Abiding TV

“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them …. So he began teaching them many things. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. ‘This is a remote place,’ they said, ‘and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go … buy themselves something to eat.’ But he answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘That would take more than half a year’s wages!’” (Mark 6:34-37 NIV)

If you want God to do a miracle in your life, the first thing you have to do is admit that you have an unsolvable problem.

Mark 6:34-37 says, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them …. So he began teaching them many things. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. ‘This is a remote place,’ they said, ‘and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go … buy themselves something to eat.’ But he answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘That would take more than half a year’s wages!’” (NIV)

In this passage, we learn the three typical responses to an unsolvable problem in our lives: We procrastinate, we pass the buck, and we worry.

First, we procrastinate. It was already late in the day when the disciples brought the problem to Jesus. They had all day to figure out how to feed the 5,000 people. When we have a problem we can’t solve, we just keep putting it off. We delay. We pretend it doesn’t exist. We look the other way.

What problem are you avoiding in your marriage? What problem in your finances have you procrastinated about? What problem in your body are you putting off addressing? Procrastination only makes problems worse.

Second, we pass the buck. We blame other people. Instead of dealing with the problem, the disciples wanted to send the people away. They thought, “Hey, we didn’t invite these people out here. We didn’t promise them food.” So they didn’t take responsibility for the need. Have you ever done that with a problem in your life?

The third thing we do is worry. We fret, we stew, we get anxious, we get stressed out. When Jesus told the disciples to feed the people, their anxiety went into overdrive. I can just imagine Peter doing the cost analysis. “Five thousand people! How are we ever going to get the food and keep it hot and distribute it and then clean it up?”

Just like we do when we face a seemingly unsolvable problem, the disciples procrastinated, they passed the buck, and they worried. What’s the problem with this picture? They’re standing next to Jesus — the guy who can easily turn stones into bread if he wanted to, yet when he tells them to do something, they say, “Lord that’s practically, financially, and humanly impossible.”

Has God ever asked you to do something impossible and you replied, “Lord, I don’t have the time. I don’t have the money. I don’t have the energy. I don’t have the education.”

God wants you to do the impossible because he wants to stretch your faith. When you have an unsolvable problem, just admit it, and then wait to see how God can turn it into a miracle.

Talk It Over

    What is a problem in your life that seems unsolvable?
    What do you think God wants you to do instead of worrying about that problem?
    The Bible says God will never give us more than we can handle. What do you think about that?

Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.

Memorise: 
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Genesis 1:3

Read: Genesis 1:1-5, 
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Bible in one year: 
Psalms 144,
Numbers 16-17

Message:
We read in the Book of Genesis that God created the heaven and the earth in six days. Going by the account of the book of Genesis, we can assuredly say that the miracle of the universe was performed in six days! I pray for someone using this devotional; by the time you go through the first six days of this year, listening to God through this devotional, the everlasting miracles you need for the rest of your life shall be yours in Jesus’ name.

 The first challenge that confronted the universe was darkness, and this was the first thing God dealt with. When an individual gropes in darkness, he is likely to fall into a ditch and thereby end his life. In other words, darkness is potentially harmful. This is why there must be light; and there will be light in your life today in Jesus’ name. God said in Genesis 1:3:
“Let there be light: and there was light”

One lesson we must learn here is that it was when God spoke His Word that the miracle of light occurred. Many people do not know what they lose when they refuse to allow the Word of God to penetrate their lives. Those outside the Church do not allow the Christian witnesses and evangelist going around their neighbourhood to preach them with the Word of God that will liberate them from darkness. Even, ‘modern day Christians’ close up their hearts to the Word of God. This is the reason why many have been in the Church for years and their lives have remained the same. They came sick and they have remained sick; they came poor and they have remained poor; they came bound and they have remained bound. What a waste of opportunity. My prayer for someone using this devotional is that the Word of God will penetrate your life forcefully today, and you will have the miracle of the light of the Living God.

When there is darkness, there will be no activity. God knows this, and that’s why He first tackled the problem of darkness which the devil brought upon the earth when he was cast down.
“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhibiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”
Revelations 12:12

When there is darkness, stagnation is inevitable. Also, we should take note of this phrase in the above scripture; “because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” It simply reveals that the devil works round-the-clock to get his victims before they discover the light of God in Christ. So, if you are reading this devotional and you have not come into the light of God in Jesus Christ, today is your day of salvation; now is the acceptable time (2nd Corinthians 6:2). I decree the miracle of the first day into your life in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, send Your Light into darkness of my life today in Jesus’ name.

Happy New Year!!!

For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.
—Romans 8:5

If you are walking in the flesh, it’s because you put your mind on fleshly things. If you’re walking in the Spirit, it’s because you put your mind on spiritual things.

Imagine a truck filled with concrete. The concrete is eventually going to take the shape of whatever mold it’s poured into—a driveway, a patio, a retaining wall, a road, or a foundation. The concrete cannot take any form unless a mold is created. Your thoughts are like the mold.

Your thoughts create a shape for God to pour His power into, to do something with your life. If you want a powerful life, choose to keep your mind on things that agree with God’s will so He can work with you toward your goals.

Power Thought: My mind is set on spiritual things.

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised.

Psalm 113:3

Praise God. Praise Him in the morning. Praise Him at noon. Praise Him at night. If you've never praised God in your life, then get started right now. Praise Him for freedom. Praise Him for healing and Calvary. Praise Him for the Name of Jesus.

