The Preeminence Of Christ

Devotion for Wednesday August 8, 2018

Topic: The Preeminence Of Christ

Text: Colossians 1:15 – 18

In our bible reading for the day, Paul stated why Jesus Christ is the first born of all creation which made Him preeminence. Jesus Christ revealed to us the nature of invisible God and “by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” 

Apostle Paul’s expression is that Jesus existed before creation began; born of God instead of being created by the divine fiat; born before any creature was called into existence. The passage does not say that he was the first created, but the first-born. He was before creation (See John 1:1, 2). What Paul had in mind here was that Jesus Christ should be given the right place in our lives. He should be worshipped and honoured for He is supreme over all creatures even for the work of salvation He did in dying for us. 

Have you accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour, who died for us? You should not see Him as that man born by Mary but look beyond that because He is God from the beginning of ages. Therefore, we should learn to worship and adore Him always.

Food for Thought:  What is your understanding of the person of Christ Jesus?

Memory Verse: Colossians 1:15

Prayer: Almighty God, grant me the understanding of the person of Christ so that I can give Him the honour and worship due to Him.

Walk Worthy of Your Call

My Daily Covenant with God Devotional

Devotion for Tuesday Monday January 7, 2018

Topic: Walk Worthy Of Your Call

Text: Colossians 1:9 – 14

The Christian call is fashioned in the likeness of Jesus Christ who is our Lord and Saviour, and that is why our general name is Christian. Paul had constantly prayed that Colossian believers might be filled with the knowledge of God's will, in all wisdom as the will make them walk worthy of their call. This prayer is for us the present day believers. It is only when we walk worthy of our call that we can please God.

Walk as used in this context means act of living, which is the life we should live. By walking worthy of our call, Paul stated that we should live our lives as those who are now followers of Jesus Christ. He went ahead to state how we can do it in verses 10b following. This exhortation is also for us and we can do it in the following ways. 1) Fully pleasing God. 2) Being fruitful in every good work. 3) Increasing in the knowledge of God. 4) Rely on God for strength and patience as we endure suffering with joy. 5) We should always give thanks to God who has qualified us as partakers of His inheritance. As we follow these suggestions of Paul in our text, we will be walking worthy of our call as Christians. Are there other ways you can add to the ones stated above? We should please God with our thoughts; our actions, our reactions, our relationships, our dealing with others and our words. These are what our call demands from us.

Food for Thought: Have you understood what your call is?

Memory verse: Colossians 1:10

Prayer: Grant me the grace that I need O Lord to walk worthy of my call in Jesus name.

When Human Help Is No More Necessary

My Daily Covenant with God Devotional

Devotion for Sunday January 6, 2019

Topic: When Human Help Is No More Necessary

Text: John 5:1 – 9 

This man’s sickness had become his way of life because it has lasted for 38 years. No one had ever helped him. He had no hope of ever being healed and no way to help himself. The man’s situation was hopeless. He was trapped there at the side of the Pool. There was no hope of healing in his home if he goes back and even at the pool; there was no help until He who is greater than all human help combined together, came into the scene. This man didn’t invite Jesus. Heaven smiled at him when Jesus came his way. We should understand that Jesus came to him because He had seen the desires of his heart. He had heard his cry for help and was moved with compassion. He came to him to prove to us that when He comes into any problem whether protracted or not, human help we had hoped for will no longer be necessary.

Beloved, you may have been trapped in an infirmity, debt, prison sentence, protracted sickness, unemployed and in the labour market, etc., and now you feel that here is no one to help you or you are now depending on someone who probably had promised you something in the new year. God can minister to your deepest needs in that situation even without the human help you had hoped on. God can use what/who you do not expect to help you out. Don’t let that problem or hardship cause you to lose hope. God may have special work He is preparing you to do in spite of your condition, or even because of it. People have ministered effectively to hurting people because they triumphed over their own hurt. Again, why not invite Jesus into that hopeless situation you are trapped in? When He comes into that troubled situation you are into, your cry of no one to help will end as it ended for this man. Call on Him today and certainly He will answer you.

Food for Thought: Jesus’ question shows us that He will not force himself upon anyone. He seeks permission before intervening in that person’s life except on special cases.

Memory verse: John 5 verse 6 – “When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"

Prayer: Almighty God, I invite you into my life to solve all physical and spiritual problems where I have been trapped in without help in Jesus name.

Isaac Sowed

My Daily Covenant with God Devotional

Devotion for Saturday January 5

Topic: Isaac Sowed

Text: Genesis 26:12 – 14                           

The instruction God gave Isaac in Genesis chapter 26 verses 2 and 3 was "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.” Isaac obeyed and stayed in Gerar (Genesis 26:6). He didn’t just stay, waiting for fulfillment of God’s promise. He sowed in the land where he was a stranger and God blessed him 100 times more than what he sowed. The blessing attracted envy of his landlords the Philistines (Genesis 26:7). They made Isaac go out of their country. Wisdom teaches us to give up our right, and to draw back from contentions. If we are wrongfully driven from one place, the Lord will make room for us in another. So it was in the case of Isaac. He left without contending with them and that attracted God’s favour the more. This should be a great lesson for us.

One thing we should understand in this text is that Isaac didn’t wait for God’s blessings as promised to start manifesting. He went ahead to do something for himself. It was what he was doing that God blessed and he prospered therein. God has promised to bless us in this New Year. But we still have a part to play in bringing the promises to fulfillment. When God provided manna, He kept them outside and not inside their tent. He could have sent them into their tents but not so because He wanted to teach them that they have a part to play in bringing their blessings to fulfillment. Again it was to test their obedience. Isaac obeyed God and stayed in Gerar when God blessed him and he prospered. How obedient are you to God’s instructions and how prepared are you to obey him this year and beyond?

