Daily Devotional for February 9, 2010
Some trust in chariots,
and some in horses
but we will remember the name of the LORD our God
Psalm 20:7
and some in horses
but we will remember the name of the LORD our God
Psalm 20:7
The Holy Spirit is seeking; He is calling for the sons of God to arise in power and authority for this is our season to take back everything which the enemy has stolen. I hear the Lord saying, “Open the doors of your store houses; open your cupboard and make room for the outpouring for I am about to pour into your life and you shall lack no more.” I hear the Lord saying, “Declare – make declaration for it shall surely come to pass.”
In this precarious dispensation of time the people of the world are crying from trouble, depression and economic catastrophe. Frustration over inability to pay bills and sustain the family is the cause of much heartache in homes around the globe. Some have walked away from their families, while others have turned to other sources as a means of supporting themselves and/or their families. In some homes the end result has been divorce or separation because there are just too many stressors due to lack of finances and work, or due to insecurity and instability. But there is hope and there is peace in the midst of the turmoil; in the midst of the troubles and cares of this world. As a matter of fact there is a solution to every issue; every situation that has brought chaos into the sanctity of the home… His name is Jesus.
Jesus is the answer; the solution to ALL of life’s problems. Before the world began He was there and at the closure of it, He shall be there. He is the author and finisher of our faith; He wrote the BOOK. It is common practice that one would check with the manufacturer of a product in the event that there is either defect or some form of breakdown. We need to check with Jesus and what He prescribes in the Word to sustain us in what was revealed to the Apostle Peter as “perilous times.” Our God is the inoculation against ALL maladies and the physician that can both diagnose and heal ALL sicknesses and diseases. He can put it ALL back together again.
The main ingredient which He prescribes is directed towards our reliance upon who He is and His capacity to do the impossible. That’s right, ‘R-E-L-I-A-N-C-E’ which simply means that we trust Him. Trust Him to direct our path as we trust in Him with ALL of our hearts. Trust Him to hide us under the covering of His wings until ALL these calamities are over passed. Trust Him! The wisest king who ever lived penned theses words: “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” (cf. Proverb 29:25) In spite of the world’s condition, we are safe when we put our trust in the Lord our God. Therefore we need not fear or trust in the report of the world, but rather believe the report of the Lord and trust Him to guide and make provision for us. After all, it was He who taught His disciples…”Give us this day our daily bread.” Divine bread is available for us on a daily basis along with our daily portion of benefits; so trust the Lord and seek Him. Seek His face; seek His presence and worship Him as you trust Him for direction.
Jesus is the answer; the solution to ALL of life’s problems. Before the world began He was there and at the closure of it, He shall be there. He is the author and finisher of our faith; He wrote the BOOK. It is common practice that one would check with the manufacturer of a product in the event that there is either defect or some form of breakdown. We need to check with Jesus and what He prescribes in the Word to sustain us in what was revealed to the Apostle Peter as “perilous times.” Our God is the inoculation against ALL maladies and the physician that can both diagnose and heal ALL sicknesses and diseases. He can put it ALL back together again.
The main ingredient which He prescribes is directed towards our reliance upon who He is and His capacity to do the impossible. That’s right, ‘R-E-L-I-A-N-C-E’ which simply means that we trust Him. Trust Him to direct our path as we trust in Him with ALL of our hearts. Trust Him to hide us under the covering of His wings until ALL these calamities are over passed. Trust Him! The wisest king who ever lived penned theses words: “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” (cf. Proverb 29:25) In spite of the world’s condition, we are safe when we put our trust in the Lord our God. Therefore we need not fear or trust in the report of the world, but rather believe the report of the Lord and trust Him to guide and make provision for us. After all, it was He who taught His disciples…”Give us this day our daily bread.” Divine bread is available for us on a daily basis along with our daily portion of benefits; so trust the Lord and seek Him. Seek His face; seek His presence and worship Him as you trust Him for direction.
He is the solution to ALL your problems!
Word For Today: They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright - Psalm 20:8 – The Lord will never forsake those who put their whole trust in Him.
