FEAR SHUTS DOORS
John 20:19-30

Despite all the powerful teachings of Jesus against fear and worrying, the disciples went ahead and locked themselves up in fear of the Jews. “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) While they were being locked up in the state of fear, Jesus showed up and declared peace. Jesus the Word of God is the Prince of peace. Where there is fear there is worrying and it is the indication of the absence of the Word. Is there any fear or worrying as a result of any situation that is surrounding you? Jesus, the Word of God is the one that you need to attend to your fear. Once, Martha had Jesus in her house yet she gave into worry. “And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (John 10:41-42) Martha could have given herself into choosing the good part. The good part is sitting at the feet of the Lord while feeding on the word. The devil is never careless but always careful and on time to take advantage when a believer slips from letting the word has its place in every confronting situation.Inregards to the disciples there was no better solution to free them from the lock up of fear but the living word of God. The antidote of fear is faith. Faith in Jesus will cause peace to reign. After Jesus had spoken peace into His disciple’s life, the eyes of their mind were opened to see the mark of crucifixion. “When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” (John 20:20) The mark registered gladness into the life of the disciples and the spirit of fear departed. If you will begin to see the marks of crucifixion and believe that the marks were registered on Jesus for us to be able to have life abundantly, the fear about all that is going on around the world will not have its place in your life. Rejoice if you have received and believe that Jesus went to the cross for you. The disciples came out of fear and they were able to testify to their seeing of Jesus because fear the vehicle of worry departed from them.

Prayer for today: Ask in the name of Jesus for the fear and worrying terminating word to sound in your direction as you face the challenges or situation that are having you locked up. 

WHILE IT WAS DARK
John 20:1-18

John 20:1, “Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” While it was still dark, He has risen up! Can you receive this statement and believe it for yourself? Declare that you have risen up while it was dark in the eyes of the enemy. In the dark hour, while the enemy was celebrating and the enemy was sure that there would be no other way out for Jesus; at the dark hour it was clear to the enemy that he has finished the work by nailing Jesus to the cross. At the dark hour, sadness and confusion had set on the followers of Jesus because His body has been bound and placed in the tomb. It was in that dark hour that Jesus; the one that inhabits eternity disappointed the enemy. If you have received and believe Jesus, say it out that you have risen up from every challenge that has kept you down and stagnated. Mary Magdalene who was going to see the body of Jesus turned back when she found out that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Mary Magdalene, “…Ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” (John 20:2) If you have received and believe in the resurrection of Jesus, there will be no hour of the day, nor will situation around the world be able to hold you down in Jesus name. Psalm 33:4, “For the word of the LORD is right, and all His work is done in truth.” The same word created all creation was true then, true now and will be true forever. When we receive and believe the word and we are able to work the word of God the world will work for us. Having taught the disciple about the resurrection, yet they did not know that He would rise again, “For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” (John 20:9) What is it that you do not know about your rising? The One that rose while it was dark came with all it takes for us to know that no situation, condition or hour of the day in this world is strong enough to hold us down. When there is a knowing, understanding will have its place. Today, if you will allow the Word to have its place and to settle in you, no dark will hold you down any time of the day.
 
Prayer for today: Ask the Lord to allow His word have a place in you all the days of your life.

SEARCH ME
Psalm 37

King David wrote, “Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.” (Psalm 37:1) Which one of King David’s advice of ‘do not’ are you doing? Being fretful of the evildoers or being envious of the workers of iniquity? Being fretful of the evildoers is evidence that you have lost your rest in the Lord, that is, you are no longer resting but troubled. Also, when you are envious because of the workers of iniquity it is a demonstration that you are no longer resting in the Lord but rusting away on your inside. The wicked are here to stay until the Lord is ready to take them away. King David went further in the same Psalm 37 and gave the prescription to rest in the Lord while ignoring the wicked and their wickedness. Psalm 37:3, “Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.” Let the Lord take care of His business concerning the wicked. There is nothing that gets past the Lord. The Lord sees all things and He knows all things that are going on. He alone knows when to deal with them when they refuse to come out of their wickedness. Jeremiah also complained to God, “…Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? 2 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; They grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth But far from their mind.” (Jeremiah 12:1-2) God does not sleep nor slumber and it is important that we concentrate on pleasing Him, working the works of God rather than questioning His response to the wicked. What makes you think you are not a wicked one too? Would you be honest and take some time out, search, examine, and identify if there is any wicked way in you? Jesus said in Matthew 7:5, “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” However, whatever is wicked is bad and if you are an evil doer you are wicked. There is no minor or serious wickedness. God will judge all the wicked ones. King David said to the wicked one, “…They shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” (Psalm 37:2) Man can be deceived, the whole world can be deceived but God cannot be deceived and it will take the timing of God to catch up with the wicked ones.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God this day, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

