UNCHANGING CHANGER
Exodus 9

A knowing about a truth and not being known to be living in such truth or not having the evidence of such truth is an empty knowledge. Unarguably, a knowing and constant meditation on the truth that the same God yesterday is the same God today will make the difference in the life of every believer. It will always energize the journey of faith everyday in the life of a believer. That being said, among the most interesting characteristic of God that should always be a resounding guide is the fact that God will always use foolish things to put to shame the wise. It is a very interesting character trait that calls for a sincere humility in the walk of life. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.” This is exactly the operation of the same God yesterday, today and tomorrow. God has not changed and He will not change. There is nothing like one getting humbled to the ground where pride, arrogance and pomposity had become one’s identity. As a believer, whatever power is in your possession and no matter what you have become today, let the fear and the operation of His hand never elude your thought on a regular basis. Pharaoh was exposed to multiple signs and wonders that were enough for him to lower his pride, but he failed. God indeed hardened his heart, but it is also for our learning to understand that when a call for change constantly knocks on the door of our heart, we should not be foolish to not answer. Can you imagine what scattering handfuls of ashes from a furnace towards heaven would mean to a powerful king like Pharaoh? Surely it must have been a joke. God’s operation was not a joke when He said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 9:8-9) Great is our God and He is greatly to be feared. God is beautiful for situations. God alone is the Unchanging Changer. Our God is the same God yesterday, today and tomorrow. God is worthy to be feared.

Prayer for today: O Lord my God, let not the foot of pride come against me and let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.

UNIQUE ENCOUNTER
Exodus 3: 1-10

It is the uniqueness of how God turns your attention unto Him that will determine the kind of passage that will lead you into the center of your divine assignment. When God was set to turn Moses’ life around from inside out, it was without any prior notice. Moses, having fled for the murder he committed in Egypt, ended up with the priest of Midian. While in Midian, he led his father-in-law’s flock to the back of the desert. When Moses got to Horeb, the mountain of God, “…the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush: So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, ‘I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.’” (Exodus 3:2-3) The burning fire that did not burn the bush caused Moses to look and behold. Having been able to look and behold, Moses then decided to turn aside to the extraordinary sight. Many have been privileged to get to the ground, look and behold but have remained as on-lookers. It is not enough to look and behold without turning aside to give God the attention that is required to get the calling to the center of divine assignment. The Bible testifies that after Moses had turned aside, God decided to turn on to him. “So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’” (Exodus 3:4) God is not a slave master but rather is the saving Master. God, the Almighty Creator, will not force any of His creation but will wait to see and use anyone who is available for His assignment. Although Moses attempted to run from the assignment, he could not hide. Moses answered God’s calling that set him up into an experience of unique journey to the center of his divine assignment. The same God who was yesterday, is today and will be tomorrow is still in the business of leading people to a ground of making the choice to look and behold before turning aside unto Him. Are you on the ground of receiving your call or not? God’s calling to the center of divine assignment is a calling to attainment. Do not let the privilege of your calling to your center of divine assignment pass by without you turning aside unto God.    

Prayer for today: O Lord my God when I am set for the center of divine assignment that you have for me, cause me not to miss out in Jesus name.

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
Acts 4:32-37, 5:1-11

As much as lack of knowledge can be devastating, so is half knowledge. The case of Nadab and Abihu is a sure testimony that ignorance is not an excuse before God. Also, in every operation of lack of knowledge or half knowledge concerning the word of God, there is a risk that devastating consequences will take place. Leviticus 10:1-2, “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” There was no time for both sons of Aaron to give an excuse of their grave operation before the fire consumed them. Nadab and Abihu had witnessed the offering many times but that did not qualify them to carry out the offering. Many are witnessing, many are participating or operating certain responsibilities in the church, but it is not a demonstration or confirmation of knowledge required. The business of God is not a toy and God will not overlook sin. If you are operating without a full knowledge, it is time to learn and avoid painful consequence. Ananias and Sapphira exposed themselves to the danger of losing their lives when they operated what could be considered as half knowledge. The Bible recorded in Acts 4:36-37, “And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” It is evident that Joses and Barnabas knew well enough to deliver exactly what they received from selling their property. They could not lie to the apostles because they knew the consequences. “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.  And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” Ananias and Sapphira had witnessed what the process was, but they lack the knowledge of the consequence not to be truthful. Knowledge is truth and truth is knowledge. Avoid being ignorant in the things of God because ignorance will make a destitute believer. Take time to study the things of the Lord, observe, meditate, and participate before you activate. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, there is no evidence that God ever overlooked sin except that He forgives sin. In every operation of no-knowledge there is a costly price to pay because it leads to sin.

