[The Glory Unveiled]
Do not move the ancient landmark
that your fathers have set. ( Proverbs 22:28 ESV)
It is a popular saying that change is the only constant. However, there comes a time when change is unnecessary. Even though change is something we will always encounter, it often arrives when we least want it. Change is like our shadows—we cannot banish them from following us. Even when we wish to escape them, they remain with us. Similarly, change is unavoidable. As a result, we have become so accustomed to change that we often resist keeping things the same for too long. Yet, there are moments when we must avoid change—times when we must consistently pursue a singular course of action. The author of Proverbs, in our anchor Scripture, advises the current generation not to move the ancient landmarks set by their forefathers. Landmarks are established to guide and serve as reference points for navigation. Removing or altering them in the name of change can cause significant problems and misdirection. When generational landmarks are removed, future generations may lose their way in matters of history. There are instances when change is unnecessary, especially in matters that extend beyond our immediate existence and livelihood. In such times, we must disregard fleeting sentiments and unnecessary customs. When change is unwarranted, it is essential not to embrace it. If there is something God wants you to keep at consistently, don’t let go. Don’t change it even if half the world is doing something new. Be a statue if you must but remain insistent on your assignment of giving direction to others. And God will be pleased with you.
Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for the landmarks in my life. Help me not to move them against your will or distort your plans for my life and those around me.
Wisdom_Quote: When change is unnecessary don’t fight it.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Resurrection and life.
[The Glory Unveiled]
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” ( John 11:25-26 NIV )
The apostle Paul prayed, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10). Paul understood something profound about the resurrection power of Christ and longed to experience it. He desired to encounter that power. He also recognized that resurrection is only activated in the presence of death and suffering. The one who believes in Jesus lives, even though they die. Death is not the end of existence. For some, death serves as a doorway into another reality. The same apostle wrote in Romans 8:36 that he was “killed all day long” for the sake of other believers. He lived daily as if dying to himself. Jesus also instructed those who wish to follow Him to take up their cross (embrace death), deny themselves, and follow Him. Death becomes an avenue, an instrument through which the resurrection power of Christ is experienced and shared. If we live by believing in Christ Jesus, we will never die (in terms of losing our relevance and ability to replicate ourselves spiritually). When Jesus lived on earth, believing in our heavenly Father, He multiplied Himself through many others. As a result, after He died and rose again to be with the Father, many “Jesuses” remained—His products. The same is expected of us. What would you want to know more than anything else? Paul made it clear that his deepest desire was to know Christ, and he pursued this with everything in him. When Jesus spoke to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, saying, “I am the resurrection and the life,” He was demonstrating that with Him, there is no loss. If she had Jesus, she could not truly lose anything, even when it seemed lost. If you have the Resurrection and the Life on your side, you have everything you could ever want.
Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, I believe in you for my life and its sustenance. Let your name be glorified in me.
Wisdom_Quote: Death is a gateway to a new beginning.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
The help of God
[The Glory Unveiled]
With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. ( Psalms 18:29 NIV)
Help is needed where there are limitations in human strength and abilities. Since everything on earth and all that is accomplished through human effort is limited, we are in need of help. However, the help of man is often insufficient because all humans are limited. The writer of this verse in Psalms acknowledged that with the help of God, he was able to advance against a troop and scale a wall. He could do the impossible and overcome every hurdle and blockade in his way. Where human ability ends, God’s ability begins, covering all flaws and weaknesses. When the help of God comes, human weaknesses are concealed. A weak and frail man is only weak because he is not helped. When the help of God rests upon a person, the challenges and frustrations associated with humanity disappear. The help of God washed away the stain of human weakness in Moses. Moses was regarded as a god because he had the help of God. Whatever contradicts God’s plan for our lives or challenges His grace and provisions remains only because we rely on our own abilities and strength instead of the help of God. Humanity was created to depend perpetually on God. Relying on one’s own abilities or the help of man is the downfall of many. The arm of flesh always fails, rely on God’s help.
Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for the provision you have made for me in every area of my life. I receive your help daily.
Wisdom_Quote: The help of God conceals the weaknesses of men.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
A walk through fire
[The Glory Unveiled]
Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. ( Acts 28:3 NIV )
Fire is not entirely a bad master, even though it has earned that name through many people’s experiences with it. As a result, whenever we see fire, we are so eager to quench it that we have institutions set up to deal with it. However, fire in its nature is not all that bad. Fire has other wonderful purposes that only fire can fulfill. In the text above, the apostle Paul and other travelers reached a point in their journey where they had to make a fire to warm themselves. Nothing happened when Paul picked up his pile of wood, but as soon as he placed it on the fire, a snake came out because of the heat. The heat of the fire exposed what had been hiding all along. In the same way, God sometimes allows fires into our lives to purify us and reveal things we don’t even know exist. Some of us harbor habits and attitudes that are unwelcome, but we may never discover them until fire is introduced into our lives. The discomfort that fire brings will drive out everything that is not meant to remain in us. For some of us, the fires might be started by people closest to us. At other times, situations and circumstances beyond our control ignite these fires. Our willingness or unwillingness to accept the lessons that these experiences bring is what defines us. The fires and heat in your life are permitted by God for a reason. The fires in our lives are there on assignment. When the same Paul complained of a thorn in his flesh, God, who could have taken it away, didn’t. Instead, He said His grace was sufficient for Paul and that His strength is made perfect in weakness. God didn’t remove the thorn because it was serving a purpose in Paul’s life. So, when we walk through fire, we must understand that God is taking us on an assignment. You will come out with a glorious testimony.
