Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. [ Ephesians 5:21 NIV ]
Submission, no matter how it is explained, is always misconstrued by many. The term “submission” in the dictionary of many is defined as slavery. But if we look at it from the source as believers, we will understand it differently, perhaps as a setup for blessings in every form of partnership. And then we could see it as something to be grasped rather than a curse. Submission at its root means “to align with, to honour, to be under obedience, to support.” All these meanings, when used in context, paint a picture of two distinct people playing their parts in a complex task. Whichever role one plays is not more important than the other, no matter how visible and prominent one seems to be compared to the other. Their respective roles make them equally important. It is just like our body parts. The Bible says no part is more important than another (1 Corinthians 12:21-22). The difference in roles may confuse us into thinking that one is more important than another. Similarly, in marriage and many other partnerships, one is not more important than the other; the husband is not more important than the wife. They are equally valuable in their unique ways. The scripture instructs us to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. It teaches us to consider the focal person, Christ. Thus, you do not submit to your husband because he is adequate or perfect but because you revere Christ. Don’t allow the weaknesses of your partner to rob you of the blessings of submission. The man or woman who submits has access to the heart of the one they submit to. They are able to influence the one they submit to in very subtle but effective ways. Do you revere Christ? Submit to one another!
Prayer_Bead: Father in heaven, thank you for the privilege to submit to another person. Help me to continually revere Christ. In Jesus’ name.
Wisdom_Quote: Submission gives access to the hearts of men.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
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.
Submission to God
[The Glory Unveiled]
Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” [ Luke 22:42 NIV ]
Submission is often mistaken for slavery by many people. However, to submit to another person actually speaks volumes about the one submitting him/herself. To submit to another person shows meekness and total control over oneself. It is a sign of great discipline and self-control. The Lord Jesus, while on earth, was fully God and fully man. He had access to the resources of the Deity, to command and change, to make and unmake, to build or destroy. Yet, He chose not to exercise any of those powers. He hid everything under the will of the Father. We will notice that Jesus almost always called God “Father.” He called Him by His positional name, meaning that Jesus was always conscious of His own position and the responsibility of that office. So, even though He was God, He did not abuse His Godship. He wrapped up His desires in God’s will. He demonstrated meekness in that He could defend His desires but didn’t, instead submitting them to God’s will. He took His power and submitted it under God. He trusted God with His designated earthly life, not loving His life so much as to avoid losing it. Jesus, as our example, is calling us to trust God with our everything: our will and life itself. Jesus sacrificed His desires for the will of God to find expression on earth. The choices we make and the sacrifices we make have eternal consequences. If Jesus had not submitted His will to God, we would not have had salvation. Perhaps someone around us is deprived of something because we have chosen to follow our will and desires rather than the will of God. It is a sacrifice we must make for the greater good. If there is something you must endure for the good of others but have an easier alternative for your selfish enjoyment or to preserve your personal interests, we can make the choice Jesus made: “not my will but yours be done.”
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the grace to submit my will to you. Help me not to preserve my life but to spend it on your purposes. In Jesus’ name.
Wisdom_Quote: Submission is a sign of great control over oneself.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
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.
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.
The source of eternal salvation
[The Glory Unveiled]
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. [ Romans 5:19 KJV ]
The pathway to our relationship with God is our obedience to Jesus. The disobedience of Adam severed our ties with God, and this disobedience became a nature that strengthened our disconnection from our heavenly family. On the other hand, believers are grafted into the family tree of God through the obedience of the Lord Jesus. He made a way for us when He obeyed God through His sufferings. “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (Hebrews 5:8-9). Through His sufferings in obedience, the Lord Jesus became the source of eternal salvation. He created a new path through which we have access back to God. We are made the sons of God because the only begotten Son of God humbled Himself to take up the form of fallen man and obeyed the Father, even to the death of the cross. As the pioneer of this new path to God, we cannot access God any other way. Even though we come to God through our faith in Jesus Christ, this faith is substantiated by obedience—the only thing that proves we have faith. Abraham had faith in God, and he demonstrated it through his obedience to God even when it seemed like a wicked thing for God to ask of him. Unfortunately, we have become so cleaved to sentiments and feelings that we dilute the gospel and the will of God with them. As a result, there are many disobedient children of God who reason against God’s instructions and call them ungodly. We can only retain what we have received from Jesus through faith when we continue with Him in obedience. Have no reasons to disobey the will of God.
Prayer_Bead: Heavenly father, thank you for your son Jesus. Thank you for making a way for me into your family again through His obedience. Help me to be forever obedient to your will. In Jesus’ name.
Wisdom_Quote: Whatever you obtained through faith, you maintain through obedience.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Be on guard
[The Glory Unveiled]
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. [ 1 Corinthians 16:13 NIV ]
The believer must guard many things in their life, one of which is their faith. In our present day, we must stand alert and protect our convictions about God. There are people committed to distorting the convictions of others through deceptive teachings. Deception is packaged today as an alternative truth, sold very cheaply to people whose hearts are slaves to their desires. If we are not firm in our convictions about Christ, we will begin with Him but not end with Him. And so, let us be on our guard against such teachings and individuals who mislead others. There is also a need for courage in order to stand our ground. Sometimes these misleadings continue because we are not courageous enough to face certain things or people. If we can boldly say no when we should, some of the things that destroy the convictions and faith of others will not destroy ours. Remember, God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind. We have that tranquility in Christ to make the right choice in accordance with God’s will for us. Now, our strength will be tested; whether we have roots in our convictions and beliefs will be tested by life situations in these last days and, more often, by the people we could easily compromise for. But then it will be revealed whether we esteem God above all else or honor men more than God. On the day we are tested, may we not lack the strength or the courage to stand firm. There is also a category of people who think they are standing firm on their principles and convictions, only to discover that they have been swept away by the tide of today’s worldview and hypocrisy. May we stand firm in our faith as we remain steadfastly on guard.
