“In righteousness you shall be established…” (Isaiah 54:14)

Reading through the word of God can be compared to skimming through the surface of a ground that is treasure inhabited. While studying the word is like doing what it takes to discover inhabited treasure. Everything we do in the Lord with a lack of understanding will result to a lack of transformation. Psalm 47:7 stated, “For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with understanding.” If praise worship requires understanding, every other area like studying the word of God surely requires understanding.
The Bible states, “…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory now and forever…” (2Peter 3:18) One can understand that through studying the word of God there will be growth in the knowledge of God. However, there is no amount of studying that will help directly in the growth of grace. Also, growth in grace cannot be separated from growth in knowledge because they both go hand in hand. How then can we grow in grace and knowledge of God?
GROWING IN GRACE:
The Bible did not speak in tongue or any language to make it difficult for every believer or non-believer that read through about what it takes to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. It is written, “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” (2 Peter 3:17-18) Clearly, without further need or any interpretation, it is clear that to be Steadfast in the Lord is what makes a believer to grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and savior.
WHAT IS STEADFSASTNESS?
Steadfastness is to be fixed in direction; firm in purpose, unwavering, firmly established or firmly fixed in faith. When you have a purpose in life then you will be fixed in taking a deliberate walk in the direction of your purpose. Daniel a young captive in the hand of king Nebuchadnezzar had a purpose to live for God. When he was offered the best food and wine which the king had, he declined and requested to eat vegetables and drink water instead, so that it would not defy his purpose. It was recorded of him, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the King’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” (Daniel 1:8) Daniel’s steadfastness could not be compromised with the king’s offer. Also, Daniel could not compromise when his life was on line for death sentence. At the time when he was about to be sentenced for praying, he would not deny His God when he went and prayed with his windows opened toward Jerusalem three times a day in the face of his persecutors. (Daniel 6:10-11) Daniel was steadfast and the grace of God that was upon his life had no bounds or limitation. With steadfastness Daniel was established in righteousness.
ESTABLISH IN RIGHTEOUSNESS:
Isaiah 54:14 commanded, “In righteousness you shall be established…” After this required command, the blessings that will make a believer of the word of God prevail were mentioned. Among such blessings are, “…You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake. (Isaiah 54:14-15) “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn…” (Isaiah 54:17) The blessing of God that is packaged in being established in righteousness goes beyond imagination. Jesus Christ is our righteousness (2Corinthians 5:21). He came for each and everyone, but not all will accept Him. Anyone that claims to have accepted Jesus and not be established in Him is running a risk in life like the itinerant Jewish exorcists who took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches. The Bible recorded, “…the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”” (Acts 19:15-17)
To be established in righteousness is to be steadfast in every moment of our walk in the Lord. With steadfastness, grace will grow and knowledge will not fail. It will take loving God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our strength to be established in His righteousness.

Everything we do in the Lord with a lack of understanding will result to a lack of transformation.
When you have a purpose in life then you will be fixed in taking a deliberate walk in the direction of your purpose.
Tunde

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” Revelation 12:11,

If there is any ground a believer needs to be standing on during the challenging days that are here, it should be on an overcoming ground. The Bible helps us realize that there are two major overcoming powers that are in place for every believer that will take the position of an overcomer. Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” Two overcoming powers that can be identified here are: Blood of the Lamb and word of testimony.
Blood of the Lamb:
Jesus is the Lamb of God that shed His blood on the Calvary for those who will receive and believe in Him. John the Baptist referred to Him, “…Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, ‘after me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” (John 1:29-30) Have you received Jesus and believe in Him as your Lord and Savior? Truly as lamb, He shed His blood on the Calvary and that is the reason why He stated, “…I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) If you will get yourself in the flow of His blood, you will be set for overcoming.
Word of Testimony:
Testimony can be defined as an open declaration or profession. As a believer, what are your open declarations concerning the greatness and might of God? In most cases, whatever you declare is what will decorate you. The Word states that they overcame by the word of their testimony. As a believer, when your testimony to great and good things He has done and those that He is doing becomes consistent in the word of your mouth and your meditation, great and good things will become your decoration. Inhabited in every testimony is positive or negative confession. Through the pages of the Bible, there is evidence of what positive or negative testimonies delivered into the lives of the testifiers.
Evidence of Positive Testimony:
King David, by the word of his testimonies, had a great and mighty deliverance when he overcame Goliath. In his attempt to go and fight Goliath, King Saul was discouraging when he said to David, “…You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” (1 Samuel 17:33) David refused to be discouraged, but gave account of what he was able to do as he responded to King Saul. “…Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.” (1 Samuel 17:34-35) David was not intimated by the confronting challenge that was posed by Goliath neither was he slowed down. Instead, David dwelt on what The Lord his God had enabled him to do in the past and he gave a testimony, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37) David, by the word of his testimony, was able to overcome the giant challenge of Goliath that was before him. 
Evidence of Negative Testimony:
The children of Israel experienced the great miracle when they were coming out of their bondage of over four hundred years and passing through the Red Sea on a dry land. However, by the word of their testimonies, they shut down their Promised Land. In responding to the spy’s negative report after investigation of the Promised Land, they had no better testimony but to confess, “…If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? So they said to one another, ‘Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.’” (Numbers 14: 2-4) God distinctively heard the children of Israel’s request of death in the wilderness and He responded by sending Moses, “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you.’” (Numbers 14:28) In truth, entire numbers from twenty years old and up except Caleb and Joshua, failed in getting down to the Promised Land because of their negative testimony.
What are your testimonies? Which words are being produce in you and being released by your tongue as testimony? Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of tongue…” David saw challenges, he testified to the power of God and he overcame. The children of Israel saw challenges, however, confessed negative and could not have life. In facing your challenges ahead, think of the great testimonies in His Word and the ones in your life. Meditate, confess and you shall have life and overcome.

