Seeds of Wisdom

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.

These words may be regarded as a brief summary of the lessons which David had learned from his varied experiences and meditations. They are the perfection of God’s way, the unmixed truth of His Word, and the safety of all who flee to Him for protection. “His way is perfect.”

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.

Are you facing an insurmountable obstacle and losing all hope of victory? Do you feel overwhelmed and powerless in your present circumstances? Then run into the Strong Tower of Jehovah Sabaoth and cry out to the LORD of hosts (God of the armies of heaven).

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.

We often feel like God has not heard or answered our prayers. If you have ever felt like that, I want to assure you that God has heard you. Job felt the same way when he said in Job 30:20 that, “I cry out to you, O God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me.”

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.

For you to maximise your influence, you need to maximise the time you spend doing what you are best at and those things that will move you further towards your ultimate goals. However, walking in your divine given outstanding ability is not all about what you do. 

God has given you everything you need to succeed in life. But the challenge is the ability to discover and identify it. The law of faithfulness starts with little, and God will increase it when you are faithful. Start where you are with what you have. God wants you to start with what you have and not with what is not available.

The first commandment God gave man after creation was “Be fruitful.” God desires that everyone must be fruitful and multiply. Jesus also stressed on this commandment in John 15 saying: “Any branch that does not bear fruit he takes away.” The Bible records that God is the gardener.

The word dedication is being sold out to a cause at a cost and the quality of being committed to a task or purpose. In other words, dedication is being planted and rooted in God. Our life is a seed; it must be planted in God’s hand so that we can blossom. Matthew 4:19 says, “follow me I will make you.”

In the above scripture, Moses asked God to show him His glory, and God said to him that He will make His goodness pass before him and show him mercy and lovingkindness. Everything that man needs is in the goodness and mercy of God.

God revealed Himself to Moses on the platform of mercy in Exodus 33:18-23. Mercy is a product of what Jesus has done for us. He said to the Pharisees that He came to show mercy (Matthew 9:10-13). The mercy of God speaks of His compassion and faithfulness.

One of the greatest secrets in the Kingdom of God is service. Service precedes honour and elevation, and it is the key to escape limitation, shame, and reproach. Serving God for who He is and because He is our maker, not for what He does or because He is a provider, a healer, or a deliverer.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower. It is not the tower itself that contains strength and power. When we read this verse, it seems to focus on the ‘strong tower’ that it is a fortified place to hide from danger, but it is the name of the Lord that our focus is to be centred on. The name of the Lord is where the strength lies.

There are certain things we may not achieve ordinarily except by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hence, it is vital that you are spirit-filled. One of the New Testament commands that can sustain a believer in the pursuit of life is to “be filled with the Holy Spirit”.

God is unlimited but it is possible for people to limit Him. ‘Unlimited’ means limitless, unrestricted, unrestrained, unconstrained, infinite, and complete. There are many ways people limit God. When you doubt His Word and promises, you have limited Him.

Our God is great and glorious. He rules over all circumstances and situations in life, especially everything contrary to the lives of His children. The Lord wants us to know Him first before all other things. Knowing God is more than confessing to being born again.

Do not throw away your confidence because this is the season of enlargement and fulfilment of your dreams. The Bible makes us understand that Abraham believed in hope (Romans 4:18). God spoke to Abraham like He has spoken to us since the beginning of the year, but maybe the situations and circumstances we find ourselves in are the direct opposite of what God has said.

One of the dynamic products of our faith in God is the positive expectation incubated by faith. Hope is defined as “a positive expectation of something good happening to you.” Faith is never strong without hope and hope for positive expectation is a powerful energy for faith. As strong as faith is, it cannot act on its own without a positive expectation.

There was a man in the Scripture named Gideon who God wanted to lead the people of Israel against an opposing army. The angel appeared to him and said, “Gideon, you mighty man of fearless courage.” I can imagine Gideon looking around, thinking, who is He talking about? Gideon was afraid, intimidated, and insecure.

Divine speed is the supernatural ability of God to bring His plans, purposes, and will to pass at a much faster rate than is humanly possible. It is God’s unstoppable momentum. Imagine being caught up in a move of God that shifts your circumstances, removes obstacles, and commands progress, like being lifted by a powerful wave of the sea.

It is interesting how many people can trust in their employer, in men, riches, and material things that can easily fade away, rather than in the one Who made heaven and earth. Trust is the unyielding or unbending belief in the ability and reliability of God’s power and Who He is. He created the whole world, and there is nothing He cannot do.

In Numbers 13, Moses sent twelve spies to explore the land of Canaan, which God had promised to the Israelites. When the spies returned, they reported that the land was indeed abundant, flowing with milk and honey. However, ten of the spies focused on the challenges facing the strong inhabitants, walled cities, and giants, leading to fear and doubt.