Wavering In Faith?

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Tuesday March 21, 2017

Topic: Wavering In Faith?

Text: 1 Kings 17:17 – 24

Affliction, pain, problem and sickness, want, etc, can make us behave funny and abnormal. John the Baptist introduced Jesus as the Christ (Messiah) but when he was imprisoned, he sent message to ask if Jesus was indeed the Messiah. One would wonder why sudden doubt? This is one effect of a backslidden life or one who had not actually repented. Another reason for such doubt maybe the result of knowing God just because of miracle you have received and not because you have a relationship with Him.

This latter reason may be the cause of this woman of Zarephath’s action against Elijah in our scriptural reading for the day. She received a miracle when she had not developed a relationship with God. However, one would have expected that with such a miracle received, she would have known God the more. This woman’s action is one way sinners react. They see the presence of true Christians as the cause of their problem instead of repenting and using such opportunity to develop a relationship with God.

On daily basis we receive one form of miracle or another from God. These miracles especially waking up everyday should challenge us to develop a relationship with God. Again, we shouldn’t start wavering in faith because of one problem when we have previously been blessed with a miracle. The miracle should challenge us to draw closer to God in our time of troubles, problems, affliction, sickness and pain. These problems of life shouldn’t despair us.

Food for Thought: Cynicism and fear freezes life; faith thaws it out. Release your life and set it free with faith.

Memory verse: 1 King 17 verse 18

Prayer: Lord God, increase faith in me so as to set me free from wavering in Jesus name.

Forget Your Misery

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Wednesday February 15, 2017

Topic: Forget Your Misery

Text: Job 11:16

You can’t do anything about the past, but you can do something about your future. All you need to do is to forget your misery and look up to God for intervention. Job's misery was extreme, and it seemed as if he could never forget it. He never did forget the fact of it, but he did forget the pain of it. There is nothing better that can happen to our misery than forgetting it in the sense referred to here in our text.

When we are in pain of body or depression of spirit, we imagine that we never shall forget such misery as we are enduring. But when God turns towards us with mercy and we are restored to health or uplifted from depression of spirit, we no longer remember, except as a thing that has passed and gone, to be recollected with gratitude. These words of Zophar in our text were prophetic. It later came to pass when God restored all that Job lost. There is also consolation from the future just as Hebrews 12:11 truly say.

Our text can be fulfilled in our lives by the lapse of time. Time is a wonderful healer. Remember how Job forgot his misery when, in a short time, he had double as much of all that he possessed (Job 42:10). When the Lord turns your captivity, you will be like them that dream. They woke up; their dream is all gone, they have completely forgotten it. So it will be with your misery. It will be gone and gone forever as God will remember you this season.

Food for Thought: Dwelling on the past denies us the opportunity of making progress into the future.

Memory verse: Job 11 verse 16 - You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away.

Prayer: Intervene in my life, O Lord, that I may forget my pain and misery.

THERE IS ALWAYS JOY AFTER WEEPING: Devotion for Sunday September 18, 2016

THERE IS ALWAYS JOY AFTER WEEPING: Devotion for Sunday September 18, 2016

Text: Psalm 30:1 – 5           Memory verse: v 5

When a doctor gives you a shot (injection) in the hospital during treatment, it is always painful but thereafter, those shots will be a great source of relief. Likewise a woman who is in labour, she will almost cry out her eyes and writhe in pain as if that is the end of life for her (John 16:21; 1 Thessalonians 5:3; Revelation 12:2). But when that child comes out, she will become happy on seeing her baby. These are some of the ways to explain Psalm 30:5.

God is always gracious to us. His providence is seen in our daily lives. For this reason, these graces and providences we enjoy on daily basis should endear us to Him to always show our gratitude (Psalm 30:1–4) for all we receive. David alludes in this Psalm 30:5 that dispensations of God's chastisement ordered against his children are but short judgments. They don’t last forever or for a long time as God removed them when we show real repentance and ask for pardon.

We saw in that past few days how Job was afflicted. His case was not chastisement but a trial and test of faithfulness towards God. With the ways those serial attacks came upon him, no one expected him to last longer than he did. We know what became of him at the end. This is a great lesson for us. David used this Psalm as he dedicates his house to testify and encourage us to realise that there is no problem that lasts forever, and that when we call upon God, He will answer us.

Beloved brothers and sisters, I don’t know what you maybe going through at this moment. Maybe you are passing through problems like sickness, no job, problem in your marriage, chastisement, loss as a result of current economic crises, problem in your office, imprisonment, etc; I want you to know that there is no problem without an end or a solution. There is always a change when we allow God to come in and when He does, it ends with joy. As you invite him to come into your problem, that problem plaguing you for some time now will lead to joy in Jesus name. Keep believing in Him for your breakthrough, healing, favour, promotion, etc.

Food for Thought: Isaiah 54:7 and 8

Prayer: Use 2 Corinthians 4:16 - 18 to pray