Your Refreshing Daily Devotional

Someone made reference to an Asian minister of the gospel who visited the United States of America. The minister saw the great things people were doing, supposedly for God. He later remarked that: “It is amazing to see how much the brethren were doing without God”! That was a serious indictment as it was tantamount to rebellion. In normal usage, rebellion will be working against constituted authority. In some cases, it could even involve taking up arms against government. In scriptural sense, rebellion takes on a different meaning. “Woe to the rebellious children, says the Lord, who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin” Isaiah 30:1 NKJV.

Rebellion is not simply doing things that are contrary to God; it also means acting without God!…Going about with plans that are not of the Spirit can never attract grace for accomplishment.

Israel is described as rebellious children on the ground that their plans excluded God. This gives us a new insight to the meaning of rebellion. Rebellion is not simply doing things that are contrary to God; it also means acting without God! It does not matter if what is done is a noble cause. Even in a noble cause you have to be sure it is you that God has ordained to carry it out, and that the time is ripe for it. Furthermore, our text for meditation today explains rebellion as hardening of heart against the voice of God. Invariably, a hardening of heart against God is like taking a stand against oneself. Going about with plans that are not of the Spirit can never attract grace for accomplishment.

There are several reasons why God delights in catering for the needs of His people. Firstly, it is to fulfill His fatherly responsibility. When Jesus taught the people to trust God implicitly, He reminded them that earthly fathers who, in comparison are weak and wicked, know how to give good things to their children. The Heavenly Father will do much more. Secondly, His care is to demonstrate that He stands true to His promise. His word said, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.” Psalms 84:11 NKJV. Every supply is a testimony of His faithfulness.

The wisdom of God in believers will be muted without corresponding financial resources. Money, when used the right way, creates an irresistible voice.

Ecclesiastes chapter 9:13-16 is an inferential testimony to why God will prosper His people. It states that there was a little city which was besieged by a mighty king. In the little city was found a wise man, though poor. In his wisdom, the poor man was able to lure the great king away from his intended assault and thereby saved the city. One would have expected a royal honour for the wise man; but the Bible sadly concludes that no one remembered him. The writer states in verse 16, “Then I said: ‘Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.”  The wisdom of God in believers will be muted without corresponding financial resources. Money, when used the right way, creates an irresistible voice.

Rising from John’s baptism at the beginning of His ministry, the heavens opened upon Jesus with an unmistakable message. “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17 NKJV. So when Jesus asked the disciples what people thought about Him, it was not because He had lost His identity. Again, though it was an attempt to get feedback, He wasn’t seeking man’s endorsement. Jesus never sought human endorsement at any time. He Himself has said, “I do not receive honour from men” (John 5:41). It was not a self-improvement drive either. Even the people testified that He did all things well. (See Mark 7:37). His question was to lead them to an understanding of His divinity, which could only happen by revelation. When God asks you a question, it is to lead you to some new consciousness.

When God asks you a question, it is to lead you to some new consciousness…we must still have it at the back of our minds that it is only God who can open the door of understanding to us.

Jesus stressed the importance of divine disclosure in our quest to know God. “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” Matthew 11:27 NKJV. Apostle Paul told the Galatians that the gospel which he preached was not taught to him by man but came through the revelation of Christ. While this is not a blanket ban on receiving teachers and teaching aids, we must still have it at the back of our minds that it is only God who can open the door of understanding to us.

There were several ways by which God punished Israel whenever they got into idolatry. They include pestilence, war, and captivity. Another of such tool for chastising the people was famine. One of such famines occurred during the ministry of Elijah in the reign of Ahab. Shortly after Elijah proclaimed that there would be no rain or dew, God asked him to go to Cherith. There the ravens brought him food twice daily while he helped himself with water from the brook. The water from the brook eventually dried up because of lack of rain. That was when a new line of instruction came to him as we have it stated in our text.

When we look unto God by faith, it is His prerogative to deploy any of His innumerable channels to meet our needs.

One principal lesson from this story is that brooks, by whatever definition or interpretation, do dry. Sometimes they dry of natural causes; at other times it is because of some lapses on the side of human beings. What is interesting is that even when these brooks dry, God remains faithful and we can take a new bearing from Him. It took just one directive from God for Elijah to find the next place of sustenance. Brooks may dry on earth; but heaven remains the source of all that is rich, full, and free; yet it is never exhausted. When we look unto God by faith, it is His prerogative to deploy any of His innumerable channels to meet our needs.

When the storms assailed them as they journeyed, the disciples went and woke Jesus up from sleep. Without qualms, Jesus rose, rebuked the wind and restored calm. He later reprimanded the disciples for their unbelief. Apparently, He had expected them to take care of business the way He did, but they did not meet that expectation. Similarly, I believe that heaven has an expectation of us who now believe. Whenever there are challenges, we must never be cowed by them but to rise up to the occasion.

All the powers that Jesus demonstrated plus all the heavenly backings that He enjoyed are now made ours through His name. Faith in His name guarantees us victory wherever we go.

It is for this reason that we have been endued with the power through the name of Jesus. For avoidance of doubt, power of attorney is a formal instrument by which one person authorizes another to act for him. Jesus preached, taught and performed miracles during His earthly ministry. He rebuked the waves and calmed the sea. When He was about leaving for Heaven, He gave His name to the believers. That’s the power of attorney that He left behind. All the powers that Jesus demonstrated plus all the heavenly backings that He enjoyed are now made ours through His name. Faith in His name guarantees us victory wherever we go.

There is no degree or skill acquisition that can replace the presence and power of the Holy Ghost in a life. The public ministry of Jesus was preceded by intense preparation. He was secluded in the wilderness where He fasted for 40 days and nights. The aftermath of that exercise was baptism with the fullness of the Holy Ghost. With this He came back to the city to carry out His purpose. In the pursuit of any purpose, both physical and spiritual preparations are needed to make sense of any purpose in life. However, should one be left with a choice between both, it is advisable to choose the latter.

In the pursuit of any purpose, both physical and spiritual preparations are needed to make sense of any purpose in life…Every new phase of life’s purpose requires new instructions and empowerment. Hence, we must learn to wait on God continually.

Jesus came as a model of all that is good and godly. He also demonstrated how things ought to be done. He wanted the disciples to toe the same path that led to His massive success in the ministry. Though they were to go all over the world to bear witness, they had to wait until they had been empowered by the Spirit.  In Acts 1:4, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem. Note that the need for the power of the Spirit is not a suggestion; it is a commandment. The reason why many fail to accomplish their purpose is that they run ahead of the Spirit of God. Every new phase of life’s purpose requires new instructions and empowerment. Hence, we must learn to wait on God continually.