From Hearing to Seeing

‘My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes’ (Job 42:5, 6)

A relationship with God is the solid rock foundation of every Christian’s life and it is the will of God that this relationship will experience growth. Let us consider God’s testimony about Job in Job 1:8, ‘…there is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.’ It is remarkable to note that, after God had given this testimony about him, Job got to a point in his relationship with God where he personally declared that, ‘my ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes’. Simply put, Job experienced spiritual growth; he grew from hearing to seeing in his relationship with God. His relationship with God was no more based on the encounters of other people that he had heard but his personal experiences with God. Similarly, God’s plan for every child of His, is that we will have multidimensional spiritual growth.

Those who profess Christ ought to be careful of the dangers of complacency. After God had spoken to Moses as a man speaks to His friend, Moses still cried out, ‘teach me your ways that I may know you…’ (Exodus 33:11-13). The almighty God is infinite in His glory; even the twenty four elders and four living creatures who worship in His presence daily never cease to be amazed as different aspects of His glory are revealed to them. This awesome God desires to reveal Himself to you through a deeper relationship. The Apostle Paul taught that, God wants us to grow from one level of glory to another level of glory and from faith to faith (2 Cor 3:18, Rom 1:17). This spiritual growth is the key to living the abundant life that Jesus promises. When it comes to spiritual blessings, you don’t go up to get them you grow up to get them, ‘as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate’ (Gal 4:1).

Spiritual growth should be the earnest desire of every Christian. The key to this spiritual growth is a hunger to know God more through fellowship in His word and prayer. Self centeredness and self reliance are the dangers of idolatry. Finally, it is important to note that your selflessness that flows from your love for God and fellow man is the primary indicator of your level of Spiritual growth (1 Cor 12:1-3). In sincerity, personally access yourself today, are you really growing spiritually?

May this be your prayer, ‘I want to know Christ yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death’ (Phil 3:10) and remember those that know God shall be strong and do exploits (Dan 11:32).

But I will Sing

‘I am so troubled that I can not speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times; I call to remembrance my song in the night’ (Psalm 77:4-6).

  

It is interesting to note in the passage above that even though the psalmist declares that he is so troubled that he cannot speak, he is able to sing unto the Lord. ‘But doesn’t singing require speaking?’ Someone may ask. A song has great power. Basically songs come from a different reservoir than speech. Psychologists sometimes speak of music as coming from “the right brain”. Not that there are two brains but while singing, brain wave activity goes on in the right hemisphere of the brain. Reasoned speech is more naturally located in the left hemisphere. Music has the mysterious power to strain out the sadness and leave us somehow feeling better. Putting our sorrows into song often enables us to sing them right out again’ (Jack Hayford –The heart of praise).

No wonder the Bible admonishes us to praise the Lord at all times regardless of our situation. Whenever God makes a command He knows that He has given us what it takes to obey that command. Sometimes the storms of life leave us at a place of speechlessness. But even there we can praise God. Are you too troubled to talk? Sing unto the Lord. Anyone can praise God when all is well, but it takes understanding to give God a sacrifice of praise or praise Him when you are troubled. The psalmist says, seven times a day I will praise him. Clearly it is our responsibility to praise God at all times. Praising God in troubled times brings great victories.

Someone may ask, ‘what should I praise God for when I am in pain?’ You praise Him for what He has done, what He is doing and for what He is going to do. Praising God in troubled times is an act of great faith that yields great results. It proves one’s understanding of God’s goodness, that He has allowed the troubles for a good purpose. Praising God in troubled times is a great act of faith and a great offensive weapon against the devil. Paul and Silas ended up in a maximum security prison for preaching the Gospel. But in the midnight instead of wining they praised and prayed; as they did, they experienced the wonders of praise. Their praise caused an earthquake, the foundations of the prison shook, their chains were broken and the prison gates broke open. Today as you count your blessings give God a praise bubbling from a heart of gratitude. May every bondage in your life give way to the power of God.

As a Christian, the joy of the Lord is your strength, when your joy is gone your strength is gone. The devil can never oppress you until he depresses you. The moment the devil steals your joy you cannot function normally, so don’t allow the devil to steal it. Those that trust in God are like mount Zion that can never be moved. Your joy is not dependant on your circumstance but it flows from the spirit of God within you. It is a fruit of the spirit of God within you.