[ 08 February, 2010 ] • [ icem ] • [ Leave comment - 0 ]
Daily Devotional for February 8, 2010
And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in His heart
I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake;
for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth
neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done
Genesis 8:21
I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake;
for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth
neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done
Genesis 8:21
“Behold,” says the Lord “The day of your harvest is near; for I have restored unto you what the locust has eaten; I have restored that which has been stolen; lost or borrowed.” I hear the Lord saying; “Get in position for it’s about to rain down favor like you have never seen before.” “Phenomenal favor in your going out, coming in; down sitting and in your uprising,” says the Lord. I hear, “Angela, It’s about to rain. Your marriage is restored and you are healed.”
In Genesis 8:17 we are informed that Noah was instructed to “Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee.” Noah went forth in obedience and did all that the Lord instructed him to do and then we are told in verse 20, that Noah built an altar unto the Lord and as a result we read in verse 21a that “the LORD smelled a sweet savour.” It was the sweet savour of the sacrifice that got God’s attention and moved His heart to the place where He vowed never to destroy the ground or every living thing. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on The Whole Bible makes this comment, “Here is, Noah's thankful acknowledgment of God's favor to him, in completing the mercy of his deliverance, so He built an altar. Hitherto he had done nothing without particular instructions and commands from God. He had a particular call into the ark, and another out of it; but, altars and sacrifices being already of divine institution for religious worship, he did not stay for a particular command thus to express his thankfulness. Those that have received mercy from God should be forward in returning thanks, and do it not of constraint, but willingly. God is pleased with free-will offerings, and praises that wait for Him.” Noah began with an altar for God; in other words, God must be first served and then he could consider anything else, but on the other hand, when God is first, He will always give instructions so that we are fruitful in our endeavors. There is saying which states: “he who begins with God; does well that begins with God.”
The love of God for His children is unquestionable as we consider how many times He has demonstrated His remorse for having to chasten; judge or punish us. One can imagine His sorrow as He looks upon us; sees His own image and considers the desires of His heart toward us as we respond to Him with such attitudes of dismissal. We are a people that are often callous, negligent and many times find it bothersome to even get into His presence or to even think about the goodness, mercy and grace which He has extended toward us. We literally have no clue how much God loves us even though He gave His only begotten Son for us. Noah’s act of gratitude was expressed by the altar which he built and in his observance to do only that which would please His Father. Herein lies a moral for us to embrace and use as a guideline for our lives on a daily basis: that we should daily build altars of worship and thanksgiving unto our Father for His mighty deliverance which He has already accomplished and for that which is about to come. See that we offer up the best sacrifice that will cause a sweet smelling savour to come up into His nostril and move His heart.
Throughout the history of God’s people, we are told that many of our patriarch fathers built altars after they had experienced some form of deliverance by the hand of God. In Genesis 35:3 we find the words penned: “And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.” Come; let us separate ourselves unto Him and build altars unto Him with sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. Let us enter into His presence with rejoicing; for His mercies endureth forever and He daily loads us with benefits. Come! Will you come and offer yourself as a sacrifice unto Him? Offer a broken and contrite heart which yearns for a touch from the Master and the joy of basking in His glory.
The love of God for His children is unquestionable as we consider how many times He has demonstrated His remorse for having to chasten; judge or punish us. One can imagine His sorrow as He looks upon us; sees His own image and considers the desires of His heart toward us as we respond to Him with such attitudes of dismissal. We are a people that are often callous, negligent and many times find it bothersome to even get into His presence or to even think about the goodness, mercy and grace which He has extended toward us. We literally have no clue how much God loves us even though He gave His only begotten Son for us. Noah’s act of gratitude was expressed by the altar which he built and in his observance to do only that which would please His Father. Herein lies a moral for us to embrace and use as a guideline for our lives on a daily basis: that we should daily build altars of worship and thanksgiving unto our Father for His mighty deliverance which He has already accomplished and for that which is about to come. See that we offer up the best sacrifice that will cause a sweet smelling savour to come up into His nostril and move His heart.
Throughout the history of God’s people, we are told that many of our patriarch fathers built altars after they had experienced some form of deliverance by the hand of God. In Genesis 35:3 we find the words penned: “And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.” Come; let us separate ourselves unto Him and build altars unto Him with sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. Let us enter into His presence with rejoicing; for His mercies endureth forever and He daily loads us with benefits. Come! Will you come and offer yourself as a sacrifice unto Him? Offer a broken and contrite heart which yearns for a touch from the Master and the joy of basking in His glory.
