KEEP ON GOING
1 Samuel 1

The book of 1Samuel starts with the introduction of a certain man. 1 Samuel 1:1-3, Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh…” As it is written, the certain man, Elkanah, was consistent in going with his wives to worship and sacrifice to His God at Shiloh every year. Hannah, the beloved one, has no child and that was enough to stage a revolt by not going with her husband and Peninnah, the second wife. In her going, there was provocation from Peninnah. Hannah was being provoked for being barren and yet she did not give up in her going. In Hannah’s entire going, there was enough excuse for Hannah not to go but none of her excuse was enough to deny her from going to worship the Lord God. As a believer, is your circumstance generating enough excuse for you not to go to your place of worship any more? Not going and cutting back the time of going is all the same. Your situation is not enough excuse for you to turn away from worshiping God. Hannah continued in her going to worship the Lord God that did not open her womb. What can stand between you and your God? When mockery rise to your face, harassment point finger and when shame drums into your hearing, do not give up, keep on going and give it all to God. Peninnah’s contribution to Hannah’s pain was stated in 1Samuel 1:6, “And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the LORD had closed her womb.” Although one may think that Hannah had legitimate reasons not to go to Shiloh, she did not allow these excuses to stop her from worshipping the Lord God of miracles. It was this worship and trust in the Lord that inhabited her miracle. When you know that all is for God, do not give up because at His appointed time His presence will visit you with a miracle. Do not give up because of what is around you; keep going because it is all about God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to keep moving on in the face of challenges. Ask for the grace not to give up in your serving Him.

WHAT ABOUT NAME
2Samuel 9:1-13

In your life journey, not long ago, you had all that it takes to live life and to live it well because everything was in place for you. Hardship had no place in your dictionary and all that you wanted was in place. Things have now changed compared to where you were then. Forgotten; help is not in place neither in sight; hope dwindles; faith is failing; stagnation; living in shame and it just does not seem like there is a way out to where one as a believer wants to be. Does that sound like you? Above all this, without any form of doubt, God is God. The Lord God is a good God and He has said in His word that His thoughts for us are peaceful and good. They are not of evil (Jeremiah 29:11) He is a wonderful God. Isaiah 55:8-9, For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Remember that and that will solve the whole pain. The name of Jesus is what makes the difference. God made us in His image (Genesis 1:27). He that made us in His image has a name that is meaningful. His name is a name that transforms and in His name there is power. As a creature in the image of God you should answer to a name that is meaningful; a name that communicates positively. Mephibosheth the grandson of King Saul, son of Jonathan answers a name that makes the whole difference in his life. The meaning of Mephibosheth is, “One who destroys shame”. Once a grandson of the King, he lost his father, Jonathan, at age 5 and became grounded for years. Shame struggled to keep him down, but shame could not prevail because he was given a name that would make the difference. Most men, if not all, that were vessels of honor in the Bible answered and lived to the full meaning of their name. As a child of God, what is keeping you grounded? Can your name make the difference? For Mephibosheth, his name made the difference. Mephibosheth, by virtue of his name and the grace of God upon his life, King David was moved when he woke up one day without any prior notation to move to usher uncommon kindness upon him. 2Samuel 9:1, “Now David said, ‘Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’” God is a listener too. They called Mephibosheth shame destroyer and there was no choice but to go out of the way of shame. What people call you will make you. What is your name?

Prayer for today: Lord whatever is militating against my destiny; cause Your name to answer on my behalf.

REVERSIBLE SITUATION 
2Samuel 9:1-13

God does have His way of restoration. He is indeed a mighty God and His understanding is unsearchable. Among His great identity is, “beautiful for situation”. He is beautiful for situation because of the way He often reverses irreversible situation. God is the only One that will make a perfect way out of no way. Are you experiencing a road block where there should be a breakthrough? It does not matter how long you have been experiencing it. When God visit your situation at His appointed time, it shall be like dream and your mouth will no longer be filled with tears but laughter. Also, your tongue will definitely have songs of praise to offer God. The case of Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the grandson of King Saul can be encouraging. Mephibosheth was lame and that calls for a limited mobility. He was five years when his father, Jonathan died. As a lame, the hope of moving forward in all areas of life must have been out of place. Mephibosheth’s title as the grandson of the former king of Israel was history and could not get Mephibosheth anywhere. As God would have it for Mephibosheth, favor located him when King David woke up one day and requested in 2Samuel 9:1, “Now David said, ‘Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’ ” The favor that located him was kindness from King David who was a soul mate and the best of friend to Jonathan, the father of Mephibosheth. Are you thinking or are you experiencing any sign that there is no way out of your current miry clay of life? Take time and find out the story of Mephibosheth and then you will understand that God has not finished with you. Regardless of your present predicament, God will not sleep over your situation. He will bring you out in His own way at His own time. God brought out Mephibosheth from stagnation, shame, crawling and hopelessness. Also, he received more than he could imagine when King David commanded in 2 Samuel 9:9, “And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house.” Mephibosheth received allocation of all that belonged to his grandfather. King David did not stop at the allocation of all King Saul’s property, but he went even further and added more to Mephibosheth in 2Samuel 9:13, “So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.” Behold, it is not over yet. You will overcome in Jesus name. 

