Encouragement and Provocation
Exodus 14, Luke 19:1-10

When the word of God becomes the source of encouragement and provocation, it will build in you the boldness and the character that makes man a winner in the race of life. Encouragement is to know as a child of God that your challenges are not accidental, it could be for God to gain honor over your enemy. The children of Israel, having been delivered from the house of bondage (Egypt) by the outstretched hand of God would have expected a smooth journey to the Promised Land. However, God decided to take them through where they were bewildered by the land and closed in by the wilderness. On God’s route for them, God declared, “Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.” (Exodus 14:4) God wanted to gain honor over the challenges of the children of Israel. God’s plan was not for evil to be elevated in the life of His children but it was to relegate evil. Are you facing life consuming challenges or unexpected challenges where there seems to be no way out? Be encouraged in the Lord. God has not forgotten you, He never sleeps nor slumbers but He will gain honor in His deliverance plan for your life. Also, in your seeking Him, be motivated that when you seek Him diligently, you will see Him. The story of Zacchaeus is evidence that when there is a provocation to see Jesus, Jesus will end up in our house (heart). Zacchaeus had everything in place not to have a need to see Jesus. He was a tax collector, a rich man; the crowd was a great factor to deny him because he was a short man. Despite all the factors that could deny him, there was a stirring in him that was pushing for his need to see Jesus. He ran ahead of the crowd and he also climbed the tree. God that sees all could not overlook Zacchaeus’ desire to see Jesus. “And 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). Provocation that brings Jesus to abide in your house (life) will make you become a living character of Jesus. Encouragement by the word will build you up to become bold in your approach to life. The word of God will build in you the boldness and character that makes man a winner in the race of life.
 
Prayer for today: Father I ask for enablement in gaining the boldness and character that makes man a winner to the glory of Your holy name.

THE SECRET PLACE
Psalm 91

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”(Psalm 91:1) It cannot be imagined, but the best place to dwell while on earth is in the secret place of the Most High God. The secret place of the Most High is not a physical place neither is it in a church building. To understand the secret place of the Most High and to understand what dwelling is about is important in order to march into this wonderful promise of abiding under His shadow. Where is the secret place of the Most High? Psalm 25:14, “The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.” The fear of God will unlock the door to the secret place of the Lord. Psalm 33:18, “The eye of the LORD is on those that fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy.” Evidently, to be under the watchful eye of God that is not visible to a naked eye is to be in a secret place. What both Psalm 25 and 33 are saying is that the fear of the Lord is what it takes to dwell in the secret place of the Lord. What does it mean to fear God? To fear the Lord is to love the Lord. God wants us to love Him because He Himself is love. Deuteronomy 30:6, “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” To fear the Lord is to love Him, and to love Him is to live. Obviously, those that dwell in the fear of God are in His secret place. The word of God called for dwelling, not entering and departing on a regular basis. Dwelling is in the fear of God, which is the secret place of God. The fear of the Lord is all that can make a believer abide under is shadow. Without the fear of the Lord, there will be no abiding. It is possible to claim to be a believer and not dwell in His presence. Take every of His word to heart, what He said to one He says to all. He is a faithful and good God. When you begin to dwell in the secret place of the Most High God no secret or force under heaven shall have it ways against you in the journey of life. 
 
Prayer for today: Ask God to put His fear in your heart for you not to depart Him but to dwell in Him.

