The Word

Theme: Fearful in Praises Text: Exodus 15:11-13 11  “Who  is  like You, O  Lord , among the gods?  Who  is  like You, glorious in holiness,  fearful in praises, doing wonders?  12  You stretched out Your right hand;  The earth swallowed them.  13  You in Your mercy have led forth  the people whom You have redeemed;  You have guided  them  in Your strength  to Your holy habitation. Irrespective of the COVID-19 situations around the world, the Lord has been faithful in keeping you safe through the season; either not testing positive or though tested positive have recovered. It's the end of the eighth month, if you're not dead but alive, then you need to praise the Lord. There's no other like the Lord. Amongst the gods, He alone is the Ultimate God. God is pure and holy in His Highest Majesty. He deserves praise and awe reverence. His preservative Hands have delivered us from ...

Theme: The Helper  Text: John 14:15-18 15  “If you love Me,   keep My commandments.   16  And I will pray the Father, and   He will give you another   Helper, that He may abide with you forever—   17  the Spirit of truth,   whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you   and will be in you.   18  I will not leave you orphans;   I will come to you. There's struggle in every stage of life be it growing up into adolescent, adulthood, going to school, getting a job, running a business, performing house chores etc.. We need someone to give a helping hand one way or the other. Usually this help comes from close allied who want to lessen our burdens. There's also a Spiritual Being that is with us to help us as pilgrims. He is the Holy Spirit whom Jesus has assured His disciples. Jesus admonished His disciples to keep His command if they love Him. This means...

Theme: Just Believe  Text: John 14:12-14 12  “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater  works  than these he will do, because I go to My Father.   13  And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be   glorified in the Son.   14  If you   ask anything in My name, I will do  it. As followers of Jesus Christ, it's expected of us to emulate Him in all things. The power to do this with ease, lies in believing in Jesus. If we believe in Him, we will have the ability to walk in His path and to do the things He did while on earth. Now that He is with the Father, and has sent the Holy Spirit, we have the grace to carry out greater works. In believing Christ, you don't expect to receive from Him what you desire but His will. When your petition goes before God, it is the will of God that will prevail at the end of the day. Christ said, whatever we ask in His n...

Theme: Jesus in the Father Text: John 14:7-11 7  “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”  8  Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”  9  Jesus said to him,  “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?   He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?   10  Do you not believe that   I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you   I do not speak on My own  authority;  but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.   11  Believe Me that I  am  in the Father and the Father in Me,   or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. In yesterday's devotion, we learnt Jesus is the way, truth and life. His form and nature has been made known to as. In today's study, we will be looking at who God is to us in Chr...

Theme: The Way, Truth and Life Text: John. 14:1-6 14  “Let   not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.   2  In My Father’s house are many   mansions; if  it were  not  so,   I would have told you.   I go to prepare a place for you.   3  And if I go and prepare a place for you,   I will come again and receive you to Myself; that   where I am,  there  you may be also.   4  And where I go you know, and the way you know.”  5  Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”  6  Jesus said to him,  “I am   the way,   the truth, and   the life.   No one comes to the Father   except through Me. Christ gave an assurance to His disciples to take them with Him to the Father's house when He returns again. Dear beloved in the Lord, the redemption work on the cross has been done and Christ is ...

Theme: I Shall Not Die! Text: Psalm 118:17 17  I shall not die, but live,  and declare the works of the  Lord . Death is a part of man. The original plan for man, wasn't to die but disobedience brought about death in man's journey on this earth (Genesis 3). The sting of death hurts a lot. However, we as believers of Christ know very well that, for us to live is Christ and to die is gain. There's hope for us after this life but that does not mean our lives can be cut short. We have a lot to offer here on earth as children of God. There are still many lost souls out there we need to reach with the Gospel of salvation. If we are faithful in the things of the Lord, He will preserve us. When the wicked rise up against us to destroy us, the Lord will not permit it. We will not die untimely deaths. We will live long to declare God's glory to the whole world. The purpose of our existence on this earth is to declare the works of the Lord. We need to live for Christ in every d...

