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Yoked with Jesus

[The Glory Unveiled]

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [ Matthew 11:29 NKJV ]

The Father’s goal is that all His children will look like Jesus. To become like Him, Jesus calls us to take His yoke upon ourselves. Implicit in His invitation is this truth: if we are to resemble Him, we must first share His yoke and learn from Him. In other words, we can only truly learn from Him as we bear His yoke. It is through learning from Him that we become like Him, and that learning takes place in the context of sharing His yoke. Jesus then reveals the posture of His heart that brings rest to our souls: He is gentle and lowly in heart. This also reveals that it takes gentleness, humility, and surrender to submit to His yoke—a submission that results in learning from Him and finding rest for our souls. So, where do we begin? We begin by taking up His yoke with an attitude of humility and surrender to Jesus. We begin by believing in and embracing His suffering for us, adopting the mindset that what is true of Him has become true of us. From that place, we learn His ways by doing what He does and walking as He walked. The result of such a life is rest for the soul. The very rest many desperately search in the wrong places. 

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the grace to bear the yoke of Jesus and learn from Him daily. 

Wisdom_Quote: The believer’s transformation happens by association with Jesus. 

Salvation_Prayer: Lord Jesus, I accept your yoke today. And I surrender to learn from you. 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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True reward

[The Glory Unveiled]

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” [ Genesis 16:1 NIV ]

The phrase, “After these things…” (Genesis 15:1) is deeply significant. It points back to what had just happened in Abram’s life. After his victory in battle, the king of Sodom offered him the spoils of war—a reward that could have instantly met many of his needs. Yet Abram refused. Why? Because he was unwilling to receive a blessing that would rob God of His glory. Abram declared that he would not take so much as a thread or a sandal strap from the king of Sodom, lest the king should later say, “I have made Abram rich.” (Genesis 14:23). Abram was not only concerned about being blessed; he was concerned about how he was blessed. He understood that the source of a blessing is often more important than the blessing itself. Though another avenue to prosperity was available, he deliberately chose to wait for God’s provision rather than accept a shortcut that would compromise God’s honor. Every believer will eventually face similar moments. There will be opportunities that promise quick relief, rapid success, or immediate gain, but they come with a hidden price—the glory that belongs to God. Faith is often revealed not by what we receive, but by what we are willing to refuse. Only after Abram made that costly decision did God speak to him: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” (Genesis 15:1). Notice the order. God did not speak these words before the test, but after it. Having rejected the king’s reward, Abram was assured that God Himself would be his reward. What Abram surrendered in temporary wealth, he gained in divine security and eternal provision. The Lord was, in essence, saying, “Because you refused what would diminish My glory, you need not fear lack. I Myself will protect you, provide for you, and reward you.” Often, the clearest assurances of God’s voice come only after we have resisted the temptation to compromise. Every act of obedience sharpens our spiritual hearing. Every refusal to sell our convictions makes room for a deeper revelation of God’s faithfulness. Sometimes, the greatest reward for saying “no” to the world is hearing God say, “I am enough.”

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for being my reward and my shield. 

Wisdom_Quote: The reward comes after the battle against the flesh

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for your salvation that brought the world salvation. I believe and accept it. Be my lord and Saviour. Amen 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Trust in the Lord 

[The Glory Unveiled]

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding [ Proverbs 3:5 NKJV ]

Trust is an expensive commodity. Whenever we choose to trust, we lean on an understanding that convinces us whether someone is worthy of our confidence or not. This is why Scripture instructs us not to lean on our own understanding. It does not say we should lean on no understanding at all; rather, it warns us against depending on our own. Implicitly, it invites us to lean on God’s understanding instead. God’s understanding enables us to depend on Him willingly and confidently, even when His instructions seem contrary to human logic. A story is told of a young man who fell from a cliff. Fortunately, he managed to grab hold of a rock protruding from the cliffside, leaving him suspended high above the ground. Desperately, he cried out for help, but no one answered. After some time, he yelled again, “Is there anybody who can help me?” A deep, commanding voice replied, “This is God. I can help you. Just let go and trust Me.” After a brief silence, the young man shouted back, “Is there anyone else who can help me?” Though fictional, this story captures the true nature of trust. Trust is not measured by what we profess with our lips but by the decisions we make when our understanding is challenged. As long as we cling to our own reasoning, interpretations, abilities, or experience, we have not fully trusted God. To trust God is to release our grip on our own understanding and rest in His. Only then can we obey His Word when it is costly, believe His promises when circumstances contradict them, and remain steadfast in seasons of hardship and trial. True trust begins where self-reliance ends.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the opportunity to trust you because I lean on your interpretation and understanding rather than mine. 

