SEPERATED FOR ENCOUNTER
Genesis 32

With a separation unto God comes an encounter with God. Do you desire to have an encounter with God? Take a step of faith in expecting Him to visit you; be separated to Him indeed and in truth then you will have an encounter with God. Also, if His choice is to have an encounter with you, He will separate you to Himself and in His separation there will be an encounter. When Jacob was about to come in the way of Esau after years of his deception, he attempted to avoid trouble for all his possessions by separating from all, “And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.” (Genesis 32:22-24) At the time of separation from all of his possessions, he was not actually planning for an encounter with God but God planned an encounter with Jacob. In Jacob’s encounter, he had his name changed from Jacob to Israel. His encounter was a demonstration of a new chapter on the course of his life journey. The time of separation from every form of distraction and delay is a time of encounter with the move of God. Among many other encounters in the Bible was that of Saul on his way to Damascus, in his attempt to commit murder against the disciples. “As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”(Acts 9:3-5) In Saul’s encounter, he was not alone and there were people around him but yet he was separated to God. Saul alone had a light shone around him; Saul alone fell on the ground and Saul alone had a conversation with Jesus. It was only Saul that received direction of where to go from the ground of his encounter. Saul’s encounter was the one that led to the change in name from Saul to Paul the apostle. Just like Jacob, the encounter of Paul eventually placed him in the center of his divine assignment on the face of earth. In the journey of life, if we seek Him we will find Him and if God’s choice is to use us for His divine assignment, there is no where to run or hide from being separated unto Him.
 
Prayer for today: Ask Him to separate you for His name to be glorified in your life.

TRUST HIM
Psalm 62

How can you trust Him who you do not fear or how can you wait on Him who you do not trust? Truly, it is wisdom to know to fear God so you will be able to trust and wait on Him. The word of God could not have said it better when it says, “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom…” (Psalm 11:10) It is wisdom to know that the one that created heaven and earth is real and true. It is wisdom to know that there is nothing He cannot do. It is wisdom to know He cannot fail and all His word will come to pass. How do you trust in the Lord? Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” The word of God calls for trusting Him with all heart-not with all mouth. God goes by what transpires in the heart. Trusting the Lord with all your heart should not be testing God with all your heart. Testing Him in the heart is rooted in doubting what He can do or undo. The word of God promised,”…He who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land and shall inherit My holy mountain.” (Isaiah 57:13) Absolutely there is nothing worth more than trusting God and finding out His truthfulness. A heart that knows to trust God will know to wait on Him at all times in all situations. God expects us to wait on Him because it is a demonstration of faith and faith is what pleases God. It is a testimony that God is the One, “…Who acts for the one that waits for Him.” (Isaiah 64:4) It is also testified in Isaiah 40:31, “…But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” There is so much to gain in trusting and waiting on God. All that the word is asking for is to fear the Lord and every other thing will fall in place. So many testimonies through the pages of the Bible demonstrated the need for absolute trust and waiting on God as the only way out to deliverance and preservation. King David also testified in Psalm 62:1-2, “Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.” It is not enough to only know about the word of God. However, to know the word and be known in the word of God is what will make all the difference in the life of a believer.

Prayer for today: Father, put Your fear in my heart so that I will not depart from You. (Jeremiah 32:40)

SPEND TIME TO BE DELIGHTFUL
Psalm 1

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2) It is impossible for any believer who does not find time to spend in the word, to have the word become his or her delight. When you begin to find time to spend in the word, the word will become your delight. When you have delight in the word of God the word will become your meditation. Meditating day and night will undoubtedly provoke blessings from God such as promised in Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Among other blessings of meditation is: Ungodly counsel will no longer be your portion. Where there is no ungodly counsel, the counseling of God that never fails will reign over all areas of life. Godly counseling will, “…Instruct you and teach you in the way you should go…” (Psalm 32:8) With meditation as a way of life, where there is a need to take a stand you will not take your stand in the path of sinners. Having the word of God as your delight and meditation as your habit, your ground will always be that of a winner and heaven provoker. Elijah, took a stand and provoked heaven when he declared, “…As the LORD God of Israel lives, before who I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” (1 Kings 17:1) Spending more time in the word will evidently reveal to you who you are in the hand of the One that created and made you into this world of challenges. As a believer that takes meditation as a priority and exceedingly necessary in navigating the daily journey of life, whenever you take a seat anywhere or at any occasion, you shall never be a vessel of rejection. The Psalmist continues with his testimony of he who delights and meditates when he stated, “He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.(Psalm 1:3) Manifestly, being delightful in the law of God cannot be separated from meditating in the word of God. It is a sure way to be prosperous and have good success.