Theme: Wait on the Lord  Text: Psalm 27:14 14  Wait on the  Lord ;  Be of good courage,  and He shall strengthen your heart;  Wait, I say, on the  Lord ! Waiting isn't pleasant when your expectations seems to be delayed. Usually our Christian journey is well defined in what we do while waiting on the Lord. It is in the waiting we develop an attitude of faith. For the testing of faith produces perseverance (James 1:3). Without perseverance, it will be difficult to wait on the Lord. Patience is the key to unlocking yourself from destructions as you wait on the Lord. Don't give room for the things happening around you to prevent you from drawing near to God or trusting Him to fulfill your dreams. No matter the circumstance, be of good courage and don't doubt the saving power of God.  God's word does not return to Him void, it only returns once it is manifested. Whatever He has said concerning you shall come to pass. Your heart will rejoice over ...

Theme: God, the Owner of all Things  Text: Psalm 24:1-2 The earth  is  the  Lord ’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. 2  For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters. God is the Creator of all things and He gives it to whoever He pleases to. There's nothing outside His creation. Even what's done by men as inventions have their sources of knowledge and wisdom from God. If the earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness, it implies He has total control over everything and also the power to determine what must be lifted and what ought to be brought low. Dear beloved in the Lord, run to the Lord with your troubles and needs. He will help you out and crown you with His glory divine. The earth was void and without form as the Spirit of God hoves upon it. However by the word of God, everything changed and became nice. What you don't believe will take you to higher hight will take you there if you keep t...

Theme: Dispositioned Not Dispossessed  Text: Genesis 39:19-23 19  So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his anger was aroused.  20  Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners  were  confined. And he was there in the prison.  21  But the  Lord  was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.  22  And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who  were  in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing.  23  The keeper of the prison did not look into anything  that was   under  Joseph’s  authority, because the  Lord  was with him; and whatever he did, the  Lord  made  it  prosper . Today's devotion conclu...

Theme: Sweet Lies Text: Genesis 39:11-18 11  But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house  was  inside,  12  that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.  13  And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside,  14  that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.  15  And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.”  16  So she kept his garment with her until his master came home.  17  Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to moc...

Theme: The Voice of Deceit  Text: Genesis 39:6-10   6  Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.  Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.  7  And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”  8  But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what  is  with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.  9  There is  no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you  are  his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”  10  So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her  or  to be with her. Yesterday, we learnt about how Joseph found favour before G...

Theme: The Lord's Blessings  Text: Genesis 39:1-5 39  Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.  2  The  Lord  was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.  3  And his master saw that the  Lord   was  with him and that the  Lord  made all he did to prosper in his hand.  4  So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all  that  he had he put under his authority.  5  So it was, from the time  that  he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the  Lord  blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the  Lord  was on all that he had in the house and in t...

Theme: Live by Faith Text: Galatians 2:17-21 17  “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners,  is  Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!  18  For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.  19  For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.  20  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the  life  which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  21  I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness  comes  through the law, then Christ died in vain.” Christ came to die for sinners but He does not encourage sin. It is for this reason, he can't be a minister to sin but of righteousness. In Him is the fullness of all righteousness of which He has called us ...

Theme: Faith Versus Traditions Text: Galatians 2:11-13 11  Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;  12  for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.  13  And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. Our redemption is purely based on faith and not a measure of traditional doctrines. The Jews were given laws that bound them before the Messiah was born. However, after His work on the cross, the reconciliation of man to God lies in believing in Him (John 3:16). The early years of the Apostles was faced with this challenge as the Jews want to use the previous law to draw the Gentiles to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter carried out his work with the Gentiles effectivel...