Food for Thought: How prepared are you to obey God and sow seeds that will last for you?

Memory verse: Genesis 26 v 12

Prayer: Lord, teach me to sow seeds because without sowing my seeds, I will not reap.

God’s Promises Are Sure

My Daily Covenant with God Devotional

Devotion for Friday, January 04, 2019  

Topic: God’s Promises Are Sure

Text: 2 Corinthians 1:20 – 24 

We have some lessons in our bible reading for the day. 

1. That God has made many promises to His people. Can you mention five promises God has made to us as Christians in the scriptures?

2. That all the promises which God has made to His people, are made in Christ, and ratified by Christ. In all the promises of God to His people, Christ acts the part and office of a surety; He undertakes and engages for God, that all which He has promised shall be made good to us.

3. That the promises made by God, and ratified and confirmed in Christ, do all tend to the glory of God.

Paul gave the reason for his desired trip to the Corinthians; to bring joy to him and the people (1:24). He didn’t want to visit them only to rebuke them severely (1:23). Just as the Corinthians could trust God to keep his promises, they could trust Paul as God’s representative to keep his too. He would still visit them, but at a better time.

All of God’s promises of what the Messiah would be like are fulfilled in Christ. For this reason, we should trust God as we have just entered into the New Year. There are obvious challenges in this period. There are bills to pay. We should trust God to bless our efforts and provide for us. Jesus was completely faithful in his ministry; He never sinned (1 Peter 3:18); He faithfully died for us (Hebrews 2:9); and now He faithfully intercedes for us (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 4:14-15). Because Jesus Christ is faithful, Paul wanted to be faithful in his ministry and so we are expected to be faithful too. It is our faithfulness that will attract most of the blessings and promises of God to us. How faithful are you in your call as a Christian?

Food for Thought: God’s promises are what He can do. Therefore, keep trusting him to fulfill them.   

Memory verse: 2 Corinthians 1 v 20

Prayer: God help me to trust you to fulfill your promises for me no matter the situation or circumstance.

Bear Much Fruit For God

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Thursday January 3

Topic: Bear Much Fruit For God

Text: John 15:1 – 8

Nothing gladdens the heart of any farmer than seeing his efforts bearing fruits as expected. It makes him so happy and he will want to do more. In the same way, nothing pleases God more than seeing his children doing His will and bearing fruits for His kingdom. In fact God expects us to bear fruits as He charged Adam in Genesis 1:28. He has just brought us into a new year and he has bestowed much grace and mercies upon us. God loves those that obey and glorify Him. This is the secret Jesus revealed in this our text, that those that obey God and do His will are glorifying Him.

The best way to glorify God for the mercies and graces we have received is to bear fruits. This is what is expected of us as Paul charged the Corinthians and we by extension that we should abound in good works (1 Corinthians 15:58). The Spirit of God stimulates good works in us as we have in John 15:5 and being fruitful is an evidence or demonstration of true discipleship.

What fruit are you bearing or do you intend to bear in this New Year? We have the fruits of the flesh (Galatians 5:19 – 21) and also the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22 – 23). In your office, do your words and actions show that you are a Christian, and do you bear fruit for Him there or you compromise your faith? As a driver, do you connive with the Motor Mechanic to defraud your boss? Do you make unnecessary claims for the money of the work you didn’t do?

Our fruits should glorify God and edify man.  Jesus Christ said that we are the light of the world and He also charged us to let our light shine. Are you among those whose lights appear dim or those whose lights are shinning for others to see? Therefore, live as Jesus Christ charged us in Matthew 5:16

Food for Thought: Whatever that is worth doing at all is worth doing well – Lord Chesterfield

Memory verse: Matthew 5:16

Prayer: Help me O Lord to bear fruits that will glorify you through my words and deeds in Jesus name.

A New Thing For You

Devotion for Wednesday January 2

Topic: A New Thing For You

Text: Isaiah 43:16 – 21

The Lord has promised to do a new thing for you because it is His desire to do new things for us. The new thing will not be delayed because it shall ‘spring forth now.’ 2 Peter 3:9 say that the “Lord is not slack concerning His promises” and Isaiah 40:8 confirms that “God’s word will stand forever.” A new thing from God goes with a new song; new title, new office, new privileges, new blessings, new joy, new victory and many more. When you are promoted, your level changes. However, a new thing from God can be positive or negative depending on which divide you belong.

In Exodus 14:21 -28, when God parted the Red Sea, it was a new thing. The Israelites experienced this as a way of freedom. But to Pharaoh and his men, it was a way of total destruction. When God says to His children that He will do a new thing, it means that He will move them to a level of freedom they have never known before. It also means that God is about to surprise their enemies beyond recovery. Get ready; it is your season for a new thing that will lead to a new song (Psalm 40:3) in your life, family, business and ministry in this New Year in

Jesus name.

Beloved in Christ, before you hold on to a promise, you should first get to know who made the promise with the terms and conditions attached to it. The one who is making this promise to you and I is the one called Jehovah El-Shaddai – the God that is more than enough, the Almighty (Genesis 17:1). Have you known and accepted Him as your Lord and Saviour? Do you actually want to experience a new thing in this New Year? Then you have to prepare yourself and rededicate your life again to Him. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, do something now so you could enjoy the new thing packaged for you this season and beyond.

Food for Thought: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Memory verse: Isaiah 43:19

Prayer: Lord God, do a new thing in my life that will lead to a new song this month and always in Jesus name. Amen.