feet washing master. If a believer will learn to constantly go to the feet of Jesus that is entrenched in the pages of Bible, they will become a master feet washer just as Jesus expects from us. Have you been called to be a master who washes feet? Any struggle with self in getting down and washing the feet of those who the Lord has placed under your calling is a demonstration of emptiness. Jesus is the Word of God and the Word that He spoke to them in the Bible days is still speaking to all who have been called to follow today. To know how to wash feet is all it will take for pride not to prevail over humility. To become a master who serves is to be a serving master. Jesus dispatched services to His followers and that registered Him as the Master. Spend time in the Word of God and you will discover that it is all about humility and not about pride that amounts to nothing good but rather permanent destruction.

Prayer for today: Let not arrogance, pride and every other self-designed way for self-destruction have its way in my life in Jesus name.

NEEDS NOT WANTS
Exodus 16

What the Lord wants for you is to meet your needs. When a believer begins to seek after wants, such a believer will definitely end up being in want always. The Psalmist confessed that, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). All of the wanting zone is a dangerous zone for any believer who wants to avoid temptation. During the wilderness journey, the children of Israel wanted what they left behind in Egypt instead of trusting God to meet their needs. This eventually led them into a death trap. The death trap was rooted in complaint that eventually led to doubt and lack of trust in the One who brought them out of the bondage of over four hundred years. The children of Israel’s remembrance of what they were eating in Egypt (fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic – Numbers 11:5) was a clear demonstration of the fact that their wants were overriding the Lord’s provision of their need for the journey. Are you placing more focus on what you want more than how the Lord has been providing for your needs? In the case of the children of Israel, wanting what was not at hand landed them into a state of complaining. Complaining, which is an act of rebellion, is an every journey-terminator from getting to the Promised Land. God’s provision is always on time and is always meeting needs. Paul, the apostle, confirmed it when he prayed in Philippians 4:19, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” After their desire for a pot of meat and bread, God provided for the needs of the children of Israel. In God’s provision for them, God gave instruction to make them have enough according to their need. “…Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.” (Exodus 16:16)  Despite God’s instruction that was enough for meeting needs, some went above and beyond God’s instruction by taking more than needed. As a result of not following instruction, all the children who took more lost all that was taken (Exodus 16:18-21). The children of Israel were lost in their desire for wants and they could not recognize when their needs were enough. God is a faithful God. Are you experiencing a wilderness journey? Rest assured that God will not fail in supplying your needs. God is interested in meeting your needs if you will allow your want to rest for now until you get to the Promised Land. It is all about needs and the Lord God Almighty has everything we need.

Prayer for today: Ask God to keep you and deliver you from the spirit that makes man to fail and not recognize the provision of God.