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your love for me. Thank you for the fire you allow into my life to refine me and prepare me for what you are about to do. In Jesus’ name.
Wisdom_Quote: Many life assignments are discovered after taking the walk through fire.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Food for the matured
[The Glory Unveiled]
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. [ Hebrews 5:14 NIV ]
Babies do not start eating solid food from the moment they are born. Initially, they are fed milk and then gradually weaned off it. Solid food is introduced little by little until they can eat it without any difficulty. Similarly, the writer of Hebrews explains that the solid food of God’s Word—the deeper truths—is meant for the mature. These individuals have reached maturity through their consistent use of this solid food. The more they consume it, the more they are equipped to distinguish between good and evil. Through constant practice, their senses are trained to discern between what is right and wrong. No one becomes an expert at anything by doing it occasionally. A mature believer is someone who continually feeds on the solid food of God’s Word. Through consistent practice, they are able to discern things without necessarily experiencing them. In contrast, a baby believer encounters trouble and falls into it because they lack the ability to distinguish what is harmful to their spiritual health. Believers develop their spiritual senses through practice. No one automatically knows what they need to know without learning. This principle applies to believers as well. We must continually nourish our souls with the knowledge of Christ, meditating on God’s Word day and night until we become one with it.
Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for drawing me into the experience of the word.
Wisdom_Quote: Solid food is for the mature.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Diligence with Christ.
[The Glory Unveiled]
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, [ Colossians 2:6 NIV ]
Consistency is the hallmark of champions. Nobody is celebrated for starting something but failing to finish it. Likewise, no one is called an expert unless they are known for practicing and achieving results in the area attributed to them. Many people think they are believers simply because they once believed. However, it is not enough to acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and Savior on paper. Is He also your Shepherd? Are you walking with Him daily? The reality is that we enter into union with Jesus when we diligently continue in our walk with Him. No one accepts Christ and instantly comes into complete union (oneness) with Him. It requires journeying with Him to understand His heart and align with His will. Moses, the prophet of God, was an Israelite like any other ordinary Israelite. He studied the basic doctrines as they all did. However, he was set apart when he began walking with God. As he deliberately journeyed with God into the deep secrets of His will, Moses came to know more than anyone else. This did not happen merely because he chose to accept God as his Savior and then became passive. He made a conscious effort to walk with God. This effort is reflected in our actions and words—the choices we make that draw others away from sin. As we are drawn deeper into union with Christ, we reach a point where it becomes difficult to distinguish between Christ and ourselves. This is when we and others can say we are in union with Christ.
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the grace to continue walking with you diligently until I’m lost in You.
Wisdom_Quote: Consistency is the trademark of champions
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Opened Eyes
[The Glory Unveiled]
Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. [ Pslams 119:18NIV ]
There are wonderful things in God’s law, but only perceived by “opened eyes”. No matter the wonders in the law of God, they can only be seen by those whose eyes have been opened to it. We might assume that our eyes are opened whenever we study the Scriptures but it may not always be the case. Elisha’s servant, for instance, had his eyes wide open when they were surrounded by angelic beings, but he did not see them until Elisha prayed for his eyes to be opened. Thus, the servant thought he was seeing clearly until his eyes were opened to a different dimension of reality (2 Kings 6:17). There are indeed different dimensions of reality we can interact with. Paul the Apostle, before his encounter on the road to Damascus and subsequent conversion, believed he knew everything he needed to know. Based on that limited knowledge, he was seeing from a narrow reference point. However, after his encounter, he realized how little he truly knew and that there was a Savior he had not yet met. Later, in his letter to the Ephesians, this same apostle prayed that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened (Ephesians 1:18). Having experienced this transformation, he could now see beyond the written words and desired his audience to also perceive beyond their immediate environment and limited perspectives. The Psalmist similarly asked God to open his eyes so that he might see the wondrous things in God’s law. All the individuals mentioned above, along with many others in Scripture, only perceived these wonderful things when their spiritual eyes were opened. Our walk with God will not truly change until our eyes are opened to the spirit behind the Word of God that we read and hear. There is so much more behind God’s Word than what meets the eyes.