Come! The Master says, “Come!!”
Word For Today: Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? - 1st Corinthians 9:13 - If the Jewish priesthood was maintained out of the holy things that were then offered, shall not we, as ministers of God have a maintenance out of our ministry? Is there not as much reason that we should be maintained as they?
[ 08 February, 2010 ] • [ icem ] • [ Leave comment - 0 ]
Daily Devotional for February 1, 2010
Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13
that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13
“Love has always been my modus operandi for I have loved you from the beginning with an everlasting love. There is nothing greater in this world than the love that I have for YOU” saith the Lord God Almighty.
What exactly do you know about love? Is it that special feeling that you reserve for those closest to you? Is it what you feel when you finally meet the person you want to spend the rest of your life with? Or is it the one thing that you’ve never really experienced before? There are many ways in which love has been described by those who claim to be experts on the subject. One person says it like this, “It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all” which is supposed to imply that love whether or not it leads to pain is worth experiencing. So, what is it about love that is so precious, so essential to the human experience? Studies have shown that children who are neglected by their parents during infancy and throughout their formative years usually end up seeking love and acceptance somewhere else. Thus, a young girl who is forced to grow up without a father will often go in search of a father figure during her quest for love. We were all created with the need to love and be loved. Yet there are times when due to the sins that we have committed, the rejection we have experienced, the emptiness of being neglected, the pain of being hurt and betrayed, we sometimes feel incapable of loving and even unworthy of being loved. The question we must then ask ourselves is, who is deserving of being loved? If you are guilty of murder, grand theft auto, hurting the feelings or others, even breaking up a person’s marriage, do you deserve to be loved by God?
According to God’s Word, He loves everyone, regardless of who they are and what they’ve done (cf. John 3:16). As he paused to consider the love of God, Apostle Paul said, “But God commendeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (cf. Romans 5:8). Matthew Henry’s commentary adds that Christ “not only died for the helpless creatures [but for the] guilty sinful creatures, and therefore deserving to perish; not only mean and worthless, but vile and obnoxious, unworthy of such favor with the holy God.” Therefore my friend, despite what you have done, the Lord GOD Almighty loves you so much that He considered you to be worth dying for. Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (cf. John 15:13). Listen, He did not die for a person who was already clean, but for a person that He desires to make clean. Today His love is set upon you.
According to God’s Word, He loves everyone, regardless of who they are and what they’ve done (cf. John 3:16). As he paused to consider the love of God, Apostle Paul said, “But God commendeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (cf. Romans 5:8). Matthew Henry’s commentary adds that Christ “not only died for the helpless creatures [but for the] guilty sinful creatures, and therefore deserving to perish; not only mean and worthless, but vile and obnoxious, unworthy of such favor with the holy God.” Therefore my friend, despite what you have done, the Lord GOD Almighty loves you so much that He considered you to be worth dying for. Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (cf. John 15:13). Listen, He did not die for a person who was already clean, but for a person that He desires to make clean. Today His love is set upon you.
Will you love Him in return?
Word For Today: If ye love Me, keep My commandments. - John 14:15 – A simple commandment which deserves a simple response.
[ 31 January, 2010 ] • [ icem ] • [ Leave comment - 1 ]
Daily Devotional for January 29, 2010
Justice and judgment are the habitation
of Thy throne: mercy and truth
shall go before Thy face.
Psalm 89:14
of Thy throne: mercy and truth
shall go before Thy face.
Psalm 89:14
You have been longing for peace and you have been asking God to change the situations around you but hear the voice of the Lord concerning you this day – “Change who you are, for the change that you desire will only come as you begin to take a look at yourself.”
Justice – a word which echoes loudly in the ears of many people and reflects the cry of many nations. Justice - a simple word that means fairness, impartiality, honesty, integrity, and righteousness. Oh, that justice would reign among men and women upon the face of the earth. Oh, that governments would exercise impartiality as they deal with those they govern; that legal systems would judge fairly as people are tried within courtrooms; that people would shun prejudice as they go about their daily affairs. Justice – it is the hope of many and the right of all.
Yet though many cry for justice, it is a fact that everyone wants justice to be done on someone else and not on themselves. Should each person stop and take time out to examine their deeds, they would realize that there are many times when they themselves have committed acts worthy of judgment, whether small or great. Nevertheless, most people only take notice of the sins and crimes of others and spend time evaluating the judgment that those persons should receive.
