Your Refreshing Daily Devotional

In general parlance, we say that the first impression matters. That is because many people will not have the opportunity to get a second impression of a person or situation before drawing conclusions. Yet, first impression could be misleading. Samuel was a prophet of God of no mean repute. However, he became a victim of first impression. The Lord asked him to go into Bethlehem Judah, specifically to the house of Jesse, to anoint a king in place of Saul. He was completely taken by Jesse’s first son. “So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” I Samuel 16:6 NKJV. Eliab was the first son and first to be paraded. Samuel thought he had hit the bull’s eye as his language revealed – “surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him”. God had to restrain the prophet not to look on the physical attributes.

No human assessment can be hundred percent accurate, because we do not have access to the inner workings of the people that we see. So don’t be in a hurry to slam the door on people because the first impression you got was negative.

How many times have you also assessed people based on externalities? Or, how many times have you been judged because of what people can see on the outside? We make this mistake often; and it is about time we went beyond the veil of externalities, considering things from outward appearance alone. God does not judge from outside impression; He looks on the inside, including the motive behind what is seen. No human assessment can be hundred percent accurate, because we do not have access to the inner workings of the people that we see. So don’t be in a hurry to slam the door on people because the first impression you got was negative.

The social media took the world by storm in the past 10 years or thereabout. The creator of this powerful means of communication exploited an insuperable need in human beings – the need to connect. God made humans to operate in societies. Another way to view that is to say that we are made for partnership. Though we all have different purposes and assignments, some form of cooperation will be required to make good of them. In our text, Judah invited Simeon to assist him take possession of his inheritance. He built an alliance with his brother to actualize destiny. He was humble enough to ask for help when necessary.

God made humans to operate in societies…Partnership is an abiding principle we find throughout the word of God…If you can’t work with people, you will limit the scope of your accomplishment.

Partnership is an abiding principle we find throughout the word of God. It runs from Genesis to Revelation. God used it in Genesis at creation. “Let us make man in our own image”, He declared. Great feats are hardly achieved by solo efforts. They come by team efforts. Ants secure their future through teamwork. In the book of Ecclesiastes, partnership is praised. “Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NKJV). If you can’t work with people, you will limit the scope of your accomplishment.

Many years ago, a man illustrated how God guides. He compares it to driving at night. It is not possible for your car light to see the entire length of the road at one time. Perhaps it sees some 40 or 50 meters. As you drive, you see a little more and a little more until you reach your destination. This illustration is applicable to our pursuit of success and other good things of life. In our text, Moses put down what might be described as divine principle of conquest. He informed them that God would drive out the nations before Israel, so that they would be empowered to conquer them. However, the conquest would come in stages and not in one fell swoop. God would give them the land in sequence as was necessary to support their population. God’s law of conquest is a little at a time.

God’s law of conquest is a little at a time…When people bite more than they can chew, problems set in…Over time, those little, little steps will compound and give us the breakthrough we desire.

A lot of people adopt the “pressure cooker” approach to life. They want everything to happen and that right now. This approach may not be unconnected to the increasing cases of depression in our days. When people bite more than they can chew, problems set in. Learn to receive the word and promises of God with cautious optimism. Do same for your ideas and projects. Thinking that we can grab all the fullness of the promise at a time or pull off a gigantic project at once might lead us to a life of anxiety. When we walk with God, it is guaranteed that all things will fall into place, only that it will be a little at time. Over time, those little, little steps will compound and give us the breakthrough we desire.

The Psalmist identified three sources of joy. The first is the strength of the Lord as shown in the first part of Psalm 21:1-“The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD.” The other half of that verse shows the second source of joy-“and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!” The third source is found in Psalm 21:6 – “For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.” For David, the strength of the Lord, the salvation of the Lord, and the countenance or presence of the Lord made up the channels of his joy. If you like, the first foundation of joy is the Lord; the second foundation of joy is the Lord; and the third foundation of joy is the Lord!

…joy does not travel alone. Those who have the joy of the Lord will invariably have the peace of the Lord as well…The best way to flow with them is learning to cast your burdens on Him. He can do a better job at carrying them.

Why do so many people go through life frustrated and unhappy? It is because they seek for joy from material things. When you shift your focus to the Lord, you will discover that nothing can compare with the joy of His presence. What is more, joy does not travel alone. Those who have the joy of the Lord will invariably have the peace of the Lord as well. Peace and joy are like complimentary spiritual articles; and regardless of race and gender, everyone desires them. Unfortunately, not many people know how to go about getting them. Just as Jesus promised peace, He also promised joy. If He gave you one, He won’t deny you the other. What throws spanner into the works concerning these two commodities is anxiety. The best way to flow with them is learning to cast your burdens on Him. He can do a better job at carrying them.

Recently, I watched a video clip with awe. It was supposed to be a church service of a ministry that I am not particularly certain of right now. For whatever reason, I saw men and women in acrobatic display, ostensibly in the name of prayer. They were throwing themselves into chairs and any other object standing in their path. As far as I could see, it was a total disgrace to what the gospel of Jesus represents. It is sad how some think that for it to be fervent or spiritual, it ought to be awkward. This group of people has a theology as much flawed as that of the sons of the prophets in Jericho.

False theology and religion will always amount to fruitless labour.

These sons of the prophets exhibited inconsistent behaviours and perspectives. Shortly before Elijah was taken to heaven, they had teased Elisha that his master would be withdrawn from him. So they had prophetic insight into what was imminent. However, after his miraculous exit, they wondered if the Spirit of the Lord might have crashed him on a mountain or into a valley. Such suggestion shows that they were not properly instructed in the way of the Spirit. There is nothing unruly about the Spirit of God. Their conceptualization of the Spirit was quite different from what we know of Him. He is not the author of confusion, as these sons of the prophets seemed to suggest. When they insisted to go and search, Elisha gave them leave. Of course, the search yielded nothing. False theology and religion will always amount to fruitless labour.

The Bible did not give us any clue about the names of the 70 disciples that Jesus sent to preach. What was common with all of them was that they were all equipped same way – with the name of the Lord. On their return, they all had a wonderful testimony: “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” As far as they were concerned, their outing was a huge success, granting an occasion for great rejoicing. Jesus had a different perspective. The disciples were rejoicing for the wrong reason. Whereas they were rejoicing for results in their mission, Jesus would rather have them rejoice because their names were written in God’s record in heaven.

The ways and values of the world are diametrically opposed to those of the kingdom. In the world, success is measured majorly by results. In the kingdom, it is known through obedience…Obeying the Lord is by far of greater value than all the results we can boast about in this world.

The ways and values of the world are diametrically opposed to those of the kingdom. In the world, success is measured majorly by results. In the kingdom, it is known through obedience. If the disciples did not post the kind of results they reported, they would still have been successful in the eyes of Jesus because they obeyed His command to go. Moses was told to speak to the rock, but he struck it. He got water quite alright, but he displeased the Lord; so he failed. That failure was one reason he could not enter the fullness of Canaan. Obeying the Lord is by far of greater value than all the results we can boast about in this world.