God's Grace!

God's Grace! 

No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word--He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy]. 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13 AMP

The Context and Contention:

Depending on whose opinion you hold, you can discover a treasure trove of help and grace as you walk on the pathway of life. It has always been emphasized that since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, where he chose to reject God and make his own way, man has lost the inner strength to live right. In all spheres of human interaction, the desire to get ahead and beat all opposition has been in man. In the political, religious, academic or economic life of man, it has become a race to be better, bigger and brighter than everyone else. Where then is the light?

Today's extract provides light. No matter the weight of the pressure, God's grace is heavier. No matter the quality of the opposition, God's strength is bigger. Nothing comes to me without his permission or approval, and there is already an assurance that nothing in that situation will  overwhelm me. One of the strongest reasons why we get overwhelmed is because our human sense of independence wants to go on his own strength and wisdom. At no time do I have the power, ability or capacity to succeed; at all times, I must depend on the One who holds the time and seasons in His hands.

The Challenge and Conclusion:

Check out the words again: God knows about what is coming to you in the future. He ensures that the experience is specifically tailored to the size of your strength and ability. Whilst the situation is unfolding, his grace has already unfolded and is waiting for your call. Nothing in that situation is created to defeat you, but to empower you for greater heights. Inside that particular situation is grace for the journey ahead, as well as strength to overcome and come out stronger. God will provide strength to match the trial, or bring a trial that will match our strength. Either way, we are covered. God isn't like man, inconsistent and untrue. If he says he will, history has proven that he does not lie. The secret is DAILY DEPENDENCE. Nothing outside of Him will work. God's time of favour is here.

Specifics!

Specifics!

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Joshua 1:8 KJV

The Context and Contention:

Joshua had just witnessed the death of Moses, and he was now the new leader of the people of Israel. He had seen the stubbornness of the people; saw the golden calf, the swallowing up of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, the leprosy of Miriam and Aaron, the rebellion of his own contemporaries sent out as spies to Canaan about 40 years before this account. It was as if God was using those experiences to prepare him for leadership. There is no wasted experience for a child of God who wants to do his father's will. 

The words of today's extract are quite instructive and specific: the words delivered to Joshua are not a set of negotiated settlements, but statements of intent from God. It is the book of God's law, just one genuine one. It is to be taken as man's most prized possession. It holds the key to the mind of God and his desire for all of man. It is never to depart out of my mouth, because my mouth is key to the fulfilling of my destiny. It is from the heart the mouth speaks, confessing and possessing all that God intends. The heart also stores up that which is valuable as it encounters the book of the law, so that when a demand is placed on the heart, the mouth can speak that which lines up with the mind of God.

The Charge and Conclusion:

I am to meditate on the book at all times, day and night. It means there is no time that God's Word isn't my priority. The devil does not rest; I cannot afford to be careless. After reading and knowing the mind of God, I must be quick to obey. Reading, hearing, meditating and even speaking about the law of God is good; the reward of good success is actually tied to obeying. We all love a good sermon; it is in the practice that we need God to help us. There is good success as seen here, which means there is a bad kind. As long as what you hold on to is not prescribed by God, it will not be sustained by Him.

When I obey, God makes me a spectacle to the world. He makes my way prosperous. I become a beacon of light and an example of God's grace and favour. It is in my hands; God does not demand from me something He will not supply grace for. If He commands it, it is possible for me. The secret lies in total, prompt and active obedience to God's Word. If I have struggled in the past with obedience, I must go to God again and ask for fresh supply of grace. Because he wants to be known in the earth as the God who keeps His Word, He will supply. His supply and my surrender, leads to success. God's time of favour is here. 

That One Thing!

That One Thing!

One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

Psalm 27:4 KJV

The Context and Contention:

Again, we read a psalm of David, and as is the case, it is a song from a place of personal experience. Nobody can experience God on your behalf; you can enjoy the testimonies of other people and love what God is doing in their lives, but you have to walk the path toward God by yourself and of your own freewill. The benefits of that personal walk are amazing; you have to be in it to enjoy it. Check out how many times the word I is used in this single verse; any other context, you will call David self-centred, but here, this is the definition of personal commitment to all that is God's. What is my own stand today?

