Category Archives: Devotions

BE BOASTFUL OF GOD

FAITH CAPSULE: Boasting God all day long will boost up one where others are grounded.

Daniel 3

It is how you trust in God that will determine how you remember to call on Him. The Bible stated in Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” The God you remember is the one you boast about. We cannot boast enough of His awesomeness. His goodness and mercy is exceedingly beyond man’s imagination.
What or who is it that you know for sure is worth of all day boasting? The Psalmist testifies, “In God we boast all day long…” (Psalm 44:8) God is the One and only almighty God, He is the great I AM, He is worth of all day boasting. In boasting we give our jealous God His due attention. Boasting in God is announcing that with God all things are possible. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego demonstrated what it means to boast in God. They were set to be sentenced into a fiery burning furnace because they took their stand and not bow for a golden image. Boasting could be by looking in the face of life terminating challenge to claim the salvation of God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego responded to Nebuchadnezzar by boasting of their God stating, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.  If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)

Boasting God all day long will boost up one where others are grounded. Once, the armies of the children Israel and their God were being verbally abused by Goliath. The children of Israel were emotionally and physical grounded in the face of their enemy. In this battle, Goliath repeatedly demoralized the armies of the children of Israel by the word of his mouth. When David got to the battle ground, he responded to Goliath by boasting in God, “…You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you…” (1 Samuel 17:45-46) Know your God, boast in Him all day long and He will boost you over your Goliath.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the boldness to be constantly boastful of His holy name at all times.

RULER OF THIS WORLD

FAITH CAPSULE: Take a stand against the god of this age daily by engaging the word of God.

John 10:1-30

At the time Jesus predicted His death on the cross, He also mentioned about the ruler of this world stating, “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” (John 12:31-32) Every believer should know that the ruler of this world is the devil. His mission is to subterfuge the minds of men, to trick them and keep them from getting to their expected end.
2 Corinthians talked about the gospel (Word of God) as a weapon which can be used to a believer’s advantage in helping believer to escape from the god of this age, 2 Corinthians 4:4 stated, “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”  The god of this age is the giant man will meet on the way to the expected end of the journey of life. He will proceed to carry out his mission by stealing, killing and destroying. If one is observant, he will see that the journey is hindered by at least one of three of the enemies’ tactics. Every failure of a believer is caused by being a victim of a thief who steals, kills and/or destroys. John 10:10 specifically describes him as the thief who has come to steal, and to kill and to destroy everyone who sets out for the journey to the expected end.

Knowing what the journey looks like and who lies in wait for every man along the way, makes it absolutely important for every believer to take a stand against the god of this daily by engaging the word of God on a regular basis. Jesus did not come just to give life. He came to give it more abundantly. Having life more abundantly is what will bring a believer through victoriously. Jesus means what He says. He was there before time and He is ahead of time. A believer who wants to journey through victoriously on a daily basis must receive Him who has come. It is one thing for Jesus to have made Himself available by His coming; it is another for a believer to receive Him. In your confession of belief have you received Him? Are you embracing Him daily? There will be a discernible difference in the life of the believer if he spends time in the Word and in prayer before taking his daily walk in this world of spiritual wickedness.

Prayer for today: Ask for His mercy to be your garment in the face of wicked ruler of the world.

STUDY AND ENGAGE WORD

FAITH CAPSULE: The journey may be rocky, but God who is the Eternal Rock of ages will enable you.

Psalm 33

In the world of wickedness, there is a place to rest and not moved by the wickedness of the world. The book of Hebrews 4:11-12 concluded, “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” If every man will begin to engage the living word of God studiously the word will begin to separate man from vice of the wicked one. Ones that take time to engage the word are not readers of the word they are student of the word. It is enough to read the word. The word demands constant and continuous study.