In most cases, whatever you declare is what will decorate you.
Which words are being produce in you and being released by your tongue as testimony?
Tunde

“Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the LORD is His treasure.” (Isaiah 33:6)

WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE
The Word of God states, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” (Psalm 32:8) The Word of God is wisdom. Wisdom is instruction, understanding is attention and knowledge is the application of wisdom. It is one thing to have the Word of God and it is another to apply it. When it is applied, it becomes wisdom. However, to apply it requires attention to understanding. Wisdom, knowledge and understanding are very important and one must also have virtue in order to make a head way in the world of challenges. Indeed, they are the only guidance that we have and will build the fear of God inside of us. The importance of wisdom cannot be emphasized enough than in Proverbs 4:7, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” This verse is often quoted but not often rated in how we respond to it. The importance of wisdom is way more than the attention we attach to it in our daily life. Without any doubt wisdom through the Word of God is what we need to have a stable life in the world that is constantly and consistently unstable. Isaiah confirmed the importance of wisdom and knowledge as the source of having a stable life when he stated, “Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the LORD is His treasure.” (Isaiah 33:6) Does this statement add up for you? To be trouble free by maintaining stability in this world of challenges, one has to be wisdom and knowledge full. Men who operated wisdom and knowledge through Scripture maintained stability and once they failed to maintain operating in wisdom and knowledge, they retained instability.
KING DAVID AND WISDOM
King David is a vivid example of one that maintained stability when wisdom and knowledge was his associate. Also, he is a good example of one that maintained instability when he parted with wisdom and knowledge. The Bible was not talking in parable neither was it speaking in fable when it stated that King David was a man after God’s own heart. (1 Samuel 13:14) David was a man that sought God with all his heart because he would not make moves without seeking God for wisdom through His Word. David repeatedly behaved wisely because he was seeking God and it was constantly mentioned, “David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.” (1 Samuel 18:5) David’s life was constantly stable when operating wisdom. Also as king, David regularly inquired from God before making any of his moves. Many times, he repeatedly went before God for re-confirmation of the word or wisdom before making moves against his enemy. (1 Samuel 23:2) All the time that he was operating wisdom, stability of time was his portion. The moment David failed and entered into instability of times was when he failed to inquire the wisdom of God.
UNWISE MOVE AND KING DAVID
Once during his stable times, he saw a beautiful woman bathing, but inquired outside of God. It is written that, “David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, ‘Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?’ Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her…” (2 Samuel 11:3-4) God was not his source of his enquiry, but ‘someone’ else was. The result of his move made a lifetime mark of instability in King David’s life. David’s action did not settle well with God and God made it known to David through Prophet Nathan, “…if that had been too little, I also would have given much more…” (2 Samuel 12:8) God never runs out of mercy except when we choose to run out of His mercy by failure to operate wisdom and knowledge. Truly our times are in the hand of God. God will not deny you regarding how you choose to use your time that is deposited in His hand because He is not a slave master but rather is a Saving Master. Also, God is not a dictator but our Deliverer. He has put in place what it takes to live a stable life. His word of wisdom and knowledge is all we have to take to ourselves. David in one of his psalms prayed, “My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.”(Psalm 31:5) Though our times are in His hand, every time we violate Him we allow the hand of enemies to operate.

The importance of wisdom is way more than the attention we attach to it in our daily life.
To be trouble free by maintaining stability in this world of challenges, one has to be wisdom and knowledge full.
Tunde

“According to your mercy remember me, for your goodness sake, O Lord.” (Psalm 25:7)

