On a day like this, we need to thank God specially for keeping us alive to witness the beginning of the second month in 2006.
Congratulations! By the Grace of God you and I have conquered the month of January. God deserves our praise.
Beloved, once you have taken a decision to lift up your faith, the next step is total submission and this comes in different stages.
A level of submission is to completely obey instructions from the LORD; another level is to submit to the Lord's leading. In other words, let him guide you.
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Brethren, life itself is a journey that begins on the day of birth to the date of death. Both dates are only known to God until it happens, no one can tell the exact date and time.
In the journey of life, there are smooth and bumpy rides. Putting it bluntly, it means that we are bound to have challenges but the good news for believers in Christ is that we have the capacity to overcome.
While responding to a question on what to do to inherit eternal life, the Lord Jesus said in Luke 10 vs. 27( KJV): " And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength , and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself".
This is a level of submission . It tells us what is expected of us.
We have a further assurance in Psalm 48 vs. 17 ( KJV) that tells us : " Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go".
At the beginning of the year like this, it is necessary to commit our ways unto the hands of the Lord by seeking divine direction.
Why is divine direction necessary? It is to enable us have a smooth and fruitful journey in the course of the year. This is essentially because sometimes, we unknowingly took wrong steps that led us to challenges.
King David, was confronted with many challenges but he never stopped seeking divine direction.
Psalm 23 says it all. For our purpose, we'll consider, verses 1, 4 &5: " The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over".
Beloved, when we sign the dotted lines in a marriage, it looks so good on the day of the wedding but God only knows what lies ahead.
Often we hear that " marriage is not a bed of roses", life also isn't a bed of roses, and there are several thorns that are planted to stop the rose from blossoming.
But the Almighty God is ever available for those that submit to him totally. They become overcomers.
The word of God in several verses tells us what to do to fully submit to God and the consequences of total submission.
Isaiah 48 vs. 18 & 19 : " O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel therof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me".
A deep reflection on these Bible passages, tells us that when we allow God to lead us, life would be like a smooth ride.
However, sometimes, when we walk according to divine direction, we may look stupid to others. What is important for anyone that is divinely led is to ignore distractions from any quarters.
The word of God in Isaiah 48 vs. 17, : " Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go". is quite loaded.
It means with your Redeemer by your side, in the journey of life, your labour would not be in vain.
Labour here is in a broad sense. It simply means your efforts in marriage, in the work place, in the church of God etc. would not be in vain provided it is in line with God's word.
Brethren, perhaps you wish to have a better job this year, or be in a relationship that could lead to marriage or you wish to be parents this year.
Or you want a boom in your business this year?
Fear not, God is able to help you achieve these goals provided you fully submit to Him.
Our Lord Jesus was confronted with challenges as a child. King Herod sought to kill him because he had seen that the newborn baby would be a greater king but because the three wise men, Mary and Joseph had totally submitted to God, they heard from the LORD.
Matthew 2 vs.12-14:" And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt , and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him".
May you and I hear from the Lord today and always in Jesus name.
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Brethren, a lesson from this familiar story is that there are people who see your success as a threat to their lives. In most cases, you have done nothing wrong to them but they don't just want to see you proper.
They will only fail, if you submit to God and cry for help.
A prayer point, " Everyone and anyone that would not allow the glory of God to manifest in my life, Father, deal with them".
You need to pray and pray violently because if you don't use the weapon of prayer to deal with them, they would deal with you.
I'll share a brief testimony of a lady who got married as a virgin but remained childless for 27 years.
If she hadn't married as a virgin, people would have convinced the husband that she could have wasted her fertile eggs through abortion or use of pills.
In cases like hers, an enemy or some enemies might have planted something in her life that has made her eggs infertile or make her husband's fluid of low quality.
But the couple stood firmly with God and after 27 years of marriage, God thwarted all efforts of the enemies and gave them a baby boy.
Beloved, let God guide you this year and always .
Fear, not it shall be a year of overflowing blessings.
Jesus is LORD!