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the wonders of your word. Let it make me a wonder as it changes me.
Wisdom_Quote: There are different layers of reality the eyes can interact with.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Turn Aside
[The Glory Unveiled]
And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. [ Exodus 3:3 KJV ]
Whenever we turn away from everything else to focus solely on what God is doing, we begin to have encounters. Divine encounters are often set within divine sceneries or sent to us in moments of unconsciousness. If only we can turn aside, there is so much God would reveal to us. Peter, the disciple, was an experienced fisherman. But one night, when he couldn’t catch anything, Jesus asked him to do something his experience would have advised against. However, Peter turned away from his experience and followed the instruction of God. The result was incredibly astonishing. Some of us are so fixated on one thing that we fail to see what else God is doing. The same Peter once saw Jesus walking on water and wondered how it could be possible. He asked Jesus to invite him to come if it was truly Him. When Peter turned his eyes away from the wind and the waves and fixed them on Jesus, he walked on water. Many times, it is not a matter of what God can do or will do; it is a matter of what we are willing to turn aside to. That willingness is the doorway into the wonderful expressions of God; it is the entry point into a deeper walk with Him. Moses, in our anchor text, said to himself, “I will turn aside and see this great sight.” That desire to see the sight triggered the encounter he had with God. A willingness to turn aside to a trigger will result in an encounter. God might be beckoning on your heart for an encounter with Him. Will you turn aside to the trigger?
Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for coming into my heart and giving me opportunity to be a child of God. Show me deeper depth in God. Amen.
Wisdom_Quote: Divine encounters are mounted on divine sceneries.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Light your Lamp
[The Glory Unveiled]
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? [ Luke 15:8 NIV ]
The value we place on things determines the effort and sacrifices we are willing to make for them. If an item can easily be replaced, we are unlikely to bother looking for it when it goes missing. In the scripture verse under consideration, the figurative woman loses one coin out of ten. She doesn’t dismiss its loss, reasoning that she still has nine others. Instead, she implements an elaborate strategy to find what was lost. She employs three techniques in her search. First, she lights a lamp. She recognizes that she cannot see anything in the dark. Even if the coin were right in front of her, she wouldn’t have been able to see it without light. Similarly, many of the things we have lost remain missing simply because there is no light or not enough light. Light is symbolic of the word of God. When the light of God is introduced, illumination occurs. This woman lights a lamp to aid her vision. Next, she sweeps the house. One might wonder about the purpose of this action. Sweeping is intended to gather everything together, allowing whatever lies on the floor to be collected and moved to a specific location. At this stage, the coin might be swept along with unwanted debris, but it is part of the gathered items nonetheless. This is where the third technique comes into play: carefully searching through the collected debris. At this point, she meticulously sifts through the waste, discarding the unwanted and retrieving every useful item. It is during this careful search that she is most likely to find the missing coin. Here, too, she faces a choice: she could rush through the process or take her time and search thoroughly until she finds what she is looking for. Is there anything missing in your life? You need a lamp—God’s word. You need to sweep by studying the scriptures thoroughly and applying their teachings. Finally, you need to take careful, practical steps to do what must be done.
Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for not abandoning me when I sinned and broke your heart. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus after me to save me. Restore every lost glory and blessing in Jesus.
Wisdom_Quote: In the kingdom of God, finding a lamp is the first step to finding what is lost.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
The believer’s receipt
[The Glory Unveiled]
Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” [ Luke 18:42 NKJV ]
When you buy from any respectable enterprise, you are issued a receipt—evidence of your purchase. No receipt is issued unless a transaction has taken place. This means that anytime money exchanges hands in a transactional situation, a receipt is expected. If no transaction occurs, no receipt will be issued. In the Kingdom of God, we transact business with faith and receive answers as the receipt. Hence, anytime faith is given [released], answers must be returned as the receipt—evidence of a transaction. The blind man in our anchor verse, who regained his sight, was a man with knowledge about who Jesus was. In the preceding verses, he referred to Jesus as the Son of David, while the onlookers who had physical sight referred to Him as Jesus of Nazareth. This man called upon the mercy of God through Jesus, the Son of David, because he understood the significance of the sure mercies of David. However, his knowledge alone did not restore his sight. Although he had a deep understanding of who Jesus was, knowledge alone did not heal him. But when he added faith to his knowledge, he received his sight. His knowledge activated his faith, which in turn made a demand on the Healer’s gift. When faith made the demand (payment), a receipt had to be issued to him. Thus, he was given the receipt of healing. The receipt of your healing is waiting for the demand of your faith.
Prayer_Bead: Father , thank you for the gift of your Son. I receive the receipt of my faith as I make daily demands of my faith.
Wisdom_Quote: The believer’s receipt for the demand of their faith is miracle.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.