INVITE HIM
John 2:1-10

Have you truly invited Him to your wedding occasion, or your marriage life? With an extended invitation to Him, yours will not suffer from lack; challenges will not be your garment, and nothing fashioned against you shall prosper. Inviting Jesus and having him present is not a guarantee that challenges will not come; it is also not evidence that weapons will not form against you. However, with Him invited, challenges will come, weapons will form against you, but you will overcome in all areas of challenging situations. With Jesus invited, enemies will have a say, but will not have the last say concerning you. Imagine Jesus at the wedding in Cana of Galilee and wine (the fuel of the celebration) running out? John 2:2-3, “Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Despite the truth that Jesus was invited, embarrassment showed up at the wedding and lack became a threat before Mary, the mother of Jesus, interceded on behalf of the celebrant. It is not too difficult to imagine what could have become of the wedding celebration without Jesus being invited. With Jesus in our life we will always have a need, to always take everything up to Him in prayer. The experience of Mary asking for Jesus an intervention is for our learning. When Mary asked for Jesus’ intervention, “Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:4) Mary did not delay, neither, was she discouraged when Jesus’ responded that it was not His hour. Instead of discouragement, she was settled in herself and encouraged the servants at the wedding to do what ever Jesus asked for. John 2:5, “His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” All we can do is to obey His command and do whatever He asked for. Jesus responded by saying to the servants, “…Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it.”With obedience, the life in the wedding celebration was restored, lost hope was regained, and nothing harmful was recorded. Ecclesiastes 8:5, “He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful”Have you extended your invitation to the king of Kings? Do you have a place for Him in your wedding program and married life? Consider making Jesus The Chairman of your wedding celebration, and likewise your married life. Allow Jesus to be the one and only Master of all during the ceremony, because challenges will come, but you will overcome.

Prayer for today: Father, have your way in every area of my life, reign and rule that your name be glorified.  

ASSUMPTION
Numbers 16:1-40
 
Assumption can be defined as: taking to or upon oneself; the act of laying claim to or taking possession of something. With this definition, it can be concluded that assumption is an indirect act of removing the hand of God from what is assumed to be. Assuming is not taking the time to seek God for what steps need to be taken before making a decision or concluding how to move in any given situation. Assumptions can be wrong and exceedingly destructive. Wrong assumptions will always provoke wrong actions, either in response to or against. Korah, the son of Izhar, and his rebellious group took on Moses based on wrong assumptions in Numbers 16:2-3, “And they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. 3 They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” Korah and his team wanted to take the calling of God upon them, forgetting or not convincing enough to them that God sent Moses. Moses was provoked, and angered enough to take their case to God. The conclusion of Korah’s wrong assumption was that, “And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. 33 So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.”(Numbers 16:32-33) Have you been assuming wrongly in your fellowship or among your brethren? It is important to learn from the living word of the living God. Wrong assumptions will also activate a wrong move. King Saul was faced with an inevitable war against the Philistines. In his waiting, he took up the duty of Samuel, because of fear. As a result of Samuel’s delay to offer burnt offerings before the war, “Then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.” (1 Samuel 13:12) At any given time, and under no circumstances should any man assume a role that is not assigned by God? Assumptions are acting outside of God. Acting outside of God, is acting against God and it does not give life, but takes life away. Samuel confirmed that Saul ‘s move was a foolish one, and it led to Saul loosing all that God had ordained for him. Samuel stated, “But now your kingdom shall not continue…” (1 Samuel 13:14) Be alive, be relevant in His presence, and keep your self from wrong assumptions.

Prayer for today: Ask Daddy, take my days and my moments, and help me never to be caught up assuming wrongly.

