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

1 Samuel 1:1-18

Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, was barren, and she kept going to the ground of worship with her husband and her husbandÕs second wife called Peninnah. She kept going despite provocation from Peninnah who has children. Hannah did not make any excuses not to go worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord of hosts at < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Shiloh. What is your excuse when it is time for fellowshipping? Going to church only on Sundays will never carry you through. 1 Samuel 1:7, ÒSo it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.Ó When provocation follows you to the house of God, it is time for you to provoke the hand of God concerning what is provoking you. Hannah provoked the hand of God to divert provocation from her life. 1 Samuel 1:11, ÒThen she made a vow and said, ÔO LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of His life, and no razor shall come upon his head.ÕÓ Hannah provoked the hand of God: She made a strong vow, she called on God to look on her situation, she asked God to remember her and not forget her. God is a precise God. Hannah was precise in her request. She asked what she needed and she was precise enough to tell God that a male child is what she needed. Year after year, back and forth to Shiloh, the only time we heard about Hannah stepping up in her cry and request was the only time she got what she needed. It could be that God is waiting for you to provoke His hand for your request. Take a lesson from HannahÕs approach, God is a faithful God.

Let the Lord< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

John 11:1-44

If you will let go of unbelief, then you let the power of God penetrate into every area of your stagnation. As much as the Lord wants to perform His word by converting every obstacle into miracle, you have not been able to let go the stone of hindrance. Lazarus was four days dead. He was not only four days dead, he was already placed in the tomb, a place of no return. LazarusÕ sisters were no strangers to Jesus. When Jesus approached the tomb, John 11:39, ÒJesus said, ÔTake away the stone.Õ Martha, the sister of Him who was dead, said to Him, ÔLord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.ÕÓ Martha could not see any miracle coming forth. In her mind time was not on the side of Jesus; condition was a barrier for miracle. All that Jesus was asking for was for her to take away the stone so there will be access for Jesus to go in and do what it takes to bring back life into Lazarus. Is there any lost hope confronting you? Time is not on your side, age is against you and every other force you can imagine has taken over the situation. Today, Jesus is saying to you just like he said to Martha in John < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>11:40, ÒJesus said to her, ÔDid I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?ÕÓ God is still in the business of miracles. Can you imagine how much you will let in if you can let go of doubt, anxiety and fear? If the situation to you seems that there is no more hope, then give it to Him and you will have nothing to lose since youÕve already lost hope. He is the unchanging changer and He will change it for good to the glory of God.

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.