[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.
The full armour
[The Glory Unveiled]
Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ( Ephesians 6:13 NIV )
The day of evil will always come while we live. Nobody plans for it, yet nobody can avoid it. The evil day is like a bonus package given to everyone who enters the world. Although one person’s evil day may differ significantly from another’s, everyone will experience an evil day at some point. Fortunately, for the believer, a provision has been made for that day. This protection against the evil day is the full armor of God. Scripture teaches us that when the evil day comes, we must do everything to stand. We cannot give in or compromise just because it is an evil day. We must resist with all our strength, do everything necessary to stand firm. However, the things we do are merely first aid for safety—the real protection comes from the armor of God. The full armor of God helps us stand our ground on the evil day. In the verses that follow our anchor verse, the Bible lists the components of this armor: the belt of truth around your waist, the breastplate of righteousness for your chest and front area, the readiness of the gospel for your feet, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:14-18). The evil day targets these aspects of our spiritual life, and protecting them helps us stand firm no matter what happens.
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your protection and provisions. As I put on the whole armour, I am shielded to stand firm.
Wisdom_Quote: The armour of God is the safest protection against the evil day
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
The potency of God’s word
[The Glory Unveiled]
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 KJV )
The Word of God is active, powerful, and potent. However, its potential is often locked up and concealed. As a result, it is only potent to those who understand its hidden power. Because of this, the Word of God can sometimes appear to be ineffective. Unless it is uncovered or taken out of its shell, its abilities remain unrealized. The Word of God is not powerless, as some may think, yet when it remains shielded, it may seem inadequate. The Scriptures, without the revelation of the Word of God, do not make any impact. Jesus told the Pharisees that they diligently study the Scriptures, thinking that in them they have eternal life. He added that those very Scriptures testify about Him. This means one can have the Scriptures yet miss the One about whom they testify. Unless we encounter Him, the words about Him—the Scriptures—remain ineffective in our experience. Some people, due to their disconnect from the Word of God, Jesus Christ, attempt to employ human wisdom and philosophy instead. The Word of God is life; it is potent. God’s faithfulness makes Him consistent in His nature, but our experience may not always align with who He truly is. The Word of God means different things to different people, even though it has a unique and distinct identity. Because it is living, one must encounter it to truly know it, stay with it to be a witness, and represent it effectively. God’s Word is powerful.
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the privilege to know your word and the power of it. Thank you for the truth that changes me.
Wisdom_Quote: The potency of God’s word is hidden from those who do not know the Son.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
The Consistency of God’s nature.
[The Glory Unveiled]
If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. (2 Timothy 2:13 NIV )
God created us in His image and after His likeness. This means God is our reference point in everything that makes us who we are. It would be very unwise to refer to other people or seek societal approval when we want to understand the original template of humanity. Whenever we discover that something is happening that does not reflect the image and glory of God, it is time to look back at an attribute of God that sets things right. The Scripture says that if we are faithless, God remains faithful because He cannot disown Himself. This is why God is the surest reference. He is not affected by changes around Him. He is God and holds the same attributes yesterday, today, and forever. So, if we are lacking in any area—such as faith, character, self-control, patience, or tolerance—an understanding and appreciation of God and His attributes replenish what is missing. Usually, we do not lack the nature itself; we already have it because we were created in the image of God. What may be lacking is the knowledge of what we possess and the skills to access it. God’s nature does not change, no matter what changes occur in our lives. Therefore, we can always refer to Him to determine whether a character or attribute is godly. Are you afraid? Do you struggle with lying, stealing, or treating people improperly? God has all the qualities you need, and He has deposited them in you. Turn to Him to activate them so that they overpower the soulish life.
Prayer_Bead: Almighty God, thank you for your glorious life in me. I submit to your ways so that your life can find expression in me.
Wisdom_Quote: God is not affected by man’s frailties and inconsistencies.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
The Voice of Thanksgiving
[The Glory Unveiled]
But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. (Jonah 2:9 KJV )
The voice of thanksgiving is the voice that acknowledges the nature and person of God. In recognition of His nature and person, it attributes to God the glory and honor due to Him. The voice of thanksgiving is heard when the heart recognizes the goodness and kindness of God. God’s attributes, such as being Almighty and All-Knowing, vindicate whatever He does. This is why we must thank Him at all times and in all situations. Our anchor text is a prayer made by Jonah from the belly of a large fish. That place was extremely uncomfortable, and he even compared it to hell. But even from the heart of hell, he gave thanks to God. And that is where the sacrifice of thanksgiving comes in. A sacrifice is any offering made at one’s expense. So, thanking God when there seems to be no reason to do so makes it a sacrifice. The good thing about sacrifices is that God always responds to them. God will not ignore a sacrifice made within the confines of His will and pleasure. Immediately after this sacrifice of thanksgiving, in the next verse (verse 10), God commands the fish to vomit Jonah. This principle applies to other areas of our lives as well. When we offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, God will command the situation to release us. Don’t wait to thank God only when the situation improves—thank Him even in the midst of the problem. And remember, the voice of thanksgiving, presented on the strings of sacrifice, always moves the heart of God.
Prayer_Bead: Merciful Father, thank you for your goodness and kindness towards me. I continually appreciate you for everything in every situation.
