CONVENIENT TO COMMITMENT
Exodus 2

Moses, at the time of his departure from his comfort zone he lacked preparation but he was packed with indiscernible, unobvious and unapparent divine purpose of God for his life. Just like Moses, Joseph, Paul the apostle and a few others had to depart from their comfort zone to a commitment zone where God had purposed for them to attain His divine plan. Moses, in an attempt to avoid judgment for the murder case against him in the hand of Pharaoh, fled to Midian (Midian meaning a place of judgment) At times, sin will cause a believer or unbeliever to flee from a place of judgment to unknowingly another place of judgment. In your fleeing, have you thought about the fact of fleeing from a place of judgment to an place of judgment unknowingly? Joseph’s failed attempt to locate his brother at Shechem was enough reason for him to turn back home. After wandering in the field, he was redirected when a man said, “…They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ So Joseph went after his brother and found them in Dothan.”” (Genesis 37:17) For Joseph, it was not accidental but a move from comfort zone to a commitment zone; a place where he was destined to live for the fulfillment of God’s plan. Paul the apostle was on his way to persecute believers in Damascus. Paul had a letter of permission, “…To the synagogues, of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:2) It was a comfortable assignment for Paul until the time when, “…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?”” (Acts 9:3-4) Paul’s convenient journey changed to commitment by virtue of his encounter with Jesus. In life, when it is time for God to change your status, neither situation nor man can deny Him. Moses’ move from palace to a place-less can be likened to a move from grace to grass. During the process of his transition he was contented and there was no record of complaint, “…Moses was content to live with the man…” (Exodus 2:21) After all of all in Moses life, God appeared to him, “And 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.” (Exodus 3:2) Moses’ departure from comfort got him to a ground where, he turned aside to see the great sight. (Exodus 3:3) Do you have a need to actually turn aside before realizing that commitment has taken the place of convenience in your journey?

Prayer for today: Ask God to lead you and guide you to your ground of divine assignment

HE IS TRUE
John 6:22-34

What you do not know will not work for you. However, the only way to know is by gaining understanding. Proverbs 4:7, “…In all your getting, get understanding.” Gain the understanding that the word of God is the Spirit of God. Jesus confirmed in His word, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63) The Word that He has spoken is still speaking to us and it is life not letter. Do you believe in the Word that is still speaking to you? It is written, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:1-3) How or what else do you want to hear or see to enable your gaining of understanding and give you the edge (knowledge) over confronting challenges in this world of challenges? Indeed the word of God is Spirit and it is life. When God spoke, it brought forth life where there was no life. The same word of God is still the same Spirit of God and life giver. The word of God does not discriminate, but it will work for only those that work the word of God. In life, nothing works when you do not work it. A car will not work if you fail to work for it by putting it to work. What does it take to work the works of God? Disciples of Jesus asked Jesus, “…What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” (John 6:28) Jesus had all the answer when He responded, “…This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:29) To work the works of God is to be living (believe) the word of God and not just to be quoting the word. All that He said to one is speaking to all. God told Joshua, “…I will not leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5) The word that He spoke to Joshua demanded a work on Joshua’s part as stated in Joshua 1:7, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” Operating the word of God in part and not in full is like going round a round about without turning around confronting situations. God is true to His word, God has never failed and His word will not fail. In working the work, the word of God will work for us in every area of life. God is not a slave master, He is a Saving Master.

Prayer for today: O Lord let Your word have its place in my life.

NOT ABOUT WHO YOU ARE
Exodus 3:1-12

When God speaks to you what He wants to do with you it is equal to introducing you to yourself and knowing who you are in the hand of God. At the time God spoke to Moses, Moses’ life was transformed from who he knew himself to be to what the Lord wanted for him to be. At the time Moses was running from Pharaoh, at his hidden location, God located him for his divine assignment. Before God, we can run only when He chooses to look away from our running but we cannot hide. God called to send Moses to Pharaoh, “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:10) Moses’, knowing who he was, responded to God,  “…Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11) Have you been thinking about who you are? On the journey of life, it is not about whom you are but who God says you are by virtue of what He calls you to be. God has a purpose for every one of His creation because He does not create by accident. Once, He told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) As much as Moses tried to avoid his calling, God made Moses realize that He would certainly be with Him. God responded to Moses’ self search, “So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12) It was not important in regard to whom Joshua sees himself to be but it was important  with regard to who God called him to be. After the death of Moses God spoke to Joshua, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.” (Joshua 1:3) Moving from convenience into commitment is not a cordial move. When it is time for you to be removed situations will force you and God will give you a formal announcement of who you are and what He wants for you to be. Moses was relocated from palace to a place of nowhere to hide but to respond to what God called him to be.

