“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.” ~ Isaiah 53:4 REFERENCE: Isaiah 53:1-5 If you are a human being, I am sure you feel the effect of man’s fall in the Garden of Eden daily. When Adam ate the forbidden fruit, the whole of God’s creation was thrown out of balance, and corruption came into the created order—pain, sorrow, sickness, afflictions, fears, etc., was introduced into the world because of sin. These became the totality of man’s grief. Grief (Hebrew: Chǒlîy) is a pain like a...
“He sent a man before them—Joseph—who was sold as a slave.” ~ Psalm 105:17 REFERENCE: Psalm 105:16-22 How different would our attitude to life’s misfortunes be if we saw them through the eyes of God? We would see that things are not as they seem. In the most turbulent seasons of our lives, God is ever present, working a bigger purpose and setting the stage for a testimony of His goodness. The events in your life happening around you now are not happening by chance; God knows. From man’s eyes, Joseph went through an excruciating experience of betrayal; his...
"Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn." – Genesis 48:14 REFERENCE: Genesis 48:9-19 Manasseh and Ephraim were brought to Jacob, their blind grandfather, to bless them. Their father Joseph placed Manasseh, the firstborn, by Jacob's right hand and Ephraim on the left. The reason is that the first in the order of birth should receive the double portion blessing of the spiritual inheritance. However, a switch occurred, and the younger was blessed by...
"Now it happened, as he was telling the king how he had restored the dead to life, that there was the woman whose son he had restored to life, appealing to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, "My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life." ~ II Kings 8:5-6 REFERENCE: II Kings 8:1-6 Nothing changes a man's life quicker or more dramatically than finding himself at the right place at the right time and with the right people. This rarely happens, but it...
"The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was wounded by the archers." ~ I Chronicles 10:3 REFERENCE: I Chronicles 10:1-8 Nothing pleases God more than to be obeyed, and nothing displeases Him more than to be disobeyed. Obedience to God tells Him that we trust His good intentions and plans for our lives; it shows Him that there is only one Lord, and it is Him and not me. We often go against God's word and counsel because we are ignorant of the dangers of disobedience. Disobedience to God will cost a man more...
"Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom." ~ I Kings 10:20 REFERENCE: I Kings 10:16-25 We live in a world shaped by various innovations—the internet, social media, mobile phones, artificial intelligence, etc. The world has become accustomed to innovations, and the future belongs to innovators. People are constantly pushing the limits and discovering new things. To be relevant in the modern world, you need the grace for innovation. King Solomon was a man of great wisdom and innovation. When he built God's temple and...
“Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and lifted him up and said, “What little faith you have! Why would you let doubt win?” ~ Matthew 14:31 (TPT) REFERENCE: Matthew 14:22-33 We are in constant battle with doubt; doubt and faith try to get control over our lives, and I can tell you that doubt is an aggressive contender. It goes for the jugular; it aims to suffocate your faith and break your gaze from God. Doubt has many weapons in his arsenal – bad news, open-ended questions, painful experiences, stories of people’s failures, or adverse medical reports. When Peter...
“Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay…” ~ II Kings 18:14 REFERENCE: II Kings 18:9-16 To fear or to trust? Life will always confront us with situations that test our response to this inquiry. As believers, we are to trust in God as our hope and refuge in all life situations because He is a sure foundation and the God of all grace. The devil often strikes at this foundation, knowing that if we fail there,...
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” ~ I Peter 2:9 REFERENCE: I Peter 2:9-10 I often wonder how David felt when he was summoned home from the field while herding his father’s sheep that the prophet Samuel asked for him. Upon getting home, Samuel said he was chosen to be Israel’s king and anointed him. Like David, God has chosen you and for royalty. You are a peculiar treasure and special...
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” ~ Revelation 4:11 (KJV) REFERENCE: Revelation 4:9-11 (KJV) The most intriguing thing about man is his ability to create things. When God made man in His image, He gave him the capacity to create like Him. To create is to bring something into existence. Imagine what man has created: planes, rockets, microwave ovens, phones, robots, and submarines. Yet, no creation (of God or man) is without a purpose for its existence. There...