Category: Faith

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The mark of Waiting

[The Glory Unveiled]

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. [ Isaiah 40:31 KJV ]

Waiting on God is an act that describes the posture of our hearts. It exposes and reveals the true desires of a person and their willingness or unwillingness to allow God’s will to supersede their own desires. Waiting on God means to come into agreement with God. It means to submit to the will of God and conform completely with His plans. It is usually called for when we have options and opportunities to do other things apart from what God would have us do. Joseph faced the option to sleep with Potiphar’s wife or stay away from her. The latter was God’s will for him. However, he had the opportunity to do anything; he was free to choose which side he would take. When Joseph chose to align with God, he waited on Him. The Lord Jesus, in His final moments before the cross, came to the crossroads; a place where He had to choose whether to drink from the cup of suffering and death or to let it pass. The perfect will of God was for Him to drink from it. In those moments, He had to choose to wait on God and align with Him. So, He prayed that the cup would pass, but not His will, but God’s will be done. That was the turning point and true meaning of waiting on God: aligning with Him. After we have aligned with God’s will, there is a provision for us, and our strength is renewed. We become strong and equipped to do exploits. Waiting on God makes tremendous power available to us. Waiting on God does not mean being inactive or dormant. It is rather a time of intentionality and purpose. It is a time of surrendering to the plan of God when our plan is out of sync with God’s plan. It means putting aside every other option and choosing the will of God regardless of other alternatives. When we do, we later find that God’s plan was the master plan. This is the time to surrender our will to God’s will.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the grace to wait on you. Thank you for the strength that is made available.

Wisdom_Quote: Waiting on God is not a delay avenue but a strategic route to glory.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Prepared to witness

[The Glory Unveiled]

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. [ 1 Peter 3:15 NIV ]

Failure becomes inevitable when preparation is sidelined. Success does not embrace everyone; it has a special affinity for diligence. As we learned some days ago, nothing can stand the test of time without structures and foundations to support it. For the believer, one such structure and foundation needed to support or host certain realities of God is reverence for Christ. Unless we have true reverence for the Lord, we cannot sustain any worthwhile existence in Him. This foundation gives us hope and confidence in God, a kind of confidence and hope that the world cannot understand. As a result, the world will ask us to give the reason for the hope that we have. The problem is that some believers have this hope, but when asked to give their reason, they are unable to. To give the right answer for the reason we have this hope, we need to prepare for it. Teaching must be done methodically and intentionally, guided by the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God is so wide and deep that it cannot be encompassed by the cunningness of men. We must be prepared to give others the reason for our hope in Christ, and the method to employ is gentleness and respect. We may communicate our reasons, but if not well communicated, they will not help our hearers. Your reason for hoping in Christ could be sincere and true, but how you share it with others can defeat its verity. You could have all the hope in Christ, but that hope can only give hope to others when we share it with gentleness and respect from a place of wisdom. So, give your answers with respect and gentleness.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for the hope you have given me in you. As I share with my world, give me the wisdom to go about it. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: Our relationship with others is mapped on the canvas of our reverence for Christ.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The waiting room

[The Glory Unveiled ]

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. [ Psalms 37:7 NIV ]

There are certain things that cannot be heard except in quietness. The Lord acts on behalf of man when they are still and know that He is God. For example, God acted on behalf of Adam when he was asleep (still). To be still, therefore, means to rest in God’s love, mercy, and provision. It is a confident assurance that God will do more than we are worried about and struggling to do on our own. He will act on our behalf when we come to the end of ourselves. The end of man is when he is still, when he cannot help himself but rests in God for whatever it is he would have wanted. When we are still and waiting for God, we trust Him to do the best for us. But the thing is, God’s waiting room has back doors—where people can get all they want without waiting patiently for God. But those who remain still and wait for Him get rest for their souls. If we are truly waiting for God, we will not fret when ungodly men and women succeed while our success seems to delay. In waiting for the Lord, we do not look to anyone else’s dealings or experiences with the Lord; we relate with the Lord as individuals with our focus on Him alone. We look to God as a servant looks to his master for help. We do not wait in agitation and hasty anticipation. We wait patiently in stillness, in absolute trust in God. And while waiting, even when we see others taking the easy way out and are tempted to go their way, we will not follow their example. We will remain undisturbed by their testimonies. We will wait until it is our turn on God’s calendar. Don’t fret; be still and wait patiently for God, trusting in His faithfulness.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the grace to wait for you in stillness. I am not disturbed by those going on ahead of me. I wait patiently for your timing for me. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: If you are truly waiting for God, you will be patient and still.