The Psalmist wrote, “He sent His word and healed them, and they delivered them from their destructions.” (Psalm 107:20)  Deliverance and preservation is what every believer needs in the steps of life. This obtainable in the word of God just as pointed out in Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  Light is all that is needed, for the darkness to be extinguished and for its devices to be given up and get you back on your intended route. When a believer uses the light to guide his way, stumbling into the trap of wicked world can often be avoided. Above all, God Himself mentions that He will honor His word above His name. Why wouldn’t a believer take the time to cover himself in the Word of the Living God before taking to daily steps on the journey of life? All that is needed to make headway in the journey is to be embedded in the Living Word of God.
Encourage yourself in the Scriptures. You may choose to skim through in your reading or you may choose to study and discover the treasure in the Word of God. The bottom line is, take some time out and let the Word of God speak to you daily before you make a move. Just a word is enough to terminate your struggle in the walk of life.As Paul said in his address in the book of Acts, let His word speak to you directly: Acts 20:32, “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” The journey may be rocky, but God who is the Eternal Rock of ages will enable you. Trust in Him to instruct and teach you in your daily walk.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of obedience to His word of direction.

TAKE TO HIS WAY

FAITH CAPSULE: Fear Him and trust Him to lead you through in His way.

Numbers 13

In God’s way, there is direction and grace to live to the fulfillment of divine assignment. His way is the revealer of His act. In His acts, there is power confirmation, deliverance and there is total victory. Psalm 103:7, “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” It is absolutely impossible to follow the ways of the Lord and not arrive at a final destination. Likewise, one cannot see His acts and not tremble at the awesomeness of His power. The acts of God are the invention of His word and His word encased His way. The children of Israel were privileged to see His actions. They saw the move of God’s power so many times during their days in the wilderness. They saw the Red Sea open up for them to provide dry land as a passage. They saw how the firstborn of all the Egyptian masters died while their firstborns were safe. However, despite all that they witnessed, those Israelites who left Egypt and whose age was twenty and above never arrived at their expected end. The Israelites despised the word of God and they were destroyed. The word of God warns, “He who despises the word will be destroyed, but he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.” (Proverbs 13:13) Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who did not despise the word of God. Both Caleb and Joshua did not fail to keep their faith in His acts which gave them direction. In the past days, weeks, months, and years, if you have seen the wonderwork of His hand, rest and be assure that you have seen His way. However, your title or position is not a license to foolishness Fools says there is no God by their action or by word of confession. Avoid foolishness! Fear Him and trust Him to lead you through in His way.

Moses, a giant in the hand of the Lord, could not get to the expected end because he failed to fully obey God. When he was commanded by God to speak to a rock for water provision he struck the rock twice. (Numbers 20:11-12) Moses saw the Land of Promise but could not set foot on the land. Are you paying attention to the Word of God? It has never changed and it will remain the same. The unchanging Changer will change your situation if you will engage His Word for a favorable lifting in the days, weeks, months and years ahead of you. Commit to the word of God and it will lead you in the way of God. Will you commit your way to His ways and trust in Him?

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace of God to keep you in line with His way.

STEADFAST LOYALTY

FAITH CAPSULE: To be loyal is to be consistently obedient.

Genesis 39

It is written, “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.  Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:20-21) Before God, which kind of vessel are you? Are you a vessel of honor or a vessel of dishonor? Are you walking right before God?

There is nothing that is hidden from the eyes of God and the word of God confirmed, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…” (2Chronicles16: 9) Those whose heart is loyal to God shall know to flee from, “…youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.” (2 Timothy 2:22-23)

Can God still respond to those that are loyal to Him just as He responded to some in the pages of Scripture? Remember, God is not a partial God. The book of Acts 10:34-35 buttressed, “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: in truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” If you know Him enough to fear Him just like the giants in the Lord did, He will add greatness to you. Joseph was a young man who found favor in the sight of God in every troubling situation that was before him. Joseph was steadfastly loyal to God and he did nothing wrong to his brothers when they marked him out for destruction. God is in control and He will not let the loyal ones become a waste as long as they remain loyal to His word of command. To be loyal is to be obedient. Despite the stand that was taken against Joseph by his brothers, the eyes of the Lord did not depart from him. The Bible recorded, “But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing.” (Genesis 39:21) In your persecution, God will make you to prescribe over all that is forcing against you if you will walk in His word of command and be steadfastly loyal to God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you to live in indeed and in truth to His Word.