Category: Faith

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Behind the blood 

[The Glory Unveiled]

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! [ John 1:29 NKJV ]

You would think that the plagues that came upon Egypt affected only the Egyptians—and, for the first nine plagues, that was almost entirely the case. But the tenth plague was different. Death visited both the Egyptians and the Israelites. That night, the firstborn of both man and beast in Egypt died. Equally, in the homes of the Israelites, a lamb had to die. Something or someone died in both homes. God instructed the Israelites to kill a lamb and apply its blood to the doorposts of their houses, so that when the spirit of death passed through the land, it would pass over every household covered by the blood. This reveals a profound picture of the gospel. The wages of sin is death, and death must visit humanity because sin has given it a rightful claim. None of us can escape the consequence of sin by our own merit or righteousness. But God provided His Lamb to die in our place. His blood covers us and removes the reason for which we deserved to die. Therefore, the one who hides under the blood of the Lamb of God does not die because the Lamb has died in his stead. Jesus takes our place so that death passes over us—not because we are without sin, but because we are covered by His blood. Ultimately, there are only two sides to this divide. You either face death as an Egyptian, exposed in your sin and rebellion, or you take refuge under the blood of the Lamb. Either way, you will fall at one end of the divide: as one exposed to death, or as one hidden behind the curtains of the Lamb’s blood.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the privilege to belong to the side of the Lamb of God. 

Wisdom_Quote: The Lamb of God takes away your death sentence or you embrace it. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, I surrender to your lordship. Come into my heart and be my Saviour. 

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Hold your peace

[The Glory Unveiled]

The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” [ Exodus 14:14 NKJV ]

Battles are fought because there is no peace. And different battles require different kinds of fights and strategies. But when God fights on behalf of a person, the battle is won before it is even fought. When God takes over our battles, He does so in a way that calls us to exchange our fears for faith. We no longer have to carry the burden ourselves, because God has taken responsibility for the fight. But there is a caveat: whenever God fights on our behalf, He requires us to stand in faith and not in fear. Fear is a statement of unbelief. It is a voice that says God is unable to fight for us, that His power is insufficient, or that we must save ourselves. Faith, however, rests in the assurance that the God who has taken up our cause is both able and faithful. The first thing we must understand, however, is that God fights for those who know Him as God and revere Him as such. He takes over our battles because we have become His own, and what belongs to Him becomes His responsibility. When God takes over, our responsibility is not to fight in our own strength but to rest in His ability, His wisdom, and His faithfulness. And perhaps one of the clearest signs that God is fighting for us is that we can experience peace even while standing on the battlefield. The battle may still be raging around us, but something within us is settled because we know who is fighting for us. When God takes over the battle, our greatest evidence of His presence is not always the absence of conflict, but the presence of peace in the midst of it.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for fighting my battles for me because you are my Lord and I am your responsibility.  

Wisdom_Quote: When God fights your battle, you experience peace. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, I surrender to Your lordship. Forgive my sin and save me from sin and its wages. 

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Are you standing firm?

[The Glory Unveiled]

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! [ 1 Corinthians 10:12 NIV ]

Our self-image and perception are drivers of our decisions and life choices. Because we often look at life through the lens of our skewed perceptions, we sometimes fail to see things as they truly are. We can deceive ourselves into believing things about ourselves that are simply not true. Before Scripture warns us to be careful not to fall when we think we are standing, it gives us a list of people who came before us and the mistakes they made as a result of their complacency. When we think everything is alright with us, we stop looking out for what might be wrong. We no longer anticipate that anything could go wrong, neither are we watchful over ourselves. Those who came before us fell because they thought they were standing firm. But anything that is not standing in Jesus will eventually fall. The safety net, therefore, is to recognise that we can fall at any time and that we consistently need the help of Jesus. We can never become independent of Jesus in our walk with Him. At no point can we afford to rely solely on our own strength, wisdom, or perception. Even when we think we are standing firm, we can fall the moment we take our eyes off Jesus.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for anchoring me in your Son Jesus. 

Wisdom_Quote: Anything not standing on Jesus eventually falls. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, I surrender to you. Be my Saviour and Lord. 

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Pray

[The Glory Unveiled]

Pray without ceasing, [ 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV ]

In the Garden of Eden, we see the heart of God for fellowship with man. Scripture records that God came walking in the garden in the cool of the day. He had created man to dwell in the garden, cultivate it, and care for it, but beyond the assignment was relationship. God desired to commune with the man He had created. He came to meet with him, to speak with him, and to fellowship with him. But in the New Testament, God has made an even greater provision for continuous and unbroken fellowship. He has given us the Holy Spirit as our ever-present communion with God. Unlike in Eden, where God came to the garden at a particular time, we now carry His presence with us. We have around-the-clock access to communion with God. We do not have to wait for God to come by; by the Holy Spirit, we can fellowship with Him at any moment. This is why Scripture says, “Pray without ceasing.” The instruction is possible because the provision has already been made. We pray without ceasing by remaining in constant communion with the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us according to the will of God. As we cooperate with Him, He gives expression to our deepest desires, burdens, and intentions before God. The Holy Spirit, therefore, makes fellowship with God a moment-by-moment reality. At any time, in any place, we can turn our hearts towards God, hear His voice, receive His direction, and actively live according to His will. So, will you pray without ceasing—not merely as a religious duty, but as a response to the provision God has already made? Will you yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to pray through you as you cooperate with Him? Do not wait for a special moment to fellowship with God. Pray without ceasing.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the grace through your Spirit for me to pray without ceasing.  