DELIGHT YOURSELF
Psalm 145

When there is fear of God there will be a delight and when there is no fear of God, there will be no delight. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Also it is written in Psalm 145:19, “He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.” The point that both scriptural verses pointed out is about having desire fulfilled. In one word, one that fears God is one that delights. Psalm 119:130 stated that, “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” With light having its place in you, being in a state of delight will reign. However, without the word entering you, you cannot have the kind of delight that brings desire to come to pass. To be in a state of delight is to have joy and having joy will grant 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.” The path of life is to continuously be in the presence of God because the One that came to give life came to give it more abundantly. Abundance of life is in the presence of God and His presence is where He gives life as desired. The enemy of God hates to see the children of God have life abundantly and that makes him operate as a thief that is here to steal, kill and destroy. The mission of the enemy is to make sure being in a state of delight is not possible because where there is no delight evidently there will be no joy that gives access to the presence of God. The Psalmist mentioned that at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. Getting to His right hand is only through joy. God is a good God and there is no iota of wickedness in Him. He made everything beautiful and He that made all to be beautiful has a plan to make life a blessing not a pain. Proverbs 10:22, “The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.” The point here is, living a life that brings desirable, good things is found in the fear of God. Where there is no fear of God, nothing good will move in the direction of man. Jesus says, “…I am the light of the world…” (John 8:12) Remember, the light that brings joy is in the word of God and when it has been contacted in the word of God, it brings man to the presence of God. Paul the apostle knew what he was saying when he emphasized in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! ” Spend time and allow the word to enter you, let it delight you and rejoice in it so the presence of God will have its place. Always remember, God will not reside in a joyless environment.
 
Prayer for today: Father let your word have its way in my life in Jesus name.   

SEE GOOD
Genesis 13

If you could see what the future holds for you, the present challenge would not hold you down in stress and disappointment. Abraham was called out of his ground of comfort by God, “Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1) God had a plan for Abraham, to enter into God’s plan he had to be able to see. God wanted Abraham to see from where there was nothing to show for. Abraham was the only one that was called out of his family but when he was getting out it was with a family member, “So 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) Abraham’s obedience was not in full compliance. Where there is absence of full compliance to God’s command, the will be a presence of full discontinuation. Abraham on his journey could not see what and where God had in plan for him until later, when Abraham and Lot could no longer dwell together because of strife between the herdsmen of Abraham’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. When separation and the division of land was called for, the Bible records that, “…Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other.” (Genesis 13:10-11) Lot lifted his eyes to see only the present but could not see the future. Lot’s choice was not directed by God and His choice later became a land of destruction (Sodom and Gomorrah) Abraham’s seeing was of the Lord’s calling. Lot thought that he was making the better choice but, “…The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward;” (Genesis 13:14) As far as Abraham could see, it became his. As a child of God what you see will determine what you receive. What you receive is what you believe and what you believe will determine what you become. Are you seeing positive or negative as you look into the future? Do you believe that Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you? Be anxious for nothing. See through Jesus, He owns tomorrow and holds it in His hand. Abraham saw great and the Lord declared, “For all the land which you see I give to you and your descendantsforever.” (Genesis 13:15) See good and good shall become of you.

Prayer for today: My Lord and my God, I ask in Jesus name, call my attention to begin to see where you have positioned my blessings.