HOLD ON TO HIM
Exodus 5:1-14

If you cannot hold on to the Lord, you will give up from Him. Continue trusting in your hanging on to Him. He has eyes to see and He has ears to hear. He can see through all your pain. The children of Israel were in bondage for over four hundred years. When it was close to the time of freedom, it then seemed like they had just started in bondage. When it was close for them to begin to move to where God had planned for them, affliction was intensified. After the Lord God had given the mandate to Moses for the deliverance of the children of Israel, it was then that the situation became more painful with no gain in sight. Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh as the Lord directed, Exodus 5:3, “So they said, ‘The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.’”  The message of God did not settle well with Pharaoh, but it settled the children of Israel who had just received a ray of hope for freedom from God through Moses. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened; he could not receive the request for the freedom of the children of Israel, “Then the king of Egypt said to them, ‘Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.’” (Exodus 5:4) Whenever the heart of man is hardened, the eyes of the heart will remain blinded. Such a heart will not see and it will fail to recognize God and the moves of God. God became unknown to Pharaoh because of the hardness of his heart. Not knowing that freedom was already on the roll, Pharaoh intensified the pain of labor on the children of Israel. Exodus 5:9, “Let more work be laid on the men that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.” Thesituation changed for the children of Israel because the message that Moses brought unsettled Pharaoh and he added more to the hard labor. Exodus 5:13, “And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying, ‘Fulfill your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw.’” Taskmasters in your life are not excluded from bringing more pain, but they are a process to your gain. Your long awaited breakthrough is at hand but the enemy has intensified a way to break you down before it arrives. It might get tougher when you expect your breakthrough, but do not allow a break down in your daily journey. Confess your breakthrough always and be rest assured that your miracle is at hand in Jesus name.
 
Prayer for today: Father I thank you because you have given me victory and my breakthrough is here in Jesus name.

COSTLY SACRIFICE
Exodus 3:13-22

When God called on Moses to go as a messenger of deliverance to the children of Israel, it was with a consistent command of bringing the children of Israel out of bondage so they could go and sacrifice to God. Exodus 3:18, “Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, ‘The LORD God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’” All through the encounters of Moses with Pharaoh was a striking message of letting the people go and serve (sacrifice) God. By the hand of God through Moses the children of Israel were brought out of bondage of over four hundred years. Like the children of Israel, believers today have been brought out of the bondage of sin and iniquities by the blood of Jesus Christ. The life of a believer is to be a life of service (sacrifice) unto God as the journey of life continues. The grace of salvation is to enable believers to be consistent in walking with God. He is a God with good plans for His children who will serve Him in all of their walks. As a believer, you have not been redeemed to serve or sacrifice to the god of this world. The children of Israel eventually gained freedom from the house of bondage (Egypt), but they entered into self-bondage in their journey. They failed in their service and could not pass unto the promise of God. It is not enough that you have come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus. You also need to begin to live a life of sacrifice in serving the Lord God. Could it be that you are living a sacrificial life at your own convenience? Serving God should always be at the level of commitment and not just at our own convenience. In serving God, a line for reasonable service should been drawn from an unreasonable service. Once during the reign of King David, a free ground was offered for a sacrificial offering to God by Araunah. King David responded to the free ground of offering, “…No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.’ So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” (2 Samuel 24:24) As a believer, turn yourself right unto God with reasonable sacrifices that cost you and He will return unto you with a priceless blessing.

Prayer for today: Ask the Lord to enable you in your serving Him in truth and indeed.

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.