It is possible to please God

 

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. Genesis 17:1 

 

It is possible to please God, if it were  not possible God would not have instructed Abraham to walk with Him perfectly. To be perfect is to be faultless. Many assume that it is impossible to please God. A natural man can not please God until He is with the Spirit of God. 

God instructed Abraham to walk upright. He did fulfilled God instructions. If it worked for Abraham, it can work for you. You might have posed this question “how did Abraham pleased God by walking perfect?” Abraham, by whom many of us considered as the Father of Faith, was able to please God by having a strong faith in the Lord. The word of God has often times affirmed that without faith you can not please God. Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” For you to please God, you must believe and have faith in His promises. 

Because of Abraham Big Faith in Him, He imputed Abraham’s faith to righteousness. Romans 4:3 ”For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” 

To please God is to be righteous in His ways, which can be achieved through faith. You can not please Him by your works but by faith. 

Romans 4:5 “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Dear reader, am glad you are aware that it is possible to please God through faith. It is possible to be Holy and perfect by faith not by your works.

 

Conclusion:

It possible to please God, and this can happen only through faith. Your faith in Him is righteousness.

 

 

 

 When the Lord is your strength 

 

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalms 27:1

 

When you make the Lord your strength, you will believe nothing is impossible. Hardly will you think nothing is too hard for Him to do. You will face battles and overcome because you rely not on your strength but your strength is in the Lord. For instance, David at a tender age faced Goliath a mighty warrior. If David’s victory over Goliath was judged or measured by His strength He would have lost the battle. David's strength was in God, that was He could not fear Goliath, even when the warriors in Israel feared Him.

Put your strength in God first and have the courage to face any challenges. You have not to been given the spirit of fear but sound mind where you cry unto God for help. 

 

Conclusion:

Make the lord your strength and fear no evil. The victory is yours.

  Be Joyful

 

Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart. Psalms 32:11 

 

The Lord never wants to see any of His elects sorrowful even when it seems they are passing through difficult challenges. He hopes to see you joyful. 

The Bible expounded on this that a merry heart shows a joyful countenance whereas a sorrowful mind looks weak. Proverbs 15:13 “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” A sorrowful mind will not benefit you any good and will continue to give you pains in your spirit and soul. 

There is someone special the Lord has sent to His elects, the comforter. Jesus knew that His elects will encounter so many challenges, that is why He sent the Holy Spirit, our comforter to comfort you and me when it seems there is no hope. The Holy Spirit will comfort you and give you endless Joy. One evidence that a person is filled by the Holy Spirit is that they will be joyful always in the lord. There was a time, I was troubled and depressed in my Spirit that I needed comfort, I prayed unto the Holy Spirit to comfort me and I had a quick calmness and joy in my spirit. 

The Holy Spirit is the only one that can give you that Joy when you’re troubled within your self. If you are passing through any challenges and you need his comfort, ask Him He will give you.

 

Conclusion:

A sorrowful heart hurts and will not solve anything. If you are sorrowful, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to comfort you and give you endless joy.

 Redemption and atonement by the blood Jesus 

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Ephesians 1:7 

 

To redeem alludes to restoration. In today’s devotional,  we will expound on the purpose of redemption and why humans need redemption by the blood of Jesus. Whereas atonement implies a sacrifice paid to free someone from their sins or debt. 

Before the New Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ. Man offers animals for atonement but not redemption. The atonement is temporal and not permanent. It can only be offered to plead for the sins of people but can not guarantee their redemption. This made God send us a mediator that will reconcile humans and redeem them back to Him.

Through the blood of Jesus, it is possible to redeem and atone for the sins of the world if they are willing to accept and believe in Jesus. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  By the blood of Jesus, there is an assurance that you will not die but live. Even when the consequences of your sin is death, if you can forsake it and confess it to Jesus, you will be saved from death.

Dear beloved, I know you are blessed today. Forsake all sins and give room for Jesus to atone for your sins and redeem you. 

 

Conclusion:

If the consequences of the sins you did are death or suffering. Forsake them and confess it to Jesus, He is a God of a second chance and He is ready to redeem you from death and any suffering. That is why He was sacrificed for you and me.

  When the Lord starts a New beginning 

 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim. Joel 3:18 

 

When God remembers you, it does not birth an ordinary turnaround instead it births a remarkable change. It will look as if you were dreaming. Psalms 126:1 “When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.” A new beginning can also be called the genesis of something New. What God does is always perfect, just like when He created the heavens and the Earth, they were all perfect.

Job for instance lost so many things. He had lost his children, properties, house, etc, but when God remembered Him, things turned around miraculously. Job had twice the things he lost. Job 42:10 “And the LORD turned the captivity of Jo b when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

Dear reader, it is not too late. The lord can start a new beginning in your life at any time. Trust in Him and patiently wait on Him He will not let you down. Tho it may tarry but He will fulfill His promise for you if you patiently wait on Him.

