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.

The Mercies of God: Devotion for Sunday February 16, 2020

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Sunday February 16, 2020

Topic: The Mercies of God   

Text: Psalm 103:8-14

The mercies of God have brought us into this new day. It is of God’s loving kindness and mercies that you and I are alive today. People died yesterday! Are you better than them? Think of the blessings you received in the past? Were they out of hard work? No! They came out of the mercies of God. He is forever gracious (Psalm 103:8). For this reason we should always appreciate this gesture on daily basis.

God has shown us much mercies and love in bring us into this new day because His mercies is from everlasting to everlasting. What will you use to reciprocate God’s mercies upon your life? To him much is given, much is expected! God expects to reap abundant righteousness from us (See Isaiah 5:1 – 7). God expected to reap righteousness from Israel but instead, they gave out oppression and evil. Thus they were punished for that. We should live fruitful life for that is what pleases God (John 14:4, 16).

In what ways are we expected to bear fruits for the Lord as mark of His love, mercies and kindness towards us? Faithfulness and obedience are marks of gratitude for mercies we have received from Him.

Action: Write down in your book 5 ways you can bear fruit for God

Memory verse: Psalm 86:15

Prayer: God help me to reciprocate your mercies towards me by bearing fruits of righteousness for you in Jesus name.

Gracious Words

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Tuesday May 2, 2017

Topic: Gracious Words

Text: Ecclesiastics 10:12 – 15

A Chinese proverb says, “If you wish to know the mind of a man, listen to his words.” The words we speak, show what we are – either wise or fools. It is expected that the words that proceeds from our mouth should be decent and orderly. It should be creditable to the person and also acceptable to those who hear us. The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious and minister grace to the hearers while a fool speaks without recourse.

The lips of the fool speak at random. The words that come out from the lips of a fool are not only unpleasant to others but often destructive to themselves. What a fool says comes from his own wickedness and weakness. Their words come from fury to injure others and same over and over again (10:14).

Beloved, how gracious are the words that come out of your mouth? Do your words manifest grace to your hearers and how do you react when abused or accused falsely? You shouldn’t react or speak like a fool who would vent his fury on others through your words. Jesus gave us an example in 1 Pet. 2:21 – 23. We should take to heart the admonition of Hannah in 1 Sam. 2:3. Let this be wisdom for us always.

Food for Thought: “Gentle words, quiet words, are after all the most powerful words; they are more convincing, more compelling, more prevailing” – W. Gladden.

Memory verse: Ecclesiastics 10 verse 12

Prayer: God, grant me grace to speak wisely and not foolishly in Jesus name. Amen

RELEASED BY GRACE: Devotion for Saturday January 2, 2016

RELEASED BY GRACE              Saturday January 2, 2016

Text: John 8:1 – 11                 Memory verse: v11

When Jesus invited someone without sin to throw the first stone on this woman, the leaders slipped away one by one, from oldest to youngest. “Evidently the older men were more aware of their sins than the younger. Age and experience often temper youthful self-righteousness. We all have a sinful nature and are desperately in need of forgiveness and transformation” so says Life Application Commentary. None of us would have been able to throw the first stone because we cannot claim that we have no sin. We would have also walked away. Actually no one could claim he or she is sinless so as to stone this woman. Jesus had exposed their hypocrisy and embarrassed them. They all went back in shame to think of some other ways to trap Jesus.

No one accused the woman, and Jesus kindly said that He would not condemn her either. Thus she was released by grace. She was not simply free to go her way. Jesus didn’t just free her from the Pharisees, He wanted to free her from her sin, so He added, “Go and sin no more.” Jesus didn’t condemn her, but neither did He ignore or condone her behaviour. Jesus told the woman to leave her life of sin. As we have been graciously brought into this New Year, we should not abuse the grace of God. He brought us into the New Year because He expects a change in us. Don’t think you deserve to be alive; it is by God’s grace. Live in gratitude like this woman having received God’s grace.

Food for Thought: How grateful are you to God for the grace to see this year?

Prayer: Lord, I am alive by your grace. Help me to live my life in gratitude for this singular honour.

A BAD TESTIMONY: Devotion for Monday September 14, 2015

A BAD TESTIMONY      Monday September 14, 2015

Text: Ezekiel 3:1 – 9         Memory verse: v 7

Ezekiel was told that he will receive the truths of God as the food for his soul, and to feed upon them by faith, and he would be strengthened. Gracious souls can receive those truths of God with delight, which speak terror to the wicked. Ezekiel must speak all that, and that only, which God spoke to him. How can we better speak God's mind than with his words? If disappointed as to his people, he must not be offended but warn them out of love.

God gave a testimony about Israel that they will not repent because of their impudent and hard-heartedness. What testimony can God give about you? The people of Nineveh repented after Jonah had preached but Israel was unwilling to do same. Are you like that who will not be moved despite all the preaching you hear? The testimony of God is what matters about us.

Food for Thought: What can God say about you today?

Prayer: God my Father, grant me the heart to believe, fear and honour you