Category: Inspiration

Posted on

Man’s plans God’s purposes.

[The Glory Unveiled]

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. ( Proverbs 19:21 NIV )

The purposes of God sustain the plans of man. Unless the purpose of God has a share in the plans of men, their plans will fail. It is the purpose of God that prevails in every situation. Because the purpose of God sits at the center of all human affairs, we cannot sideline it to have our way. Having plans is good, but having plans does not automatically mean they will be realized. It takes more than just having plans to see the manifestation of one’s desires. Beyond our plans, we need the purpose of God to approve them. This does not nullify the need for making plans. In fact, we should have many plans. However, in making those plans, we must ensure that the purpose of God remains at the center. The purpose of God for anything is the reason for its need and existence. Therefore, nothing can or should survive outside its purpose. As we make many plans, we must strive to discover God’s purpose for them or how they can advance His purposes. Like a sponsor, God invests in things—specifically, plans that advance His purposes. With this understanding, we can discern which of our plans will succeed and which will not simply by checking whether they align with kingdom advancement. In the end, God desires that His will be done on earth through our plans and activities. So, let God’s kingdom come.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the plans I have and for allowing your purposes to be established through them.

Wisdom_Quote: Purpose directs plans and establishes desires.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

Posted on

Real transformation

[The Glory Unveiled]

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ( Romans 12:2 NIV)

The mind operates on automation through patterns. Whatever the mind is accustomed to becomes its norm. It then functions at the beck and call of the automated input—the pattern. For the mind to deviate from this pattern, it must be fed with new data, different from the previous input. This is why Scripture says we should be transformed by renewing our minds—because real transformation comes from renewing our minds. To renew means to replace with something new. The mind is pivotal to lifelong transformation because it is the central administrative region of a human being. It directs and dictates where we go and what we do. It may seem that we do whatever we want, but that is not entirely the case, as the mind supervises and informs the choices we make. This also means that change will not happen unless our minds align with the new—the element of change. It is only when the mind embraces the new role that change becomes evident in our lives. We cannot identify or acknowledge the will of God unless our minds are renewed and conditioned to think and desire the ways of God. God’s will and God’s word are closely related. Our knowledge of God’s word renews our minds and helps us identify His will.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the transforming power of your word.

Wisdom_Quote: Patterns are the codes that set the mind to automation mode.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

Posted on

Divine Seekers

[The Glory Unveiled]

In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ( Luke 24:5 NIV )

The Bible says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). However, where and how we ask, knock, or seek plays a major role in finding what we want. In the scripture above, the Angels asked the women who had gone to the tomb of Jesus, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” This implies that even though we are assured that we will find when we seek, looking in the wrong place can make the search futile. The angels’ question suggested that while the women’s search was genuine, the location of their search rendered it meaningless. When searching for something, it is paramount to know where it can be found; otherwise, the search will be in vain. Something is not found merely because you are searching desperately for it. No matter how fervently you search, if you are looking in the wrong place, you will not find it. In our spiritual journey, we will discover spiritual treasures and realities only when we seek them in the right place. The Bible says, “No one pours new wine into old wineskins.” Your search should align with the location of what you seek. You cannot look for the fruit of the Spirit on the tree of the flesh or in an environment devoid of the Spirit. Walk (search) in the Spirit, and you will find the treasures of the Spirit.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for the privilege to search diligently for spiritual treasures and at the right place too.

Wisdom_Quote: The seeker finds in the right search area.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

Posted on

Wasted Treasures

[The Glory Unveiled]

‘The time is coming when everything in your palace—all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now—will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. ( Isaiah 39:6 NLT )

King Hezekiah was visited by envoys from Babylon after the king of Babylon heard about his illness and recovery. Hezekiah showed the Babylonian envoys all his treasures, even though they did not ask to see them. Then the word of the Lord came to Hezekiah through Isaiah the prophet, declaring that just as he had shown his treasures to the envoys, they would come for everything he had revealed. True to those words, the Babylonians took everything in the days of King Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:13). In the New Testament, we read about another treasury—one where neither men can break in nor moths destroy (Matthew 6:19-20). This is the treasury of heaven. The Lord Jesus, in teaching about where to store up our treasures, added that where our treasures are, there our hearts will be also. King Hezekiah stored up treasures on earth, but his storehouse in heaven was empty. The Lord Jesus teaches us these things so that we will not waste our treasures. The location of a treasury and those who have access to it determine its vulnerability to being plundered. Until Hezekiah granted access to the Babylonian envoys, he would not have lost his treasures. Additionally, if those treasures had not been stored in a place easily accessible to others, they would not have been looted. Jesus urges us to store up our treasures in heaven, meaning we should invest in heavenly things. As Matthew 6:33 instructs, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all other things shall be added to you. When we invest in what matters to God and His kingdom, He invests in what matters to us. And nothing can rob us of the rewards.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the treasures I have in heaven as I invest in things that matter to You.

