Emmanuel!

Emmanuel!

Deuteronomy 31:8 AMP

[8] It is the Lord who goes before you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

The name Emmanuel is a Hebrew name meaning 'God is with us'. That is the basis of the verse above and the devotion for today. It shows that the Omnipresence of God is not conditional on my acceptance of Him. There is nothing I can do or say to lessen His power and identity, but it will do me a lot of good to recognise and submit to His authority. It may also not happen suddenly, but as I relate with Him on a regular basis, I get to know more and more of Him. The more of Him I know, the more I realise that there is a lot more to know about Him. The more time I spend with Him, the more I look like Him and crave to hear Him. This is the beauty of a God who also seeks to have a relationship with mortal human beings. 

This is the amazing reality of a God beyond human understanding. Man is frail and temporal; God is eternal and beyond permanent. Nothing mortal lasts forever; God is the One who defines the beginning and the end of what we call time, yet He is not limited by time. Indeed, the Creator cannot be defined or dictated to by anything He has created. This was the reality of the man Moses. He had led Israel for 40 years through the barren wilderness, and he had seen God work some mighty miracles. God had brought out water from a rock, had provided a steady supply of food for all the years spent in the wilderness, and had kept them from war, as they had not had any experience fighting any. 

This was not a God to be trifled with, and Moses was careful to note this to the people of Israel, as he came to the end of his own journey with them. He had made a grevious error that cost him entry into the land of promise, but he was now charging Israel, as well as Joshua the new leader, not to forget the God who had brought them this far and was taking them into a land that was not theirs in the first place. Moses was careful to note that it was God who had done all these things for Israel, so that there was now no room for pride or self-sufficiency. God wants to show Himself strong, but He needs me to let Him work. He needs me to let go and let Him in, so He can display His power. 

God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my own freewill. He wants to lead, and I have to be willing and ready to follow. I cannot be in front; I have no idea where I am going. God does not leave His own alone, even when it appears to be so. As He does not fail, those who He helps cannot also fail. As He cannot be defeated, those who He is with cannot also be defeated. His promise to Israel then, and, as a God who does not lie or change, to us too is that He will not fail or abandon us. That presence is the foundation of the confidence I have to face whatever is coming my way.  I do not fear, not because there is nothing to be afraid of, but because I have God on my side. He is all I have. He is all I need. God's time of favour is here. 

Rest!

Rest!

Matthew 11:28 AMP

[28] “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. 

The world is indeed a burdensome place. In all the places you turn to, there are issues to resolve, or a problem to be addressed. Let us consider the context of the verse above. Jesus had finished speaking to His disciples and had entered the cities of Galilee to teach the people about the kingdom of God. These were the people He had been sent to presch to first, but as we know, familiarity with the messenger became the problem the people could not overcome. They thought that they knew his parents and siblings, and did not think that there was anything special about Him. This became the stumbling block to the reception of these people to the message of salvation that Jesus had brought. 

Before we point the finger at them, can we also consider our own lives today? Are we receptive to the message of salvation in its simple form, or are we trying to justify effort and labour in earning that which Jesus offers us freely? This was the message of Jesus to the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. These were cities that had clear sight of the miracles that Jesus performed, yet they remained stubborn and resistant to the message of salvation. Even John the Baptist, one used mightily by God to lay the groundwork for the coming of Jesus, had to send men to ask Jesus if He was the coming Messiah or if they were to expect another. 

For all who seek clarity on the way forward, the message in the verse above is for us. The world does not have the answers we really need, because it is not set up to answer those kinds of questions. The temporal world does not have answers to the questions of eternity. If you need answers to the questions of eternity, you come to the eternal God, the One who was, who is and who is to come; the ageless, timeless and limitless God. The great thing about this God too is that He wants us to come. That is the first sentence in the verse above: 'Come to me'. He is not looking for people who are perfect from the start; He is looking for people He can work in and on, and make them into what He wants.

Of course, God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. This is why the verse above extends the invitation to all who are weary and heavily burdened. If you are fine, you do not nees help. If you know you need help, it is clear who has the help you need. If you are tired of religious rituals that provide no peace, come to the One who is able to give you the kind of rest that refreshes the soul, calms all fears, secures the present, and also guarantees the future. That is the greatest gift of God: an assurance that all will end well with Him. That is rest, even when I am walking with and working for God. What could be better? God's time of favour is here. 

Light!

Light!

Genesis 1:3 AMP

[3] And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 

In order to understand the power of the verse above, there is a need to consider the nature, identity and purpose of the One who said these words and what was going on at the time He said them. Firstly, there was no earth in the form we know it now. The bible records that the earth was fornless and void; there was an emptiness to it, with darkness upon the face of the deep. This was the best way to describe the state of nothingness that the earth was in at the time. It is important to note, however, that in the midst of all these, the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. None of us was alive at the time but when you consider the events that have occurred since then, and the structure that the earth now has, you know that the One who speaks the words in the verse above is indeed powerful, and not to be trifled with. 