Theme: Awake to Righteousness  Text: 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 33  Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”  34  Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. Association plays a key role in modeling character. If you enjoy the company of the wicked and ungodly, you will learn from them and become like them. The reverse is true if you're in the company with the righteous. Your good habits will be corrupt with evil if you continue to walk with evil people and so learn to flee from such people. There are people out there who have no regards for God. They live their lives as though there's no Day of reckoning. Such people have no knowledge of the Lord. Disassociate from them  so they don't mislead you. The only way to come out from them is in Christ Jesus. He is our righteousness. Establish a relationship with the Lord and it will help you to flee from sin.  ...

Theme: In God's Presence  Text: Psalm 26:6-8 6  I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O  Lord , 7  That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,  and tell of all Your wondrous works.  8  Lord , I have loved the habitation of Your house,  and the place where Your glory dwells. When the saving grace of God delivers us from sin, we need to present ourselves before God in the garment of holiness He has adorn us with. Our hands can only be washed in the innocent and speaking blood of Jesus Christ. His blood gives us right standing with God as it has atone for our guilt.  If we can freely come before God by His grace, then, we ought to be thankful. Our thanksgiving must manifest in the form testimonies that declares God's wonderful works in our lives. The more we testify of God's goodness in our lives, the more we draw perishing souls to His saving grace. The psalmist said in another psalm, he was glad wh...

Theme: Is Your Boasting in Place?  Text: 1 Kings 20:11 11  So the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell  him,  ‘Let not the one who puts on  his armor  boast like the one who takes  it off. ’ ” Each day of our lives is a battle in itself. We battle with our health, finances, enemies/opponents, marriage, education, career amongst others. There's the need to plan well and carry out every strategy effectively in order to win. Some people resort into believing they will come out of the battle with ease because of past victories or the qualities they have. That's the Ben-Hadad attitude which must not be a part of us (1 Kings 20:1-3;10) . With all the threats of Ben-Hadad, the king of Israel sent an applauding message which is our verse of consideration today. It's not a bad idea to celebrate or boast of your victory ahead, but don't over exaggerate it. If you're now preparing to face the battle (putting on your armour), don't boast like someone who has al...

Theme: The Power of Names Text: Genesis 5:28-29 28  Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and had a son.  29  And he called his name Noah, saying, “This  one  will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the  Lord  has cursed.” The birth of a child always comes with jubilation and the wonderful thing attached is naming of the child. Many give names to their children to recall past events, to wish the child well in life or otherwise, and others also speak into the future of the child. Lamech was fully grown when he had his son. At our dispensation, medical professionals will say, a person at the age of one hundred and eighty-two will have difficulties having babies. However, it's at this age Lamech had his son. Lamech named his son Noah. He has considered well the happenings of their time: toils in labour and desired that shouldn't be the lot of his child. He therefore hope the name he had...

Theme: A Merry Heart  Text: Proverbs 15:12-15 12  A scoffer does not love one who corrects him,  nor will he go to the wise.  13  A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,  but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.  14  The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,  but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.  15  All the days of the afflicted  are  evil,  but he who is of a merry heart  has  a continual feast. A merry heart makes one healthy whereas an unmerry heart creates lot of ill-health issues. Being merry does not require of you to scoff others. Scoffering is detestable by God and so the psalmist even wrote, blessed is he who does not sit in the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1:1). When you take delight in mocking others, you often see those who correct you as unfriendly. But that isn't so it rather reveals you're unwise and so won't seek good counsel.  The pleasure you...

Theme: The Unfailing Grace  Text: Isaiah 54:10 10  For the mountains shall depart  and the hills be removed,  but My kindness shall not depart from you,  nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”  Says the  Lord , who has mercy on you. God's love for the human race is so deep we can't comprehend it fully. No matter how we are, His arms of protection is always upon us. He gave us His only begotten Son to show it all (John 3:16). Things around us may fail but we must understand, nothing can change God's ways for our lives. The circumstance you find yourself in today, be it good or evil, will surely go away. Look at yourself today and some ten years ago, you'll noticed the great changes in your life - academically, financially, physically, spiritually and in all angles of your life. But in all these things, God's kindness hasn't changed towards you. He has kept to His Word concerning you. What are you also doing to please Him?  Dear friend in ...

