WHEN YOU DO…
Matthew 6

God is not a God of accident neither shall He bless anyone by accident. He will not give what belongs to the right hand to the left hand. Man makes mistakes and often blesses wrong people by mistake. God does have all of His Word laid out for us and none of His word will go back to Him without first performing what it set out to perform. He gave Jesus without any condition and He will not bless without meeting His condition for blessing. Jesus, when He saw the multitudes, gave the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). In His Beatitudes, He clearly spelled out different things that need to be done in order to provoke a relevant blessing for what is done. Jesus stated in Matthew 6:6, “…When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Jesus was not giving a suggestion. It was not a request for “if you pray” but rather it is a command that ask for “When you pray”. His command has to be done for the blessing of having prayers answered by God. Among other commands that were laid out for the provocation of blessing were: “…when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”(Matthew 6:2-4) Here, Jesus pointed out the blessing that comes for doing charitable deeds. It is not an option; it is a matter of doing and it will always be backed by blessing. Among His teaching, Jesus also brought it to our attention that, “…when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:16-18) Which of these three: fasting, praying and charity, are you actively doing with expectation for the manifestation of its blessing? It is important to do what He asks us to do and get its blessing. The Word of God is not a story but it is power to stir you for His glory.

Prayer for today: Lord I ask for the grace to constantly apply Your words of wisdom as they come to my heart.

A GREAT GAIN
Exodus 2

A great character calls for a great assignment. Moses had a great character and the magnitude of his God given assignment was evident in his life. He lived in one of the greatest palaces of his time for forty years. Without any prior preparation, he fled for his life when his attempt to rescue his brethren resulted into murder. In his fleeing from his adopted home of forty years, he ended up in a desert area. It was an area with nothing to compare with the palace of Pharaoh. For Moses, it must have been a move from comfort to discomfort. Despite Moses’ situation, there is no record of complaint but rather the Bible records, “Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.” (Exodus 2:21) Manifestly, the foundation Moses needed to be built up for God’s assignment was in contentment. The point here is after living a comfortable life at the highest order; he accepted life at the lowest order. Moses’ approach to life was in line with the fact that, we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out of this world. With contentment, a man can live a life that demonstrates the fear of God. In the midst of little or plenty, the one with contentment will always acknowledge God for the grace of provision. Contentment will cause a believer to be conditioned to live for God in each and every situation. That is, any believer with contentment will focus more on God with what is at hand and/or when there is nothing at hand. It was the spirit of contentment in the Apostle Paul that prompted his testimony in Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” To Paul and Moses in their divine assignment, nothing counts but only God who they counted on. What can be compared to leaving a great palace behind for a desert and not demonstrate any evidence of frustration? In truth, the grace of God is sufficient for every believer regardless of any situation. Without contentment, the grace to be able to acknowledge, accept and live on the Word of God could be almost impossible. The Word of God that is written all over Moses was, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1Timothy 6:6) Memorize it and meditate on the fact that godliness with contentment is great gain. What you had or what you are having will count less but what will really matter is God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of contentment to manifest itself in your life.

BEHOLD
2 Samuel 11

Whatever you behold will either build you up or bring you down. If what you behold is of good it will build you up for good. However, if what you behold is of evil you are set for destruction. Behold actually means: to observe; look at; see. In most cases, whatever you observe might end up serving you the way you receive it. What you look at will end up in hooking you up to serve your desire. What you see will determine what will become of you. The function ability of beholding what goes around us hangs on to our eyes. Eyes and ears are the major route to our hearts where decisions for action take its place. The Bible records, “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.” (2 Samuel 11:1) Ideally, King David was supposed to have been at war. Instead, he was at home walking on the roof and, “…from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman.” (2 Samuel 11:2-3) Assuming that King David’s location at the wrong time played one of the major roles in his crime against Uriah, the issue of “behold” ushered him into his crime against Uriah. After beholding the wife of Uriah while she was bathing, he launched into inquiring about her. King David could have turned away from what he observed, what he saw and what he had looked unto. King David could not keep his heart under control and he launched deeper by sending his messenger for her. The Bible states, after sending for her, “she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, ‘I am with child.’” (2 Samuel 11:4-5) David’s sin could not have gone deeper without him first beholding another man’s wife. Oftentimes what or who do you behold? King David went and behold on an avenue of sin. Once John the Baptist, while standing with two disciples, responded to the approach of Jesus, “…Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36) The two disciples who beheld Jesus followed Jesus. Kind David beheld another man’s wife and went after her. Sin does not have respect for any man who avails himself to be taken over. The two disciples were instructed to behold the Lamb (Jesus) of God. You do the same and have life in Him.