Wisdom_Quote: Where you store up treasures determine its vulnerability.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

Posted on

Your Confidence

[The Glory Unveiled]

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.( Hebrews 10:35 KJV )

The Bible, among many things, is a book of instructions. The Bible instructs us to do many things because, as it were, our way of life deviates significantly from how God originally intended for us to live. We read about many people in the Old Testament whom God wanted to use, but they lacked the confidence to allow Him to work through them. In other instances, we see how God instructs those He calls to be strong and courageous. He tells them to be confident. Men like Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Elijah, King Jehoshaphat, and Jeremiah—just to mention a few—were all encouraged by God to trust in His promises and His ability to fulfill them. God wanted them to anchor their faith in Him and trust Him to work through them. This understanding—that God could work through them—is what gave them the confidence to fulfill their calling. Confidence gives us the energy to venture into and attempt things we would otherwise have been unable to. It serves as a shield around us, enabling us to take on challenges that seem humanly impossible. If there is anything you should discard as a person, confidence is not one of them. Confidence gives us both the attitude and the aptitude to accomplish what God instructs us to do. As a matter of fact, without the enabling power of confidence, we cannot do anything God asks of us. Usually, when God calls us to do something, it is humanly difficult—if not impossible. It takes confidence even to consider it. So, don’t cast away your confidence, because it will reward you with fruits beyond what you ever imagined you could bear.

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for the grace to embrace confidence. I confront humanly impossible things through Christ Jesus, who empowers me.

Wisdom_Quote: Confidence is the licence for supernatural exploits.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

Posted on

The Customs of Jesus

[The Glory Unveiled]

Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. (Mark 10:1 NIV )

Every successful man or woman has principles and habits that dictate the posture of their living. They do not live their lives according to societal expectations or personal whims. Instead, they live by principle, guided by the values and attitudes they choose to submit to. It is these principles and guidelines that determine the outcome of their lives. The Lord Jesus, while He walked the earth, lived His life in a closely regulated manner. Whatever He did was guided by principles, and these principles were directives from God. In fact, He referred to the Word of God as more important to Him than His necessary food. We see many instances where Jesus could have made arbitrary choices in various matters, yet He consistently chose to follow the principles of God’s Word. One of the profound customs that Jesus devoted His life to was teaching the Word of God, as seen in our anchor text. But He did not merely teach; He was educated in the Word of God. He studied it diligently. In many places, we read that when people came to ask Him questions, He responded with, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures?” This indicates that He was a student of the Word, even though He Himself was the Word. In Luke 4:16, the Bible states that as was His custom, Jesus stood up to read the Scriptures on the Sabbath day. Another guiding custom in Jesus’ life was that His decisions and choices were always aligned with His purpose. He never acted randomly. Every decision and choice was intentional and guided by divine purpose. As the apostle Paul instructs us to be imitators of Christ, our lives will take better shapes when we imitate the customs of Jesus.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me these guidelines with which you lived your life by. Help me to walk in your footsteps. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: Successful lives are lived on the tangent of established principles.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

Posted on

Standing firm

[The Glory Unveiled]

If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. (Mark 3:25 NIV )

There are substances that bind materials together—adhesives. However, these adhesives do not just bind things together; they operate based on certain principles that must be adhered to. Many times, for something to stand firm, it requires necessary support. And that support must be capable of bearing the load it is intended to carry. The substances that bind things together do so not merely because they are adhesives, but because the materials involved obey the rules of engagement that allow for binding. When Jesus made the statement about a house divided against itself not being able to stand, He was not only referring to families. This principle also applies to any institution or establishment. Where people disagree, they cannot stand together. A house divided against itself can symbolize families, relationships, or businesses. But whatever the “house” represents, division will ultimately lead to its downfall. Therefore, for any house to stand in any situation, there must be agreement. We cannot stand with God if we are not in agreement with His Word. Stability comes not only from the components that make up a structure but also from the elements that bind those components together. A brick wall does not stand merely because it is made of bricks; it stands because of the mortar that holds the bricks together. In your walk with God, are your ways divided against His ways? The sons of Sceva attempted to do what Paul was doing but failed because their ways were divided against the established ways and practices of God (Acts 19:14–16).