You ought to be shouting your way to work and shouting your way back home! If there's anything the devil can't stand, it's praise.

If you've taken territory from the devil and he's coming against you to get it back, this is not the time to sit down and whine about how things aren't working out. It's not time to decide that God has taken His hand off your life.

It is time to get into the Word and get yourself re-anchored in God's promises. It is time to keep those promises constantly before your eyes and in your heart. It is time to pray the prayer of faith and take your stand on the basis of His provision. It is time to continue to do the things you know to do.

When Satan starts shaking your mountain, don't retreat and run for cover. Speak to the mountain with the authority you wield in the Name of Jesus Christ. Then, when you're done with that, start to praise and shout the victory.

You don't have to be afraid of Satan. He'll be afraid of you!
Scripture Reading:

Psalm 50

John 19:30

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Imagine looking at Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa painting in the Louvre museum. Would you think of adding more brush strokes to it? Of course not! It was done by a master, so what could you possibly add to the painting to improve it?

In the same way, that is how we are to look at Jesus’ work on the cross. He cried out, “It is finished!” You cannot complete a completed work. You cannot finish a finished work. Our salvation is won. Our sins are all forgiven. We are made forever righteous by His blood. Christ paid completely and perfectly for our total forgiveness, righteousness and every blessing!

In fact, these three words, “It is finished”, come from one Greek word teleo. In the days of Jesus, a servant would use it when reporting to his master: “I have completed the work assigned to me.” (John 17:4) The word means, “It is finished, it stands finished and it will always be finished!” Perhaps the most significant meaning of teleo is how it is used by merchants: “The debt is paid in full!” When Jesus gave Himself on the cross, He met fully the righteous demands of the law. He paid our debts in full!

Today, it is not our works that will bring us the blessings. It is Christ’s finished work. Christian living is not about doing, but believing in His finished work. Under the law, we must do. Under grace, it is done!

Maybe you are faced with overwhelming odds today. Jesus promises, “It is finished!” You are not going to be delivered because you have already been delivered. You are not going to be healed because you are already the healed! God healed you 2,000 years ago! Isaiah 53:5 declares, “By His stripes you are healed!” You are already pregnant with healing. Keep resting in His finished work and it will manifest!

My friend, the work is finished. The victory is won. Our enemies have been made His footstool. Our blessings have been bought by His blood! Live life knowing that there is nothing for you to do—only believe! It is finished!
Thought For The Day

It is believing in Christ’s finished work that will bring us the blessings.

Memorise:
Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms: Jeremiah 51:20

Read: Isaiah 41:14-16, 14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
16 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
Bible in one year: Song of Solomon 5-8, Jude 1

Message!
Because holiness is the nature of God, living a holy life makes you a partner with God in His work. 2nd Corinthian 6:1 say:
“We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.”
What a great privilege this is! When you have the same nature as God, He will not look at your limitations; rather, He will lift you up so that He can relate with you. God wants to partner with you. He wants to be able to seek your opinion on issues; not because He does not know what to do, but just to make you known that you count before Him (John 6:5-6). Living a holy life makes you count before God, and it gives you relevance before Him (Genesis 18:17-19).


Moreover, holiness empowers you to plead your cause before God. As a sinner, you cannot stand before God, because your sins have disqualified you to begin with. But when you approach Jesus
and accept Him as your saviour, His blood washes you clean and He stands as your lawyer to plead your cause (1st John 2:1). Thereafter, as you imbibe His holiness and allow His nature to express itself through you, you are empowered to plead your own cause before God (Hebrews 4:16). Holiness also qualifies you to plead for others: are you living a holy life? How well are you pleading your cause and that of others before heaven’s court?

Similarly, living a holy life makes you God’s sharp battle axe: you become a fighting instrument in His hands (Jeremiah 51:20). A life of holiness is a declaration to the kingdom of darkness that you are on God’s side permanently. You therefore become a very useful instrument in God’s hands. Isaiah 41:15 says:
“Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains; and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.”
 One of my sons once had a dream where he saw his hands being exchanged with iron hands. Even though he tried to resist what the angels were doing, he could not stop them. Thereafter, the Lord used him mightily against the kingdom of Satan and is still using him today. The more you live a life of holiness, the more likely it is that God will use you to do greater things and to fight bigger battles. Are you living a holy life?
Prayer Point

Father, make the Body of Christ a sharp battle axe in your hand in these last days.

. . . You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.
—Matthew 22:37-39

Loving God, yourself, and other people should be our focus in life. We should be "love-focused" individuals. Receive God's amazing, unconditional love, then you can love yourself and live to give the love away that God has given to you. It is God's number one priority, and it should be ours also.

This is the time of year in which we often look back and look forward. Take time to survey what your life has been like compared to what you want it to be, and work with God to make whatever changes need to be made. I urge you to end this year with a commitment to abide in love, for when we abide in love we abide in God. Jesus said, "I give you a new commandment that you should love one another, just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all (men) know that you are My disciples, if you love one another."

Everyone chooses to live for something! What will your choice be? I implore you not to live for yourself, but to choose to live striving to obey the the "new Commandment" that Jesus gave. Now faith, hope, and love abide, but the greatest of these is love (see 1 Corinthians 13:13).

Today and Every Day...Love God, Love Yourself, and Love Others. And don't forget to love out loud!