If it was man, maybe the first thing we would seek to do is to bring order into the confusion by putting everything in its place. In all of this confusion, what God did first was to introduce His nature and power in physical, tangible form. The Spirit of God was already hovering over the waters, but this was God giving the earth something that everyone, even those who claim to be atheists or heathens, could identity with.  God spoke through Paul to the Romans, stating that ever since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes, eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through all His creation and the wonderful things that He has made so that anyone who then fails to believe and trust in Him are without excuse and without defense. 

That is what makes this verse special. God began by something of Himself, but which also speaks to us too. We know God as Light, and we know that once He is introduced into any dark situation, there must be a change. God began by speaking, and the power of His Word was immediately made manifest. The bible does not record any passage of time between when God spoke and when what He commanded came to pass. Who can stand against or resist such power? Who can contest the authority of the One who can impose His will in all of creation? The impact of what God has done is to introduce light into darkness, order into chaos, and life into emptiness. By one sentence; He has changed the direction of the earth into something else.

This is where we also come in. We were made in the image and likeness of God, and there is a platform for us to manifest the power of God in this form in the same earth. When God made man, He breathed into man the breath of life, and man became a living soul. His power and nature, aa well as authority, have been deposited in us. The divine law of power behind words and pronouncement is also at work in us. That is why the bible warns that death and life are in the power of the tongue. As one made in the image of this awesome God, I must not be careless about my words. I speak life into every situation around me. I command health into everything that is dying around me. That is who I have been made to be; am I living my true potential? God's time of favour is here. 

Sow Right!

Sow Right!

Hosea 10:12 AMP

[12] Sow with a view to righteousness [that righteousness, like seed, may germinate]; Reap in accordance with mercy and lovingkindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, For it is time to seek and search diligently for the Lord [and to long for His blessing] Until He comes to rain righteousness and His gift of salvation on you.

Context to the verse above will help. Israel was God's chosen people, and they had been given benefits that they did not labour for, or earn by good behaviour. In fact, they were people you would describe as being habitually ungrateful. They would stay loyal as long as there was food, water and the good things of life, but at the slightest pressure or lack, they would rebel and murmur against God. The great thing about God was that He did not immediately lash out against them in anger, but He sent several prophets to them, warning them about the danger in their ways and giving them opportunities to return to God in repentance. 

As we know, Israel would not heed or return to God, and in line with His clear and unambiguous warnings, He applied the punishment that was due to Israel for its ways. Israel that was a luxuriant and prolific vine became a land that bullt altars to Baal and other idols. The heart of the people became divided, and they followed after whatever caught their fancy. This is the clear warning I must heed: comfort must be well managed so it does not become the pathway to destruction. How did a land that God helped become so disconnected from the same God who brought them this far? How do I guard against making the same mistakes Israel made? 

As the verse above makes clear, if the end goal is that which glorifies God, I will be very careful about what I sow and how I sow. The best seeds in an unprepared ground wi yield no harvest. The bad seed in the most fertile ground will also end up the same way. There must be harmony between the seed and the ground in which it is to be sown. The verse above says that I must sow with a view to righteousness, if righteousness like seed must also germinate. You get back that which you put into the ground. I can look forward to reaping in accordance with mercy and lovingkindness once the seed is sown right. Is my life right? Is my heart and all it seeks to offer right? 

As the latter part of the verse above makes clear, it is time to break up the uncultivated ground, and prepare it to receive the good seed that promotes righteousness. God is always invested in doing amazing things for His people, but, as we have always said, God will not force Himself on anyone, or go against the exercise of my freewill. It is a willing sacrifice that sits well for Him to make Himself manifest. He wants to send His rain of righteousness on us all, but we must tune our lives to Him, seeking to obey Him at all times. He is limited by unyielded vessels; if we long for His move, and align with the conditions for His move, He will definitely show up. Would we let Him in and let Him work? God's time of favour is here. 

God's Nature!

God's Nature!

Psalm 30:5 AMPC

[5] For His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is for a lifetime or in His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

This is one of the psalms attributed to David, a man that God Himself referred to as a man after His own heart. That reference is not one to be taken for granted, because it reveals the truth that mortal man, even in his human cover, is able to know the mind of God, and can access the necessary grace that is needed to walk this walk the right way. What makes this even more interesting is the fact that this was not yet the dispensation of the Holy Spirit given after Jesus had come to the earth, died and was resurrected. In most instances, the Spirit of God would come upon men for a reason or for a season, and for a specific assignment. This is what makes the testimony of God about David all the more special. 

Like David then, so is it today. God has not changed the mode of communication, or the channel of access to Him. He is still the same God who spoke to Moses face to face; the same God who Enoch walked with and was just taken away, and the same God who seeks to show Himself strong in the lives of all who sincerely and truthfully seek Him. Like David,I must be aware that God wants to have a special relationship with me. This is not one where I am forcing myself on an unwilling or resistant God; His delight is in relating with His creation, because we are the only part of His creation made in His own image and likeness, and therefore naturally inclined to bring attention to His power deposited in us.

