²⁵ And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶ Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. ²⁷ And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21:25-27

These are the signs of the last days and the return of the son of man is close at hand. The Bible says in verse 26 ‘Men’s hearts failing them for fear’ Man will fear because they would not understand how to handle the occurrences. There will be great strife on the earth with many disasters and struggles. As believers our job is to make sure we are not afraid. During these season of distress, great revivals will break out, we will experience many signs and wonders to the glory of God and souls will be convicted of their sins, and turn to Jesus for salvation. All these signs will point to the second coming of the son of man. Watch out for these signs and be prepared for the Lords coming.

So, what should we do in the midst of the impending challenges of then last days? Refuse to entertain any fear. You are children of the light such that these days should not come upon you unaware. Keep your eyes on the Lord, He will see us through the challenging times and make us lights in the darkness. May God help you today. Stay blessed. Amen.

When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. Luke 3:21 NKJV

Prayer is the gateway to peace in life. In this scripture, the bible says “the Heaven open upon Jesus as He prayed!” If you would cultivate the habit of starting your day in prayer – however way you know to – heaven will perpetually be open unto you and you will receive direction from the Lord and the required wisdom to tackle the issues that face you in the day.

In Mark 1:35-37, Jesus went out very early in the morning, into a solitary place, to pray. He always needed to meet people’s needs and he was always able to meet their needs when ‘All men sought Him’! It was however His custom to spend time alone with God first!

Start your day well, start with communion with the Lord in prayer and you will be on top of all issues of life that face you today.

‘When I get really afraid I come to you in trust’ Ps. 56:3 MSG

Life is full of challenges and we are often faced with many uncertain circumstances. To say that we do not sometimes, or even often, get confronted with fearful situations would not be completely correct. Whoever you are; however rich you are, whatever age you are, as long as you are still in this world, the chances are high that you have and will still face some circumstances that will really make you afraid. The good news is that the bible tells us what to do.

What struck me in this verse is the word ‘when’! It did not say ‘if’. This presents a dimension of certainty that we will face situations in life that will make us to be really afraid! Interestingly, the psalmist simply stated what he does when he is confronted with real fear – he simply comes to God in trust! We simply need to do the same when we are faced with real fearful situations.

The key word here is ‘Trust’. It is a noun, and it is defined as ‘reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc. of a person or thing; confidence’. The dictionary goes ahead to present it this way – ‘a person on whom or thing on which one relies: God is my trust’. What an appropriate example!

Therefore, when you are really afraid, come to God confidently, knowing of certainty that He is well able to deliver you from your problem, whatever it is, and however big and scary it might be. When you are faced with life issues, tell yourself and the situation, ‘God is my trust, therefore I will not fear’. God bless you. Amen.         

 ‘The fear of man brings a snare: but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe’  Pr. 29:25 NKJV

I like this scripture in the Good News Bible, ‘It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe’.

Man is usually faced with the temptation of considering the opinion of others about our lives and the steps we take over and above God’s word to us. Put in another way – ‘what would people say’? Many are unable to put their whole trust in the Lord. They are concerned that people will consider them to be ‘stupid’ for trusting in the Lord; or for making decisions based on God’s word and direction. Does that describe you?

Our scripture reading today states very clearly that only if you trust in the Lord are you sure of safety! Common English Bible version puts this verse this way – ‘people are trapped by their fear of others; those who trust the Lord are secure’. To be ensnared by what man would say, to the extent that you can’t trust God completely would actually be a sin against God – God hates it when we compare Him with man!

Many times we know that God is leading us in a particular direction, but because it does not make common sense to us, and probably opposed to the view of someone we consider important, we are unable to go all out and obey God. This is being ensnared by the fear of man. This could be in the area of service to God, family matters, business concerns, or what have you. Think about it well right now as it relates to you; do you think you need to make amends in this regards? Then do so NOW! Never be ensnared by the fear of man’s opinion. God bless your day.

The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.  He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.  Ps. 23:1-2 AMP

Psalm 23 is a very interesting and rich poem of David. You would recall that David himself was a shepherd boy; his father Jesse had left him in charge of the flock when he was a small boy. David recounted to King Saul how God helped him to protect the sheep while he fought and won against a lion and a beer. David declared: the same God that helped him that time will certainly deliver him from the hands of Goliath! (1 Sam 17: 32 – 37).

David knew the role of a Shepherd. A Shepherd feeds, guides and protects the sheep. David also particularly had his faith built on the fact that his own Shepherd is God. He trusts the Lord to feed, guide and protect him. I like the way Living bible version puts it in verse 1: ‘Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need’! Note the key word here: Because. David’s confidence is in the person of The Lord.

If you will make the Lord your God, if you would put your complete trust in Him as your shepherd, you can be rest assured that you will be fully satisfied, and you will certainly dwell in safety and victory. As a child of God, get to know your God and you will be strong and do great exploits (Dan 10:32). The Lord our God is mighty; put your trust in Him and you can rest assured in Him. If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Lord and saviour; decide to give Him your life today, and you will find rest for your soul. (Matt 11:28 – 30)

’And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, what saith my lord unto his servant?’ Joshua 5:13-14

The man with the sword here had been sent to take charge of the command of the army of God! Think about it. He is neither for Israel nor against Israel, he came to fulfil a divine mandate! Joshua’s response is insightful – what do you say to your servant?!