Prayer for today: Many have fallen in the journey of life; many are falling because of what they behold. O Lord my God I ask for the grace of beholding what gives life and not what takes life.

THE WAY OF GODLY OR UNGODLY
Psalm 1

The step that you take in life will determine your walk. Wherever your foot is planted is where you stand. Also, wherever you take a sit will set you up you for what becomes of you. If you are taking the wrong steps, you can expect to be blown around like the chaff which is subjected to be driven around by wind. Anyone that is godly will avoid to be caught up in taking wrong steps that could cause them not to stand in the Day of Judgment. Where have you been taking a sit? Have you been taking your sit in the congregation of the righteous or in the congregation of the wicked? It is clear throughout the ministration of Jesus that, He came for sinners and when He comes back again it will be to judge. Jesus said it in John 10:10 “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Where there is life there is hope and it is never too late to begin to reassess your steps, your stand and where you have taken a sit. One thing cannot be hidden from God and that is our hearts. Just as in water where face reflects face so our hearts reveals us to our Lord and savior. We can deceive we will not be able to deny judgment from taking its place when it is time. Our walk, our stand and where we sit can be straighten and be well before the righteous God if meditating in His law will take a prominent position in our hearts. Meditating the law of God and not just memorizing the law of God is the only way. In meditating the law of God, there is grace for gaining strength and becoming courageous walking through the challenges of life. Meditating on the law of God flows from the heart and not just the mouth. Meditating the law is not limited to certain time of the day but it should be an ongoing and all day engagement. Until meditating takes the right approach, the ability to observe the law and to do according to the law will not be possible. After the death of Moses, when it was time for Joshua to take over the leadership role, the Lord spoke to Joshua, “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.”(Joshua 1:8) The grace and ability to meditate will no doubt take charge over our walk, where we sit and how we stand. Meditation will navigate the way to having prosperous and a good successful life.

Prayer for today: Ask God to take over your days and your moments that it may be concentrated only to His holy name.    

LYING IS DECEPTION
1 Samuel 31, 2 Samuel 1:1-16

Either you are a believer or not, when you begin to lie you have laid down your life for the father of all lies and he will take it over from you. In lying there is no minor or serious lying.  However, getting caught lying on a wrong ground could cause a liar’s life to expire without such liar’s expectation. One young Amalekite wasted his life in his attempt of lying to please David. During one of the Israelites war against the Philistine, Saul was injured to the point of death while his three sons including Jonathan were killed, “Then Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me. “But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.” (1 Samuel 31:4-5) Apparently, Saul took his own life away after his armorbearer refused to help him out in taking his life.  After the death of Saul, the young Amalekite that does not have anything to do with the death of King Saul took it upon himself, lying as the one that killed Saul. When the young Amalekite came to David, he gave a wrong account of how Saul died, “…As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, there was Saul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ So I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ He said to me again, ‘Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.’ So I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.” (2 Samuel 1:6-10) When to impress or not to impress, Lying is bad and the consequence is shame and untimely death. The young Amalekite ordered to be killed because the news of him killing the anointed one of God did not settled well with David. Lying is deception and lying is bad. Are you a master liar? It will only take one day before it catches up with you on a wrong ground.

Prayer for today: O Lord my God, delver me from every lying spirit,let me not be a reproach of the foolish.