Theme: You're Unleavened  Text: 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 6  Your glorying  is  not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?  7  Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.  8  Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened  bread  of sincerity and truth. When we come to Christ, His glory overshadows us granting us access to be glorified (Romans 8:28-30). However, the desires of the flesh often makes us seek carnal glory above this immeasurable glory in the Lord. The glory of the world is purely about fame. This is not the kind of glory we as Christians should be striving for as its purpose is to gratify our carnal nature and neglecting the spiritual. Dear beloved in the Lord, so long as you have ...

Theme: Don't Imitate Evil Text: 3 John 1:11 11  Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. The best previlege and opportunity in life is to become a child of God. This opportunity leads you into eternal life when you die or on the Day of the Lord. Once you affirm your faith in Christ, you need to work to build His Kingdom than to destroy it. As Christ said, those who fail to gather with Him scatters and are not a part of Him (Matthew 12:30& Luke 11:23). In following Him you must become more like Him so that the name Christian conferred on you gives a deep significant meaning.  As a Christian, your deeds should be associated with good and not evil. Avoid picking up bad behaviours from your environment. Whatever goes contrary to God's will must not be attached to you in anyway be it; drunkenness, fornication, adultery, envy, pride, wickedness, lies, etc.  Rather, be an im...

Theme: Excel in Your Work  Text: Proverbs 22:29 29  Do you see a man  who  excels in his work?  He will stand before kings;  He will not stand before unknown  men. We are each blessed with jobs whether self employed or an employee in an organization. In whatever category you fall, you must accept it and work hard to excel. It is through your excellent work you'll go far in life.  To excel with your work you need to keep practicing and never give up. If you fail, try again, don't stop until you become perfect at it. If it demands you to upgrade your educational status, please do. The more knowledge you acquire, the better the rate of your acceleration to becoming best at your job. A lazy soul always find excuses as to why things aren't working well around him/her. However, a dedicated person to work tries as much as possible to find solutions to the challenges of his/her job. When last did you solve a problem at work? What challenging role hav...

Theme: Be Generous Text: Proverbs 22:9 9  He who has a generous eye will be blessed,  for he gives of his bread to the poor. An act of kindness is required of us each passing moment so we can show the world the generosity of God. Never ignore the pain of others. Always be concerned about the well-being of others. You need not have in abundance before you share with others. If you're generous with the little you have, then you can do better when given much.  Giving to the poor is good and we all must reach out to the poor and vulnerable in society. If we are concerned about the poor the blessings of God locates us. We ought to learn from the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). It is through an act of generosity Abraham encountered God (Genesis 18). You'll also encounter God and His blessings divine if you are generous. May the Holy Spirit break you free from the bondage of selfishness and open your eyes to be generous towards all.  Prayer: Father ...

Theme: Godly Nurturing Text: Proverbs 22:6 6  Train up a child in the way he should go,  and when he is old he will not depart from it. Children are a gift of God and must be embrace with all affection. Showing affection towards your children does not imply leading them astray or not disciplining them when they go wrong. To nurture means  care for and protect (someone or something) while they are growing. Therefore, godly nurturing implies care for and protect your children in the Lord.  The proverb for our consideration today says, train up the child the way he should go. As a Christian, training your children should be in line with godly principles. The children must be led to God and truth must be evident in your life for the children to emulate. You're the model of Christ for your children at home no wonder the adage, "Charity begins at home". Teach your children to fear God, do His will, trust God, walk with God daily through the study of His Word and prayer. Th...

