¹I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. ²And the Lord answered me, and said, write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. Habakkuk 2:1-2

 What is the purpose for your life? Have you taken the time to find out? Jeremiah 29:11 KJV says ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.’ God’s plan for you is definite and it is already designed to take you to a glorious end. You however need to find it out. Discovery comes after a diligent search. It is when you discover and pursue the purpose of your life that you will find peace, fulfilment, & energy. If you don’t know why you are on earth you are likely to beat around the bush, waste time, and engage in unwise activities.

Do not live your life blindly. I encourage you today to settle down and ask God, ‘Lord show me where I fit in the scheme of things in your program on earth’. I am sure He will show you (Psalms 32:8). Verse 2 says ‘And the Lord answered me…’ the Lord promises to answer you, all you need to do is ‘watch out’ for what He will say unto you. As you discover your purpose bit by bit, journal it, ask Him further questions on how to go about fulfilling each portion, and do your best to pursue it, no matter how small you currently know. As you do, you are on your way to a life of fulfilment and peace. God bless your day.

‘I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.’ Psalm 16:7

Today’s scripture is one of my confession scriptures. You should meditate on this verse and make it one of your confessions: ‘The Lord hath given me counsel’. Here is the truth, God gives counsel on every matter of concern to us, if only we will position ourselves to listen for it. Isiah 50:4 is another verse to confess, it says; ‘…he wakeneth me morning by morning, he wakeneth my ear to hear as the learned’. The Lord is interested in showing you the solution to every life problems and insight into new inventions. He is committed to giving you direction and understanding of the ‘how to’. Notice also that the verse says ‘my reins (my mind) instructs me in night seasons’. So, God gives you all the necessary ideas and you have to engage your mind in thinking through on the ideas untill you receive the understanding to apply the ideas to your particular situation. Think through in the night seasons! Take time alone to engage your mind in meditative thinking, as God questions, and light will shine on you! You will then say; ‘I can see now, I know what to do now’, in Jesus’ name.

People that achieve extra ordinary things are those who think extra ordinary thoughts, they think outside the box, they think about things that the average person does not. If we could engage our minds and think extra ordinary thoughts God can do exceedingly above even that. God has given you a capacity for great thoughts, engage your mind, think big, and do not allow defeat at your workplace. Have a great day.

‘When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.’ 1 Corinthians 13:11

Children have a way of speaking, a way of thinking, and understanding. The sequence of this list should be noted. ‘When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child…’ in children the expression of speaking comes before any expression of understanding. Worst still, thinking is the last thing a child would do!

Put away childish things, take time to think and gain understanding before speaking. If you have issues confronting your marriage, take the time to think before you react to your spouse. If you are confronted with challenges at your work place do not make hasty decisions, take the time to think first. If you are planning to invent something that will be of great value in your time and seasons to come, it will require of you to be a person of great thinking capacity. Understanding comes as you take time to think. It is only those with understanding that can make the declaration; “but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” So, take the time to think and gain the necessary understanding before proceeding towards a course of action. Thinkers are leaders! You will access the pearl in your field as you dig deep by thinking through.

As you face your day may God give you grace and understanding in this regard, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

Daniel 3:16-18 (NKJV)

If you are determined to serve the Lord your God today, without distraction, boldly and courageously going through life standing for the gospel, standing for righteousness and truth, and standing in holiness; you will find favour with God and you will find that He will rise up on your behalf. It pays to follow God courageously in everything you do, for at the end of the day it will work out well.

Usually, the situations presents themselves very scary! The three Hebrew boys; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were faced with a very scary option! Yet, they stood on their faith in God and on His righteousness, and they experienced the fourth man in the burning furnace. If you would but stand courageously for the Lord in these trying days, He will be there in your situation. Go forward courageously and God bless you in Jesus’ name. Amen.

‘For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.’ 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP)

The spirit of God that we have received has given us the capacity to live through life courageously. We can draw grace from the spirit of God in us as children of God. Today’s scripture declares; ‘God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.’ When you have the spirit of God in you, you will find that you can be calm and self-controlled, in the midst of challenges and troubles. Even in the midst of pandemonium, you can maintain your calmness.

When man is agitated, afraid, timid, or cowardly this reflects a poor spiritual state. Then, you need to build up your spirit-man, by getting back into the presence of God. Spend time with God in prayer and scripture meditation. Jude 1:20 says: ‘…building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost’. Spend time praying in tongues about all your life issues, and sometimes just for fellowship with God. That way, the countenance of God gets robbed on you and the anointing of God settles in you afresh with power. You will be able to walk tall in the midst of challenges. You will be able to access divine insight that you need on the spot, with little or no agitation. Stand strong!

