Seeds of Wisdom
Oftentimes in life we focus on what we do not have forgetting that we were created by the God who created all things beautiful. In Genesis 1:31, the bible records that God looked at all He had created and said they were good. We forget that God has never created anything or anyone empty. For each one of us, there is something of worth He has deposited in us. Never say you have nothing; you are not empty.
It has been established through many testimonies in the Bible and in contemporary times that there are assurances of the limitless power of God. Psalm 62:11 says, “God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God.” The angel said to Mary in Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing will be impossible.” Jesus told the Sadducees in Mark 12:24, “Your problem is that you do not know the Scriptures, and you do not know the power of God.” God’s power is limitless; it is matchless!
There was famine in the land of Israel because there had been no rain. And God spoke to Elijah, in 1 Kings 17:1-2 to go and hide by the Brook of Cherith for He has commanded a raven to feed him with bread and flesh. Naturally, ravens are flesh eaters but when the God of all flesh spoke to the raven to take the flesh to Elijah, the raven obeyed.
The Israelites limited God by their unbelief and forgot about His power and all He did for them (Psalm 78:42-55). The Israelites who limited God’s power in the wilderness were also limited (restricted) to die there. They did not enter Canaan because despite witnessing God’s glory and the signs He performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, they continually tested Him and did not obey His voice (Numbers 14:20-23). Do not limit the Unlimited God.
The apostle Paul had longed to preach in Rome and was at last on the way with 277 people and goods when a tempest arose. Paul, however, perceiving that much damage would come to the ship, advised the captain who ignored his advice. But not long after that, a great tempest arose and resulted in much loss to the ship and goods.
What does responsibility mean? It simply means being in charge of something to give an account. Our dear Lord Jesus Christ left us with a responsibility or mandate to evangelise the world and make disciples. As a believer, ever since you received the life of Christ, what has been your responsibility? Do you see evangelism and making disciples as the duty of the pastors only? If this is how you see it, a renewal of the mind is needed by the Word.
God deserves our best and excellent service because He has given us His best, Jesus the only begotten son. Psalm 8:1 tells us that our God is excellent and whatever we offer Him must not be mediocre. To provide your best service will require investing quality time to study the Word, worship, and pray, where you can encounter God through His Spirit.
We have begun the second half of the year, having already completed the first. As we have entered the beginning of the second half, it is a good time to reflect on the six months that have ended and look forward to the half that is unfolding. It is also a good time for God’s people to take inventory of their walk with the Lord.
John the Baptist had his commission from God to come and tell us about the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He may have special gifts, but he is not God. Like John, you are also sent from God and He has a purpose for sending you to this earth. You are not here by accident, so find your purpose on earth.
There is a cause that you are to pursue and complete, but it will take some important keys to accomplish it. You must be single-minded (focused), and not double-minded (James 1:8). Two things will keep you focussed – a definition of your desired end and discipline. Jesus said in John 4:34 that “my meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish the work” – a defined end, and in John 17:4,
The purpose of the eyes is to see both in the physical and spiritual realms. Matthew 6:22 says, “The eye is the light of the body, but if your eye is full of darkness how can you see?” This implies that your eyes must be opened to see the direction God wants you to go in this new month and season. You must know where and what God has specifically designed for you and pursue it without hesitation.
The statement above is not an advice but a command and a prophetic word. Meaning that it is not the time to stay in one place but the time to move forward. It might look impossible but move forward still. The enemy might be threatening – like Pharaoh and his horse riders pursuing the children of Israel furiously from behind and the Red Sea with its threats to swallow up an entire generation but move forward.
There is nothing God has in His plan for us that He does not have a process for its manifestation. Many know they are meant for the next level, but do not understand how to get there. Everything has a secret of how to attain it; between the promise and the performance, there is a process, and nothing empowers like the working knowledge of God’s Word.
It takes a heart knitted in love and unity to move forward and achieve great things in life. This is the secret of the disciples and many successful organisations. To see great things happen in our homes, families, church and society, our hearts must be knitted together in love; that is what God expects from believers.
We serve a God who wants His children to advance. He said to the children of Israel, “You have compassed this mountain long enough, go northward.” This is synonymous with moving to another level. Likewise, God is telling you that it is time to take decisive steps to possess what He has for you this season. There are, however, certain qualities you need to move forward.
The Israelites had difficult lives. They had times when things were good, but there were also times when they were captured. They were taken to a different country, and they were forced to work very hard there. They were not free. There were times when other countries attacked them, and they had to fight for their lives. There were times when they wandered around in the desert for years and years, trusting God but sometimes not trusting God.
There may be ups and downs in the degrees of our faith and of our love, but we cannot be lost, for we are “kept by the power of God.” The word throws emphasis on the mighty power that grasps us and keeps us; it is ‘garrisoned by the power of God.’ It is God’s own power that encompasses us. None shall pluck us out of His hand.
There is a lot to grapple with when meditating on the opening scripture. The young nation of Israel learned a lesson about this early on in their journey to the Promised Land. When the people found themselves trapped between the Red Sea and the powerful Egyptian army, they let fear overcome their faith. Moses reminded them to look to the Lord, who could and would deliver them.
There is so much that militates against our praising of the Lord, whether the busyness of life, heartache, depression, trials, or simply distractions. The psalmist commands us to “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth” (Psalm 100:1). We are not to do this simply out of willpower or guilt. The psalmist teaches us that the reason we are to praise God amid all that we experience is because of who He is.
At times, things can seem dark, and the mountains of life can seem insurmountable, but light shines best in darkness and God is so much greater than that mountain. Throughout the scriptures, when people were in their worst situations, they knew what to do – go find the man of God and let us see what God has to say about this situation.
Whenever you need something from God, all you must do is ask. In addition to reverencing God in our prayers, we are also allowed to bring our petition before Him. Bible says, “ask and you will receive…” (Matthew 7:7). The Bible also says that we do not receive because we do not ask; hence, if you do not ask you will not receive – it is as simple as that.
God’s Kingdom is governed by principles that He has put in place for us to experience results in as much as we can apply them rightly. There are some keys that will cause us to live a sustained lifestyle to our next level. Access to all things we will ever need has already been provided but we must understand and use it.
When our set time finally arrives with a sudden manifestation of what we have been waiting for, at times it may seem like a dream, and we wonder if it is this real. This is exemplified in God’s miraculous act of intervention in Peter’s life where he was suddenly released from prison; he thought that it was a dream.
David speaks of the pleasantness of unity adding, “There the Lord commanded the blessing.” When we strive to work together despite our differences, God is glorified. It also brings blessing upon what we do as a reward for our service. Satan knows this, so his strategy is to divide, bring unhappiness and steal the joy and blessing of serving the Lord.
In the scripture above, King David said he would not give to God anything that costs him nothing; what a heart of sacrifice! Giving to God without sacrifice is not giving at all. Following God requires the readiness to sacrifice your time, talents, gifts, money, etc. as well as certain pleasures for the promotion of the kingdom.
Paul wanted to be sure the Colossian Christians understood what they were to pray for. He wanted them to pray for a specific purpose. He wanted them to pray for him, asking God to open doors so that they could preach the gospel. It was the gospel that Paul lived for, it was the preaching of the gospel that had landed Paul in prison, it was the preaching of the gospel that was ever on the forefront of Paul’s mind.