Exodus 4:2–3

So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
God wants to take the natural things in your life and make them supernaturally blessed. He does this by asking you to give Him what you already have in the natural, and He will do the supernatural.

That is why the Lord told Moses to cast his rod on the ground. And when Moses cast his rod on the ground, which represents him giving the rod to the Lord, that same rod became the rod of God. With that rod, the Red Sea was opened. (Exodus 14:16) And when that rod was used to hit a rock, water flowed out of the rock. (Exodus 17:5–6) It was no longer a natural rod, but the supernatural rod of God!

But why did the rod become a serpent when Moses cast it to the ground?

Moses never realized that there was a “snake” in his rod. You see, because of the fall of man, there is a touch of the curse—a snake—in every natural thing, including your career, natural strength, talents and ministry.

So how do you deal with the “snake” that is in all the natural things in your life?

First, cast it to the Lord. Then, do what the Lord told Moses next: “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail”. (Exodus 4:4)

Now, it could be fatal to take a snake by its tail because it can easily turn its head around and bite you. So why did God say that?

When you take it by the tail, God will take the head! He wants you to let Him handle the head, and not grab it or hold on to it tightly in fear or self-effort. That is how you see your career, strength, talents and ministry supernaturally blessed.

Beloved, there is a snake, a touch of the curse, in everything in the natural. But give what is natural to the Lord and see the touch of the curse replaced with the supernatural touch of God!

Thought For The Day
Give what is natural to the Lord and He will make it supernaturally blessed.

“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:7 NLT, second edition)

God wants you to focus on growing, sowing, and going in faith.

First, God wants you to grow in faith. He doesn’t want you to be a spiritual baby! The Bible says in Colossians 2:7: “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” (NLT, second edition).

And, God wants you to sow in faith. He wants you to learn to become generous, because you cannot become like Christ without becoming generous. The Bible says, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV).

This is the law of sowing and reaping, and it’s true in every area of life. If you sow criticism, you’re going to reap criticism. If you sow love, you’ll reap love. If you sow kindness, you will reap kindness. And you always reap more than you sow. When you plant one corn kernel in the ground, you don’t get one kernel back. You get a whole stalk. You always get more back —positive or negative — of what you put out in life.

Then, God wants you to go in faith.

Hebrews 11:8 says, “It was by faith Abraham obeyed God’s call to go to another place God promised to give him. He left his own country, not knowing where he was to go” (NCV).

Would you do that? Abraham was up in years. He was in his retirement phase, just about to hang it up and settle down when God said, “No. Dust yourself off, and get ready for the greatest journey of your life.” When you live by faith, it involves going, often to places you were never planning to go.

Why is it so important for you to develop your faith?

Because everything that God does in your life he does by his grace and through your faith:

“Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6a NIV).
“According to your faith let it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29b).
“Anything that is not done in faith is sin” (Romans 14:23b GW).

Talk It Over

How have you grown in your faith in the last six months?
What would the people who are close to you say that you are sowing in your life?
Has God asked you to go somewhere in faith and you did not obey? What were the effects of your disobedience?

I see Warriors marching down a road, following their Commander. As they move along this road of Life, attacks start coming from the enemy. Some have gathered together, one warrior from the group taking the lead. Many of the warriors have hitched their wagon up to this leader.

Slowly, this leader has veered off the road and now they are in a deep ditch. Many are stuck in the miry clay and cannot move. Some are wandering around, injured, dazed and leaderless. But, the Commander has seen the illegitimate authority that has seized His Beloved Followers.

He is running to each one, picking them up, reviving them, healing their brokenness, and placing them upon His strong Shoulders. Soon, their strength is renewed and once again, they form into a strong army. Never again, will they follow any leader other than their Commander. He has made them MORE than conquerors. His Love is stronger than any weapon formed against them. They follow no one but their Beloved King, Who is leading them in His triumphal parade and the gates of hell shall never prevail against them!
..................................................................................................................................

Idiom:"hitch your wagon to": to try to become successful by becoming involved with someone or something that is already successful or has a good chance of becoming successful
2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s victory parade [procession; the image is of a victorious general leading his army and his captives through the streets].

God uses us to spread His knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume [ the aroma/fragrance of the knowledge of Him; incense or spices were burned during such victory parades]. 15For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
Psalm 40:2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a Rock making my footsteps firm. 3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD.

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received of Him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, you shall abide in Him.

Colossians 2:6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him.

I have told you these things so that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer....I have overcome the world.

John 16:33, The Amplified Bible

Jesus said as long as you live in the world, you're going to have trouble. (I can vouch for that!) But you're not just in the world. You're in Jesus in the world, and that makes all the difference. You're in Him and He's overcome every kind of trouble there is.

As God's child, you're not the defeated trying to get victory. You're the overcomer, and Satan's trying to rob you of the victory that already belongs to you.

When you made Jesus the Lord of your life, you were born into victory... because the Victor came to live in you. Think about it. The victorious Jesus. The Anointed One. The glorified and resurrected Lord. The Ruler of the Universe.

Cheer up, my friend. Have "perfect peace and confidence." That's Jesus who lives in you!

Scripture Reading:
John 16:15-33

Memorise:
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but
yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Romans 6:13
Read; 2nd Chronicles 30:8-9, 8 Now be ye not stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.
9 For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.

