Your Refreshing Daily Devotional

Just about the time of the recent xenophobic attack in South Africa, the government of Ireland deported some South Africans back home. There were pockets of other nations pushing for immigration reforms, opening a new chapter in how government of the world view foreigners. When people migrate to new lands, it is usually for a plethora of reasons. Some move to escape persecution. Others move for economic reasons, hoping to find a cushion to their biting realities. The general expectation is that once a move is effected, all previously known problems would be left behind. What is playing out in the world today prove otherwise. Even when old problems are gone, new ones soon replace them.

…movement of any kind must be orchestrated by God. The existence of problems in a place is not enough reason to relocate…The righteous must submit to the word that says that the steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord.

In our text, a man of Bethlehem Judah by name Elimelech migrated with his wife and sons to Moab in order to escape famine. It was a move laden with misfortune as the story unravelled. The man and his two sons died in a strange land. If Elimelech foresaw what would befall his family, he probably would not have migrated to Moab. This is not to suggest that all cases of migration would result in misfortune. There have been people in the Bible and contemporary life who moved and prospered. The point to stress is that movement of any kind must be orchestrated by God. The existence of problems in a place is not enough reason to relocate. The problem might be the reason God put you there to begin with. The righteous must submit to the word that says that the steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord.

We live in a bizarre world, and two similar stories will be enough to prove this. Suellen Carey, a Brazilian model and influencer married herself in 2023. She had an elaborate ceremony on that day. One year later in 2024, she filed for divorce from what is known as “sologamy”. She took that decision after 10 therapy sessions to navigate her emotions. Here is another one: Liu Ye, a 48 year-old-old Chinese. When he was 43, he had an unusual marriage ceremony. He exchanged “vows” with a cardboard copy of himself all set in a traditional Chinese wedding gown! Strangely, he had about 100 guests. This was what he said in his toast: “There are many reasons for marrying myself, but mainly to express my dissatisfaction with reality. This marriage makes me whole again”.

Fighting reality…is a lost cause…Those who revolt against realities have been taken over by the spirit of reprobation…We need to live in the spirit of scripture so as not to be shaken from reality as defined by God.

Whether it is same-sex marriage or “sologamy”, they are all an attempt to boycott the reality which God has put in place. Gay couples are revolting against the reality of marriage as union of a man and a woman. Transgenders are revolting against the reality of creation. Fighting reality, especially when it comes to the laws of God, is a lost cause. Unfortunately, we will see more of such foolishness in the future, because we are in the last days. Those who revolt against realities have been taken over by the spirit of reprobation, as our text says. They do things that are bizarre or insane; yet they cannot see anything wrong in their ways. We need to live in the spirit of scripture so as not to be shaken from reality as defined by God.

Literally, Israel laboured in vain until Gideon was raised as their leader. Their experience was that they gave their energy to cultivate the land and plant their crops; but once the harvest was due, the Midianites would pounce on them and make away with everything. God raised Gideon to fight and subdue the Midianites who had quite impoverished the people. The Bible makes certain things clear. Firstly, God rewards the faithful. He never called us to serve Him in vain. Secondly, God uses our work as one of the ways to reward us. So, if we have served God faithfully and show diligence at work and still do not enjoy reward, we may be facing the “Midianite scenario”. In other words, it could be that the adversary is preying on our harvest.

God rewards the faithful…God uses our work as one of the ways to reward us…if we have served God faithfully and show diligence at work and still do not enjoy reward…it could be that the adversary is preying on our harvest.

What we have called the “Midianite scenario” does not answer to negotiation, we have to engage in spiritual battle and put the devil where he belongs. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NKJV). Someone may ask, didn’t Jesus defeat the devil on the cross? Sure, He did; but we still need to enforce that victory over the devil if we are to keep the ravaging enemy in check. It is by applying the power of the blood and the principles of righteousness that we can silence the devil in our lives and protect our harvests.