Wisdom_Quote: The voice of thanksgiving is most potent on the strings of sacrifice.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
The platform for a walk with God
[The Glory Unveiled]
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” ( John 4:24 NIV )
The nature of a place, a thing, or a person dictates so much about them. The Bible says that God is spirit, and this statement significantly impacts how we perceive God and how we relate to Him. The Lord Jesus made this statement to a Samaritan woman. Before making this statement, Jesus spoke about how the Samaritans did not know whom they worshiped and mentioned that a time was coming when people would neither worship on the mountain, as the woman claimed, nor in Jerusalem. These two statements highlight key elements of worship: the location or medium and the knowledge of the person of God. In addressing the Samaritan woman’s ignorance, Jesus teaches her—and, by extension, us—that the medium of worship is truth. But we also know that the Truth is a person: Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Therefore, we must worship God in (or through) the person of Jesus Christ. The mode of worship is explained in Philippians 3:3. The apostle Paul states that he and other believers serve God by His Spirit. In this statement, he clarifies the mode of worship, or the service dimension of relating to God as Spirit. We cannot worship God without His Spirit because without the Spirit of God, whatever we do does not get to God. The Spirit of God is the mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:9-11), hence through His Spirit, we connect with the heart and mind of God bringing glory to God.
Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me what it means to worship my Father in spirit and in truth.
Wisdom_Quote: The Spirit and the Truth are platform for worship.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Your replacement
[The Glory Unveiled]
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” ( Luke 19:40 NIV )
Jesus’ disciples were joyfully praising Him for all the miracles they had seen Him perform. The Pharisees saw this and asked Jesus to rebuke His disciples. In response, Jesus said that if His disciples kept quiet and did not praise Him, the stones would cry out in their place. This is where we want to draw our lessons from. Many times, when we neglect our assignments and obligations, someone or something of lower status carries them out—and often does so even better. For instance, the gospel first came to the Jews, God’s chosen people. However, when they neglected it, the gospel was sent to the Gentiles, a people who were once rejected. And they embraced it. Paul writes that the aim was to provoke the Jews to jealousy (see Romans 11:11). In another instance, Balaam’s donkey spoke to him when he was bent on disobedience. At that moment, an Angel of the Lord had blocked the path, but Balaam couldn’t see him. Since Balaam was blind to the angel’s presence, God chose an animal—a lower-order creation—to see the angel instead (see Numbers 22:21-30). When Saul disobeyed God, the throne was taken from him and given to David, a younger and less regal person. Mordecai, Queen Esther’s uncle, gave us insight into this principle when he told Esther that she had been brought to her royal position for such a time as this. However, if she refused to do what was expected of her, God would bring help from another place—likely outside the royal palace (see Esther 4:14). This teaches us that sometimes, the seemingly negative things we see around us, such as sickness and poverty, may be allowed by God to manifest His glory. It could be that our disobedience has activated and empowered such things against us. Therefore, whatever we are supposed to do within our power, let us do it to the glory of God.
Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for your divine directives to me. I walk in absolute obedience to your word. So help me God.
Wisdom_Quote: Your replacement is activated when you neglect your responsibility and duties.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Seeing Jesus
[The Glory Unveiled]
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. ( Luke 19:4 NIV )
The text above speaks about a wealthy tax collector in the days of Jesus named Zacchaeus. The Scriptures describe him as short. However, his height did not impede him from seeing Jesus; it was the crowd that hindered him. If there had not been such a large crowd, he would have seen Jesus. Sometimes, people and our environment try to hinder us from encountering the Word of God. The woman with the issue of blood had to press through the crowd to reach Jesus. The blind man, Bartimaeus, was discouraged by those around him from encountering Jesus, but he broke through with persistence. The world around us does not want us to engage with God’s Word. This is why, like all the people mentioned who were hindered by their environment and those around them, we need to rise above every obstacle. Social media could be a hindrance to our walk with God, but we must rise above it. Until we overcome the things that stand in our way, we cannot fully engage with the truth of God’s Word. We live in a world where everything seems to flow without resistance—except the Word of God. Because so much seems to fight against our encounter with the Word, we must run ahead of the obstacles, just as Zacchaeus did. The Word of God comes to us daily, but due to various obstructions, we must take deliberate steps to engage with it. Rise above the obstacles that stand in your way.
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the privilege to hear your word. Show me a way out of the obstacles that impede my access to your word.
Wisdom_Quote: Climb above the obstacles that stand between you and God’s word to you.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
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.
“Better than” standard
[The Glory Unveiled]
The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ( Luke 18:11 NIV)
The habit of thinking ourselves better than others on the merit of a standard we created ourselves is a negative one. People measure their righteousness and godliness by how others live their lives. And if they feel they are doing “better than” those other people, they are okay with themselves. Or if they think they are doing better than they used to do, then they are good. But we or other people are not the standard of righteousness or life. Jesus is. In God’s eyes, there is no comparative standard. His standard is absolute. In our anchor text, we see a Pharisee praying to God and comparing himself with a tax collector. The Pharisee was trying to present himself to God as better than someone he thought was worse than himself. Meanwhile, he didn’t use God’s standard of measurement for the comparison. And because he was doing well in his own eyes, he was arrogant. But then, the ways of God are not our ways and His thoughts are not like ours. He does not operate with the “better than” standard. He works with the “as Christ” standard. So that anything and everything that falls short of Christ, no matter how brilliant it is, falls below the standard of God. Don’t measure yourself by the standard of being better than others or than you used to be. Measure yourself by the standard of God, asking for grace to look like His Son, Jesus Christ.
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your standard for all of humanity. Help me to live by them. In Jesus’ name.
Wisdom_Quote: The standard of God is Jesus Christ.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.