‘Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.’ 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NIV)

 How can one be a man of courage in the midst of challenges? The scriptures provide the answer to this question, it says ‘stand firm in the faith’. So to live courageously through life in spite of financial, family, societal and national troubles we are to stand firm in the faith. What does this mean really? I like the message version – ‘hold tight to your convictions, give it all you’ve got, be resolute’. In order to be strong in trying times, we must be established in your faith, and hold tight to it. Don’t be discouraged by what you see, feel or hear. Maintain your confession and convictions, no matter what! Keep declaring what you have received from the Lord in His word.

A courageous man does not allow his financial situation, or the troubles around him to destabilize him or her, but simply depends on the Word and the faithfulness of God to His word as he takes necessary steps. Courage is being strong in the face of pain or grief. It is the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. As you face your day today, stand firm in the faith on the word of God and live courageously. I assure you, it works. May this be your attitude every single day of this year, and you will experience your victory. God bless you real good.

‘Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ Joshua 1:9

God is speaking to your heart saying be strong and of good courage. In day to day living when faced with challenges and problems, courage is the ability to keep on going forward in the midst of difficult situations, not allowing yourself to be overwhelmed by the challenges that you are confronted with. Learn to live your life courageously, learn to fight through life’s difficulties in faith.

Courage is only possible when you have taken time to build your faith by the words the Lord has spoken about your situation. God spoke to Joshua (verse 8) ‘this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night’. These words where the preface to what God was going to tell Joshua next, and that was to ‘be strong and of a good courage’. 

Do not allow fear to dominate you but rather give attention to the word of promise and you will live through life courageously. May God grant you grace as you face today courageously. God bless you, and have a great day. Amen.

⁸ This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. ⁹ Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Josh. 1:8-9

Putting this scripture in context – the Lord was speaking to Joshua right after Moses had died (Joshua 1:1), ‘Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua…’ God told Joshua to ‘be strong and of a good courage’. Joshua was a servant to Moses and had seen the mighty works of Moses. God recognized Moses as a mighty man of valour. Considering Moses’ records, Joshua was going to crumble at the enormity of the assignment in front of him. So the Lord told him to be strong and of good courage.

So, sometimes when you consider the assignment ahead of you, it could be overwhelming, but just as God spoke to Joshua, you should be strong and of good courage. Irrespective of the work in front of you this morning God is saying be strong, God is saying be courageous. As you go today may the grace and the strength of God go with you, in Jesus name. God bless you.

²¹ Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” ²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” John 11:21 (NKJV)

Whatever your situation is today, even if you are experiencing situations that can be described as being dead, the same words that were said to Martha “your brother will rise again” applies to you. For example; your career and business will blossom again, the joy in your home will be restored again, your health will spring forth again, and your children will be all well and serving the Lord again. You can fill in your own situation and I believe along with you that all will be well, in Jesus’ name.

Jesus is never late. Martha said “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” she thought that Jesus was too late, but Jesus said “your brother will rise again”. Perhaps you think this morning that God has been late in responding to your cries. Be rest assured that it is never too late for the Lord to turn around any negative situation for good. There is hope for every hopelessness. This week, I believe with you that everything that has gone down and dead in your life will be revived and restored back to life in Jesus’ name. The darkness in your path will turn to light, the breakdown you have experienced will turn out to be a stepping stone for you.

I love what Martha said ‘…whatever you ask God, God will give you’. Ask again NOW; there is yet hope for you. Amen.

¹⁴ Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵ And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.” John 11:14-15 (NKJV)

‘…Nevertheless let us go to him.’ In spite of the news of the death of Lazarus, Jesus was going to see him, to bring him back to life. Earlier in John 11:4 He had said ‘This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God’. Death was not to take glory in Lazarus’ situation. I hear the Lord saying the same thing about you today. God will take glory in your situation.

Beloved, if the situations around you look bleak or your circumstances look negative, the Lord is saying that “nevertheless” there is hope for you. In spite of the sickness, in spite of the gravity of the problems, in spite of the duration of the troubles you are in, the Lord is saying there is hope for you. “Nevertheless” give it a try again, “Nevertheless” believe God for that child again, “Nevertheless” be hopeful about your marriage situations, notwithstanding the failure you have experienced, pursue that career again… Your situation is not a hopeless one!

As you face your day the Lord is bringing a fresh hope to you today; in spite of the deadness in your situation, life will spring forth. It does not matter how much disappointment you have experienced in recent times, “Nevertheless” let us go and face the day with a fresh hope. The Lord will send you help where you need it today, in Jesus’ name. Amen.