Bible in one year:
Song of Solomon 1-4,
3rd John 1

Message:
God has a unique plan for your life. In all that you do, never let this escape your mind. Note however that there is a difference between desire and purpose. There is also a difference between ambition and purpose. Your joy can only be full when you find your purpose in life. Until you get to this point, life will be such a struggle, full of stress and pressures. It is good to have ambition, but it is better to seek God’s purpose for your life, and having known it, make that your life’s ambition. You will be happier for it.

Moreover, having carved out His purpose for your life, God gives you the gifts and abilities that will enable you fulfil that purpose. God’s calling on your life is in line with His divine purpose. Where a conflict exists between God’s plan for your life and your own plans, there will always be problems. For instance, if God wants you to be a missionary in a particular country and you plan to be a doctor in another part of the world, there will be great conflict. If you fail to yield to His will, you will be disrupting His plan. It is either a person is brought to a halt over his personal ambition that is making God’s will secondary, or God will alter His plan for that person by moving someone else into his place. If your pursuit runs contrary to God’s plan for your life, God expects you to do something fast. When
Peter’s fishing business got in God’s way, he was called out of traditional fishing into fishing for men. As we speak, there are several people who refuse to yield to God over His plan for their lives. They have continued to struggle with God’s will. Resisting God’s will regarding His plan for your life can be frustrating. It can lead to labouring without commensurate harvest, afflictions, disappointments, great loss of valuables and much more. If you remain adamant after repeated attempts to bring you back in line, God may have to replace you. When God replaces a person, he or she is left alone to pursue his or her ambitions, which will lead nowhere. Are you struggling with God? Is God calling you into His service or into full-time ministry and you are resisting? Stop resisting Him today!
Prayer Point
Father, I yield my life to You today, make out of my life what You desire for it.

...I beseech thee, show me thy glory.

Exodus 33:18

What would you say is the single, most outstanding thing about God? What's His most important characteristic? Some people would say it's His power. Others, His holiness. But God Himself would give a different answer.

You can find that answer in Exodus 33. There Moses is asking God to show him His glory.

Now the word glory could literally be translated "heavy weight." It refers to the heaviest, biggest, grandest thing about someone. It's the sum total of their worth.

So what Moses was actually saying was, "Lord, I want to see the weightiest thing about You. I want to know Your grandest attributes." What did God say to him in response?

Chapter 34:6-7 tells us, "The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin."

Just think about that! When Moses asked God to show him the most important thing about Himself, God showed him His mercy.

That means if you and I are to imitate God (Ephesians 5:1) we must major in mercy too. Mercy, goodness, forgiveness and compassion must mark our behavior above all else.

Major on mercy and others will see the glory of God in you.
Scripture Reading:

Exodus 33:7-23, 34:5-10

Genesis 1:26
    Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

When God made man, He gave man dominion over everything on earth. To have an idea of the kind of dominion that man would have had had he not sinned, let’s look at the perfect Man, Jesus Christ.

When Jesus wanted to pay the temple tax, He only needed to command a fish to bring the money to Him. (Matthew 17:24–27) When He wanted to feed a multitude, He only needed to multiply five loaves and two fish in His hands. (Mark 6:34–44) When a storm threatened the lives of His disciples, He only had to speak to the storm and there was perfect calm. (Mark 4:35–41) And every sick person who was brought to Him went away healed. He even brought the dead back to life because He had dominion over death!

Today, you have the same dominion that Jesus exercised because Christ is in you. (Colossians 1:27)

“Pastor Prince, forget about having dominion over the sea, air or earth. I want dominion over my backache which has robbed me of my time with my children. I want dominion over my financial situation.”

My friend, because God’s purpose for you is to have dominion on earth, He will keep you healthy. After all, it is hard to rule the earth when you are sick and lying on your bed. And God will prosper you because it is hard to want to do things when you are in lack.

We need to understand that since God’s greater purpose is for man to have dominion on earth, it would include the lesser blessings such as health and provision. Then, we will see ourselves as God sees us, walking in dominion, and we will walk in victory over our negative circumstances in the natural realm.

Beloved, you have been born again of the Spirit, born to rule and have dominion over everything on earth!
Thought For The Day

Since God’s greater purpose is for man to have dominion on earth, it includes you walking in health and His provision.

I saw a plain wooden door frame and heard the word, “Threshold.”  Beyond this simple entrance the whole area was aglow with a glorious bright Light.  I heard the phrase, “Go out with a bang.”

I believe the Lord is leading His Beloved out of this present time of great darkness and through an open Door into a GLORIOUS place in Him.

We shall cease from our works, and finally realize that, “It is finished.”  Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.  So EXPECT that miracle, Child of God. Pray and believe. Speak God’s word. It will be more spectacular and exciting than you can imagine.

It shall happen in ways you do not expect and in a grand and dramatic fashion.  With your God, ALL things are possible.  This threshold can only be entered by faith. Jesus is the Way.  Jesus has opened the door that no one can shut.  By faith, lean on the everlasting Arms and allow your Bridegroom to carry His Bride over the threshold by the Spirit into your glorious new beginning.  ” See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.  I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept My Word and have not denied My Name.”

Threshold:-   The place or point of entering or beginning, entrance
Wood:-   symbol of humanity
Phrase “go-out-with-a-bang”:-   To depart from a place or situation in a grand or dramatic fashion; To finish or cease doing something in a spectacular, great, or exciting manner.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”   Isaiah 43:19.

“And He put forth His Hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the DOOR of the inner gate that looks toward the north;  And, behold, the GLORY of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain,”   Ezekiel 8:3-4.

“Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together (Harpazo) with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.  Therefore encourage one another with these words. (Greek- Harpazo “Caught up, seize upon with force, snatch up by the hair of the head” (Rapture)),”   1 Thessalonians 4:17-18.

“But as it is written:“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”  But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.  For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God,”   1 Corinthians 2:9-10,

“See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept My Word and have not denied My Name,”    Revelation 3:8.

You may have heard the story in scripture where Jesus fed 5,000 families with five loaves and two fish. I was thinking about this story the other day, and what stood out to me is how the disciples first encouraged Jesus to send the people home so they could eat. They were going to dismiss the people in their time of need, and in essence, they were going to dismiss the miracle God wanted to do with them.

This is an important reminder that we need to expect God to move in our time of need. It's tempting to try to figure things out in the natural or go a logical route. But when we learn to live through our eyes of faith, that's when miracles happen.

Another part of this story that I love is when Jesus took the bread, gave thanks for it, and then broke it and started passing it out. The bread in His hand wasn't enough to feed the crowd, but He didn't wait for all of the provision. He used what He had and took a step of faith. Too often, we hold the little we have and wait for God to do something, but God is saying, "Step out and use what you have! Then, I will multiply it!"

Today, know first that your little in the hands of Almighty God is more than enough. Take a step of faith and trust that He will meet you. Look for God to act on your behalf. Believe Him, give Him opportunity to move in your life, and don't dismiss your miracle!

"But Jesus said to them, 'They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.'" (Matthew 14:16, NKJV)

“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NLT, second edition)

Faith unlocks the promises of God and it shows us the power of God and it turns dreams into reality and it gives us the power to hold on in tough times.

But faith doesn’t always take you out of the problem. Faith often takes you through the problem. Faith doesn’t always take away the pain. Faith gives you the ability to handle the pain. Faith doesn’t take you out of the storm. Faith calms you in the midst of the storm.

I remember reading the stories of Corrie ten Boom, a young Dutch Christian who helped many Jews escape the Holocaust before being sent to the Nazi death camps. She said that the people who lasted in those camps were those who had the deepest faith. Why? Because faith gives you the power to hold on in tough times. It produces persistence.

Study after study has shown that probably the most important characteristic you could teach a child (and that you need in your own life) is resilience. It’s the ability to bounce back. It’s the ability to keep going. Nobody goes through life with an unbroken chain of successes. Everybody has failures and mistakes. We all embarrass ourselves. We all have pain. We all have problems. We all have pressures. The people who make it in life have resilience.

Do you know how many times I’ve wanted to resign as pastor at Saddleback Church? Just every Monday morning. I go, “God, it’s too big. It’s too many people, too much responsibility. I’m not smart enough. What am I supposed to say to that many people? Get somebody else who can do a better job than this.”

Yet God says, “Keep going.”

Where do you get the resilience to keep going? Faith. It’s believing God could do something any moment that could change the direction of your life, and you don’t want to miss it, so you keep moving forward. It’s believing that God will give you exactly what you need when you need it as you learn to rely on him to accomplish his purpose in you.

This is the testimony of Paul, a great man of faith: “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NLT, second edition).

And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Genesis 6:7-8

One of the dirtiest, most damaging lies that the devil ever told you was when he said, "You aren't important." Don't you ever believe that.

You are important! Every born-again member in the Church of Jesus Christ has a part to play in God's plan. God has something for you to do that no one else can do just like you can. If you don't take your place and do your part, things won't be quite right.

I can just hear you thinking, Oh, Gloria, I'm just one person. What could I possibly do that could be so significant?

Look in Genesis 6, and you'll see the answer to that question. There you'll see that the people on the earth had gotten so wicked that God had regretted that He'd made them. He was ready to wipe the whole population out—but He didn't. Why? Because of one man: Noah! One obedient man saved the human race.

Think about that. What if Noah had said, "Well, this is just too much pressure for me. I can't live upright before God in the middle of this ungodly generation. I mean, everyone around me is living the other way. Every man around me imagines only evil in his heart. I can't make any difference in this dark world anyway. I'm just one man."

Praise God, Noah didn't say that. He didn't picture himself as an insignificant man whose life didn't matter. According to Hebrews, he saw himself as a man to whom God had spoken and by faith he obeyed God. And because of that he ended up being the only thing that stood between mankind and total destruction.

Next time you're tempted to shrug off the instructions of God and be disobedient, next time you catch yourself thinking, It doesn't matter what I do—remember Noah. Consider the fact that, whether you understand it or not, God is counting on you to carry out your part of His plan. Live like you're someone important in the kingdom of God. And sooner or later you'll realize, you are.
Scripture Reading:

Genesis 6

“Glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of — infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.” (Ephesians 3:20 TLB)

Faith turns God-given dreams into reality. Nothing happens until somebody starts dreaming!

The Bible is full of people who had God-given dreams. Abraham dreamed of being the father of a great nation. Moses dreamed of setting God’s people free. Joseph dreamed of saving a nation and his own family. Throughout Scripture, there are all kinds of people who were inspiring dreamers, like Daniel and Paul and David.

Ephesians 3:20 says, “Glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of — infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes” (TLB).