COMING OUT
Genesis 37

The brothers of Joseph stated, ““…Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit…” (Genesis 37:20) This day, as you set your eyes on this message take a look at yourself and say it loud to yourself, “I am coming out” By the grace of God, you shall come out of every representative of pit in your journey of life, in Jesus name. Be conscious and know that, what you did not confess with conviction in your heart will not convert you in your situation. Be encouraged and know that you are coming out and your dream will come to light and not fail. Joseph did not go into an ordinary pit but into a pit in the wilderness, “And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him…” (Genesis 37:22) Which other kind of pit in the world could have been more terrible than a pit in the wilderness? Wilderness itself was described in Jeremiah 2:6, “…Who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pit, through a land of drought and the shadow of death, through a land that no one crossed and where no one dwelt?” Have you been swallowed in any pit closer to a pit in the wilderness? Joseph, went from his distinctive tunic to a destructive pit, a pit in the wilderness, a pit of lack, a pit of no way out, a pit of stagnation (in an attempt to prevent dreams of greatness) a pit of mockery, a pit of failure, a pit of every kind of life derailment and destruction. Is your pit closer to that of Joseph’s pit of destruction? With God, no pit is too deep or destructive enough to deny the extension of the delivering hand of God. As a believer, the deeper you go in the pit of the wicked, the sweeter your deliverance and testimony will come to be. The pit that was set for your termination is your avenue to continuation in the direction of the glory of God in your life. The plan and purpose of Joseph’s brother was to make sure the dream was terminated and not come through just as they stated, “…We shall see what will become of his dreams!” (Genesis 37:20) Believe it to today, as man proposes to destroy you and afflict you in their wickedness; God will dispose of them by extending His hand of deliverance. You have confessed your deliverance and you shall come out of every pit in Jesus name. Remember, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19) God is faithful to deliver.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God to bring out every representative of pit in your.

EMMANUEL NOT EMMAUS
Luke 24:13-32

Frustration is defined as a feeling of dissatisfaction, often accompanied by anxiety or depression, resulting from unfulfilled needs or unresolved problems. Also, frustration can be a direct cause of distraction, discouragement and disappointment. Above all, wherever distraction has a place, discouragement and disappointment will be evident and it often leads to inability to see and hear from where there is a way to life. “Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.” (Luke 21:13-16)  After the breaking news of Christ’s resurrection, there were two of His followers traveling to Emmaus while others were scrambling and attempting to confirm the breaking news of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The two on their journey to Emmaus were consumed by the “3Ds” (distraction, discouragement, and disappointment) because of Jesus’ death. As a result of the 3Ds manifestation in them they failed to see and could not identify with Jesus. Also, they could not listen to hear and identify the voice of Jesus. What is it that has come upon you on this journey of life? What is taking the driver’s seat in your vehicle of life’s journey? Luke 24:15-16, “So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.” They could see in the physical, but they had lost sight of their Savior. They knew Jesus well, but they did not know Him well enough to identify with Him at the point of visitation after he had resurrected from where the devil could not hold Him captive. The two must have been at the point of frustration thinking their hope was gone. Are you experiencing frustration in any area of your life? Remind yourself that Jesus is not dead; He is a living God. Whenever frustration sets in, the 3Ds will take you for a ride in the wrong direction. When there is no sight or where sight becomes blurry, there will be a failure to see help whenever help is in place. At the time the two regained sight, it was time for Jesus’ departure. Luke 24:31, “Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.” Your story does not have to be like the two that were on the way to Emmaus because Emmanuel is what you are looking for and He has risen for us. If you will begin to put frustration in it’s proper place. You will begin to journey with concentration, encouragement and effective results will reign through your entire journey.
 
Prayer for today: Ask God to deliver you from every spirit of anxiety and frustration.

EXALT HIM
John 19

In Him there was no fault but He was faulted. He was excessively beaten, He was denied, He was disrespected, He was rejected by His people, He was moved around in pain without His will, He was misrepresented and His disciples withdrew themselves from Him. Above all, a minor lower rank officer stepped over his limitations during His trial. Once after His response to the high priest’s questioning, “And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?” (John 18:22) The King of kings, Lord of lords could have avoided all kinds of humiliation but he wants for us to be positioned at the juncture where humiliation will not have its way over our life. Pilate founded no fault in Him when he said to the people, “…I find no fault in Him at all.39 “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas…” (John 18:38-40) Jesus was replaced for a criminal, a robber. Above all, He did not fight back but He fought on by drinking the cup of sin, pain, grief and every other undesirable punishment. Jesus carried the cross so we would be enabled to cross over. “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. (John 19:17-18) From the time of His birth in a manger where sheep reside, to the point of death in place of a criminal, He demonstrated humility. Jesus had a set mind and it was a mind of humility. His mindset made Him an overcomer, He alone is to be magnified, and He alone is to be exalted. His mindset qualified Him for it to be impossible for Him to be victim of captivity. Also, in His grave of three days He remained as Lord of lords that could not be overthrown by the grave or death. Philippians 2:5-9, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.”
 
Prayer for today: Ask Him for the enablement of the mind of Christ in your life and He will do it if you desire it.