Count your blessings, until you acknowledge and appreciate what you have in your hands; What God has done in your life you don’t qualify to ask for more. Don’t just be grateful; express your gratitude to God. Praise expresses gratitude. Let your praise be contagious and Glorious. As you praise God in the midst of your pain it will be a testimony onto the world, they will be affected by your faith and faithfulness and your God will be revealed to them. Is any troubled? Let him sing a song of praise bubbling from the heart, and be assured that help is on the way.

The Power of Love

‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others’ (Phil 2:3, 4).

What our world lacks is neither natural nor human resources but love. God has provided humanity with all that we need, to have peaceful lives without abject poverty. However in these days of great technological developments, massive capital flow and information overload, millions of children still die from curable diseases and poor nutrition, those that even survive are permanently affected by malnutrition. ‘In the United States at the end of 2001, 10% of the population owned 71% of the wealth and the top 1% owned 38%. On the other hand, the bottom 40% owned less than 1% of the nation's wealth’(Wikipedia). ‘It is indisputably believed that the greatest moral challenge this generation faces is that, one in four of the people we share this small and beautiful planet with, live in abject poverty. 2.8 billion People live on less than $2 a day and 1.2 billion live on less than $ 1 a day’ (Rt. Hon. Clare Short, Secretary of state for International development). Clearly, love and selflessness is the solution to a lot of the problems we have in the world today.

God is love and He created man in His image and likeness. Before the fall of man, love was man’s nature. The Spirit of God that He breathed into man was a spirit of love, but after the fall of man the nature of love was replaced by a nature of self-centeredness. As established in the previous lesson (Is Your Dream a Vision or a Selfish Ambition), self-centeredness was the origin of sin (Isaiah 14:12-14). So Christianity is a call to love, and its journey is a transformation from self-centeredness to love. No wonder Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God with your all and love your neighbor as yourself. The greatest mark of Christian maturity is selflessness that is born out of love. Paul confirmed that when he said, ‘If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing’ (1 Cor 13:1-3).

Paul also taught that we should, ‘do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves’ (Phil 2:3). Christ was a revelation and an embodiment of the love of God. Our daily attitude is supposed to be like Christ, who gave up His divine privileges as God and took the humble position of a slave, was born as a human being and selflessly died as a criminal on a cross for our salvation (Phil 2:5-8).

The good news is that after Jesus died for all men as a result of His love and selflessness, ‘God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names’ (Phil 2:9). God blesses us, so that we may be a blessing (Gen 12:1-3). Those who pursue love and selflessness are blessed beyond measure, and they make an impact that transcends generations. Today, seek God with all your heart, draw closer to Him and let His nature of love been seen through you. By loving Him you will know Him more and be able to love your neighbors as yourself. There cannot be love without giving, love is revealed through our giving that meet the needs of others (John 3:16).

Examine your priorities, motivation and focus in life today and let this be your song, ‘Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me, All His wondrous compassion and purity, Oh thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine. Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me’.

The Brevity of Life

‘Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom’ (Psalm 90:12 - NLT).

‘Every time someone celebrates a birthday the fellow draws closer to the grave. The day you were born you began a trip to the grave; this is a journey you have to make willingly or unwillingly. Every passing second draws you closer to that destination’ (E. A. Adeboye). The briefness of man’s life on earth is indubitable and the Bible uses many illustrations in both the Old and New Testament to describe it.

Let’s consider a few examples of the Bible’s description of man and his life on earth; 

·                      ‘O Lord, what are human beings that you should notice them, mere mortals that you should think about them? For they are like a breath of air; their days are like a passing shadow (Psalm 144:3-4)

·                      ‘You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” (Psalm 39:5).

·                     ^‘Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die’ ( Psalm 103:15)
 ‘We blossom like a flower and then wither. Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear’ (Job 14:2). 

·                      ‘As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass, their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades’ (1 pet 1:24).

From the scriptures above the Bible uses the breadth of air, shadows, grass, flowers and the width of a hand to illustrate the brevity of a man’s life. Many people reading this devotional today can remember their days in kindergarten like it was yesterday. That is how fast life can be. Many fear the fleeting nature of time that they do not want to think of their age and even try to keep it as a secret. Others also try every means possible including cosmetic surgeries and make up to cheat age. However the truth is ageing and death are inevitable in life. There are two things everyone will posses in life, a birthday and a death date.