Now, if there were ever a “blank check” verse in the Bible, that’s it. God is able to do far more than we would dare to ask. What are you afraid to ask God for? He is able to do far more than we could even dream of.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a pretty big dreamer. I can think of some pretty big dreams I’ve had in my lifetime. God says, “Warren, think of the greatest thing you could ever dream of, the greatest thing you think I could do in your life. Guess what? I can top that.”

If there were tears in Heaven, it would simply be because we would get there and realize all the things that we could have done if we had just believed God a little bit more. To me that would be Hell! Hell for me would be being shown everything I could have accomplished and become as a husband, a father, and a pastor if I had just believed God a little bit more.

But there aren’t any tears in Heaven, and God gives you everything you need right now to accomplish what he has planned for you. I want to challenge you to dream big about your relationships, your marriage, your family, and your career. Your faith can turn those dreams into reality, because God is able to do far more than we would dare to ask or even dream of.

 Memorise:
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: Matthew 7:7

Read: Daniel 10:10-14, 10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
14 Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.

Bible in one year, 
Ecclesiastes 8:14-12:14,
2nd John 1

Message:
From the experience of Daniel in our Bible reading today, we understand that praying effectively makes it impossible for your blessings to pass you by. When you pray, your blessings are branded with your name, and as you continue in prayer, a heavenly courier is sent with your package. When you pray some more, the courier will deliver the package to you. Do you know that there are blessings which were released from Heaven but which never got to their owners? One likely way of losing your blessing is to stop praying about them. if you stop, by the time they are being sent, they could get missing in transit. So many blessings have been lost due to a lack of follow-up prayers.


Let us look at Daniel’s experience. He had a burden to unravel a particular mystery; so he set out to fast and seek God’s
face on the matter. A day passed, a week passed, and another week passed, but he kept on praying. It was after three weeks that the answer came. The angel who brought the answer told him that from the day the request was made, it was heard and an answer was sent, but certain forces of darkness delayed him until Angel Michael came to assist him. This tells us that the battles in heavenly places are real. No wonder Ephesians 6:12 says:

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
These forces exist and they are out to delay or deny you your blessings. If you lost faith and stop praying, the enemy might divert them.

It is one thing to pray and have the answer released, but it is another thing to receive the answer. Today, it is possible to send something by post and track its movement from country to country up to its destination through the internet. Prayer is the spiritual tracking device you need to track your blessing from Heaven until it arrives in your hands. Once you start praying on a particular issue, don’t stop. Keep on praying until the answer gets to you. In addition, it is necessary to specifically pray against every spiritual agent of hindrance. Paralyze every diversionary agent of darkness. Pray against blessing thieves and hijackers, and envelope your blessings in the Blood of Jesus.

Key Point
Prayer is like a hook with rope tied; with it you can catch your blessing, and pull it until it gets to you.

Philippians 2:10
…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

Whatever is troubling you, if it has a name, it must bow to the name of Jesus! Cancer must bow to the name of Jesus. Poverty must bow. Shame must bow. The Bible tells us that God has highly exalted Jesus and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee must bow!

That is exactly what happened when a severely demon-possessed man saw Jesus. The demons in him—called Legion for there were many of them—not only begged Jesus not to torment them, but they also fled when Jesus commanded them to go. The man was left whole, healed and in his right mind. (Luke 8:26–35)

My late father was similarly delivered from his drinking addiction of many years. I remember how he was in a drunken stupor one day. I prayed over him in Jesus’ name for him to be loosed from his addiction to alcohol. He threw up violently soon after that and from that moment on, he never touched the bottle again!

Beloved, if your child is sick, lay hands on him and say, “In Jesus’ name, cough, stop. Fever, go in Jesus’ name. Health flows in your body in Jesus’ name!” If there is strife and confusion at home, deal with it the same way. I have used the name of Jesus as I prayed for a couple who were quarrelling in a food center. It was amazing. All the strife between them seemed to melt away and they started to talk calmly after that.

That is the power of the name of Jesus because that is the name of the one who died for you, who rose again and today is at the right hand of God, for you! That is the name which is above every name, and at which every knee must and will bow!

Thought For The Day
Whatever is troubling you, if it has a name, it must bow to the name of Jesus!

So when He had finished washing their feet and had put on His garments and had sat down again, He said to them, do you understand what I have done to you?
—John 13:12

I believe that only secure people can be true servants. Jesus was able to put on a servant's towel and wash the feet of His disciples because He knew Who He was, where He came from, and where He was going. He had no fear and nothing to prove, so He was free to serve. Many people in our society need a high position to make them feel that they have worth and value.

Being a servant is often looked on as a low job, but in God's mind it is the highest position that exists. Being a true servant begins with a humble heart, and that is a heart and spirit that is acceptable to God. No matter what our natural employment may be, our call from God is to serve Him and others.

In washing the disciples' feet, Jesus gave them an example of how they should live, and told them that if they would serve others, they would be blessed and happy to such a degree that they would be envied (see John 13:17). When we serve one another, we become part of one another. We experience the true meaning of love. Jesus was the highest of all, yet He humbled Himself and became a servant. Are you willing to follow His example?