Wisdom_Quote: Trust leans on God’s interpretation 

Salvation_Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your grace that found me. I lean on your sacrifice for me and I come into the family of God by my faith in you. 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Count the Cost

[The Glory Unveiled]

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it [ Luke 14:28 NKJV ]

It is very easy to build castles in our minds. In a matter of moments, we can envision the finished product and convince ourselves that the work is already done. But vision is not the same as completion. Before architects and engineers erect a building, they first produce a blueprint. Drawing the plan may take only a few hours or days, yet constructing the actual structure often requires months or even years of disciplined labour. The blueprint is only the beginning; the real test is in the building. The Lord Jesus used this same principle when teaching about the cost of discipleship. He asked, “Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” His point was clear: following Him is not an impulsive decision but a deliberate commitment. Just as every building demands resources, endurance, and perseverance, so does the Christian walk. Many people are captivated by the promise of Christ but are unprepared for the process of following Him. They embrace the vision of the Kingdom without considering the sacrifices, discipline, and endurance that discipleship requires. That is why Jesus said to first sit down and count the cost. Honest assessment before commitment makes all the difference. Are we mentally prepared to obey Him when it is difficult? Are we emotionally prepared to remain faithful when following Him costs us comfort, reputation, or relationships? When the cost has been counted and the commitment has been settled in the heart, the outcome is no longer in doubt. The structure is as good as built—not because the work is finished, but because the resolve to finish has already been established.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for helping me to follow you, having counted the cost. Thank you for the sufficiency of your grace. 

Wisdom_Quote: Wisdom counts the cost before making any commitments. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, come into my heart and be my Lord and Saviour for the sacrifice you made for me. 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Move forward 

[The Glory Unveiled]

And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. [ Exodus 14:15 NKJV ]

In our walk with God, we often become irresponsible without realizing it. We assume that because we are now children of God, we are no longer expected to labour or take responsibility. We expect God to place everything we need into our hands. But drawing near to God is not a call to passivity; it is a call to responsibility. It is a call to stewardship, obedience, and faithful service. There are seasons when life corners us. We find ourselves trapped by circumstances, overwhelmed by uncertainty, and tempted to cry, complain, and wait for God to do everything on our behalf. We long for Him to come down and rescue us, while He is waiting for us to keep moving in the direction of His last instruction. That was the situation of the Israelites. Behind them was the Egyptian army; before them was the Red Sea. Humanly speaking, there was nowhere to turn. Yet God’s command was simple: “Go forward.” Their predicament was not a signal to stop. It was not permission to surrender to fear. It was a call to continue walking in obedience despite impossible circumstances. God was not asking them to create a way through the sea. He was asking them to keep moving toward His promise while He made the way. The same is true for us today. Challenges are not an invitation to abandon our calling or neglect our responsibilities. They are opportunities to trust God’s faithfulness while pressing on in obedience. God expects us to keep moving—not in our own strength, but in the sufficiency of His grace. As we obey, He does what only He can do. Our responsibility is to go forward; His responsibility is to make a way.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your everyday help and the grace available for my victory. 

Wisdom_Quote: God expects us to keep going forward 

Salvation_Prayer: Lord Jesus, I surrender to you. Be my Lord and Saviour from this day forward. 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Dead to Sin

[The Glory Unveiled]

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. [ Romans 6:11 NKJV ]