Theme: Wisdom to be a Victor   Text: Proverbs 22:3-5 3  A prudent  man  foresees evil and hides himself,  but the simple pass on and are punished.  4  By humility  and  the fear of the  Lord  are  riches and honor and life.  5  Thorns  and  snares  are  in the way of the perverse;  He who guards his soul will be far from them . In our dispensation where evil is seen as a new normal, we as Christians must not encourage it but rather resist and flee from it. When we hide ourselves from the evil that want to ensnare us; be it sexual sin, pilfering, bribes, malpractice, orgies,  debauchery, necromancy, sorcery, and the likes, we become prudent.  We need to be wise and not allow ourselves to be entangled in sin. To be wise is to fear God and in fearing God, you're saying no to sin. However, if you allow or permit evil around you, you'll surely receive a punishment for such a sin...

Theme: Joy and Peace   Text: Romans 15:13 13  Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joy and peace comes from the Lord and with Him can we totally find them. As you go about your duties, always keep in mind joy and peace of mind drive you to perform well and excel. If you so desire to have these two, then trust God and believe His Word and you'll find them even when the tides are high in your life. God's Word Comfort us when we are distressed by the troubles of this age. Reading and meditating on the Word soothes our pain and bring divine healing all summed up in joy and peace.  As you study and meditate on God's Word, the Holy Spirit will use you for greater works. He will increase your faith and hope in the Lord. With faith, you can move every mountain in your life. May the joy of the Lord and His perfect peace locate every sphere of your life even now and forevermore i...

Theme: Utterance is of the Lord  Text: Exodus 4:10-12 10  Then Moses said to the  Lord , “O my Lord, I  am  not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I  am  slow of speech and slow of tongue.”  11  So the  Lord  said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind?  Have  not I, the  Lord ?  12  Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.” Being in leadership position isn't easy. Most people couldn't fulfill their roles to the fullest as leaders because of utterance: they don't know what to say and how to say it at a given time.  This was the plight of Moses whom the Lord has called to bring His people out of bondage. He knows himself as a man of few words: he can't speak well for his mouth and tongue were heavy. Moses acknowledged he isn't eloquent before and at the ...

Theme: Trust God  Text: Psalm 56:3-4 3  Whenever I am afraid,  I will trust in You. 4  In God (I will praise His word),  in God I have put my trust;  I will not fear.  What can flesh do to me? To build trust takes a lot of convictions that whoever you're trusting won't fail or let you down. If you put your trust in man or idols, then you're the most pathetic being on earth for they'll surely fail you. The only one that you can truly trust is God.  The psalmist says he will trust God whenever he is afraid. The moment of fear can be as a result of rejection, lost, failure and the unknown. In such circumstances, you need not look anywhere but to seek the face of the Lord. When you trust God in the storm, He will lead you through it until the storm is over.  The saving Hands of the Lord won't permit you to fall in the will of your adversaries. He'll always show you the way to narrowly escape from your adversaries. Therfore no mortal can harm you....

Theme: Your Horn will be Lifted Text: Psalm 148:13-14 13  Let them praise the name of the  Lord ,  for His name alone is exalted;  His glory  is  above the earth and heaven.  14  And He has exalted the horn of His people,  the praise of all His saints—  Of the children of Israel,  a people near to Him.  Praise the  Lord ! The psalmist calls on all creation to praise the Lord. We are also a part of this divine calling. Irrespective of our status in life, we need to praise God. It is in the praising our lifting will be birth (God lifts up our horn). Praise must solely be directed to God in all humility and not to idols or any other thing. For God's glory is above the earth and heaven.  When God lifts up the horn of His people, there comes about divine transformation. He usually exalts the humble and brings down the arrogant. The humble are those that honour the Lord and abide in His principles. The a...

Theme: Renewed to Flourish  Text: Ezekiel 36:25-27   25  Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.  26  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  27  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do  them. In our daily lives, we cleanse ourselves from dirt or filth. Whatever doesn't look appealing to us often is made appealing through cleaning: we wash our dirty clothes, dishes, mop/scrub the floor, take our bath, etc. Likewise when we come before God's presence, our appearance is unclean. He doesn't drive us away, rather He cleanses us with clean sprinkled water and makes us anew in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Lord creates a new heart and spirit in us through the power of th...