Memorise: 
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. John 10:9

Read: John 14:1-6, 
14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Bible in one year:
Ecclesiastes 5:1-8:13,
1st John 5

Message:
Jesus Christ is the door to finding everlasting peace. Peace is so vital to human existence that people search for it in many ways. Some people even do all sorts of abominable things to get peace, but the more effort they put in, the more they realize that they are far from having the peace of God. Jesus is the only door through which true peace is guaranteed. Because Jesus is the door, whatever you need to access in life can only be done effortlessly through Him. As the door, He does not need a door to come in, nor does He need a door to go out. For everything you desire in life, there are doors for accessing them. There are doors of financial breakthrough, academic excellence, marital bliss, spiritual endowment and health. All these doors are enclosed in the original Door – Jesus. There is none of these doors that Jesus Christ cannot open. Nothing can deny any child of God access to these doors as long as they are in Christ.



Are you in search of promotion, fruitfulness and breakthrough? Then come to Jesus. He will give you access to all the closed doors in your life. There is no need for worries or panic, because Jesus will give you permanent victory over the challenges confronting you.

 If you want Jesus to be your access through the journey of life, you must give Him full access into your life. You must always allow the Lord to be before you. Psalm 16:8 says:
“I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”
If you want to have Jesus as your exclusive way, you must allow Him take the lead while you follow. You need to always look up to Him and let Him be your focus. If you can do this, you will realize that those things you have been running after for many years will begin to come to you. As long as you have Jesus, you cannot be limited. All you need to do is open your heart to Him. What are those things you worry yourself about? Trust in the exclusive door. He will lead and guide you. The moment Jesus becomes your door; everything will begin to respond to you. There are many people who are not yet blessed because they have shut the door to their heart to the Lord. The moment the door is opened for Him to come in, the lines will begin to fall in pleasant places for you. Jesus is the only true door. Other doors will fail, but Jesus can never fail.
Prayer Point
Father, as I open up the door of my heart to Jesus, help me to always hear Your voice.

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
—James 5:16

For prayer to be effective it must be fervent. However, if we misunderstand the word fervent, we may feel that we have to "work up" some strong emotion before we pray; otherwise, our prayers will not be effective. At times I experience a great deal of emotion while at prayer, sometimes I even cry. But there are plenty of times when I don't feel emotional and don't cry. I am sincere in my praying, but I don't feel anything out of the ordinary. We can't base the value of our prayers on feelings. I remember enjoying so much those prayer times when I could feel God's presence, and then wondering what was wrong during the times when I didn't feel anything. I learned after a while that faith is not based on feelings in the emotions, but on knowledge in the heart.

Also, James 5:16 states that the fervent prayer of a "righteous" man is powerful. This means a man who is not under condemnation—one who has confidence in God and in the power of prayer. It does not mean a man without any imperfection in his life.

The book of James goes on to talk about Elijah. Elijah was a powerful man of God who did not always behave perfectly, but he still prayed powerful prayers. He loved God and wanted to know His will and fulfill His call upon his life. But sometimes he gave in to human weaknesses and tried to avoid the consequences of that will and calling. In many ways, Elijah was a lot like you and me. In 1 Kings 18, we see him moving in tremendous power, calling down fire from heaven and slaying 450 prophets of Baal at God's command. Then immediately afterwards, in 1 Kings 19, we see him fearfully running from Jezebel, becoming negative and depressed, and even wanting to die. Like many of us, Elijah let his emotions get the upper hand.

The fact that James instructs us to pray powerful effective prayers like the righteous men and women of God—and then gives a discourse on Elijah and how he was a human being just like us, and yet prayed powerful prayers—should give us enough "scriptural power" to defeat condemnation when it rises up to tell us we cannot pray powerfully because of our weaknesses and faults.

“Have faith in God! If you have faith in God and don’t doubt, you can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will. Everything you ask for in prayer will be yours, if you only have faith.” (Mark 11:22-24 CEV)

Faith opens the door to miracles. If you study the Bible and history, you find that every time God moves on Earth and does a miracle, it’s because somebody believed.

Jesus said in Mark 11:22-24, “Have faith in God! If you have faith in God and don’t doubt, you can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will. Everything you ask for in prayer will be yours, if you only have faith” (CEV). Faith can move mountains!

God has set up the universe in a hierarchy of laws, and the law of faith is actually a higher law than the laws of nature. That’s where miracles come in. Because when faith is used, the law of faith goes into practice, and the law of faith can actually do more than the laws of physics.

Does God still perform miracles today? Of course he does. Every time you stretch your faith, God does miracles — every single time. My question for you is this: What’s the mountain in your life that needs to be moved? What’s the thing you’ve already decided will never change? That’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. How do you know it won’t change? Maybe God wants your faith to supersede the law of nature. He has in the past, He is doing it today all around the world. God is in the mountain-moving business. Do not doubt or underestimate what he wants to do in your life.

Matthew 13:58 says, “[Jesus] did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith” (NIV).

You might say, “I don’t see many miracles in my life.” I wonder why! Are you seeing with eyes of fear, or are you seeing with eyes of faith? Faith opens the door to miracles.

1 Samuel 16:7
…For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Picture David when he was a shepherd boy. Many who knew him in his pre-Goliath days would very likely have seen just an ordinary youth—one who lived at home with his parents and siblings, enjoyed the outdoors and loved music. But where others saw a typical teenager, God saw a king in young David. He saw David’s name being uttered in honor forever for even the Lord Jesus is called the Son of David!

Picture Moses after he had settled down comfortably in the desert with a beautiful wife, lovely children and good in-laws. He might have seen himself happily retiring in the near future. But God had bigger plans for him. God had big dreams for him. God saw the Red Sea opening up before him and an entire Egyptian army being wiped out in his presence. God saw in Moses the deliverer of His people.