The human part of us will want to do 'important' things for God at the same time, but we can learn one thing from David's story today: there is only one thing that is fundamentally important first of all, and then other things will follow. That one thing is the Presence of God.  David understood fully what the presence of God is and means, and from his own life, we see the benefits of that understanding. No matter what I do, the one thing I must not lose is the presence of God. No matter who I become or achieve, the one thing that will determine my eternal reality is the presence of God. What is important to me now: pleasure or the presence of God? Praise from men or the presence of God?

The Charge and Conclusion:

Dwelling in the house of the Lord reflects permanent residence; not temporary abode. It means your heart is committed to the place you want to dwell. I must check my heart today: am I just in it for what I can get out of it; am I just there for now until something 'better' comes along? Am I biding my time until I get a better offer? Remember, the heart's motives and secrets are laid bare before its creator. He knows all that goes on in it. If I seek to dwell in the presence of God, there are things I must avoid, and things that must align with my new status. Is that what my heart truly seeks at this time? 

Just like citizenship, it confers me with both rights and duties and I cannot claim one and reject the other. Am I content just being where God is, listening for his voice and directions? Is the beauty of the Lord sufficient for me, or are there other attractive offers from the world seeking to hold my gaze? When the heart is right, its enquiry will be right. When God is my heart's sole focus, all that it seeks will be to honour God. If all I think of is how to please God, sin, self and Satan's machinations hold no attraction for me. I must therefore, as aa matter of urgency, settle the question of my heart's allegiance today. What is my utmost pursuit and priority? Is it God? God's time of favour is here.

Saved!

Saved!

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12 KJV

The Context and Contention:

Right from the Garden of Eden, God had a plan for the salvation of men. The garden was the place of the first disobedience, but it was also the place of the divine intervention. The seed of the woman was laid down as the source of salvation and redemption from sin. From that time till now, the source has not changed. Education, enlightenment, exposure, energy, effort and entitlement cannot change that source. Salvation is God's process for changing the world and laying down God's divine plan for the world. Have I taken advantage of the plan as laid down by God, or am I striving for my own plan? 

Remember, if it is not of God, it will not last. The channel of salvation has also been laid down by God, and He is Jesus. Life will offer viable alternatives, seeking to distract from that which is of God, but if God has clearly stated how salvation will come, I owe it to myself and my eternity to align with His plan. Jesus is the One who has secured eternal life for all. He is the only one who has access to the Father, and invites us all to make the approach to the Father. His promise is that all who come to Him will not be turned back. Would it hurt in any way if I take advantage of God's offer? What do I have to lose? 

The Counsel and Conclusion:

Men may give the same name to their children, but unless it is the name of Jesus, backed up by God as the source of salvation, it won't have the same effect. Names are important, as they give a window into the destiny of a child. Jesus has been given a name by which men can be saved. If this is God's prescription, nothing else, no matter how close, will work. Of course, there is an end goal: eternal life with God. God won't do all He did if life were to end down here. There has to be an eternal plan, something that will outlive this present earth. 

He is the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one can go to the Father except through Him. He is the seal of redemption; the proof that my life matters to God. His love is such that it will never let go until it is too late. No other plan of God is more important to us than this: that He wants me to be with Him forever. Every other thing is extra, and part of that eternal plan. Am I using all I have been given on this earth to plan and prepare for eternity? Remember, eternity is too long a time not to be sure where I will spend it. God's time of favour is here. 

Plan of Salvation 

Process of Salvation 

Channel of salvation 

End of Salvation 

Value!

Value!

Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs 27:17 KJV 

The Context and Contention:

Again, we look into the book of Proverbs, where each line is a full message on its own. Today's extract looks at the value of human interaction, and seeks to establish how best my life can impact others the way God planned it to. It must be established from the outset that God does not create that which He has no use for, and He will do all that is required for me to be a blessing in my generation. However, I have a role to play: subject myself to divine discipline. If I want to be used, I must submit to the process.

Only iron, or a material of its kind, can sharpen iron. You can't change the established order, or seek to do it any other way. You can melt iron in the fire to make a different tool, but as long as the need is sharpening, only iron will do the work well. The same principle applies in the spiritual; God has placed me on earth, and amongst people, so that my life can be a tool He can use to impact others. Think about this: there is nobody alive on earth who is not connected to other people, and as we relate, we show off the contents of our inner state. 

