Benediction II: Devotion for Thursday April 2, 2020

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Thursday April 2, 2020

Topic: Benediction II                                       

Text: Numbers 6:25 & 26

The grace and peace of God are indispensable in our daily lives. We cannot truly live well when we lack peace and are not supported by the grace of God. No wonder Jesus declared it in John 15:5. Benediction is one way of asking for God’s favour to rest upon His people.

Benediction conveys hope that God will

1) Bless and protect as we read yesterday,

2) Smile on them – be pleased,

3) Be gracious unto them – be merciful and compassionate,

4) Show his favour towards them (give His approval of His people and

5) Give them peace. When we are praying that God should bless us or other people, we are actually asking God to do these 5 things mentioned above.

For God to bless us and be gracious to us, we should always obey His word, meditate on them (Joshua 1:8 & Psalm 1:1 – 3) and live by them. These are the ways to sustain the blessings of God in our lives.

May God Almighty be gracious to you and grant you His peace now and always, Amen.

Food for Thought: Blessing others is a way to show them love, care and encouragement.

Memory verse: Psalm 67:1

Prayer: God, grant that your grace and peace will not depart from me now and always, Amen.

Obedience, A Prerequisite For Abundance Blessings

Devotion for Friday March 23, 2018

Topic: Obedience, A Prerequisite For Abundance Blessings

Text: Deuteronomy 28:1 – 14                

Moses took only 14 verses in this chapter to explain obedience which is a secret to abundance (blessings) life and used the remaining 54 verses of this chapter to speak about disobedience and its consequences (curses). Why did he spend so much time talking about disobedience? He did that because human nature is always inclined to sin and disobedience. 

Moses was emphatic that obedience is the very key (Deuteronomy 28:1, 2) to assessing the numerous blessing mentioned in Deuteronomy 28: 3 – 14. The blessing is promised, upon condition that they diligently hearken to the voice of God. God requires them live righteously in their families and nation at large, and then by God’s providence all their outward concerns would prosper. This is God’s assurance of His blessing upon His people. Those blessings which others greedily follow after, and never overtake, shall follow after them, and shall be thrown into their laps by God’s special kindness because they are His people who obey His voice. 

Naturally, there is the tendency to bless those who obey us and this is same with God. How obedient are you to God’s commandments? Do you make light of them? Remember that just as the whole destiny of Israelites was laid before them, as it was to result from their obedience or the contrary, so it has been laid out for us. Make the right choice now. 

Sing SS&S 493; Abu 175

Food for Thought: Only he who believes is obedient and only he, who is obedient, believes.

Memory verse: Deuteronomy 28:2

Prayer: God, I need the grace to obey your commandments which is a prerequisite for abundant blessing in Jesus name.

God Blessed Him

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Sunday February 19, 2017        

Topic: God Blessed Him

Text: Genesis 32:29 – 30

Welcome to another new day and new week. Yesterday we saw how Jacob prevailed and was blessed with a new name after an encounter with the angel of God. Today we shall see more of the blessings he received from God in after that encounter.

We observed that after the encounter, Jacob asked the angel his name. The name of God you know determines the blessing you enjoy from Him. The blessing of God is connected to His name. In your walk with God, has He revealed his name to you? He did it to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Saul, etc. Knowing God by His name is a great way of improving our faith and confidence in Him. To know him the more, you should always read His word and listen to messages, and testimonies of what He has done. 

Jacob’s request to know the name of the person he wrestled with was denied that he might not be too elated with his conquest. Again, it was denied so he will not think that he had obtained such advantage over the angel as to make him (the angel) do what he wanted. However, God still blessed him as he requested for. See how wonderfully God condescends to countenance and crown importunate prayer! Those that resolve to trust in God even when He slays them will at length be more than conquerors. This was the resolve of Jacob to keep trusting God when his hip went out of position. Don’t let the ‘displacement’ in your health, your marriage, career, etc; affect your grip on God for a blessing.

Do you desire for a blessing from God? Then don’t border asking for His name, just trust Him for the blessings and they will certainly come. All you have heard and read about Him is enough to increase your faith and confidence in Him. His deeds correspond with His name – Counsellor, Mighty, Healer, Provider, Everlasting, Peace and wonderful Isaiah 9:6. Believe in Him to receive your own blessings today.

Food for Thought: Judges 13:17 – 18

Memory verse: Genesis 32 verse 29 – Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about my name?” And he blessed him there (NKJV).  

Prayer: Blessed me, O Lord and turn me into a blessing in Jesus name. Amen.

WHY GOD BLESSED THEM

DEVOTION FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 1, 2016

Topic: WHY GOD BLESSED THEM         

Text: 1 Chronicles 13 verse 14   

There is nothing we do for God wholeheartedly that doesn’t have a reward. When David honoured God by killing Goliath who defiled His name and army, God honoured him by establishing him as a king. When Joseph honoured God in a foreign land, God blessed him and made him a leader. If you want the blessings of God to rest upon you, serve Him wholeheartedly. Give yourself to His service and see what will be the result.    

From our scriptural reading for the day, one would have expected Obed-Edom to refuse housing the Ark of Covenant after the unfortunate incident that took the life of Uzza but he couldn’t disobey the King’s order. Moreover, he was a Levite (1 Chron. 15:18). The order from a king is always obeyed whether it is convenient or not. He accepted it in good faith. His action was like the submission of Mary to God's message through Angel Gabriel (Lk. 1:38). Obed-Edom may also have warned his family to steer clear of the Ark of Covenant, which made the entire family to enjoy God's blessings and peace within the period that Ark was there. It is the duty of husbands and fathers to teach their families obedience and reverence to God and all that belongs to Him. The reverence Obed-Edom and his family had on the Ark of Covenant brought blessings to them. God blessed him and all he had because of the Ark which stayed there for just 3 months. 

What would have happened in the family of Obed-Edom if the Ark had stayed longer than 3 months? The fear of what might happen didn’t affect the way his family treated the Ark. Sometimes in our actions, we focus only on the blessings God gives us, while forgetting that when we sin, God punishes us (Heb 10:31). At other times, however, we concentrate so much on judgment that we miss His blessings. Don’t fall into a one-sided view of God. Along with God’s blessings comes the responsibility to live up to His demands for fairness, honesty, and justice which we must adhere to, if we desire His blessings. Let this be your watchword this day, this month and always in Jesus name. Happy new month!

Food for Thought: Do you reverence Holy Things of God?

Memory verse: 1 Chronicles 13 verse 14

Prayer: Grant me the wisdom to do things that will bring blessings to me.