GOD’S SHOWCASE
Genesis 26

“There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. Then the LORD appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you…”” (Genesis 26:1-2) In time of famine when all was down and lack was in place, frustration and absolute stagnation must have been evident. God told Isaac not to move away to a land that could be more hospitable. It is one thing to hear God speak but it is absolutely another thing to actually respond to what the Lord is saying. Are you wondering if you have been hearing God speak to you lately? If you are a Bible-reading believer, evidently you are hearing from God as often as you read from the Bible. God’s command for Isaac was enough to expect easy and unchallenging provision. However, when God commands, there is always the devil at hand. As Isaac continued to dwell in the land, the forces of opposition continued to show up in attempt to make Isaac a failure. It was God who commanded Isaac to stay and as long as he remained in the land, nothing formed against him prospered. Isaac’s attempted to protect his wife from the men of the land when he lied by stating, ““She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.”” (Genesis 26:7) Evidently, the truth came up when Abimelech, the king of the land, saw Isaac showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. By virtue of the king’s discovery, a command was put in place that no one should touch Isaac. In the land that God commanded for Isaac, the challenging situation of protecting Rebekah was not the only one Isaac had to face. Isaac was also unable to lay claim of every well of running water that was found by his servant because the men of the land repeatedly took over the wells. In the land where God commanded Isaac to dwell, denial, distraction and discouragement stood up against Isaac, but yet Isaac could not be moved. Isaac remained obedient to God’s command by dwelling in the land and God made a showcase of him in the midst of his enemies. Isaac’s enemy could not withhold and had to rightfully state, “…We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you…” (Genesis 26:28) Indeed, God is true to His Word that states, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” (Proverbs 16:7) Isaac pleased the Lord so his enemies had to be at peace with him.

Prayer for today: Let Your way be my way eternal King of glory, so that I may please You all the days of my life.

WORSHIP PRAYER
Matthew 8:1-4

It does not matter how ugly our confronting situation could be in the physical. If it is the will of God, no other situation could be better than the confronting one. Jesus, before going to the cross, could not settle for any solution than His request for the will of God. “…Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”(Mark 14:36) Jesus taught us how to pray when He stated, “Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) Asking for God’s will is not to eliminate us from presenting our petition before God. Above all, it is important for us to know that there is nothing better than His will in every given situation. Matthew 8:1-2, “When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’”The leper brought his request to Jesus in worship. When he came to worship, he acknowledged that being in God’s will is the best place to be. Despite his leprosy and regardless of his healing desire, he called for the Lord’s will to be done. The leper was not ignorant of the fact that Jesus could make him clean when he called for the will of God to be done. It is very important to learn from this approach of the leper in order to properly approach the throne of grace. You know what has kept you away from where you want to be and you have the clear understanding of what has been a representative of leprosy in your life. All your prayers have centered on the changes that you want to see in regard to your situation. Now it is time to begin to redirect your prayer point like that of the man with leprosy. Let the healing Healer know that He is more than capable to intervene in your situation and that His will is what you want for your life. When the leper prayed a prayer of worship, Jesus was provoked and He moved His hand. The Bible records in Matthew 8:3, “Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” His hand is healing deliverance and preservation. Concerning your need, worship Him in prayer and provoke His hand for your blessing.

Prayer for today: I pray just like Daniel’s three friend prayed in the face of death by fiery fire. Let all that is militating against my destiny be terminated. “But if not…” (Daniel 3:18) I will not stop to worship You as my Lord and my God.

DO YOU WANT TO HEAR?
Habakkuk 1, 2

Habakkuk was a prophet who lived in Judah during the day of King Jehoiakim. He was not a stranger to hearing from God, neither was he short of receiving answers from God when he presented his questions to God. Despite the calling in the life of Habakkuk, he demonstrated that only by patiently watching and waiting can a man prevail in seeking and receiving from God. Having established a constant communication early in the book of Habakkuk, it became obvious in his word that without watching patiently hearing back from God can be impossible. The second chapter of Habakkuk recorded what it takes to get answer back from God. Habakkuk 2:1, “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected.” Habakkuk’s self talk was in direction to God. He had been engaged in communicating back and forth with God. As the communication continued, there was a need for him to wait for response. Habakkuk’s attitude of patiently watching and waiting for God’s response is a lesson that needs to be written all over a believer’s life. It does not matter at what level you are walking with God; it will never take away the attitude of watching and waiting patiently. If there are to be any who wait and watch patiently for God, it should be the ones who walk closest with God. A steady watching and waiting patiently for God will no doubt bring forth a constant and reliable hearing and receiving from the Lord God. Elijah was no exception when his need to hear from God required waiting. Having called for rain to cease, he needed to wait on God for rain to fall. In his waiting for rain to fall, it took him seven times calling back and forth before the sign of rainfall could be sighted. Unlike when he called for rain to cease, Elijah had to wait longer when he called for rain to fall. God is neither a computer nor man that can be manipulated. Wait and watch is the rule of calling and in hearing from Him. Are you having challenges in any area of life where it seems there is no answer to your concerns or where there is no way out in your journey? Have you spent time in waiting and watching? Demonstrate to God that regardless of your challenges you will not move without hearing from Him. He is a faithful God! Go and He will not fail you.