Reality is often misunderstood. Many people define reality solely by what they can see, touch, smell, hear, and interact with through their physical senses. But true reality extends far beyond the limits of the natural realm. Reality is not confined to what is visible; it encompasses both the physical and the spiritual. This is why, in the beginning, God called those things which were not as though they were. Though they were not yet physically manifest, they already existed in His reality. By speaking them forth, He brought them into visible existence. What was unseen became seen because God related to the invisible as the greater reality. In our anchor text, Scripture instructs us to reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin. This is a profound spiritual truth. It does not mean that the physical realm will immediately agree with this reality. Temptations may still come. Old desires may still attempt to surface. Yet God commands us to live as though what He has declared is already true. To reckon means to count something as settled. It means to live in the consciousness of a reality that God has established, even when your senses have not yet caught up with it. It is choosing to align your thinking, speaking, and living with God’s verdict rather than with your experiences. Through the victory of Jesus Christ on the cross, the power of sin over the believer has been broken. That victory is complete and unquestionable. However, many believers fail to experience the practical reality of that victory. Not because Christ’s work was insufficient, but because they have not learned to reckon themselves as having died with Him. The reality of freedom from sin is not experienced merely by knowing that Jesus died. It is experienced by identifying with His death and embracing it as your own. As He died to sin, so must you consider yourself dead to its dominion. The key, then, is to understand the characteristics of a dead thing. A dead man does not respond to external stimuli. He is unmoved by attraction, unaffected by persuasion, and unresponsive to temptation. In the same way, God calls us to become increasingly insensitive to sin—to live as those who are no longer alive to its influence. When you begin to see yourself the way God sees you, you stop fighting for victory and start living from victory. You cease striving to become free and begin walking in the freedom Christ has already secured. Reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. What God has declared as reality, embrace as reality, and in time, what is true in the spirit will become evident in your daily walk.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the opportunity I have in Jesus to be dead to sin. 

Wisdom_Quote: You are dead to sin, live as such. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for dying in my place so that by believing in you, I might have life. I accept your lordship today. Thank you for saving me. 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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What do you see?

[The Glory Unveiled]

And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. [ Numbers 13:33 NIV ]

One profound truth about life and reality is this: people often see us the way we see ourselves—no more and no less. When Moses sent twelve spies to survey the land God had promised Israel, they all saw the same land, the same cities, and the same people. Yet when they returned, ten of them brought back a discouraging report. They said, “We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:33). Notice carefully what they said. They did not begin with how the inhabitants saw them. They began with how they saw themselves. Their sense of inferiority was not first imposed on them by others; it was born within them. They viewed themselves as small, weak, and insignificant. Then they concluded that everyone else must see them the same way. Their perception became their reality. This reveals a powerful truth: the image we carry within ourselves often determines the image we project to the world. Our beliefs, convictions, and self-perception are constantly being communicated, even when we say nothing. We mirror to others what we believe about ourselves. For this reason, the most important question is not, “What do people think about me?” The more important question is, “What do I believe about myself?” How do I see myself in the light of God’s truth? What image am I wearing beneath my words, actions, and appearance? Many people speak confidently while secretly carrying an image of defeat. Others speak of faith while inwardly seeing themselves as incapable and unworthy. But our lives eventually reveal the picture that exists in our hearts. The ten spies were defeated before they ever faced an enemy because they had already accepted defeat within themselves. Never underestimate the power of your self-perception. If you continually see yourself through the lens of fear, failure, and limitation, you will live beneath your God-given potential. But when you see yourself as God sees you—accepted, empowered, and called—you begin to walk in the confidence of that reality. What you truly believe about yourself is not hidden. It is reflected in your choices, your responses, your expectations, and ultimately, your life.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the identity you have given me in Christ. I embrace it as my true and only identity. 

Wisdom_Quote: You cannot consistently live beyond the image you carry of yourself. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus. I believer that you died for me and rose again for my justification. I accept your lordship from this day forward. 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Another of the Same 

[The Glory Unveiled]

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. [ Romans 8:15 KJV ]

The Lord Jesus promised that He would not leave His followers as orphans. Instead, He said He would send “another of the same kind” speaking of the Holy Spirit. Through the writings of the Apostle Paul, we are told that “we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear.” Before we were born again and received the Holy Spirit, we were already under the influence of a different spirit—a spirit of bondage that held us captive and kept us enslaved to fear, sin, and separation from God. But when we came to Christ, everything changed. We received another Spirit. Scripture declares, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” The Holy Spirit does not produce slavery. He produces assurance in God. More than that, we have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” Through the Holy Spirit, we have been brought into the family of God. We are no longer strangers, outsiders, or spiritual orphans. We have been accepted, embraced, and given the right to relate to God as our Father. This is our new reality in Christ, and it must become our daily consciousness. We are not children of bondage; we are children of adoption. We do not approach God as slaves trembling before a master, but as sons and daughters welcomed by a loving Father. The Holy Spirit is “another of the same.” He comes to reveal Christ, glorify Christ, and continue the work of Christ in us. He is fully God, sharing the same divine nature as the Father and the Son, yet distinct in personhood. Through Him, the presence of Jesus remains with us, and through Him, we experience the life and fellowship of God every day. Therefore, refuse to live as an orphan when you have been adopted. Refuse to live in fear when you have received the Spirit of power. Let the consciousness of your sonship silence every voice of bondage, and let the Spirit of adoption continually remind you that you belong to God.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for giving me your Spirit. 