Today, our devotional scripture reminds us that God is a God of judgment and justice. According to Proverbs 21:3 it says, “To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” In other words, God delights more in a man that is just than a man who walks in false piety, and one who offers up sacrifices that are tainted with wickedness. As He looks upon the face of the earth God sees every deed and the intention that drives every action of man. He sees the injustice that proceeds from the hearts of people and He is grieved.
Many people conveniently forget that as well as being a God of love, God Almighty is also a God of judgment. Therefore, injustice will not always prevail; neither will the unrepented sins of men and women go unpunished. In his book, Job asked rhetorically, “Doth God pervert judgment? Or doth the Almighty pervert justice?” The Bible repeatedly reminds us that God is just and carries out judgment irrespective of who the person is. Remember justice will not only be executed on your cruel neighbor, or the one who stole your money, but you will also be judged for the things that you have done and the decisions that you have made. What would the verdict on your soul be? Would you be rewarded for living righteously according to God’s will? Or would you be condemned for a life lived in sin?
Yet though many cry for justice, it is a fact that everyone wants justice to be done on someone else and not on themselves. Should each person stop and take time out to examine their deeds, they would realize that there are many times when they themselves have committed acts worthy of judgment, whether small or great. Nevertheless, most people only take notice of the sins and crimes of others and spend time evaluating the judgment that those persons should receive.
Today, our devotional scripture reminds us that God is a God of judgment and justice. According to Proverbs 21:3 it says, “To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” In other words, God delights more in a man that is just than a man who walks in false piety, and one who offers up sacrifices that are tainted with wickedness. As He looks upon the face of the earth God sees every deed and the intention that drives every action of man. He sees the injustice that proceeds from the hearts of people and He is grieved.
Many people conveniently forget that as well as being a God of love, God Almighty is also a God of judgment. Therefore, injustice will not always prevail; neither will the unrepented sins of men and women go unpunished. In his book, Job asked rhetorically, “Doth God pervert judgment? Or doth the Almighty pervert justice?” The Bible repeatedly reminds us that God is just and carries out judgment irrespective of who the person is. Remember justice will not only be executed on your cruel neighbor, or the one who stole your money, but you will also be judged for the things that you have done and the decisions that you have made. What would the verdict on your soul be? Would you be rewarded for living righteously according to God’s will? Or would you be condemned for a life lived in sin?
The justice of the Lord is sure
Word For Today: Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice? - Job 8:3 – Rhetorical, yet well worth consideration.
[ 28 January, 2010 ] • [ icem ] • [ Leave comment - 0 ]
Daily Devotional for January 28, 2010
The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee,
thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock,
whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart,
Who shall bring me down to the ground?
Obadiah 1:3
thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock,
whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart,
Who shall bring me down to the ground?
Obadiah 1:3
Hear the Word of the Lord, “I am He that causes the sun to shine on the just as well as the unjust. It is I, who will rain down the fiery wrath of My vengeance and judgment upon this wicked and cruel generation. In My love and compassion I have allowed mankind time in order to make up their minds to come to Me but hear Me when I say, time is swiftly running out.”
The world is moving at a pace that is increasingly escalating as the days go by. Some people feel as though they are being left out of the technological developments and inventions that have flooded onto the world scene. So many things have flooded the marketplace over the past few years that have caused some alarm for a few people who are afraid that these things are the beginning of the end of the world. Yet despite the overflow of events, the new inventions, the increase in calamities and natural disasters, the one constant and unchanging fact is that God is real.
Science has been on a tireless quest to prove that God does not exist. Many argue that man is a product of evolution just like every other creature. Many revere Darwin and his theories as though there is no doubt to what he says, yet these same people regard the Word of God as a lie. But how mistaken they are. There is a common misconception that because humans have a reasonable amount of ability to manufacture, invent, and exercise self will, that those things qualify men and women as gods over their own lives. There are numerous strains of popular philosophies that dictate that the self is god and that all that is required of each person is that he or she comes to the realization they are god in themselves and that they can do whatever they wish to do. Driven by this method of thinking, people have gone about to prove that they are in charge of the world they live in, even if it means making potentially destructive and hazardous instruments in the process.