Prayer for today: Ask God to guide you so that you will not miss your divine schedule.  

WITHERED?
Luke 6:6-19

“Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered.” (Luke 6:6) A man with the withered hand had two hands just like every other person except that one was withered, shrunk and not regular. The man had the potential to have it all like every one else but his was short in one hand. It was not mentioned how he came across Jesus but it was a Sabbath day, a time when the Pharisees wanted to put Jesus to test. The Pharisees wanted to find charge against Jesus for healing the man with the withered hand. The man with the withered hand in the presence of Jesus had approached his open door. In his open door, the Pharisees took the position of adversary. In your open door to deliverance or breakthrough is there any adversary in place attempting to deny you your deliverance? Apostle Paul made it known that in every open door there are adversaries that want to stop your passage unto breakthrough or healing. Adversaries not an adversary are taking a stand at the open door, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” (1 Corinthians 16:9) The man with the withered hand needed a breakthrough from shortage to fullness, from mockery to miracle but adversaries have taken a place at his open door waiting to make sure his miracle failed. To be withered is not to be complete but Jesus the Restorer of the lost; the Unchanging the changer changed the withered man’s story by making him whole. Jesus, “…When He had looked around at them all, He said to the man,] “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 11 But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.” (Luke 6:10-11) In your life, what do you need to stretch out from? Is there any physical, spiritual or emotional area of your life that needs a stretch? Jesus is there, He has come to give life and not to cause any shortage. Before the withered man received his healing, the Bible recorded that Jesus said to him, “…Arise and stand here…” (Luke 6:8) The man with the withered hand answered Jesus with no evidence or demonstration of doubt when he rose and gained wholeness of his hand back. By virtue of his miracle, adversaries in his open door, “…Were filed with rage…” (Luke 6:11) Are you willing to take a stand for Jesus? If you will, your breakthrough will come and the adversary will be at rage but Jesus will reign.      

Prayer for today: Ask Him to reign and rule over all that concerns your life.

JOY CONSISTENCY
Luke 19: 1-10

“Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Jesus for you 19 Do not quench the Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19) Word of God made us to realize that joy is what gives us access to the presence of God. Psalm 16:11, “You will show me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy; At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” It has to be a full joy not a facial joy (that is teeth exposure). It becomes a full joy with consistency. The apostle Paul reiterated in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” God will only survive in a joyful environment. In Zacchaeus’ seeking of Jesus, he gained the attention of Jesus, “…When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”” (Luke 19:5) Just like He offered Zacchaeus so He has made Himself available to every man that will respond the same way Zacchaeus responded. The Bible recorded, “So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.” (Luke 19:6) Can you respond to Him joyfully when He comes to locate you at your sycamore tree? The Bible is not telling us just for the fun of it that Zacchaeus received Him joyfully, but it is telling us so we can observe to do what is written. Prayer, the calling of God’s attention, is to be without ceasing not only when there is need. A prayer-less life is equal to a prevail-less life while a prayerful life provokes prevailing life. Paul and Silas, they prayed, they sang and the Holy Ghost came down. Acts 16: 25-26, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” Above all, giving thanks is the ultimate because the word recorded it as the will of God in Christ Jesus. The will of God is for us to have life and to be able to have it abundantly. Having life and having it abundantly is being accessible to the presence of God and overcoming life just like Paul and Silas did. Failure to rejoice is a challenge to pass into a praying session. Thanksgiving will only flow where there is a flow of joy and the Spirit of God will respond to demonstrate the presence of God. The word of God is true to the core if you will incorporate yourself in the word.

Prayer for today: O Lord my God, I ask that You fill me with Your word and let Your word have its way in all of my life and undertakings.