Wisdom_Quote: The consciousness of your sonship silences the lies of the devil. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus. I believer that you died for me and rose again for my justification. I accept your lordship from this day forward. Thank you for giving me your Spirit as a seal of my salvation. 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Rest in the Almighty 

[The Glory Unveiled]

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [ Psalms 91:1NIV ]

Shelter is designed to protect people from the elements. It becomes necessary wherever people are exposed to harsh conditions such as rain, scorching sun, storms, or snow. Without shelter, exposure is inevitable; with shelter, protection is assured. In Psalm 91, the Scripture declares, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” This shows that rest is reserved for those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High. Outside the shelter there is exposure, but within the shelter there is rest. Until we come into God’s shelter, true rest will remain beyond our reach. That shelter is Jesus Christ. He shields us from the devastating reality of sin and its consequences. Apart from Him, we remain exposed to condemnation, fear, and spiritual ruin. In Him, however, we find refuge, security, and peace with God. Notice that the Psalm speaks not only of the shelter but also of the shadow of the Almighty. The shadow is enjoyed only by those who have first entered the shelter. No one can experience the shade without first coming under the roof. In the same way, the peace, comfort, and protection of God’s presence belong to those who have come to Christ and remain in Him. Jesus gives us rest from our striving and toil through His Spirit, who dwells within us and continually conforms us to His image. To dwell in the shelter of the Most High is to embrace and live in the provisions God has made available through His Son. It is to trust Him, abide in Him, and find your security in Him. Simply put, whoever has the Son is sheltered. The question, then, is not whether the shelter exists. The question is: Do you have the Son?

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the privilege to belong to you. Thank you for keeping me in your shelter. 

Wisdom_Quote: God’s rest is reserved for those who dwell in Him. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus. I believer that you died for me and rose again for my justification. I accept your lordship from this day forward. 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Remember Lot’s wife 

[The Glory Unveiled]

So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” [ Genesis 19:17 NIV ]

The instructions above were given to Lot and his household on the day God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. As they fled the city, they were commanded not to look back. The warning was clear: do not look back. Yet Lot’s wife disobeyed. “But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” (Genesis 19:26) Years later, Jesus gave a remarkable command concerning this event: “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32). Whenever the Lord tells us to remember someone, it is because there is a lesson we must never forget. The context of Jesus’ statement is significant. Just before this warning, He instructed His listeners not to return for their possessions when the day of His coming arrives. This helps us understand why Lot’s wife looked back. Her body had left Sodom, but her heart was still there. She looked back at a life she was reluctant to leave behind. She looked back at possessions, comforts, memories, and attachments that were perishing under God’s judgment. The tragedy of Lot’s wife is that she valued what she was leaving more than where God was leading her. Jesus teaches that His return will be like the days of Sodom and Gomorrah—sudden, decisive, and unexpected. On that day, those whose hearts are tied to earthly things will find it difficult to let go. But those whose hearts are fixed on Christ will not hesitate to leave everything behind to be with Him. The lesson is simple but profound: do not become so attached to what is temporary that you lose what is eternal. Let your affection be set on the Lord rather than on earthly possessions. Then, when Christ appears, your heart will move toward Him and not backward toward a world that is passing away. Remember Lot’s wife. She escaped the city, but she could not escape her attachment to it. May our hearts be so devoted to Christ that when He comes, we will gladly leave all behind and be gathered to Him.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the awareness you have brought me into by your word. Help me to depend on you always.  

Wisdom_Quote: It’s possible to escape an environment but not escape the influence of that environment. 

Salvation_Prayer: Lord Jesus, come into my heart and rule as Lord from this day forward. I rely on you for my every need. 

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.