Prayer for today: O Lord I ask for the favor that brought Mephibosheth kindness of breakthrough to answer in every area of my stagnation, in Jesus name.

WRONG PLACE 
2 Samuel 11

King David was a renowned soldier of the Lord for the children of Israel. He fought many wars of conquest and expansion. Before he became the King, he went to different warfronts and delivered the children of Israel from the hand of the enemies. In different camps of enemies, he was an identified warrior that would not concede defeat. In the same way that David was a soldier, you are also a soldier. You have been called by God and your calling has marked and identified you as an enemy to the camp of the devil. As a result of your stand in the Lord, you can no longer take or stand on just any ground or at any period in time. Taking such a stand is letting down your guard as a soldier of God. Letting down your guard is allowing your enemy to bring its war to your doorstep. Despite all the victories of King David, he was not able to fight a war of success when adultery brought its war to David’s doorstep. One of the major causes of King David’s loss in the battle was recorded in 2 Samuel 11:1, “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.” King David was at the right place at the wrong time. As a prime target of the enemy, there is no room for mistakes that are life consuming. As a believer, you cannot afford to be at the right place at the wrong time nor at the wrong place at the right time. King David’s case is a confirmation of the fact that the devil is a stubborn animal and he does not respect his target. Once he approached the Lord Jesus Christ with temptation. Luke 4:1-2, Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.” This is to show that if Jesus could experience such, no one is impervious to the war of temptation. Do not let down your guard. Do not allow the enemy to bring war to your doorstep. Be at the right place at the right time. Take the advice of the apostle Paul as it is written in Ephesians 6:10-11, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

Prayer for today: Deliver me O Lord from every plan of the evil one. Let me not be a failure in Jesus name.

REBELLION
Deuteronomy 1:19-36

“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) When God said this in His Word thousands of years ago it was meant to speak to us and not just to the people of His creation back then. If that was the case, then why would the children of Israel that left Egypt ended there life in the wilderness (with the exception of Joshua and Caleb)? The coming out of the children of Israel from the bondage of over four hundred years was meant to take them up to the Promised Land. God is a God who does no evil, He only does good. Rebellion robbed the promise of God in the life of the generation that came out of Egypt. Rebellion is a silent killer that hides under for gradual processes that needs a consistent attention before it leads to the termination of a believer. Inside the ladder to termination, complaining is the first step. When a believer begins to complain about confronting situation in the journey of life the believer will not escape from getting discouraged. Instead of complaining, being encouraged is rooted in plugging oneself into the Word of God that is fire. Evidently, lack of encouragement will lead to discouragement. With discouragement from the heart, fear will no doubt take root. Fear is the opposite of faith. To be fearful, is to be afraid or terrified and it will cause one to loose faith. In having fear, faith will sink because faith and fear cannot be in the same place at the same time. Also, without faith, God is not pleased. As a result of lack of faith, negative confession will overtake such a believer. Rebellion in the life of the children of Israel converted an 11 days journey into a 40 years journey. Are you in a stage of any journey or assignment that seems to be facing challenges despite the promises of God that He will see you through? There is a need for you to be vigilant by watching out for the development of the spirit of rebellion. Always remember, rebellion starts with complaining, discouragement, fear and it ends with negative confession. God’s response to the rebellion of the children of Israel was stated by Moses in Deuteronomy 1:34-35, “And the LORD heard the sound of your words, and was angry, and took an oath saying, “Surely not one of this evil generation will see that good land of which I swear to give to your fathers.”  Rebellion is evil and you are to abhor what is evil clinging to that which is good.

Prayer for today: Have mercy O Lord. Let it be that spirit of rebellion will not have any place in my life.