Reward< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Jeremiah 39:11-18

The prophecy that was to take the life of Jeremiah came to pass. King Zedekiah did not escape the prophecy; neither did all the powers that were surrounding him. Nebuchadnezzar, king of < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Babylon, came against Jerusalem and besieged it. Among the believerÕs today, there is so much noise of trusting in God than the actual work to back up a believerÕs claim of trusting in God. Do you actually trust in God? You sing it, you sign it and you act it, but what do you have or what are you doing to show for your claim of trusting in God?  Ebed-Melech trusted God and he moved as an agent for God to propagate the release of Jeremiah. He activated his trust in God; he moved with action for the work of the kingdom of God. God acknowledges every work of a believer. Just as God will not overlook sin, so will He always respond to good works for Him. Ebed-Melech was greatly rewarded by God because he moved with trust in God, and got the release of Jeremiah from the dungeon of death. When adversity came upon the city, God delivered Ebed-Melech. After the release of Jeremiah, God sent him to Ebed-Melech   Jeremiah 39:17-18, ÒÔBut I will deliver you in the dayÕ, says the LORD, ÔAnd you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me,Õ says the LORD.Ó Through faith you are saved, while trust delivers. Ask God to endue you with the trust that will make you and move you for His work.  

Dungeon< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Jeremiah 38: 1-13

Jeremiah was going about telling what the LORD has shown him to the people when Zedekiah was king. The people did not like the prophecy that was coming forth to them from God through the servant of God, Jeremiah. They did not realize that to silent the messenger of God is not to silent the prophecy. You can silent the messenger only if God allows it, but the message cannot be silent. Jeremiah was taken under the permission of the king. Jeremiah 38:7, ÒSo they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malachiah the kingÕs son which was in the court of the prison, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire, so Jeremiah sank in the mire.Ó Jeremiah was doing the work of God, while the people were doing the work of the wicked one. The enemy wanted to terminate the work of God in JeremiahÕs life. Ebed-Melech, an Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs in the kingÕs house, went and presented the reason for the release of Jeremiah to the king. Jeremiah 38:10, ÒThen the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Ethopian, saying, ÔTake from here thirty men with you, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies.ÕÓ Jeremiah was released from dungeon, the pit of untimely death. Today, as a child of the Almighty God, every representative of untimely death in your work for God, your finances, your health and all that concerns you, God in His goodness and mercy will send your Ebed-Melech, and you will be lifted out of every dungeon of the wicked ones, to the glory of God.

Gap of Trouble< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Psalms 92:14-15, Jeremiah 7:5-9,

Are you aware of any gap in your wall, that is, is there any slight gap in your defense? Your defense is the word of God. When you begin to skip spending time daily on the word of God, you are creating an invitation for the enemy. The only way a gap, an outlet, or avenue for the enemy to get to you is through trouble. The enemy will come against you with trouble, and then gap will be created by the enemy. Once the enemy is successful in creating a gap for itself, the enemy will take over. Jeremiah 7:6, ÒLet us go up against < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of man Tabel.Ó In this situation, a plan was going against JudahÕs wall before getting to Judah itself. This demonstrates how the enemy operates and it is written for our learning. The plan against Judah failed at that time because God did not allow the plan to stand. Just like it did not stand against Judah, so the plan of enemy that is gathering against you will not stand. Set your eyes upon Him; He will deliver you, He will set you on high. Psalm 92:15, ÒHe shall call upon Me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him and honor him.Ó  Trouble will come if you have set your love on Him and known His name. When trouble comes, it will only grumble to itself, it will not touch your wall because He will be with you.

Mixed Multitude< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Numbers 11:1-35

Multitude is crowd, crowd is multitude. Whatever goes with you in the journey of life will determine your going and how you end up in the journey of life. The children of < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Israel, after bondage of over 400 years, entered into their journey to the promise land. When they left Egypt, they could not detach themselves from the multitude and baggage they had carried along from Egypt. Exodus 12:38, ÒA mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds-a great deal of livestock.Ó Mixed multitude or crowd does not settle well in any journey of expectation. There are times Jesus put out the crowd before a miracle Matthew 9:25, ÒBut when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl rose.Ó Like Jesus, Peter also put out the crowd. In Acts 9:40, ÒPeter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, ÔTabitha, arise.Õ  And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.Ó The children of Israel did not put out the multitude in their journey. Are you carrying multitude or anything that does not represent God, or share your belief? Mixed multitude became a silent baggage of trouble as they journeyed to the promise land. Numbers 11:4, ÒNow the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said; who will give us meat to eat?Ó Mixed multitude caused them to crave instead of being grateful, and they ended up in the grave. It is time to ask God for help in removing all that represents mixed multitude in your journey of life.

Disobedience< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Genesis 2:15-25, 3:1-10

Disobedience will cause man to be naked. When your covering is lost, you will be found in fear. When God made Adam, He gave him a command of what to eat and what not to eat. Genesis 2:17, ÒBut of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.Ó When Eve came into his life, the serpent came into play. The serpent came cunningly and talked Eve into eating the fruit that was commanded by God not to eat. Eve also talked Adam into eating from the tree. Genesis 3:7, ÒThen the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed the leaves together and made themselves coverings.Ó Disobedience stripped them of GodÕs covering and they began to make coverings for themselves. When a child of God enters into blatant disobedience, it will lead to exposure to the enemy. As a child of God, you cannot afford to enter against GodÕs command like Adam and Eve did because it will lead to nakedness. When nakedness has taken its place, fear will have its reign. God called back on Adam, Genesis 3:9-10, ÒThen the LORD God called back on Adam and said to him, ÔWhere are you?ÕÓ ÒSo he said, ÔI heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.ÕÓ Is there any area of constant act of disobedience that you have engaged yourself? You are warned; let it go before it becomes an issue of nakedness and fear. Fear is not of God, it is of the devil. Ask today for His grace to keep you from disobedience.