Prayer_Bead: Lord, thank you for teaching me this principle of life. Help me to gather where you gather.

Wisdom_Quote: Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures gather.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

Posted on

Defy impossibilities

[The Glory Unveiled]

He turned the rock into a pool of water; yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock. ( Psalms 114:8 NLT )

God always goes above and beyond in everything. He sets the standard so high that no one can reach it except Himself. The Israelites had been experiencing the power and wonders of God from the moment they left the walls of Egypt through their time in the wilderness. Every step of the way, God proved Himself to be unlike the gods of other nations—greater than all of them combined. Yet, somehow, the Israelites found it difficult to believe in the same God who had performed all these wondrous deeds. During their journey, they reached a place called Meribah, where the people tested the Lord and questioned among themselves whether He was truly among them, despite all He had done for them (Exodus 17:7). They quarreled and asked such questions because they struggled to believe that God was present and actively working on their behalf. In response, God once again proved Himself by bringing water out of a rock. He made the impossible possible—water flowed from a solid rock. There is water in every rock, but it will only come forth at the word of God. The water flowed because Moses obeyed God’s command. When we obey God’s instructions, He makes the impossible possible. When Peter obeyed Jesus’ instruction to come, he walked on water. The impossible will happen in your life and around you when you trust and obey God’s word.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the things you do in and around my life. Help me to trust you in every situation.

Wisdom_Quote: There is water in every rock.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

Posted on

Busy about nothing

[The Glory Unveiled]

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. ( 2 Thessalonians 3:6 NIV )

The easiest way the devil keeps you from getting close to your life’s assignment and calling is by keeping you idle and disruptive. And that’s just another word for being a busybody. He deceives you into thinking you’re doing something important. You spend all your time and energy on something that has no future, yet you fail to realize it. Primarily, what he does is kill your ability to see. Once you cannot see, you cannot move forward. He doesn’t have to worry about where you’re going because, ultimately, you won’t go anywhere. The devil has succeeded in keeping many people trapped in this cycle of life. They are always busy with something but have no results to show for all their hustle and movement. The apostle Paul commands us, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and who does not live according to the teachings received from God through His Word. Although these individuals may be “believers,” the apostle teaches that we should keep away from them in the name of our Lord Jesus. That is something very serious. The devil specializes in keeping people idle yet busy. Martha was preoccupied when Jesus visited their home, but her busyness was unnecessary. She was distracted and missed the opportunity to benefit from the word of life that Jesus had brought to her home (see Luke 10:40). For many of us, the devil uses the same strategy to distract us. The way out is to stay rooted in the Word of God. Practice the Word of God at all times and in every situation. And be intentional about what preoccupies your time.

Prayer_Bead: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me the strategy of the enemy to keep me busy doing nothing. Help me to walk intentionally with you in doing what you called me to do.

Wisdom_Quote: The devil kills people’s ability to see and then he leaves them to kill themselves.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

Posted on

Humility; a timely shield

[The Glory Unveiled]

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. [ Proverbs 11:2 NIV ]

Faith moves mountains, patience triumphs, and humility and wisdom shield against disgrace. Principles always yield the same results, no matter the variables. If a principle works in London, it should work in Ghana. God’s word does not return to Him void unless it accomplishes the purpose for which it was sent. This is why God’s word never fails. He is not a man to fail. Our anchor text says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” This means wisdom moves with humility. Where pride and arrogance enter a room, wisdom departs because pride walks with disgrace. God exalts us when we depend on Him. Often, we tend to rely on God only when we reach our wits’ end—when all we know how to do fails us. But the one who truly depends on God is not someone who turns to Him only in times of crisis but also in moments of peace and stability. Humility enables us to trust God through every situation, even when His ways don’t seem to make sense to us. When humility leads our approach to anything, wisdom accompanies our outcome. The Lord Jesus came in the spirit of humility; therefore, anything that comes from Him and through Him must also embody humility. He humbled Himself, even to the point of death on the cross, and by that example, He called us into our inheritance. Without humility, whatever we claim to have will only bring disgrace in the long run.

Prayer_Bead: Lord, thank you for showing me the template of heaven concerning my inheritance. Help me to walk in humility. In Jesus’ name.

Wisdom_Quote: Humility is a shield against disgrace.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.