This is why the message in the verse above is timely for us today. There is a danger in taking extreme positions, where we completely deny or ignore God's power, or we are extremely fearful of what we hear of Him that we keep our distance. Both extremes are unpleasant. What God seeks from us is a reverential fear borne out of a deep knowledge and personal experience of Him. When you have truly met and interacted with this God, you do not want to do anything to displease Him. This is not first from a sense of fear, but of love. Let it be known that the same God is indeed both the Lion and the Lamb; He can tear apart and destroy completely, but He can also heal, restore and secure eternally. 

Truly, it is because His anger lasts for a moment that we are able to stay alive till today. If God were to mark iniquity, no one will be able to stand. There are many reasons why weeping may happen or persist; one could regret past actions, or simply be weighed down by life's challenges, but whatever the reason may be, God never leaves His own alone. Pain may come, but His presence never leaves. No matter how hard life gets, I must always remember that nothing down here was built to last forever. The night may look like it will never end, but as long as God is on the throne, be sure that joy will surely follow the night. Do you know this God? God's time of favour is here. 

Helping Others!

Helping Others!

John 13:34 AMP

[34] I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another.

Galatians 6:2 AMP

[2] Carry one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love].

The two verses above are connected; one is by the ultimate discipler, and the other is by one of the many disciples of the discipler. The discipler spent time on earth, laying down the principles and practices of His kingdom; He also spent time raising men that would live out these principles, and became visible and audible testimonies to the power and impact of these principles. Jesus is no longer in the flesh down here on earth  but those who He has raised as His own and breathed on, are still here on earth. How would Jesus be made known, and how would men be drawn to Him if there was no one to reveal what He looks, speaks, walks and works like? 

This is where the disciple comes in. For all who have come to the saving knowledge of Jesus, there is an expected lifestyle that reflects new ownership, new pursuits and new priorities. We now live by different standards. Whatever it was that was important in the old life no longer holds the same attraction in the new life. That change of direction is really non-negotiable. I cannot successfully play both sides: please God and please the world at the same time. My new ownership places a demand on me to look, speak and relate like the One I claim to know and follow. It must be clear that the world knows those which are its own, and that is why being a true follower of Christ cannot be hidden.

The discipler has laid down the standard. In the account of John, a new commandment was laid down, which is that those who know and follow Him must love others the same way He loves them. Truly, you can only show off that which you have, and you can only take out from that which you have in abundance to bless other people. If I am still under the yoke and influence of the old nature, it will be near impossible to love others the way Jesus has commanded here. Before Jesus, you could get away with the minimum, but in this new dispensation of grace, the demand is higher. I must look outside myself to be a blessing to other people. I must see others in the light of how Jesus sees them.

One thing that is clear is that Jesus will not demand from me that which He has not first supplied sufficient grace for. As the disciple lays out in Galatians, I am expected to help carry other people's burdens. It does not mean that I do not have my own burdens, but I have been set free from the burden of selfishness and given a burden of love for other people. It is only a Jesus-broken man that can see as Jesus sees. As I seek to be a blessing to other people, God will also raise men that will be blessings to me too. Not to forget that helping others is one of the laws of Christ; if I am His, I will live by His laws. Are you His? Am I? Can He command obedience from me? God's time of favour is here. 

Fear- Good and Bad!

Fear-Good and Bad!

Proverbs 1:7 AMP

[7] The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; But arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline.

It is actually quite instructive to note that the book of proverbs lays out itz purpose very clearly in the first few verses. It speaks about the writer, as well as the usefulness of the words in the book. Solomon the king of Israel and the son of David is credited with most of the book, and this is a man that God blessed with wisdom beyond his years. Reflect on what he said about these proverbs: to know skillful and Godly wisdom and instruction; to discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight; to receive clear instruction in wise behavior and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, rghteousness, justice, and integrity.  

Tell me, if a man is skilled and knowledgeable in all the areas above, what else does he lack?  If I am able to understand the words of insight, and be able to comprehend Godly instruction, then I am set up for a life of impact and relevance. However, there is a key that defines access to all God is and has, and that is laid out in the introduction to the book, as well as the verse above: this is a personal encounter with the God who is wisdom personified Himself, and who freely gives of Himself to all who aak Him. This is the power as well as the danger of freewill; you get to make a choice of who to submit to or what to pursue, and live with the consequences of your choice. 

As the introduction to the book also makes clear, the wise make a choice to hear and increase their learning, whilst the foolish person takes the opposite direction. The wise also acquire the skill to lead others to the truth, but the foolish person will stick to the folly of his ways and lead other undecided people astray. This is why you cannot explain Godly wisdom without fear. Ordinarily, fear is a strong, unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm, whether real or imagined, but when it comes to God, there is a good fear. This is a deep sense of awe, reverence, and respect for God's supreme power, holiness, and authority. 

We call both fear, but both have different origins, targets and eternal destinations. One cripples; the other sets you free to worship God. One limits; the other constantly reminds you that you have a Father who loves to see you come before Him regularly. That good fear is healthy for anyone who wants a life of purpose and fulfillment. To have no fear of God is to be in danger of eternal destruction. It is arrogant fools who despise skillful and Godly wisdom. As always, God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. If I fear Him, I have nothing else to fear. God's time of favour is here.