So what do we make of the world that we live in? Is there hope for the future? With the determination of nation after nation to produce more and more nuclear weapons to fight their own selfish causes, where does it leave us? Well according to the Bible, it is God who holds the reigns of the universe and therefore it is in Him that we should place our hopes for the future. We are told in the Bible that men would grow increasingly sinful and prideful, but there is a set time when Jesus will return to snatch the faithful from this evil-saturated world. It is a simple promise: live your life in righteousness and devotion to God and He will keep you in peace even unto eternity. The question now is this…
Science has been on a tireless quest to prove that God does not exist. Many argue that man is a product of evolution just like every other creature. Many revere Darwin and his theories as though there is no doubt to what he says, yet these same people regard the Word of God as a lie. But how mistaken they are. There is a common misconception that because humans have a reasonable amount of ability to manufacture, invent, and exercise self will, that those things qualify men and women as gods over their own lives. There are numerous strains of popular philosophies that dictate that the self is god and that all that is required of each person is that he or she comes to the realization they are god in themselves and that they can do whatever they wish to do. Driven by this method of thinking, people have gone about to prove that they are in charge of the world they live in, even if it means making potentially destructive and hazardous instruments in the process.
So what do we make of the world that we live in? Is there hope for the future? With the determination of nation after nation to produce more and more nuclear weapons to fight their own selfish causes, where does it leave us? Well according to the Bible, it is God who holds the reigns of the universe and therefore it is in Him that we should place our hopes for the future. We are told in the Bible that men would grow increasingly sinful and prideful, but there is a set time when Jesus will return to snatch the faithful from this evil-saturated world. It is a simple promise: live your life in righteousness and devotion to God and He will keep you in peace even unto eternity. The question now is this…
Where does your future lie?
Word For Today: Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the LORD: for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven. - Psalm 148:11-13 – At some point, every creature, both great and small will have to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. You will bow later if you refuse to bow now.
[ 27 January, 2010 ] • [ icem ] • [ Leave comment - 2 ]
Daily Devotional for January 27, 2010
Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee,
when my heart is overwhelmed:
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalm 61:1-2
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee,
when my heart is overwhelmed:
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalm 61:1-2
Hear the Word of the Lord, “I, the Lord, have not hidden Myself from you. I have made known to you My intentions, My love for you and I have invited you to come to Me. Why have you continued to ignore My voice? My child, what must I do to show you that I died so that you might live?”
How are you doing? How are you really doing? Beyond the surface, beyond that which everyone can see…how are you doing? That is the question God is asking you today. You see, He is concerned about your well-being, about those things that pertain to you, about your inner man and the condition of your soul. Think of Him as who He is – your heavenly Father. On earth, a good parent is concerned about whether their child eats, sleeps, has clothes to wear, shoes for the feet, who their child hangs out with, and the mental and emotional wellness of the child among other things. Even so, God watches your life, the places you go, and the things you value that really aren’t very valuable. He watches your outlook on life and sees how you go about so carelessly at times unaware of the dangers that lie ahead of you. He looks at the condition of your emotional state, the fragility of your heart, the many times you’ve been wounded and the way anger and depression have become the outlets of your pain, and He is no less than concerned.
He has plans for you, from the beginning of time He knew you and He drafted plans for you; plans to propel you into your destiny, to prosper you spiritually and lead you in a healthy relationship with Him. He looks at where you are now and knowing where you can be and He constantly invites you to come closer. Only when you are fully surrendered to Him can you experience the completeness of that which has been prepared for you. Why don’t you draw closer to Him today? Tell Him of your struggles, those things that trouble you, even of the things that hinder you from surrendering. Take some time today and talk to Jesus.
He has plans for you, from the beginning of time He knew you and He drafted plans for you; plans to propel you into your destiny, to prosper you spiritually and lead you in a healthy relationship with Him. He looks at where you are now and knowing where you can be and He constantly invites you to come closer. Only when you are fully surrendered to Him can you experience the completeness of that which has been prepared for you. Why don’t you draw closer to Him today? Tell Him of your struggles, those things that trouble you, even of the things that hinder you from surrendering. Take some time today and talk to Jesus.
He’s waiting to hear from you!!
Word For Today: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. - Psalm 51:10 – This should be the cry of every heart that desires to be right with God.
[ 27 January, 2010 ] • [ icem ] • [ Leave comment - 4 ]