Wisdom_Quote: Ceaseless prayer is praying through the Holy Spirit. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, I submit my will to you, have your way in my life and let your life overshadow mine. 

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When Grace Speaks

[The Glory Unveiled]

So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” [ Luke 18:40-41 NKJV ]

The blind man in this verse of Scripture had the name “blind Bartimaeus” inscribed into his identity because of his crisis. It was not by his choice, but his condition took the front seat of his identity. Over time, people could only recognise him when he was described as “blind Bartimaeus.” His condition became so closely associated with him that it seemed to define who he was. But the interesting thing about Bartimaeus is that he did not embrace his predicament as his final destination. He lived in the realm of possibility even when his situation was screaming, “Impossible!” And because he lived in this realm, he was able to recognise possibility when it passed by. He recognised Jesus as his possibility when others saw Him merely as a teacher. It was this recognition that caused Bartimaeus to call Him, “Son of David.” The moment he recognised Jesus as his solution, the voice of grace spoke on his behalf, even when his environment wanted to drown it out. The commanding voice of grace silences the opposition, restrains the accusations of accusers, and mutes the voice of judgement. Grace speaks where human voices condemn, and grace creates access where circumstances have established limitations. But grace speaks in such situations when there is recognition. The question, therefore, is not merely, “Who is Jesus?” but, “Who is Jesus to you personally?” Not who He is generally, but who He is to you. That is what matters, and that is what makes all the difference. Because when you recognise Jesus for who He is to you, you position yourself to experience what only He can do. And when grace speaks, gates open, impossible becomes possible.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your speaking grace in my life. 

Wisdom_Quote: Grace speaks when Jesus is recognized 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, I yield my heart and soul to you. Be my Saviour and Lord. 

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God finishes before He starts 

[The Glory Unveiled]

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’ [ Isaiah 45:10 NIV ]

In the verse before our anchor text, God refers to Himself as God, declaring that there is no other and that there is none like Him. There is no God like Yahweh. He then gives us one of the many reasons why. He declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient times He declares things that are not yet done. He declares that His counsel shall stand, and that He will accomplish all His pleasure. God does all that He pleases, and He does not begin something without already knowing its end. He finishes before He starts. Therefore, when we see God begin something in the life of a person or in the world, it is because He has already seen its end. What appears to us as a beginning is not a beginning to God; it is the unfolding of something He has already purposed and seen through to its conclusion. We see something of this in the creation of man. In Genesis 1:26–27, God declares, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” Then, in Genesis 2:7, we see Him form man from the dust of the ground. The declaration came before the formation. God had already established His purpose before He carried it out. This is why man’s disobedience was not a surprise to God. He had already seen it before it happened, and He had made provision for it. The fall did not catch God unprepared, because redemption was already within His eternal purpose. God does not begin with uncertainty. He begins with the end in view. And this should give you confidence concerning your own life. God has already seen the end of what He has started in you. What you are experiencing may be a process to you, but it is not an unknown to God. He knows where He is taking you. He knows what He is producing in you. He knows the purpose behind every season. You may not understand everything He is doing, but you can trust the One who does. His counsel will stand. His purpose will prevail. So, trust His plan. Trust His wisdom. Trust His timing. And above all, enjoy His love.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for perfecting and completing everything in my life. 

Wisdom_Quote: God has finished anything He’s starting in you. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I welcome you into my heart. Be my Saviour and Lord forever. 

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God’s little children 

[The Glory Unveiled]

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. [ 1 John 4:4 NKJV ]

This world is not a place for little children. According to Scripture, little children are not merely those who are biologically young, but those who are still young in their relationship with God. Spiritual immaturity leaves a person vulnerable in a world that is hostile to the purposes of God. In this sense, Adam and Eve were relationally immature. Knowing this, God did not leave them to navigate the world on their own. Instead, He planted a garden—a specially prepared environment—and placed them there. Yet even within the safety of the garden, the serpent found an opportunity to tempt them, for although the garden was distinct from the world, it was still situated within it. Their environment could not substitute for spiritual maturity. Our advantage in Christ is far greater. The Scriptures declare, “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” The indwelling life of Christ is our victory over the world’s temptations. As we cultivate an ever-deepening relationship with Him, His life becomes the strength by which we resist the world’s influence and overcome its systems. A person who has no relationship with Jesus has no true resistance against the world. Such a life is easily swept along by its pleasures, pressures, and demands. This fallen world is filled with relentless temptation and spiritual devastation. But those who depend on God and continually grow in fellowship with Him are strengthened to overcome the world, its systems, and its temptations. Victory is not found in human resolve but in abiding in Christ, whose life within us triumphs over everything that seeks to draw us away from God.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for making me your child and helping me to grow in my relationship with you. 