Considering the inevitability of death, what should one’s attitude towards life be? In Psalm 90:12 the psalmist prays ‘Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom’. The key to making use of our limited time on earth is wisdom and Jesus is the source of all wisdom (1 Cor 1:30). Today may the Lord grant you wisdom, the sound judgment you need to make the right choices and decisions in life. God our creator has a purpose and plan for everyone and it is only He who knows your purpose and life’s span on earth. The manufacturer of a product has the best knowledge of his product; therefore go back to your maker today. He knows you best, even more than you know yourself.  

You are not on earth by accident, you have a destiny and purpose to fulfill. Associated with your purpose on earth are two essential commodities of life; time and seasons. ‘For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven (Eccl 3:1). Today ask yourself, ‘another year has just gone by, drawing me closer to my appointment with death. How did I move closer to accomplishing my goals and purpose in life?’ Jesus is the source of all wisdom; He is the way to a fulfilled life on earth and an eternal life in heaven. Seek him as your personal savior and Lord today, He reveals himself to those who seek him with all their hearts.

Four Benefits of the Fear of the Lord

‘In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death’ (Prov 14:26-27).

The fear of the Lord is generally defined as reverence and awe of God. Hebrews 12:28-29 explains it best: ‘Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.’ However, it is important to note that the fear of the judgment of God and eternal death comes into play, when the fear of God is being discussed. More often than not, when the Bible talks about the fear of the Lord, it is in relation to the judgment of God. A classic example is Luke 12:4, 5 when Jesus was teaching about the fear of God. His words were, ‘and I say to you, My friends do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him’.

Clearly, Jesus was talking to His disciples, whom He referred to as friends. This debunks the school of thought that, it is only unbelievers who need to fear God in relation to His judgment and eternal death. Hebrews 10:31 also confirms this truth by saying that, ‘it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God’. The writer of Hebrews was addressing Christians and teaching them about the dangers of sinning willfully, after receiving knowledge of the truth. The focus of this lesson is the benefits or blessings in fearing the Lord, as outlined in Prov 14:26-27.

         ‘In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence’ (Prov 14:26): Confidence is one word that best explains faith. The Bible has countless examples of people that lived and walked with incredible and unwavering confidence in the midst of great challenges. The three Hebrew boys refused to worship the image of gold at the expense of their lives, due to their fear of God. In full confidence they declared, ‘our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up’ (Dan 3:17-18). Many are worshiping the image of gold today; the god of materialism is ruling their lives. They have chosen to serve Mammon (money) instead of God (Mat 6:24). Those who fear God have unwavering faith or confidence in Him and His word.

         Those who fear the Lord, He will be a refuge for their children (Prov 14:26): The blessings of the Lord reaches unto the descendants of those who fear Him. The Blessings that Israel enjoys today are clearly a result of God’s blessings on Abraham (Gen 12:1-3). By fearing God you leave a legacy of blessings for your descendants (Ex 20:5-6).

         The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life (Prov 14:27): It definitely leads to holiness of life and conduct. It is the beginning of wisdom and wisdom is the gateway to a fruitful life on earth (Psalm 111:10, Prov 9:10).

         Finally, ‘the fear of God turns one away from the snares of death’ (Prov 14:27): It leads to eternal life. One’s love for God makes Him know God and any one that knows God will definitely have reverent awe (fear) for Him. Also, as a result of the wisdom gained through the fear of the Lord, the Christian triumphs over Sin. God’s strength is wrapped up in His wisdom (Eph 3:10). 

In conclusion, remember the words of Prov 16:6, ‘unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil’.

The Power of Association

"God has given you each some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other". - 1 Peter 4:10 (TLB)

The power of association is irrefutable. It is said that a person’s friends paint a picture of his future, and an infant’s future is determined not only by his nature but also by his nurture. Even language is picked up unconsciously from ones environment or society from infancy. What you see and hear affects your thoughts, your thoughts affect your actions, your actions grow into your habits, your habits mould your character and your character carves out your future or destiny. Clearly the people in our immediate environment unconsciously affect us regardless of our age. The focus of this lesson is the impact that our associations have on us.

At the age of twelve Jesus the greatest teacher of all time got lost and His parents found Him no where else but in the presence of the Jewish teachers of the law discussing doctrine (Luke 2:46). At that tender age, He was attracted to people that were connected to His destiny. It is therefore imperative that based on your dreams in life; you surround yourself with people that will push you into the fulfillment of your destiny. There are two things, your associations will either push you to your goals or pull you away from them. The choice is yours. The importance of relationships in fulfilling one's purpose can never be overemphasized. Even on the cross Jesus was mending relationships both physically and spiritually. Before He died on the cross His words to 'John the beloved' were, 'John behold your mother' (John 19:27). After His death He also reconciled all men to God.