#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; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. [ Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV ]

It is possible to trust someone regarding certain things and not trust them regarding others. In this verse of Scripture, we are encouraged to trust in the Lord with all of our hearts, not just part of them. Not trusting God with all of our hearts means not trusting Him fully. It means trusting Him with certain parts of our lives, in certain things, but excluding others from His trust. To trust in God with all of our hearts means we should not lean on our own understanding, but on the wisdom of God. Many times, when faced with situations, we tend to lean on our understanding, experiences, skills, and emotions rather than on God’s faithfulness and compassion. It is easier to think that what we know and the skills we have are enough to get us out of the daily challenges we face. Peter, the disciple, thought the same too. He toiled all night, relying on his skills and talents. Yet, all night his skills couldn’t yield the results he desired. The Scripture says, “In all our ways we should submit to God, and He will make our paths straight.” As believers, no aspect of our lives should be excluded from the influence and control of God. He is not only Lord over our souls but also over our bodies and possessions. When Achan disobeyed God, the punishment came over everything he owned, even his cattle. God is Lord over everything we own and everything must be submitted to Him in reverence. God is trustworthy. We can take the burdens off our necks by depending on God in everything. Report everything to God, and He will give you rest.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your faithfulness. As I walk in total dependence on you, make my path successful according to your word.

Wisdom_Quote: God wants all of our hearts.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The conditions

[The Glory Unveiled ]

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. [ 2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV ]

God does not hear us, forgive us, or heal us just because we are His people. God is guided by His word and influenced by our actions, which reflect our heart posture. In this verse of scripture, God says He will only listen to His people and forgive them on the condition that they humble themselves and seek Him, turning from their wicked ways. Some people flaunt their sonship like a magic wand before God. They think that belonging to the family of God means they have God at their beck and call. But God cannot be leashed to our ego and ignorance. How God relates to us is dependent on certain conditions. When those conditions are met, certain dimensions and attributes of God are dispensed. Thus, it is not necessarily about theatrics but about meeting the right protocols. The first course for a life recognized by heaven is humility. Humility is the foundation upon which other divine possibilities are expressed. It creates the avenue for growth, as we cannot achieve or receive anything worthwhile from God except through humility. This is why He gives grace to the humble but opposes the proud (James 4:6). In the place of prayer, the only attitude that is admitted and yields wonderful possibilities is humility. So, before we pray for God to hear us and heal our land, we need to humble ourselves and pray. A lack of a prayer life is arrogance. Having a consistent prayer life is a sign of humility, a sign that we trust God to help us. On the contrary, not praying means we feel self-sufficient, which is the blueprint of arrogance. God is willing to hear us, but are we willing to humble ourselves under His mighty power?

Prayer_Bead: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your patience and love. Help me to humble myself under your mighty power. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Humility is the door that ushers in the help of God.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Our perfect example

[The Glory Unveiled]

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. [ Hebrews 12:2 KJV ]

Many times, to succeed in various endeavors, we need to look to or imitate those who are successful in those areas. In our walk with God, there is no better example for us to look to than Jesus. His life demonstrated faith as He lived to show us what faith means. Through Him, we could understand what it means to have faith. This is why He is the author of faith. But He is not only the beginning or foundation of faith; He is also the embodiment of it. He is the fullness of it—the finisher. Another thing we learn from Jesus is that He endured the cross. The cross is a symbol of suffering and pain, but Jesus kept His eyes beyond the cross. He was looking at the joy that the cross would bring to the world, converting sinful men to righteous souls before God. This joy of turning hearts to God urged Him on to the death of the cross. To endure the cross, He made deliberate efforts; He despised the shame of the cross. He regarded it as negligible and saw it as worthless in comparison to what was at the end of that suffering. Our perfect example has shown us the way to the throne of God, revealing that the reward system of God is a journey through the highway of the cross. Anyone who would sit with God must first bear the sufferings of the cross, a suffering for the sake of Jesus. In the times we find ourselves, we need to look to Jesus now more than ever before. We need to see Jesus’ pattern to follow, so that we can find green pasture for our souls.

Prayer_Bead: Father, we thank you for giving us a complete example of faith. Help our faith to grow into the stature of Jesus’.

Wisdom_Quote: Jesus is the complete example and fullness of faith.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Don’t withdraw, go deeper

[The Glory Unveiled]

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. [ Luke 5:4 KJV ]

Peter had always been fishing at a particular spot in the lake and had always caught fish. He was so familiar with that part of the lake that he was sure he would always find fish at that spot. But then, the Lord Jesus’ instructions suggested that He knew where the fish were at all times, not because He had prior experience with their whereabouts. Many of us have built altars around certain experiences and encounters and have religiously stayed with them, not wanting to let go so that God could bring us into newer experiences. Peter, at the mountain of transfiguration, after he had seen Moses and Elijah, suggested they should build tents in their honor. He didn’t want a progressive experience; he wanted to freeze the moment and keep returning to it, just as he had been doing with his fishing. God’s intention is for us to grow into the stature of the image of Jesus (Ephesians 4:13). This becoming is the result of not camping on one mountain of experience but using previous encounters and experiences as the stage for newer ones. Peter and the other disciples had wanted to withdraw after toiling all night, but Jesus came with a new revelation: to go deeper into the depths of the lake. He was used to shallow waters, but the thing about shallow waters is that they soon run dry of fish. As believers, we must move from the elementary principles and teachings toward the deeper waters. Let’s not give up, regardless of the pressure mounted on us by the world. Let us launch deep into the heart of our walk with God. There we will be set up for a great draught. Make intentional efforts to know Christ better than you presently know Him.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for your interest in the affairs of my life. Help me to launch into deep waters with you. In Jesus name.

