Stop The Harassment Of The Enemies

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Friday July 7, 2017

Topic: Stop The Harassment Of The Enemies

Text: 1 Samuel 17:31 – 54

Satan and his agents know how to harass the children of God. They intimidate Christians with laws against their faith as in the time of Daniel and his 3 Hebrews friends. Goliath’s harassing and intimidation of the Israelites for 40 days was embarrassing. Unfortunately, for the 40 days, no Israelite stood up to his challenge until a minor who had not even qualified and enlisted into the Israel’s army came into the scene and stopped the harassment from Goliath.

Goliath’s taunting revealed the level of faithlessness in the people of Israel. One man blocked the entire army of Almighty God, an army that had seen entire nation run before it in fear. The Israelites viewed the situation only in human terms, much like their forefathers had viewed with fear and faithlessness the giants in the land (Numbers 13:26 – 14:20).

Goliath was 9 feet, 9 inches tall and wore a coat of armour weighing 125 pounds; his bronze javelin weighed 17 pounds (1 Samuel 17:4 – 5). David’s confession in 1 Samuel 17:45 – 47 reveals a teen who knew God and what He can do. He knew that outward physical appearance were nothing when compared with the power of the unseen God. Thus he was determined to stop the harassment of the enemy. He stepped out and God honoured him.

This is how Satan and his agents harass us in our neighbourhood, offices, schools, etc., with laws against our faith. How do we treat such? Do we go into our shells or speak out for God? Or do we take a stand for God as the Hebrew boys did in the book of Daniel. Our God has ways of putting Satan and his agents to shame. Let’s not belittle Him when the enemies come, embarrassing us and defying His name

Food for Thought: Stopping the harassment of the enemies is best done in the spirit (2 Corinthians 10:14)

Memory verse: 1 Samuel 17 verse 12

Prayer: Help me O Lord my God never to close my eyes and mouth to the embarrassment of the enemies of the cross in Jesus name.

Don’t Look Down On People

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Saturday February 11, 2017           

Topic: Don’t Look Down On People 

Text: 1 Samuel 17:22 – 30

Naturally, people envy those who do better and are more honoured than them. Some people criticise others due to their prejudice, hatred and bitterness. Some do it because they feel they are better of the other person.

Eliab look down on David as too small to be enlisted in the Israel’s army how much more confronting a renowned champion, Goliath. Eliab charges him with cockiness (being arrogant). This elicited criticism from Eliab. Eliab was the most outspoken of all the people in the camp against David because he was the senior brother. Of a truth, David was a small boy of about 15 years. Unfortunately, criticism couldn’t stop David. This confirms what the bible says in Matthew 10:36 (see Gen. 37:4, 8, and 11). While the rest of the army stood around wasting their time, David knew the importance of taking action. With God to fight for him, David had no reason to wait.

People may try to discourage you with negative comments or mockery, accusing you of arrogance or pride. Never mind them and their discouragement. Just continue to do what you know is right. By doing what is right, you will be pleasing God, whose opinion matters most. At last the small boy, Eliab looked down on, became a hero who did what he and others in Israel’s army could not do.

Most times we look down on people because they are poor, uneducated, ugly, etc. Don’t forget that such person may later become great that you will need his or her help or service. Beloved, as people despise you, see it as a challenge and aim for greatness to shame them.   

Food for Thought: Who knows tomorrow?

Memory verse: Matthew 10:36

Prayer: May I not look down on people today, O Lord, my God, because I don’t know what tomorrow holds for them.

MAXIMIZING OPPORTUNITIES: Devotion for Saturday August 13, 2016

MAXIMIZING OPPORTUNITIES: Devotion for Saturday August 13, 2016

Text: 1 Samuel 17: 12 – 30           

Memory verse: 1 Samuel 17:26 – Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

We have opportunities that come our ways every day. When we maximize the opportunities they usually lead to more opportunities and blessings. Jesse had no other motive of sending David to his brothers in the Israeli army. Fortunately, David got to the Israeli camp at that critical juncture when Goliath was threatening the Israeli army. But God, who in His wisdom orders actions and affairs of men, was there to use David to serve a purpose. He made him and knew the qualities in him.

This instance wasn’t the first time David went to the Israeli camp to see his brothers. He visits them occasionally as we have in 1 Samuel 17:15. However, on this particular visit, David saw the Philistine champion, Goliath threatening the army of Israel and defying their God for 40 days. When David heard the words of Goliath and the promise made by Saul to whoever will kill Goliath, he opted to maximize the opportunity to glorify God. He saw Goliath as inferior in power compare to the fearful animals like bear and lion he had killed earlier while tending his father’s sheep.  

“In times of general formality and lukewarmness, every degree of zeal which implies readiness to go further, or to venture more in the cause of God than others, will be blamed as pride and ambition” so posited Matthew Henry. This was the case of David’s senior brother who picked offence against him for offering to fight Goliath. David saw that opportunity as appropriate and right to glorify God in the eyes of heathen nation and faithless Israel.

We do have such opportunities on daily basis to preach God’s word and to do good to others. How much do we utilise them? Do we consider what our relations will say and thus fail to speak out for God? Remember that if God can use donkey to speak, He can use any other thing to glorify His name. Will God use stones to glorify Himself when you are alive? Think about it.

Action: Use one opportunity you have this day to preach the gospel to someone.

Prayer: Help me to maximize every opportunity I have to glorify you, O Lord.

A BAD TESTIMONY: Devotion for Saturday May 28, 2016

A BAD TESTIMONY: Devotion for Saturday May 28, 2016

Text: 2 Kings 5:1         Memory verse: v 1b

Here is a great testimony of Naaman, the commander of the army of Syria. He was described as a mighty man of valour, a great man in battle, used by God to wrought victories for Syria but he was a leper. What a testimony of a great man! However, the ‘but’ has a great question mark on his life. This shows that despite all his exploits in life, the leprosy has restricted him in so many ways because no honour or success can secure men from trouble. Matthew Henry puts it this way, “No man's greatness, or honour, can place him out of the reach of the sorest calamities of human life: there is many a sickly, crazy body under rich and gay clothing.” This shows that any man living has some troubles of life to contend with. Naaman took the advice of the young captive girl from Israel and he was healed.

In life, we all have one ‘but’ or another tormenting us which invariably has dented our testimonies. It may be pride, unfaithfulness, lies, anger, malice, little sins, gossip, immorality, stealing, etc. Whatever may be your own ‘but’, it is important you realise that it has dented your testimony and do something about it now. You can say that you are a Christian but you are still living a life of lies, deceit, anger, etc. That is not a good testimony. It is better to do something now or it will deny you a place in the kingdom of heaven.

Food for Thought: Every man has one negative ‘but’ or another which blemishes and diminishes him.

Prayer: My God and my Father, remove every negative ‘but’ in my life the way you healed Naaman of his leprosy in Jesus name.