Prayer_Bead: Heavenly father, thank you for the grace to stand firm in my faith. Take away every fear and doubt and help me to be on guard always. In Jesus’ name.
Wisdom_Quote: The believer’s shield against slipping away in faith is being on guard and standing firm in faith.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Our identity
[The Glory Unveiled]
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. [ 1 John 3:2 NIV ]
The believer’s true identity is a mystery. You cannot judge or describe the believer by their current appearance or situation—it would be a misjudgment, a misevaluation of their identity. Presently, the writer of the first book of John says we are children of God. To be a child of God means we carry the life of God in us; it means we have His identity. A little baby girl becomes a woman; a little plant becomes a big tree. Everything has within it its varied growth stages. So, even when it is not exhibiting one manifestation of its growth stage, it does not mean it does not possess it. The Lord Jesus is referred to as the image of the Godhead. The child of God embodies the fullness of God, but the measure of God we reveal (display) is dependent on factors such as our depth of knowledge and intimacy with Him—how we see Him. Although we are all sons, we are not all the same yet because we do not all see Him the same way. This is why the writer says that when Christ appears, we shall all be like Him because then we will see Him as He really is. This means we will come to the full knowledge of His person and deity. Unless we see Christ as He is, we cannot be as He is. This calls for continuous study of God’s word in our present walk with Him. The more we know Him—the more we behold Him—the more we become like Him. We cannot be like Christ unless we know Him more. No wonder scripture says we should study to show ourselves approved unto God (2 Timothy 2:15). We are approved by the testing of the things we know about Christ. If we know Him, we will live as He lived. And then we shall live as He is living in glory.
Prayer_Bead: Lord Almighty, thank you for your perfect plan for my life. Thank you for making me the image of your Son. Guide me to reveal it to the world. In Jesus’ name.
Wisdom_Quote: Unless we see Christ as He is, we cannot be like He is.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Your personal testimony.
[The Glory Unveiled]
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” [ Matthew 16:15 NIV ]
The Lord Jesus asked the disciples what others said about him. They had many answers to give, they seem to know everything others said about Jesus. When the question was asked, they had several responses because they saw Jesus through the lens of others. They knew very well what people thought about Jesus. Many of us are like that. Whatever we know about Jesus is often a mirror image of what others say about Him. However, when it comes to our personal knowledge of God, the numbers reduce drastically, as in the case of the disciples. Only one out of the twelve disciples gave an answer. It was Peter’s response to the question that Jesus used to teach the disciples about how God will build His church. God will build us, His church, according to our revelation of Him and not by the revelation of others. We need a personal relationship with Jesus, one that is based on our encounters and convictions about Him. Often, other people’s testimonies about Jesus are merely bait to draw us into a deeper relationship with God. What transforms our world is a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus, knowing Him for ourselves. You may know what the pastor says about God and what others say about God, but who do you know Him to be? Your spiritual experience is based on who you know Jesus to be for yourself. In other words, the power of your victorious life lies in your direct connection to the life source—Jesus. So, who is Jesus to you?
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the privilege to know your son Jesus for myself. Help me to grow in my knowledge of Him. In Jesus’ name.
Wisdom_Quote: Your Christian life is a reflection of who Jesus is to you.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
The company experience
[The Glory Unveiled]
Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. [ Luke 2:44 NIV ]
Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem with Jesus, and when it was time for them to return, they assumed he was in the company of their relatives. In other words, they “trusted” Jesus with their relatives instead of with themselves. If your walk with Jesus is based on assumptions and the experiences of others, your spiritual life cannot carry you far. Mary and Joseph traveled for one day but then had to come back. When we trust our knowledge of Jesus with our pastors, friends, family members, and television preachers, our walk with God, no matter how far we seem to go, will be brought back to square one. They had gone one day but had to return to Jerusalem because they assumed Jesus was in the company of their relatives. There are those who think that their families, parents, or siblings know Jesus for them, and so, in the event of any challenge, they will call on their relatives. To their disappointment, when adversity comes, they have no anchor to keep them. A day comes in the life of every believer when their knowledge of God is tested. On that day, your relationship with God will be proven, whether you know God for yourself or whether your knowledge of God is drawn from another person’s encounters. What some of us are doing as believers is a ‘company’ experience, following the crowd and being guided by the experiences of others. We need a personal experience with Jesus. Each and every one of us is called into a personal relationship with Jesus, a relationship that is not based on assumptions and other people’s beliefs, but on our personal encounters with God.
Prayer_Bead: Lord Almighty, thank you for calling me into a personal relationship with you through your Son. Help me to know you for myself. In Jesus’ name
Wisdom_Quote: A walk with God that is based solely on other people’s experiences leads no where.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.