 

Conclusion:

A new beginning from God in your life births a total turnaround. Don’t give up on Him. He will fulfill His promises in your life.

 Let go of pride!  

 

Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. 

Obadiah 1:4 

 

God detests pride. He oft looks at a proud person as one who has fallen. Pride is a destructive character you must not give any room for in your life. As great and powerful, Lucifer was, He was cut off from the presence of God because of His pride. 

Anyone can be prone to be proud,  however, there is one who is our blueprint to living a life of humility. The person is Jesus Christ, the son of God. He ought to be proud as the son of God but He did not give room for such. He humbled himself and came to be molested, beaten, and died for you and me. Because of what He did and His humbleness, God exalted Him so high that at His name, all things here on earth, in Heaven or hell will bow. Philippians 2:10 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” Jesus was exalted because He was humble till He died on the cross. God fulfilled His promise in proverb 29:23 which says “A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.” 

Dear reader, I hope you are blessed today. Give no room for pride in your life but rather make humility your lifestyle. Jesus did lived a humble lifestyle and you can as well live it.

 

Conclusion:

God dishonor the proud. He will only honor the humble minds. Let humility be your lifestyle.

 Chosen out of many

 

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: Exodus 19:5

 

The Israelites were free from the captivity of pharaoh. God wonderfully saved them and showed them how powerful he is. He intended to have them chosen as special people out of many. Exodus 19:6 “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” 

Our God is a covenant-keeping God, He initially made a covenant with the Israelites on His promise of making them a peculiar people and a holy nation; that if the Israelites could obey Him and keep His covenant, they will be exempted out of many as a special and holy nation. Exodus 19:6 “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” This was God’s covenant with the Israelites. 

The covenant He made with the Israelites was emphasized in the New Testament through the redemption Christ brought to humanity be it; an Israelite or any race whatsoever. 1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” 

You are chosen by God out of many irrespective of your race. Your role is to obey Him for His covenants to be fulfilled in your life.

 

Conclusion:

If you want to be part of God’s peculiar people, you have to obey Him in everything and keep His covenant.

 What exactly do you want?

 

And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. Mark 10:51 

 

When praying or requesting God for something, you have to be specific of what exactly you lack. If you needed healing and you asked God for money, He would give you money.

Our case study is the blind man, Bartimaeus who sat at the roadside begging. When He heard that Jesus was passing by, He cried unto Him shouting Jesus the son of David. When Jesus met Him, He was aware the man was blind but He asked Him what He needed. If the man had said he needed money or fame or food, He would have gotten them. He asked for what He lacked which was His sight. 

Mark 10:51-52 ”And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”

 

Conclusion:

Be specific when asking God for your needs. If you lack something, ask Him don’t ask another thing you don’t need. 

 

 Have patience in the lord!

 

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalms 27:14 

 

Many have received promises from the lord, but only a few are patient to receive the promises. To have patience in God is a virtue that is needed to work with the lord. 

Waiting on the Lord requires your faithfulness in Him. Psalms 37:34 “Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.” To wait and keep His ways in this verse alludes to walking uprightly with God. 

Two virtues will make you have patience in God and to walk perfectly with Him. These virtues are; Faith and Endurance. By faith, you have a hope that the Lord will answer you even when it seems impossible. The psalmist in Psalms 39:7 asked God a question that ‘what is he waiting on God to get’ He concluded that His hope is in the lord. Meaning that even if what He waited for seems unclear, he has a strong faith in Him.

The second, Endurance also known as long-suffering. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Without this fruit you can not be patient to wait on God. Endurance keeps you waiting on Him in all phases of life; times when things go right and when things go wrong.

 

Dear reader, I am sure you are blessed by the word today. Be patient with God. Whatsoever He promised you, He will do. Have faith and endurance in Him.

 

Conclusion:

Have patience in the lord, it may look far for you to receive the promise but with God, it looks nearer. Have faith and endure, you will surely receive that which the Lord promised you.

 You are a reaper of Christ labor! 

 

I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. John 4:38 

 

Jesus has paid a great price for you and has labored for you to reap. You are a reaper of where you did not sow and sacrifices you did not pay.

You are a reaper of the divine wages Christ has labored for. John 4:36 ”And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.”

It is the joy of the lord to see you reap the eternal life He labored for with His life. He did sow his life so you can enjoy life eternal, divine blessings, good health, and prosperity.

You have no cause or reasons to face untimely death, sickness, or poverty because Christ has labored and paid it all. You are a reaper of the divine wages Jesus has paid for you. 