Now, step back a little less far in time with me. See a little boy standing alone during playtime. Nobody wants him on their team because he is scrawny and seen as a weakling. As he grows into his teens, he suffers from an inferiority complex. He stammers and stutters so much that all his classmates laugh at him.

But today, he is the senior pastor of New Creation Church. Several times each week, he stands in front of a crowd of more than 30,000 people to preach. And he receives invitations to speak in churches and pastors’ conferences worldwide. In those early years, there was no way I could have ever conceived in my mind what God saw in me and the dreams that He had for me.

Beloved, God does not see as man sees. God saw in fearful Gideon a mighty man of valor and called him so even when he was hiding from his enemies in fear. (Judges 6:12) God saw in young David a king and anointed him as one. (1 Samuel 16:10–13) God saw in meek Moses a deliverer and drew him out from obscurity. (Exodus 3)

Today, God looks beyond what man sees and says about you, and He has dreams for you that are bigger than you can imagine!

Thought For The Day
God looks beyond what man sees and says about you, and He has dreams for you that are bigger than you can imagine!

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:2

Be not conformed to this world. If you live like the world, you'll be overcome by the world. It's as simple as that. So don't let the world squeeze you into its own mold.

Instead "...be transformed" by the entire renewal of your mind. Overcome the world by having your mind transformed to think like God thinks. In other words, when you see something in the Word, say, "I agree with that. From now on I'm acting on that instead of what I used to think."

For example, when sin calls your name, don't answer. Agree with the Word instead and say, "I'm dead to that, Devil. You can't pull me into it anymore!"

As you do that, you'll find yourself changing. You will find yourself living like a world overcomer!

Scripture Reading:
Romans 6:1-11

Memorise: 
Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. Proverbs 20:13

Read: Proverbs 31:10-13, 
10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.



Bible in one year: 
Ecclesiastes 1-4,
1st John 4

Message:
In the school of life, those who are prone to giving excuses end up as failures. Greatness in life is not for the slothful but for the diligent. It is not for men of theoretical faith, but for those who can put their faith into action. There are many people walking around blind to opportunities. They always complain about the economic situation of their country, and for this reason, they have refused to take their destinies in their own hands. Nothing moves until you move. There are opportunities all around you, but if you can’t see them, they will not translate into tangible results. To be industrious is to be hardworking, conscientious, diligent and productive. John 15:16 says:

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name. he may give it to you.”

God expects His children to be productive and be creative in their thinking. The fact that you belong to God should make you see solutions to issues where others only see problems. The spiritual controls the physical; this is why you need to ask God to open your spiritual eyes. You need to see the good things coming your way from afar off, so that as they come, you can tap into them. There are many people sitting and living around opportunities without exploring them. There is no future for lazy fellows.

The life God expects from the industrious is a life of fruitfulness in every area. Fruitfulness is a covenant benefit of God’s children. If you are still in school, you need to be industrious in order to graduate with excellent grades. If you are serving in God’s ministry, you need to be industrious, so that you can access the anointing required for doing spiritual exploits. If you are engaged in business, you need to be hard-working to make more profits and access greater business opportunities. If you are in the corporate world, being industrious will put you on the cutting edge of your career. You need to keep growing. You need to develop yourself for the glorious future you see ahead of you. You must not be distracted with those things that will not enhance the quick actualization of your God-given dreams. There is no need losing your head over what you don’t have. What you have is more than enough for your breakthrough. Never be afraid of starting small. Ask the Lord to open your eyes so that you can multiply the seed in your hands to become a forest.

Key Point
Whatever you don’t value can never add value to you. 

Ruth 3:18
Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”

God does not want you to “sweat”. Sweat here does not refer to your body’s perspiration, but your self-reliance or self-effort. God does not want you to believe that if you don’t do anything, nothing will happen. That may be true for someone without God in his life, but it is not true for you because you have God. And when He is in the picture, the God-factor changes everything!

When you are resting in God, He works for you. In fact, when He works, you end up with more. He is the one who is giving to you. It is not about you trying to give to yourself.

This was what happened to Ruth in the Old Testament. After laboring in the barley fields from morning to evening, she was able to glean one ephah of barley (Ruth 2:17), which was equivalent to a 10-day supply of barley. Certainly, this amount was a blessing to her.

But when she rested at the feet of Boaz, her kinsman-redeemer, and did not labor, she received six ephahs of barley (Ruth 3:15), which was equivalent to a 60-day supply! When Ruth sought her own blessing, she obtained only one ephah. But when she sought the blessed she received much more.

Ruth’s blessings did not stop there. While Ruth rested and sat still as her mother-in-law Naomi had instructed, Boaz, who was the owner of the barley field, went to work, initiating actions, executing them and speaking on Ruth’s behalf. Right through it all, Ruth sat still and rested. Eventually, Boaz, the barley man himself, married Ruth. (Ruth 4) That meant no more measured wealth of six ephahs, but the yield of the whole barley field in total!

Boaz is a picture of Jesus, our heavenly kinsman-redeemer. When we rest in the Lord, He will not rest. He will work on our behalf. What do we do then? We just trust in and enjoy His love for us.

Beloved, stop striving and be at rest. If salvation, the greatest work, comes to us by resting in Jesus’ finished work, how much more will all the other blessings?

Thought For The Day
If salvation, the greatest work, comes into our lives just by us resting in Jesus’ finished work, how much more will all the other blessings?