LET GOD
Psalm 68, Acts 12

Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let also those who hate Him flee before Him (Psalm 68:1). How much are you letting Him or how much will you let Him? To consciously let God is to let go from all that is forcing against you on the journey of life. To let God is to be able to trust in waiting for the move of His hand at His appointed time. Daniel was set up to be permanently terminated because of the goodness of God upon his life. He was reported to the king for petitioning his God. Daniel acted against the decree that forbade petitioning another God. Daniel’s act was punishable by death in the den of the lion. Daniel did not contest nor force against the decree. Daniel let God arise on his behalf by his provoking action as recorded in Daniel 6:10, “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” Daniel knew his God and he waited on Him so He could rise on his behalf. Resting on the promises of God by obeying His commands will also let God arise in every area of bondage. In the same Psalm 68:6, it is written “He brings out those who are bound into prosperity”. God is faithful to His Word and working His Word in the lives of those that will let Him. Peter the apostle was in bondage and was set to be killed. While Peter was set to be killed, God was set to bring him out of the bondage of death. When it was time for God to get Peter out from the bondage of death, there was no negotiation with the prison officer, but there was manifestation of His power to let go. Peter, being led by the angel of God, was let go from chains and the gates of bondage. Acts 12:10, “When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.” Peter was let go by the Lord’s doing and because it was of the Lord, the gates opened on their own accord. Just as He rose on the third day, God will rise on your behalf as you seek Him for a way out of bondage or any form of stagnation.

Prayer for today: whatever has you bound, the gates will open up for you of their own accord in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

EMPTY PRIDE
Philippians 2

Do you ask yourself if you have the mind of Christ or the mind of Christ has you? Whichever way it goes, to be having or to have the mind of Christ is to live by the word of Christ. Paul, the Apostle, gave an encouraging word when he stated in Philippians 2:5,” Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” The absence of the mind of Christ will make operating like Christ absolutely impossible. The Apostle Paul in his writing went further and pointed out what the mind of Christ is about in Philippians 2:8, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Christ humbled Himself and became obedient. Without humility, there is no way for any believer to be obedient to the commands of God. This is the revelation of why a majority of the self-acclaimed Christ followers today are operating without any distinction or power demonstration. Evidently, whenever the mind of Christ is not in place the power inhabited in His name is misplaced by those that confess Him. The word of God is not just for memorization but for meditation to be able to observe and do accordingly. Also, the word is not for decoration but for interpretation and application in every area of life. To be humble is to be obedient to what God requires from His children. It is apparent in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, to lack humility will lead to disobedience. All that was required of Naaman to be delivered from his state of leprosy was simple obedience to the command of Elisha, “…Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” (2 Kings 5:10) The empty pride in Naaman’s life could not allow him to respond in obedience to the man of God. The word describes Naaman’s response, “But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ 12 Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.” (2 Kings 5:11-12) Rage and pride are evidence of a lack of humility and they lead to disobedience just like Naaman was before he turned, went back and humbled himself by washing in the Jordan River. Operating the mind of Christ is the only source of power for any believer that desires to operate the power in Jesus name.

Prayer for today: Lord let the mind of Christ become my portion to the glory of Your name. 

PREPARATION TO PROVISION
Isaiah 38

Orderliness is an evidence of preparation. When there is no preparation, expectation will not be in place. Without expectation, the kind of transformation that terminates challenges is nowhere to be found. Right from the time of Moses’ leadership of the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt to the time of Joshua’s leadership role, there was always order in place as commanded by God. God is a God of order and orderliness is always the evidence of preparation. With preparation provision cannot be denied. Violation of God’s command of orderliness is a way to gain a motion of untimely death. God is no respecter of man and when the command for orderliness is not in place, sickness, disease and untimely death becomes inevitable. Once in the days of King Hezekiah a life threatening sickness struck the life of Hezekiah. “…And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’” (Isaiah 38:1) King Hezekiah knew where the problem was and responded without excuse. By virtue of his situation, he could not expect any recovery from God without going back and making adjustments and putting in order what had been in disorder. It is written that, “…Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, 3 and said, “Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.” (Isaiah 38: 2-3) As much as God will not over look the violation of His command so will He also be a merciful God that will not ignore but incline His ear to the crying of His children. God sent Isaiah back to King Hezekiah, “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years.” (Isaiah 38:5) Orderliness is important because it gives way to preservation and denies untimely death. Hezekiah’s situation is not an encouragement to intentional consistent violation of God’s command and thinking of going back for forgiveness and restoration. In truth, God is a God of forgiveness, but the word of God made us realized it that, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2) Have you been ordering your steps in line with the word of God? Hezekiah put things in order by preparing himself with expectation for restoration. God responded with His goodness and mercy. Order your steps in line with the word of God. 