The Charge and Conclusion:

God did not create any man to be self-sufficient; the gifts in me are best used in the service of other people. I flow into other people's lives, just as other people flow into mine. What then am I bringing into the relationships that God has surrounded me with? Am I living to please God, and to serve others to the best of my ability, or am I all about what I can get first? Am I toxic to the people who surround me, or am I full of grace, with my conversations and conduct seasoned with salt the right way? I must recall that I sharpen the countenance of my friend. 

If I am your friend, it means that we share similar interests and impact. Those who come in contact with me would know what kind of person I am, when they see the kind of people I am comfortable around. Also, the more of God in me shines out, as I impact my space, the more friends are able to see, appreciate and embrace God in me. Is that the kind of impact I have? Before God, I must be sincere and honest; after all, God cannot be deceived. He knows me more that any other person does, and wherever He has planted me is my sphere of influence and impact? How am I faring? God's time of favour is here

Properly Dressed!

Properly Dressed!

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11 KJV

The Context and Contention:

Paul, writing these words to the church in Ephesus, must have been in prison, or had encountered Roman soldiers at some point. He had seen the way the soldiers dressed and how they were prepared for any event. The dressing showed preparation and readiness, and it was not taken off until the end of the shift and the changing of the guard. As it is in the physical here, so is it in the spiritual. The occupation of the soldier is known by his dressing. The occupation of the Christian also needs to be very clear from his/her appearance. Today's extract lays out what we are required to put on. 

It is called the armour of God, which means that God makes it clear that His call on our lives will demand a fight. I must not think that salvation keeps me away from tough times and trials; they will come. Before they do, God gives me clarity on what I need for that fight and how I can win. God gives the armour; no blacksmith, no matter how gifted, can forge that armour for you. If I will make it to the end, I must take on God's prescription for victory. This is even more important considering that evil days are here. 

The Charge and Conclusion:

Before those evil days come, how am i preparing for them? The devil has been fighting God's purpose and plan in man's life, and as he has been doing this for quite some time, he is quite experienced in deception and deceit. However, God is more experienced in destiny building, and He will do all He can to bring me to the place He has prepared for me. This is where the power of personal choice becomes important. I am the one asked to put it on. God will satisfy the supply, but I have to claim the supply. God will always supply the resources for the assignment that He ordains.  

I cannot work as a part time soldier, and I cannot put on part of the armour. It is a complete package, because each part has been fashioned by God to achieve his divine plan. I must not settle for anything less than God's full provision for victory over sin, sickness and Satan. The full armour ensures you can stand well in the day of trouble. And yes, those days are bound to come. May I not be found undressed or unprepared on the day that trouble comes. May I always be dressed for service and impact. God's time of favour is here. 

Wait!

Wait!

I waited patiently for the LORD; And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. Psalm 40:1‭-‬2 KJV

The Context and Contention:

Again, we read of God's dealings with the man David. Let it be known that David did not claim to be self-sufficient, but he learnt by experience how to trust in God. There were instances in his life when he was close to death, just like he said here, but because his trust was in God, he was helped. That's the core of the lesson here: life will happen to us. Things may not always be rosy, but i have the assurance that if I can wait for God, things will end up alright. That is a promise you can take to the bank. 

David was speaking from personal experience here. He had cause to wait, and God came through for him. He described the waiting as 'patiently', which gives the picture that when it is God, you really can't be in a hurry. My time isn't what is important, but God's. He also gives me assurance that he will hear and deliver me. He may not always keep me from trouble, but His glory is made even more relevant when He saves and delivers. Whose account speaks louder: the man who has never been tested, or the one who has gone through several tough times, and God had kept? I must look forward to those experiences, because by them, God builds me up for the place He is taking me to.

The Charge and Conclusion:

God will play his part well; that is a given. Man also needs to play his part well, by learning how to wait. It is the picture of being still before God, not with your own ideas of how best it will work, but totally submitted to whatever God wants to do. He is the only one who can take me by the hand and lead me down the path He desires for me. He wants to take me places, but I must first learn how to trust Him, that He is all He says He is, and can do all He says He will do. Would you trust Him and hold on for His help? Would I? God's time of favour is here.