Prayer for today: Help me Lord and let there be a burning desire in my spending time in the word of Your Holy name.

PRAYER IS COMMUNICATION
Genesis 18:16-33

Prayer is a way of communicating with God for an open heaven. Jesus demonstrated that when we pray heaven opens, “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.” (Luke 3:21) Prayer is what separates a prevailing believer from a failing believer. When prayer becomes constant and consistent, prevailing over temptation and devices of the enemy becomes inevitable. Jesus warned His disciples, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:40) When prayer increases or persists before God, revelation also increases from God, to deliver and to preserve. When it was time for God to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their sin, Abraham entered into a communicating session of interceding on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah. God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their unyielding sinful way of life when He approached Abraham about His plan, “And the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”  (Genesis 18:20-21) As a result of God’s revelation of His plan to Abraham, negotiating and pleading on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah lasted between God and Abraham. Sodom and Gomorrah had no grounds for God not to destroy them because of their sin. Just like Abraham, Moses, by virtue of his relationship with God entered into communicating session of interceding on behalf of the children of Israel. After the rebellious act of the children of Israel God laid out his plan by communicating to Moses, “I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”(Numbers 14:12) Moses did not shut his mouth but opened it in pleading on behalf of the children of Israel. Moses repeatedly reminded God of the work of His hand over the children of Israel by asking God, “Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”(Numbers 14:19) After the prayer of Moses for the deliverance of the children of Israel, God responded to Moses by communicating with him, “…I have pardoned, according to your word.” Moses got what he wanted for the children of Israel. When you build your relationship with God you will operate with Him in communication. As a believer, are you shutting your heaven by not communicating with God? Open your mouth in communication with Him and your heaven will be opened.

Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from whatever is causing believers to fall short in communication with God.

DIVINE SCHEDULE
Genesis 37

Whenever God is set to replace you from where you are into the center of His divine schedule for your life, He does not go by your own timing neither does He move by your age. In God, there is no age limit. When it was God’s time to call Abraham out into the center of his divine schedule, God called Abraham and, “…Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.” (Genesis 12:4) At seventy five years old, he has passed the retirement age before God called him into divine schedule. Who would have thought of a journey of such magnitude for an aged man like Abraham? Moses, after forty years in one of the greatest palaces on earth, had no choice but to be replaced. God did not call him like He called Abraham but he found himself in a situation that chased him out into his divine schedule. Moses accidentally killed an Egyptian in his attempt to defend one of his Hebrew brethren. Pharaoh heard about Moses’ deed, “When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.” (Exodus 2:15) At age forty Moses’ situation forced him to run unknowingly in the direction of God’s plan for his life. Can you see that God is in everything? Joseph had a very positive dream but for the dream to come to manifestation there had to be a process in place. Process can be unacceptably challenging and exceedingly difficult. At the young age of seventeen, Joseph unknowingly began his placement journey to bring his dream to manifestation. The journey to a dreams manifestation can be challenging and uncomfortable. The starting point of a dreams journey is often unknown to the dreamer. Joseph did not plan to enter into the journey of his life when he went to check on his brother as directed by his father. “Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem. 15 Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?” (Genesis 37:14-15) From wandering into entering the pit, Joseph began a journey to the center of his divine schedule. Regardless of your age or where you are, do not struggle with yourself; God is on top of it all. Could it be that you are already on your journey to the center of your calling.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you in every step that you take on earth.