Prayer for today: Uphold my steps O Lord my God and my king. Let my foot steps not slip in Your paths.

ZEALOUSNESS 
Numbers 25

Jesus found businesses in the temple that were not of God. “And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.” (John 2:14) Jesus decided to clean the temple by kicking out all that did not represent God. The word of God made us realize that we are the temple of God. As a temple of God, what transpires in your temple and what needs to be cleansed? After kicking out all that needed to be kicked out of the temple, the disciples “…Remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” (John 2:17).By virtue of the disciples’ response, it is evident that, until the zeal of God eats up a believer, then the possibility of having a clean temple is almost impossible. When there is zeal for God, He will move for us and have His place in our life. To be zealous for the temple of God will require a non-compromising stand in condemning and terminating every act that is not acceptable as God’s business but acceptable to the world. Once on the journey to the Promised Land, the children of Israel provoked the anger of the Lord by joining to Baal of Peor while they were facing the wrath of their sin, “…One of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.” (Numbers 25:6) The point here is that, they had not gotten over the consequences of one sin when another one came up and added onto them. In response, “…Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel.” (Numbers 25:7-8) Phinehas action, provoked God and God spoke to Moses, “…Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal…” (Numbers 25:11) Phinehas could not sit back and compromise with wrong doing while the move of God was present. Phinehas went forward with a demonstration of his zealousness for God. As a result of Phinehas’ action, God responded to Phinehas’ zeal by speaking through Moses, “…Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; 13 and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God…’” (Numbers 25:12-13) God is the Rewarding Rewarder of those that seek Him with their all.

Prayer for today: Ask for His zeal to eat you up.

 Puzzle
Genesis 37

God’s calling is always like a puzzle that needs to be put together before it becomes a picture. When God called Abraham, the command to go and the blessing for going did not come with details. At the time of the calling, the challenges of temptation and confrontation were not laid out to Abraham. God commanded Abraham “…Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3). His calling is not without His backing! Has He called you and not backed you up? The challenges and temptations that come your way in answering the calling over your life are not evidence that He has withdrawn from seeing you through. When He calls, nothing counts but to answer fully with obedience. God will call regardless of position or age of the one called. Abraham was seventy-five when he responded to God’s calling. In His calling, neither old age nor young age can limit God from calling. The calling of God can be likened to attempting to put thousands of pieces of a puzzle together to become a complete picture. However, when in the process of putting the puzzle together and a piece is missing, the picture will never be complete. Joseph’s dream was validation of God’s divine agenda for his life. Joseph’s dream was a drawn out plan of God’s calling for his life. In the dream there was no indication of what and how the makeup of the picture would be. Twice he dreamt and twice he was rebuke because it was a puzzle to his family. When Joseph had the second dream, “…he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.” (Genesis 37:10-11)Joseph’s steps into the journey that he dreamt started at age seventeen and were not complete until he was thirty years of age. The journey was full of challenges and temptations. Indeed and in truth it was a puzzle that could not have become a complete picture if any of the pieces was misplaced. It is only you that knows the dream that you have had or the calling that He has placed upon your life. Focus on Him, He will see you through. Remember, the puzzle will not become a complete picture until all the pieces come together.

Prayer for today: Father, deliver me and preserve me as I move in the direction of your calling.