Many times when we are faced with challenges of life, we usually expect God to move in ways we can imagine or see, or used to; but that is not always God – He works in ways we cannot see. Pr. 3:5 says, ‘Trust in the Lord; and lean not unto thine own understanding’. Verse 7 says ‘Be not wise in your own eyes’!

Our response should be like Joshua – fall in line behind the Lord of Host. Tell Him ‘Lord, what do you say to your servant?’ At such time, stick with the instructions or promises in God’s word about the situation, and make it your decision. Make up your mind to be on God’s side at such time, and victory is certain for you. Imagine, it was in that disposition that God released to them the word of victory (Josh. 6:1-2) – ‘See, I have given into your hand Jericho, and the king and the mighty men’!

But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land’. Jonah 2:9-10

You would remember from yesterday’s devotionals that ‘Jonah looked again’ unto the Lord in prayer.

He described his situation as one being in hell! Yet he could summon courage and hope to cry unto God, and he obtained mercy and found grace. I noticed however in verse 9 that his calamitous situation was not finally turned around until he turned the gear of his prayers to thanksgiving!

When your thanksgiving and praises goes up, heaven comes down to your situation. Bible says, the Lord inhabits the praise of His people, and anywhere the Lord inhabits experiences fullness of joy. You might have been praying and praying in hope, without any visible positive change in your situation; you now need to turn the gear to thanksgiving and praise unto God.

Remember Paul and Silas. They prayed, yes, but they sang praises too. They were so bold at it that in spite of their situation in the prison, they kept praising God aloud such that all their prison colleagues heard them! Their faith was loud and clear through their praises! The heavens showed up, and everyone in the prison partook of the power of deliverance. If you can dare to praise God in your ‘belly of hell’, the word of the Lord will come forth and the fish will vomit you – from the depth of the seas to your dry land, in Jesus name. Amen.

Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. ³For thou hast cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. ⁴Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.               Jonah 2:1-4

If you are familiar with the story of Jonah; how he ran away from the Lord in disobedience, you would probably not be too surprised that he ended up in the belly of the fish, in the depth of the sea! That would have been his end, but for God. I believe it was mercy that found Jonah and gave him another chance.

You might be in the position of Jonah today – may be you ran away from His presence, from His will for your life; and all hell broke loose against you, I am telling you today that there is yet hope for you. Mercy is still available to you today. Consider what Jonah said in verse 4, ‘then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again towards thy holy temple’.

Please take courage and look again towards the throne of grace, and you will find the help you need. Dare to arise in hope, approach the presence of God by the everlasting Blood of Jesus Christ and seek God in prayer again. I am sure that God will do you good, and your mouth will be filled with testimonies, in Jesus name, amen.          

 ‘For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more’. Heb. 8:12

This scripture states clearly that no one is too bad to experience God’s mercy. Sometimes we are not confident enough to approach God and ask him to show us mercy, all because we think we have done too much bad to deserve God’s help – and rightly so, is this your situation? From today’s scripture, what your unrighteousness would have brought upon you in form of calamity, God is saying ‘His mercy will wade-in and overlook it’. What good news!

It does not matter how deep you have been in error, sin, or wickedness of any kind, if you would turn to the Lord and say ‘Lord I come to you just as I am, show me mercy and forgiveness’.

Mercy is available for us because God remembers the blood that Jesus shed on the cross for us (Heb. 4:14-16). That blood still speaks today! You become qualified for God’s mercy, no matter what unrighteousness you did; and you obtained mercy and forgiveness. You just need to make a fresh commitment with the Lord now that you will follow Him all the remaining days of your life, and you can begin your life afresh on a clean slate.

Today, God is releasing His mercy on your health, marriage, career, or ministry. Now, based on your positive response to today’s scripture, confront the devil in faith and cast out every sense of guilt and condemnation. Today is a new beginning for you in God. Face your future in faith and confidently. It is well with you in Jesus name. Amen.

 ‘O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.’ Ps. 90:14

Each day you are alive, your heart longs for the fulfilment of some desire! What brings the happiness and the sense of satisfaction in your heart would defer from that of another. Whatever your daily aspirations though, you can only experience satisfaction by the mercies of God.

It does not matter how many good things of life man can possess, or how long she/he might live; the most important question to ask is ‘are you satisfied with the mercies of  God, to the extent that you rejoice and you are glad everyday’? If you are living each day in sorrow or with heavy burden at the back of your mind, then you are not satisfied! It does not matter how long you live, or how much earthly goods you possess; you could be married and yet unsatisfied; highly placed in the society, and yet lonely and internally frustrated!

Despite the acclaimed wisdom of Solomon, and after all the great accomplishments and earthly goods and pleasure he enjoyed, he said ‘yet, when I surveyed all that my hands have done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gain under the sun’ (Eccl. 2:11, NIV). So, if you are lacking in joy and satisfaction today, don’t be discouraged – there is yet hope for you. Do what the psalmist did – cry out unto God, not for the ‘things’ you think you lack, but cry out to God to ‘satisfy you with His mercy’ that you might rejoice and be glad all your remaining days on earth. God bless you with peace, in Jesus name. Amen.