Prayer for today: O Lord my God let the knowledge of Your word have it’s place in my life. Let me not become a destitute believer in the operation of your word.

GRACE AND PEACE
2 Peter 1

The first time that God pronounced blessing was the blessing of multiplication. The Bible records that after God had created sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind and every winged bird according to its kind, “…God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”” (Genesis 1:22-23) Manifestly, God is the God of multiplication. He is the God that desires to see progress in the work of His hand. Also, as a result of growing, He cannot be a stagnant God; increasing in multiple must be part of His character. Simon Peter, one of the apostles, greeted in his second letter, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” (2 Peter1:2) Could it be that Peter was praying with understanding that was rooted in the fact that multiplication is a significant part of God? The prayer of Peter points to the truth that grace and peace also needs to be multiplied in us in the knowledge of God and of Jesus. With the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord and Savior, there will be multiplication of grace and peace. Without the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord and Savior, man is bound to be stagnant and not increase in grace and peace. Have you thought about gaining or finding the knowledge of God? Would you not want to increase in grace and peace in these days of challenges where all kinds of wickedness reign? The Word of God points out simply in Proverbs the source of gaining or finding the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:5, “Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” Knowledge of the Lord is not inherited from parents, but rather it becomes inhabited when it is founded in the understanding of the fear of God. The fear of God comes in the beginning of wisdom. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” (Proverb 9:10) The Word of God is the wisdom that we need to incline our ear to. When we begin to increase in the hearing and hearing of the Word of God, understanding the fear of God will undoubtedly increase and it will lead to gaining the knowledge of God. Through the journey of Abraham from the time he was called out of his family until he got to the mount of God shall provide, there was no evidence of listening disability to the Word of God. As a result, he knew God and grace and peace could not be separated from every step he took; it only increased in him.

Prayer for today: Deliver me from every agent of listening disability so that Your Word shall have its way in my life.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY?
Numbers 14

God made heaven and earth just by the words of His mouth. Evidently, God does have mouth just like we do. The Bible testifies, “He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct…” (Psalm 94:9-10) He created us, and at the time of creation He stated, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26) The word of God is true. When God blesses, He does not bless by accident. In addition, when we speak to His hearing it is never going to be considered as an accident. Have you been very conscious of your communication? The book of Ecclesiastes warns us, “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error…” (Ecclesiastes 5:6) Whatever progresses from our mouth under heaven, either in making a vow or praying or careless talk must be constantly positive and productive. The children of Israel, in spite of having witnessed a great act of God when coming out of bondage of over four hundred years, could not confess positive in their response to the negative report of the men who went to spy on their behalf. The children of Israel responded to the negative report with negative communication, “’…If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?’ So they said to one another, ‘Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.’” (Numbers 14:2-4) God, who yearns jealously for our faith in Him, responded to the negative that He heard from the mouth of the children of Israel, “…I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.” (Numbers 14:27-29) God hears you every time you communicate. The children of Israel spoke and pronounced death for themselves and death became their portion as they all died and did not get to the promised land; except for Joshua and Caleb. In a journey where the Red Sea could not terminate them, they allowed their communication to terminate them. God will not sleep nor slumber; He will not cease nor stop from hearing what we have to say. What do you have to say?

Prayer for today: O Lord my God, be with my mouth always and teach me what to say.