 

Conclusion:

You are a reaper of the Christ labor. He has paid for everything. You have no reason to pay for long life, good health, and prosperity.

 Help from God.

 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. Psalms 33:20 

 

A man may render you help but it is in no way in comparison with the help that will come from God. God’s help is superior and permanent. 

God’s help will:

• deliver you in times of trouble. psalm 40:13

• protect you and make you live in peace among your enemies. psalm 37:40

• supply your needs and enlarge you greatly.

 

You need the lord's help in everything. He has said in his word that if you or we as a Nation can call upon Him, He will render His Help

 

Psalms 91:15 ”He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.”

 

Conclusion:

When you need help, don’t hesitate to cry and pray unto God to render his help. He is willing to help and deliver it to you.

 Be grateful!

There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. Luke 17:18 

Be grateful for what God did or the things He had done. You can be grateful for what God has done by giving Him thanks and by testimonies. A man will be pleased when He sees someone He helped coming back to appreciate Him. Let alone when someone comes back and appreciate the almighty God. 

 

There’s a secret of which only a few know about giving of thanks. The secret is that thanksgiving complete or increases your testimony. A case study in today’s devotional is the 10 lepers that were cleansed by Christ's direction and intervention. However, only one was grateful and came to thank Jesus. The Bible made us understand that He became whole at that moment. There’s a sharp contrast between being whole and being cleansed. The 9 ungrateful lepers were cleansed but not whole that is they weren’t completely cured. Whereas the grateful leper received complete healing from Jesus because He was grateful. Luke 17:12-19

 

Dear reader I hope you were blessed by the word. Have you been guilty of not giving God thanks after giving you what you have requested from Him. It is high time you inculcated the habit of being grateful to God.

 

Conclusion:

Be grateful to God. Your thanksgiving will increase your testimony. Even if you are unaware he did something in your life, be grateful and give him all thanks.

 Many reasons why to praise God

 

Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. Psalms 147:1 

 

Prayer is very powerful but it can never replace the position of effective praises. They both have their role to commune with God. The latter differs in a way that it sounds pleasant and sweet to God. The psalmist tells us that praise is pleasant to God.  Psalms 147:1 ”Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.”

One reason why you need to praise Him is that you’re alive. His amazing grace has often saved you from death you may not be aware of, why not praise Him. Psalms 150:6 “Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”

Another reason why you need to keep praising Him is that our God is great and mighty in His ways. Praise Him for who He is; that is why He is God. Psalms 147:8 “Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.” 

And lastly, when we praise God well, He will avenge our battles and struggles. 

Psalms 149:6-7 ”Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;”

In a Nation or country, we need the judgment of God, as we are praying we should as well give Him all praises that in Him is all glory,  power, and supremacy.

 

Conclusion:

Praise is very powerful and can never be substituted by effective prayer. keep giving God all the praise and glory, every time.

 Seek the lord 

 

But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Deuteronomy 4:29 

 

It is very important to seek the face of the lord often and not only in a time you are in need or have a problem to solve. First, you need to seek to know His will and His direction for your life. You need to seek His Him when you are amidst challenges especially for a Nation that is betwixt a serious problem like war, injustice, plagues, etc.  Deuteronomy 4:30 ”When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice.”

When a you are challenged by a prolonged battle, seek the lord with your soul and with all you have, He will answer you and rescue you from your battles.

 

Conclusion:

A person or a Nation that is afflicted by a serious disaster need not be dismayed, but to seek the face of the living God.

 Let this hope keep you on the race

 

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 1 John 3:3 

 

You are on a race that will surely have an end someday. A day that the Lord Jesus shall appear. There’s something that keeps a believer pressing on the race; the utmost reason a believer should press on is to make it to Heavenly eternity and another reason is to win the prize of the race if you ran well. 1 Corinthians 9:24 ”Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”

 

The utmost spiritual motivation that should keep you on a Christian race is the goal to make Heaven. The greatest thing that can ever happen to you is when you made it to paradise. It’s only those that made it to paradise will see God face to face. Apart from running the Christian race well to winning the prize of incorruptible crowns,  your first hope is to see the Lord in the last days. The Bible clarified that anyone that has this hope will purify Himself or Herself to be worthy to see the lord on the last day.

1 John 3:2-3 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

 

Dear reader I hope you’re blessed by God’s word today. If your ultimate goal is to see God on the last day and you have not been living a life that pleases Him, why not forsake your past and surrender all to Jesus. Remember it only those that are righteous will see Him on the last day.

 

Conclusion:

Have that Hope in yourself that you will see God face to face on the last day. Let that Hope keep you moving on the race as a Christian.

 Tell Lord to order your steps

 

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9 

 

You need the Lord to order your steps in everything you do in life. Without His guidance, it will be difficult to make the best decisions.