Prayer for today: I ask O Lord, for the impartation of the grace that it takes to be able to watch and wait when situations demand for watching and waiting.

ALL ABOUT UNDERSTANDING
Genesis 27:1-8

When action is based on the knowledge gained in the understanding of the Word of God, it becomes impossible for action not to prevail. The word of God declares in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” God is not a liar and His words are true and will never fail. Isaac realized that he was old and he did not know the day of his death. He wanted to make a lasting pronouncement by blessing his son Esau and he called him saying in Genesis 27:7, “Bring me game and make savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death.” Isaac was not talking out of the blue; he recognized that with him and Esau coming with obedience, they would be qualified for gaining His presence. The Word asked for where two or three are gathered together. Isaac could have said he was going to bless Esau, but instead he proposed that he would bless Esau in the presence of God. Operating in the word of God is more than just knowing about the word of God. However, operating in the knowledge of the word will bring power into place because it is a demonstration of understanding. Paul, the apostle, was a prisoner in the process of being transported to Rome, demonstrated his knowledge gained in understanding God. In the middle of an exceedingly tempest-tossed journey, he encouraged the fellow prisoners and the ship crew to take heart against the loss of life. He went further and backed his word of encouragement when he stated, “Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me”(Acts 27:25) Indeed the journey that could have terminated their life in the middle of the sea did not materialize and all were save as declared by Paul. As a believer, if you will begin to consciously operate in the word of God with sincere and desired expectation, the word will bring about manifestation in your life. Many believers are missing it because they are saying it from the mouth and not from the heart. To many, the word of God has become only a signature tune instead of a means to tune heaven into response. Do not be limited by the lack of knowledge; be embedded by the knowledge that is in the word of God. The word of God is true and it is power. 

Prayer for today: Ancient of days, King of kings, let your Word of preservation reign over my life. Let me not be a victim of lack of understanding in any area of life.

WHICH ONE ARE YOU?
Matthew 13:24-30

In life, growth is possible in every area but not all growth can be measured as spiritual blessing. As a matter of fact, growing in all areas of life has never been your problem. Physically, you are growing as well as financially; you do not have problems in these areas of growth. In the physical, you constantly appear in the church and to the brethren around you as a growing believer. What else? All is well with you and to those who see you very often, all is well. However, there is only One who sees it all and He knows right from the wrong. Nothing can hide from His face. He is the only One who inhabits eternity. He is the unquestionable God and He sees tomorrow from today. Every man and woman knows themselves. Each and everyone know where they stand when it comes to their walk in the Lord. Man can be deceived; woman can be made to embrace lies; but God cannot be fooled. God judged Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness. The same God yesterday, today and tomorrow will not overlook the wickedness of today. The bottom line of it all is what Jesus talked about in Matthew 13:30: “Let both grow together until the harvest and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” Where do you stand? Are you a representative of wheat or tare? At every time of rainfall and all that contributes to growth, both wheat and tares are in position to be benefited. Oftentimes, there is no clear distinction identifying tares from wheat. Also, it cannot and it should never be a surprise to see tares growing better than wheat. Awaken from your sleep because the harvest time is coming. It will be here and it does not matter how long or how soon it takes to come. All that will make the difference is for you to be faithful in doing the will of the Father just like Jesus said, “Not every man who says to Me, Lord, Lord shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”(Matthew 7:21) Will you be willing to step out only unto God? Have you thought about your stand lately? Be wheat and never a tare. Always remember, judgment can be delayed but it will never be denied.

Prayer for today: Ask the Lord to direct you into His way. Ask God in His faithfulness to deliver you from every agent of destruction.