One of the greatest mistakes one can ever make in life is to dishonor his seniors or people that are ahead of him in a vocation. ‘Everything you ever wanted is near to you, waiting for your recognition. God always hides something you need in someone you don’t recognize. You attract what you value and your future is determined by what you honor. The difference between your present season and your next season can be a seed of knowledge you receive through someone. Out of the Ten Commandments, four of them are about honoring God and the next six are about honoring men’ (Mike Murdock - The law of recognition). Don’t forget that one day of favor can be worth more than a life time of labor. Learn from those who have succeeded where you want to succeed, in order to know what to do and what not to do. Admiral Hyman Rickover said, 'Learn from the mistakes of others; you will never live long enough to make them all yourself.'

There are three kinds of people you can have relationships with; your ‘superiors’, ‘your peers’ and your ‘subordinates’. A superior can become your mentor, a peer can become a friend who will challenge you unto greater heights, and a subordinate can become a mentee that you bless and impart, with your rich experiences. The way you deal with these three groups of people should be unique. You can’t afford to be dealing with your superior as a subordinate or a peer. You need wisdom to identify the category anyone you meet falls into. Peter writes, "God has given you each some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other” (1 Peter 4:10)

Finally be careful of dream stealers. Some people will steal or abort your dreams if you share it with them before the right time. Be careful and be led by God about who you share your dreams with. Do not expose your dreams before the appointed time. Remember, a baby lion can even be killed by a mature dog. Be careful who you take counsel from; you can listen to friends and wreck God’s purpose for your life. In conclusion, make sure that your most important relationship (your relationship with God) is right. God is the source of all wisdom and it is written that, ‘when a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him’(Prov 16:7)

The Brevity of Life

‘Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom’ (Psalm 90:12 - NLT).

  

‘Every time someone celebrates a birthday the fellow draws closer to the grave. The day you were born you began a trip to the grave; this is a journey you have to make willingly or unwillingly. Every passing second draws you closer to that destination’ (E. A. Adeboye). The briefness of man’s life on earth is indubitable and the Bible uses many illustrations in both the Old and New Testament to describe it.

Let’s consider a few examples of the Bible’s description of man and his life on earth;

         ‘O Lord, what are human beings that you should notice them, mere mortals that you should think about them? For they are like a breath of air; their days are like a passing shadow (Psalm 144:3-4).

         ‘You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” (Psalm 39:5).

         ^‘Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die’ ( Psalm 103:15) 

         ‘We blossom like a flower and then wither. Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear’ (Job 14:2).

         ‘As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass, their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades’ (1 pet 1:24).

From the scriptures above the Bible uses the breadth of air, shadows, grass, flowers and the width of a hand to illustrate the brevity of a man’s life. Many people reading this devotional today can remember their days in kindergarten like it was yesterday. That is how fast life can be. Many fear the fleeting nature of time that they do not want to think of their age and even try to keep it as a secret. Others also try every means possible including cosmetic surgeries and make up to cheat age. However the truth is ageing and death are inevitable in life. There are two things everyone will possess in life, a birthday and a death date.

Considering the inevitability of death, what should one’s attitude towards life be? In Psalm 90:12 the psalmist prays ‘Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom’. The key to making use of our limited time on earth is wisdom and Jesus is the source of all wisdom (1 Cor 1:30). Today may the Lord grant you wisdom, the sound judgment you need to make the right choices and decisions in life. God our creator has a purpose and plan for everyone and it is only He who knows your purpose and life’s span on earth. The manufacturer of a product has the best knowledge of his product; therefore go back to your maker today. He knows you best, even more than you know yourself. 

You are not on earth by accident, you have a destiny and purpose to fulfill. Associated with your purpose on earth are two essential commodities of life; time and seasons. ‘For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven (Eccl 3:1). Today ask yourself, ‘another year has just gone by, drawing me closer to my appointment with death. How did I move closer to accomplishing my goals and purpose in life?’ Jesus is the source of all wisdom; He is the way to a fulfilled life on earth and an eternal life in heaven. Seek him as your personal savior and Lord today, He reveals himself to those who seek him with all their hearts.