Wisdom_Quote: A relationship with Jesus is our true resistance against the world.

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of salvation that makes me a child of God. 

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Resting in Jesus

[The Glory Unveiled]

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. [ Hebrews 11:6 NIV ]

God created us for His pleasure—to reflect and reveal the richness of His multifaceted glory and attributes. Yet sin marred our souls, separating us from the very purpose for which we were made. And then the blood of Jesus was shed for our redemption. This raises a profound question: Why was the shedding of the blood of His beloved Son necessary? Why did redemption require the blood of the One most precious to the Father? At the baptism of Jesus, recorded in the Gospel according to Matthew, a voice from heaven declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” In that moment, among all of humanity, represented by those there, the Father singled out only one in whom He found perfect pleasure—His beloved Son. No one else could stand before Him with that same testimony. Apart from the Son, no one can please God. We become pleasing to the Father only as we are found in Christ. The apostle Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.” Our confidence, therefore, is not in the strength of our own faith but in the perfect faithfulness of the Son. As we rest in Him and trust in His finished work, we are accepted before the Father and share in the Son’s beloved standing. In this light, Hebrews 11:6 means, the faith that ultimately brings us into God’s pleasure is not confidence in ourselves or in our own works, but a life anchored in Christ and wholly dependent upon Him—in His faith. Our acceptance before God rests not on the merit of our performance but on the sufficiency of His Son. Therefore, cease striving to earn the Father’s approval through your own works or the measure of your own faith. Rest in the Son. Place your trust in Him, in His perfect faithfulness, and in His finished work. In Christ, the Father finds His pleasure—and all who are united to Him by faith are received as beloved.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the faith of your Son that makes me your beloved. 

Wisdom_Quote: Faith in the faith of the sSon of God brings pleasure to God. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, I accept your sacrifice that made a way for me to please the father. Come into my heart and be my Lord.  

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Spiritually aware 

[The Glory Unveiled]

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” [ 2 Kings 6:16 NKJV ]

In our journey with God, spiritual maturity brings us to a place of deeper awareness. We become increasingly sensitive. We begin to discern the realities that exist beyond what our natural eyes can see. Awareness changes the dynamics of every situation, whether physical or spiritual and produces confidence and stability. This was the posture of Elisha when the Syrian army surrounded him and his servant. While his servant saw only the threat before them, Elisha saw a different reality. He was not shaken, he was not overwhelmed, and he was not consumed by panic. He remained calm because his confidence was not rooted in the strength of his circumstances but in the power and presence of God. Elisha was settled in one truth: God’s ability to deliver was greater than the enemy’s ability to threaten. When his servant became afraid, Elisha did not simply tell him, “Do not fear.” He gave him a reason: “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them”. Elisha understood that the greatest battle was not the army surrounding them; it was the fear that had surrounded the heart of his servant. Fear has a way of distorting reality. It magnifies what is against us and blinds us to what God has made available to us. The protection of God is not sustained by the absence of challenges but by the presence of faith in the midst of challenges. Elisha’s instruction was not merely a command to avoid an emotion; it was a call to recognise a greater reality. When we become aware of who God is, where He stands, and what He has made available to us, our response to life changes. We stop reacting to threats and start resting in God’s presence. We stop being intimidated by what surrounds us because we have become conscious of the One who surrounds us.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your continual protection and guidance in my life. 

Wisdom_Quote: Fear tears away your wall of protection. 

Salvation_Prayer: Dear Jesus, please come into my heart and be my Lord. I accept your lordship and salvation. 

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God will answer 

[The Glory Unveiled]

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. [ Psalms 91:15 NKJV ]

There is a kind of person whose cry God answers. When they call upon Him, He responds. He is with them in trouble, delivers them, honours them, and ultimately satisfies them with His salvation. This truth should cause us to pause and reflect, because it also reveals that God does not respond to everyone in the same way. Not every voice that calls upon Him is heard in the manner that receives these covenant promises. Many people pray every day, yet Scripture reveals that only some kind of people enjoy the fullness of His response. God is not moved by desperation alone; He is moved by hearts that are rightly positioned before Him.The preceding verse uncovers the foundation of these promises: “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him” (Psalm 91:14). Every promise that follows—including answered prayer, divine presence in trouble, deliverance, honour, long life, and salvation—rests upon this one condition: a heart that is steadfastly set upon God. To set your love upon the Lord is to make Him your greatest affection, highest pursuit, and deepest delight. It is to value Him above His gifts, to seek His presence above His provision, and to remain devoted to Him whether life is easy or difficult. Such a person has God’s attention. Their prayers carry weight because their hearts belong to Him. Instead of merely crying to God when trouble arises, let us first cultivate a life that is deeply in love with Him. When our hearts are set upon the Lord, we position ourselves within the pathway of His covenant promises. Then, when we call, He answers. When we are in trouble, He is with us. When we need deliverance, He delivers. And when He acts, He does so with honour and everlasting salvation.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for helping me to set my love upon you in all things. 

Wisdom_Quote: A heart set upon God is a life owned by God.  

Salvation_Prayer: Lord Jesus, come into my heart and save my soul. I surrender to you today and forever.