GOD REMEMBERS
Among the characters of God is the fact that He is a God who remembers. Since the time of the Genesis, God has always had a reason to remember His children to favor or to deliver them from all of their destructions. In the time of Noah, after the rain of destruction, God had to remember Noah before the water subsided. Genesis 8:1 testifies, “God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.” God is not a God who forgets because remembering is a character of the good God. As a believer in God, have you been stagnated in any area of life that calls for you to get in motion? There is absolutely nothing wrong with calling on God and asking for Him to remember you. King David stated in one of his psalm, “According to your mercy remember me, for your goodness sake, O Lord.” (Psalm 25:7)Call on our good God to remember you today and He will not fail.
WHEN GOD REMEMBERS
When God remembers, He favors and restoration becomes evident. Inside God’s remembering His children, barrenness gave up for open womb to have its rightful place. The Bible testifies, “Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.” (Genesis 30:22) Rachel, the sister of Leah and the wife of Jacob, did all to have a child, but could not until God remembered her. Also, it was God’s remembering the children of Israel that delivered them out of the bondage of over four hundred years, “And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant.” (Exodus 6:5) The glaring point about God remembering Rachel and the children of Israel is that they called on God and God listened and heard them. The Word of God specifically commands us to ask and it shall be given unto us. Are you actually asking? It does not matter how long you have been grounded, but it is clear that being grounded can be interrupted by lifting up your voice and calling on Him like Rachel and the children of Israel.
MAKE A VOW
Calling on God to remember us is not a deterioration of faith, but rather is a demonstration of faith. Calling on God to remember us is evident to the fact that we have a Father who we can call on even when we have caused a self-destruction to have taken place. Samson, after having exposed himself to self-destruction, called to the LORD saying, “O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” (Judges 16:28) Indeed, God remembered Samson and He granted him his wish. Hannah, by virtue of her bareness, made a vow during her call for God to remember her and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.” (1 Samuel 1:10-11) Does your situation call for desperation due to mockery? God honors vows and it could be that a vow of what you are capable of delivering is what you need. God is not a joker and He takes a vow serious. The Bible also warns about vow, “If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” (Numbers 30:2) Do not make a vow without being able to back it up. God did remembered Hannah as the Bible testifies, “And Elkhanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.” (1 Samuel 1:19) ACCOUNT PROVOKES REMEMBRANCE
God is a God who never forgets but always remember. In the book of Acts, a man called Cornelius testified, “So Cornelius said, ‘Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.’” (Acts 10:30-31) Cornelius needed to be remembered in the sight of God and his alms giving caught the eyes of God after he had prayed. Have you been praying and do you have an account that is worth enough to get the sight of God? Know this day that God is a faithful God. Take a conscious and deliberate step to call for Him to remember you. As you proceed by His grace into a new day, meditate in prayer. “Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation, That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, That I may glory with Your inheritance.” (Psalm 106:4-5) God, for His goodness sake, will restore all that He has for you in Jesus name.

Calling on God to remember us is not a deterioration of faith, but rather is a demonstration of faith.
When God remembers, He favors and restoration becomes evident.
Tunde

“Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error…” (Ecclesiastes 5:6)

GOD HEARS
In the hands of God there is no accident. When God blesses, He does not bless by accident. In addition, when we speak to His hearing it is never going to be considered as an accident. Have you been very conscious of your communication? The book of Ecclesiastes warns us, “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error…” (Ecclesiastes 5:6) Whatever progresses from our mouth under heaven, either in making a vow or praying or careless talk must be constantly positive. The God that we serve is the God who hears and responds to our spoken word. Psalm 94:9-10, “He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct…” The God we serve is the living God who allows nothing to pass by Him either in communication or intents of the heart. Our God does have His ear to hear all of His creation.
COMMUNICATION
Are you engaging yourself in a positive or negative communication? It does not matter if you are communicating as a group or individual. Be careful and understand what your communication is about because there will be no excuse if it brings forth negative response. Through the pages of the Bible, different communication brought about different consequences. Once in the days after the flood, men gathered and stated, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:4) A careless thought will bring forth a reckless communication. They communicated pride and what it will take to terminate pride when they claimed that they did not want to be scattered. God who planted ear and eye heard and saw the reckless motive of men and He responded, “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.’ So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.” (Genesis 11:7-8) Evidently, when God heard the communication and saw the move of the people, their agenda was terminated. As if this was not enough for men to learn from and understand to know and curb their mouths, the children of Israel also took to the route of termination by virtue of their communication.
NEGATIVE COMMUNICATION
The children of Israel, in spite of having witnessed a great act of God when coming out of bondage of over four hundred years, could not confess positive in their response to the negative report of the men who went to spy on their behalf. The children of Israel responded to the negative report with negative communication, “…If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?’ So they said to one another, ‘Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.’” (Numbers 14:2-4) God, who yearns jealously for our faith in Him, responded to the negative that He heard from the mouth of the children of Israel, “…I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.” (Numbers 14:27-29) God hears you every time you communicate. What are you speaking to His hearing? The children of Israel spoke and pronounced death for themselves and death became their portion as they all died and did not get to the promised land; except for Joshua and Caleb. In a journey where the Red Sea could not terminate them, they allowed their negative communication to terminate them.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY?
Communicate your request and do not terminate your existence by not calling on Him in prayer. Just as negative communication gets His attention so our positive communication (PRAYER) gets His attention. It is recorded in the Book of Luke that once during the time of John the Baptist, “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’” (Luke 3:21-22) Jesus demonstrated that prayer is the Heaven opener. Some might have been getting baptized with nothing happening, but when Jesus opened His mouth and prayed, God heard Him and the Holy Spirit showed up. God’s voice was heard and Jesus was identified by God. If the Bible can point out that we praise God with understanding (Psalm 47:7), let us also know to pray to Him with understanding. He hears and sees it all. 

Communicate your request and do not terminate your existence by not calling on Him in prayer.
In the hands of God there is no accident. When God blesses, He does not bless by accident.
Tunde