I had the privilege to be one of the guest speakers at a prayer conference organized to mark the commencement of the fourth year administration of Pastor Umo Eno, the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, on June 1, 2026. I took my text from John 2. One of the lessons that I emphasized was that what human beings sometimes see as delay is God dressing up their miracles. Several examples are there in the Bible to corroborate this. Abraham and Sarah thought God was running late in their affairs. When God came through for them, the promised son was born. Isaac was no ordinary son. He was known as the beloved son of his father who was willingly offered in sacrifice. In that sense, he became a type of what God eventually did for mankind. God had to offer His only begotten Son for the sins of the world.

…what human beings sometimes see as delay is God dressing up their miracles…Abraham and Sarah thought God was running late in their affairs. When God came through for them, the promised son was born.

Jesus seemed to have gone late to Bethany when He received an emergency call about Lazarus. He was invited when Lazarus was sick, but He arrived when he had died and even buried. By man’s estimate, that was too late. However, Lazarus received an order of life from the giver of life. He got a new lease on life. The next time Jesus returned to Bethany, Lazarus was one of the guests occupying the reserved seats. It would have been miraculous if Jesus raised Lazarus from his sickbed. That, however, was no match for a miracle of bringing him from the dead. These cases are an encouragement to remain faithful, watch, and pray.

An atheist is a person who does not believe in the existence of God of the Bible or any gods for that matter; but there is a God who superintends the affairs of the world from heaven. The impressionable heart of a child makes him or her know that there is God. The unspoken language of lifting hands to the sky is universal; and it is a pointer to the fact that eternity is truly written in the hearts of men. The word of God did not waste time debating those who say that there is no God; it simply dismisses them as fools. I believe it is because the proofs of the existence of a Supreme Being are all too evident that it does not call for debate.

…the essence of prayer is not having our will done in heaven; rather, it is having the will of heaven done on earth. Therefore, God reserves the right to withhold any prayer that is incongruent with His will on earth.

Many practicing atheists did not begin that way. They probably slipped into atheism because they felt disappointed in some ways. For some, it was because God has not done all they asked in prayer. They are getting some things wrong. They sound as ridiculous as people saying there are no doctors because someone died! Imagine people boycott hospitals completely just because someone is not healed! That will be absurd indeed. Yet, this is how some believers behave sometimes. Those who turned their backs on God because one request was not granted should have considered several other requests that scaled through. They should have remembered the many blessings of God that came to them unsolicited. On a general note, we all need to appreciate that the essence of prayer is not having our will done in heaven; rather, it is having the will of heaven done on earth. Therefore, God reserves the right to withhold any prayer that is incongruent with His will on earth.

The devil believes in having young recruits. That’s the way he gets youngsters addicted and leave them struggling for years. I read of Joshua Broome who ventured into the porn industry. His adventure into the ignoble career began about the age of 13 or 14 when he encountered pornography. He soon got addicted, as he craved for more and more. A chance encounter with some girls already in the porn industry goaded him to sign up. In his 5-year career as a porn star, he made about $1 million, but it was a miserable experience. He felt dirty, isolated, and unloved. He eventually quit the trade to reunite with his mother who did not condemn him. Another chance encounter with a lady at the gym would later change his life forever. The lady invited him to a church service where he heard the gospel preached and his life turned around. They were married shortly after.

No one is far too gone that the long hand of God cannot reclaim and use for His purpose.

Yesterday, we learned about how grace made room for an outsider like Ruth. Both her story and that of Broome’s will readily bring into focus the story of the woman of Samaria in John chapter four. She had virtually lost her sense of worth having been a pawn in the hands of six men. Meeting Jesus gave her a new slate. With her newfound life she moved into the city, bringing many men to the feet of the Saviour. These stories tell us several things. No one is far too gone that the long hand of God cannot reclaim and use for His purpose. Ruth, as we learned yesterday, became a matriarch in the lineage of Jesus; the Samaritan woman became an Evangelist that brought her city to Christ; and Broome is now a serving pastor of a flourishing church.