Wisdom_Quote: Your fishes have moved to the deeper depths of the lake launch deeper.

# GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The Holy Spirit and your gift

[The Glory Unveiled]

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. [ 2 Timothy 1:6 NIV ]

Every fire that is left unattended smothers and quenches. Even if it does not quench, a fire left unattended cannot cook anything. The gift of God, though in us, must be fanned into flames like fire. It is possible for a coal of fire to grow so dim that one could literally carry it in their palm and not feel much heat. But when that same dying coal is fanned into flames, it can burn up anything it comes into contact with. It is the same with the gifts of God in us. It may feel like there is nothing in us when it is in a dormant state, but when fanned into flames, we can set cities on fire for God. But the question then is, how do we fan our gifts into flame? What do we need to do? Two things are necessary to fan our gifts into flames. Simply put, we need the Holy Spirit and practical activities. We need to be constantly in touch with the Holy Spirit to maintain the fire in the gift He gives. The apostle Paul goes on in verse 14 to advise young Timothy to guard the deposit of the gift in him by the help of the Holy Spirit: “Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” The role of the Holy Spirit is unavoidable. Additionally, we need to keep practicing or putting our gifts to use. That way they are stirred and made ever vibrant like flames. It is in the practice of putting the gift to use that it stays awake. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot guard what is in us, and without demonstrating love with the gift, we cannot fan it into flames.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift you gave me by Your Spirit. Help me to fan my gifts into flames so that I can serve my world with them.

Wisdom_Quote: Gestures of love is the fan with which we turn up the flames of our gifts.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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The realm of the Spirit.

[The Glory Unveiled]

Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. [ Romans 8:8 NIV]

As believers, although we live in the physical realm, we can transact business in the realm of the spirit. Faith gives us this access into the realm of the supernatural. No wonder Jesus said a time was coming when we would worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). In spirit means in faith, as faith is the gateway into the spirit realm. Worshiping in truth, on the other hand, means worshiping by the word of God. It means pledging our allegiance to God’s word. Now, if living in the realm of the spirit means living by faith, then the realm of the flesh is the realm of living without faith. Our anchor text says those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. If those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God, then those in the realm of the flesh are those who are without faith in God—without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). We cannot deceive God; our position and posture in relation to God are revealed by the absence or presence of faith. God is looking for worshippers who will worship in spirit and in truth. And even though we may fake our worship before men, God sees our faith and our allegiance to the truth we have encountered. When situations and circumstances arise, are we able to still defend what we believe? It is not enough to profess our allegiance and devotion to God. It is the challenging times that reveal where our hearts lie. The realm of the flesh is the place of unbelief, the place of disagreeing with God’s purposes. May we not be caught in the realm of the flesh, displeasing our Father in heaven. But rather trust in the Lord and in His word.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the grace to walk with you in spirit. Help me to still choose you when the wind of the flesh blows. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: The realm of the spirit is the realm of faith.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

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Fish and Bread.

[The Glory Unveiled]

When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. [ John 21:9 NIV ]

After the death of Jesus, the disciples returned to their old ways. One day, Peter told the rest that he was going out to fish, and they followed him. They went out in search of fish, but they caught none. After toiling all night and feeling despair, the Lord Jesus, who had just overpowered death, came to their rescue. He directed them on how to catch the fish. Here again, he taught Peter a second time how to catch fish. The lesson is that you don’t catch fish because you are a fisherman or experienced in fishing; you catch fish with direction and discernment. Jesus wasn’t a fisherman, but he knew where the fish were in the water at a particular time. Meanwhile, a man who had been fishing all his life couldn’t tell. Fish are not attracted to nets; they are attracted to the directives of God. On the other hand, what the disciples had spent all night toiling for was already with Jesus. Not only that, but it had already been prepared and was ready for consumption. Many of our life struggles and toils are unnecessary. We struggle because we try to do life without Jesus, or because we feel certain things in our lives are exclusive to Jesus. Meanwhile, Jesus wants to help us in every area of our lives. Make Him Lord over everything in your life. When the disciples landed from the boat, bread and fish were already with Jesus, awaiting their return. Instead of going out to the tempestuous sea of life for answers, go to Jesus because He holds the answers waiting for your invitation. There is absolutely nothing impossible for God. All things were made by Him and for Him. Your fish and bread are ready in the presence of the master. Get out of your boat and go to Him.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for your care and provisions for me. Help me to trust you enough to depend on you solely for my livelihood. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: Your boat does not hold the answers you seek.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.