NOT ABOUT ME
Numbers 11:1-15

Moses must have spent more time in the presence of God while he was alive more than anyone that was recorded in the Bible. With Moses, God worked great and mighty wonders, which are enough for any man to accept God, just as He introduced Himself to Moses, “…The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob…” (Exodus 3:15) All of Moses’ encounters with God were not enough for Moses not to forget that he was not alone, and God was with him when he stated in Numbers 11:14, “I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.” In taking up your God given assignment, are you assuming the position of the sole leader, when the Sender has not given up His role as the Almighty Leader? Despite all that Moses had experienced with God, he should not have gone so low to think that he was bearing the entire burden alone. It was a time that the children of Israel were complaining about their circumstances, and it should have been the time for Moses to remember that he has never been alone. In all of your confrontations or life challenges, whenever the thought of “I” or “me”, comes into the picture, there is a great tendency to end up complaining indirectly or directly. Moses ended up complaining while responding to the complaints of the children of Israel. Complaining is an act of rebellion, and it is a very unhealthy situation when there is no quick redirection from self to God. Complaining will no doubt let you forget about where God has brought you. Complaining will also cause man to loose focus of where God is working in the life of a complainer. With the spirit of complaining, getting further in the journey is set to be permanently terminated, just like the children of Israel that did not get to the Promised Land. After all that Moses encountered with God, it is very difficult to think or find out that Moses could have ever thought of being alone. However, if Moses could have arrived in such a situation, it demonstrates the understanding that no man should claim or think to have arrived in the journey of life. Also, Moses’ response is a confirmation of the validity of the Apostle Paul’s statement in, 1 Corinthians 10:12, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” As one who believes in self or one, which believes in the Almighty God, where do you go from here? It is worthy to avoid focus on yourself, but God through Christ Jesus. When “I” comes into the picture, complaining will become the frame and failure, if not death is eminent.
 
Prayer for today:
Ask God to help you that complaining will never have its way in your steps in life.

ASK IF
Judges 11

The psalmist stated, "Understand, you senseless among the people; And you fools, when will you be wise? 9 He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see?" (Psalm 94:8-9) What is it that you do not understand about God? He alone is the Almighty God, the Great I AM the I AM, the Ancient of days, Everlasting Father, the maker of Heaven and earth, the One and only true God that will not leave His children, or forsake them. Think of it, God is not a God that cannot be reached. He is not a God that is too far away, or deaf and hard to hear, or to see when a need calls for it. Have you sincerely thought that He has made us in His own image (Genesis 1:27) God is not distant from us; neither does He plan to be distant from us, except that sin has always been the distancing factor in our relationship with the Father that cares so much for His children. In one of His invitations to His children He said, "Put Me in remembrance: let us contend together, state your case, that you may be acquitted." (Isaiah 43:26). He has always been a saving Master and not a slave master. He created us and He gave us choices. What a merciful and gracious God. David, in his words clearly, demonstrated his personalizing God, and the word testified about him as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). God is waiting for those that wait for Him. What has been keeping you distant from God after your repentance? God is waiting for you today to make a move regardless of your situation. With all humility, begin to talk to Him on a personal level, ask Him about everything and He will answer you about everything. If you will also ask Him an “If” question He will not deny Himself. Many in the pages of the scripture asked Him the “If” question and He responded by showing Himself. Once Jephthah, the Gileadite, wanted to take up an assignment that was bigger than himself, and he turned to God. Judges 11:30, “And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands.” When Jacob was running away from Esau, having experienced the visitation of God, “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on.” (Genesis 28:20) If the understanding that God’s ears or eyes never shut down concerning all that concerns His children, put your request before Him by stating your “If”, and it will no doubt provoke His hand.
 
Prayer for today:
Ask Him to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

THE PLACE
Genesis 28:10-22

Regardless of where you are, or how long you have been where you are, there is a need to be awake for a recognition that the Lord is in place for you. Jacob in his running away for having stolen the blessings of Esau ran to a place of encounter with God. Are you in any situation that has kept you running and hiding? There is nowhere under heaven to hide because “The earth is the LORD’s and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1) Jacob thought the best way to run away from his brother Esau, was to go to a place where Esau could not reach him. Genesis 28:11, “So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.” The Bible called it a certain place, but every place where God is waiting to catch up with us is a place where the Lord is. In Jacob’s dream in that sleep, he saw heaven and the Lord re-pronounced His blessings that were pronounced on Abraham. After the Lord had spoken all of the blessings to Jacob the Bible said, “Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” (Genesis 28:16) Jacob had an encounter that led him to the center of his divine appointment. In your running and hiding have you slept over and missed your encounter? Out of every situation, God does have His set plan. He is a complete God whose goodness and mercy endures forever. God knew Jacob and God knows you and all the creations of His hand before they were born, “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) In your running and hiding can you tell if you have missed His visitation or that you have failed to acknowledge His presence? When Jacob recognized, he acknowledged. Genesis 28:17, “And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” To recognize His presence and not acknowledge Him is to loose, and not gain from His visitation. Jacob having recognized and acknowledged His presence, went further and, “… Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.” (Genesis 28:18-19) In your situation, be awake and await His visitation. 
 
Prayer for today:
Ask God to deliver you from sleep that will cause you to miss your divine schedule.