 

When you come across tough situations, it is the lord's guidance that makes you bold to facing and overcoming the challenges. 

You have a role to play by telling God to order your steps. He has promised you that He will be with you in every step you take. Joshua 1:9. Psalm 23:4.

 

Conclusion:

Always tell the Lord to order your step in every decision or challenge you are facing. He is ready to be with you and to direct you. Joshua 1:9.

 New Testament of Grace and Truth 

 

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John 1:17 

 

The word “grace” in the scripture connotes doing things beyond your capabilities through the will of God from above. John 1:17 talks about the New Testament Christ brought to humanity. The New Testament is a Testament of grace and truth.

The law which Moses gave was the Testament of Law and sacrifices. The law failed to redeem the heart of Human totally to God. Despite the law and the commandments, man was still dominated by the flesh and sin. The sacrifices of the Old Testament could not save man from His sin once and for all. This is the reason why Christ came to bring a New Testament of truth that will save Human from sins once and for all. John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. Christ was sacrificed for you and I once and for all. 

The testament of Grace that came by Jesus was to make you have dominion over sin totally. Unlike the law that never gave men the total dominion over sin.

You and I are in the era of the truth and grace of the New Testament Christ brought to us. Your dominion over the flesh is guaranteed if you believe and accept Jesus as the truth.

 

Conclusion:

Jesus brought the New Testament of Grace and truth so that you and I can be saved and have dominion over sin.

 

 Watch!

 

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Revelation 16:15

 

You have to be conscious always of the second coming of the Lord Jesus. It has been promised that He will come again. However, He never told us the exact time or moment He will appear. He alluded His second coming to a thief coming to steal at night. A thief will usually come when the victim is unaware. Jesus will also come in the time you and I do not know. 

You can be unaware of His coming but the Bible, however, says that you should watch; which means to be conscious of His coming. Christ gave some signs that will manifest before His second appearance. Many of these signs are already manifesting today if not all. These signs are what can make you more conscious of His appearance. Matthew 24:3-51

The Bible tells you and me not to watch alone but to also keep our garments, which means to live a righteous life, and else one might be found wanting. pray on the last day you and I will not be found wanting when Christ calls the saints.

 

Conclusion:

The lord is coming soon to call His people. He is not slack in His promise. watch and live a Godly life!

 You are the likeness of God’s glory

 

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1:27 

 

You and I are created in the image of God. You are the likeness of His glory. It is important to know that you are precious that He made you in the likeness of His image and not of His angels. In Gen 1:26 says “let us make man in our image” This is God the father, son, and Holy Spirit talking. God the Son, Jesus has been with the father before the creation of this world John 1:1. He is the word of God. The Holy Spirit also has been before the creation of Heaven and earth. He is the spirit of God. Gen 1:2 says the Holy Spirit was hovering upon the face of the waters.

 

The Bible says we are created in His image. That image of God of which humans are created form is not the physical body we see every day but it is our spirits. our spirit was created from God’s image. Both males and females both have the same image of the spirit of God.  Genesis 1:27 ”So God created man in his image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

The human spirit was corrupted by the sin of the first man, Adam. since then the spirit of man was  tarnished. 

 

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is to redeem your spirit back to the image of God. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God and it is through Him you can be born again to have the image of God’s spirit. The first man was created in the likeness of the Holy spirit until sin tarnished his image. 

A born a new man or woman is reborn to have the image of God through the baptism of the Holy spirit, the spirit of God. John 3:6 ”That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

 

Dear reader, I hope you have been blessed by God’s word. Are you yet to be reborn by the Holy Spirit, first of all surrender your life to Jesus tell Him to have mercy on you and ask for His Holy spirit that He should send Him to you.

 

Conclusion:

You are so peculiar to be created in the image of God. When sin had tarnished the first spirit of man, the baptism of the Holy Spirit has redeemed you back to have the image of God.

 

 His word heals

 

He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Psalms 107:20 

 

You may be aware that the word of God is life and light to all men, have you realized that the word also heals. And not only heals, but it also delivers one from the captive of strongholds.

John 6:63 says “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” A sick man is somewhat a partially living man. He is not fully alive to do things other healthy people do, and so He/She needs the word of God to come alive.

A case study is a centurion whose soldier was ill. By faith here, he requested that Jesus send His word and His soldier would be healed. He received the miracle after Jesus spoke to Him at that time. Matthew 8:8,10 ”The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”

If you have been struggling with a certain disease, pray that God should send a word of healing to your life today, and believe in Him you will be healed at that very moment! 

 

 

Conclusion:

The word of God is power, life and spirit. When God sends His word, it will not only heal you but will deliver you completely.