Your Refreshing Daily Devotional

I met a man in the first quarter of this year. He is an estate developer who seemed to have done quite well for himself. As we broached over various topics, he reminisced on his younger years which he described as time of stupidity. He recalled how he wasted the opportunities that youth came with. When the chips are down, the difference between two persons may be traceable to how they handle their favourable moments.  This truth is applicable in all realms – physical, spiritual, economic. At our favourable moments we sense a rush of energy, a chance meeting with someone with vital information, or an open door for higher service. Failing to seize the moment may lead to life-long regrets.

When the chips are down, the difference between two persons may be traceable to how they handle their favourable moments…Failing to seize the moment may lead to life-long regrets…When it comes to issues of life and destiny, our motto should be JUST DO IT! You cannot afford to wait endlessly for things to be convenient before you act.

From our passage we see that a favourable moment came to Felix to reconcile with God. As Paul preached on the subject of righteousness, temperance, and the Judgment of God, Felix’s heart was literally burning. He came under heavy conviction of the Holy Spirit. That should have been the turning point in his life, a time to commit to the saving grace of God. However, he failed to seize the moment, promising to call for Paul at a more convenient season. Few things are achievable in life with convenience, not the least the salvation of our soul and an intimate walk with God. When it comes to issues of life and destiny, our motto should be JUST DO IT! You cannot afford to wait endlessly for things to be convenient before you act.

Our annual end time summit for this year was held June 26th-28th. The theme was “Survival Strategies for the End Time”. A key factor for survival these days is sensitivity of spirit. In a number of passages, the Bible warns against excesses with regard to the appetite. Hear what Proverbs 25:16 says for example: “When you discover something sweet, don’t overindulge and eat more than you need, for excess in anything can make you sick of even a good thing” (TPT). Still on the need to exercise restraint, Thomas Brooks said, “Many more perish by intemperance than by violence. Intemperance is the source and nurse of all diseases. More perish by surfeiting than by suffering. Every intemperate person digs his own grave with his own mouth and teeth, and is certainly a self-tormentor, a self-destroyer, a self-murderer”. Put in other words, intemperance is violence against one’s body.

…intemperance is violence against one’s body… Intemperance will lead to deadness of spiritual faculties, making it difficult to receive signals from the Spirit of God.

Now, if by some stroke of luck an intemperate person is able to maintain his health and stay alive physically, yet there are other dimensions of existence that are at risk. This is the point of our text. Intemperance will lead to deadness of spiritual faculties, making it difficult to receive signals from the Spirit of God. This may prove more ruinous than physical death as one may be out of alignment with God and not know it. Temperance has the power to keep both the physical and spiritual components alive. There is a time appointed by God to round off the affairs of the world as presently constituted. It will give way to the golden era of the saints. Such a season requires keen spiritual sensitivity. If there is no danger of missing the time, Jesus would not have sounded the warning.

Job 29 will readily pass for a lamentation on the part of the author. As we would say, Job was longing for the good old days. He hit at something of interest in verse 4 – “As I was in the days of my youth, When the secret of God was upon my tabernacle” Job 29:4 KJV. What made those days peculiar? It was because Job lived by the secret of God. Someone may ask, “How much is the worth of a divine secret?” Daniel would explain it better. By divine secret, Daniel was able to recall the king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and decipher its meaning.  That became the escape from death not only for him and his colleagues, but for every other wise man in Babylon.

…one divine secret became a lifeline for several people, as well as serving as a ladder for career growth…the secrets of God are not just thrown around indiscriminately. An essential condition to fulfill before we can enjoy divine disclosure is stated in our text – the fear of the Lord.

On his part, Daniel was promoted. And when he spoke to the king on behalf of his friends, they were equally promoted in Babylon. So, one divine secret became a lifeline for several people, as well as serving as a ladder for career growth. It is comforting to note that God has not run short of secrets. Daniel describes God as one who “reveals deep and secret things” (Daniel 2:22). Revelation of deep things is a continuous and beneficial act of God. Whatever secrets that the Lord might choose to reveal now will not be any less potent in their effect than what we have recalled here. The only thing we need to add is that the secrets of God are not just thrown around indiscriminately. An essential condition to fulfill before we can enjoy divine disclosure is stated in our text – the fear of the Lord. In its basic elements, the fear of God refers to departure from evil. You can boil this down to complete obedience to the voice of God.

One thing that is most talked about on the global stage is peace. This is because without peace nothing else can be guaranteed. Ironically, the more the debate on peace goes on, the more conflicts we seem to experience. Every year, May 8 is remembered as V-E Day, short for Victory in Europe. It is commemorative of the victory of Great Britain and the United States over Nazi Germany and its allies in 1945. That was the day the German troops laid down their arms throughout Europe. The following day being May 9, 1945, V-E Day was celebrated in Moscow when Stalin announced on radio, “The age-long struggle of the Slav nations has ended in victory. Your courage has defeated the Nazis. The war is over”.

…without peace nothing else can be guaranteed…Jesus the Prince of Peace will announce the cessation of all armed conflicts among nations…Those who share this hope, as John wrote, must keep on purifying themselves even as He is pure.

However, history has proved Stalin wrong. Though there has not been war on a global scale since 1945, there have been rumours of war and actual wars in pockets of places all over the world. A conflict database, ACLED/UCDP put active armed conflicts worldwide around 40. The scriptures give us hope of a peaceful future. Jesus the Prince of Peace will announce the cessation of all armed conflicts among nations. It is then that our text will find literal fulfillment. When He takes over the affairs of this world, the war shall be effectively over. Our text is reserved for such moments. Those who share this hope, as John wrote, must keep on purifying themselves even as He is pure.

According to Apostle Peter, believers have been given “exceeding great and precious promises” 2 Peter 1:4. Be that as it may, we must admit that these promises in no way state that we have immunity against all life’s difficulties.  Christianity does not paint a picture of El Dorado here on earth. Nowhere is it written that once you enter the ship of salvation, the voyage will be on calm waters only. Life generally is a difficult terrain because of the fallen nature of all things. Even the Captain of our salvation had to go through suffering to chart a course for our deliverance. Without mincing words, Jesus told His disciples that tribulation would come their way in this world. Rather than being downcast, they should rejoice because He has already overcome on their behalf. So, believers can rejoice in spite of the troubles.

Perspective is the key to survival in the difficult seasons of life. God will not allow a thing that He would not turn around for your joy by and by.

Our rejoicing in the midst of trouble should stem from two considerations. Firstly, as we hinted earlier, Jesus won a victory which has effect on all who put their trust in Him for salvation. Secondly, we can rejoice in difficult moments because we know they will not last forever. This consideration made Paul write to the Romans that they should rejoice in hope (Romans 12:15). Similarly, he made it clear to the Corinthians that whatever suffering we may endure at the moment is insignificant in the light of the eternal glory that awaits us. Perspective is the key to survival in the difficult seasons of life. God will not allow a thing that He would not turn around for your joy by and by.

The Bible is clear about the fact that we are in a warfare. It further spells out the fact that the warfare is spiritual in nature. So I often find it funny, in not tragic, when I see believers resort to physical weapons in the name of doing battles. I have seen videos of some who went to prayer with dane guns, cutlasses, brooms, or what have you. How those items would be able to deal with principalities and powers is beyond my comprehension. The book of Ephesians gives details of the weapons available to us for the battles of life. No physical weapon made the list. On another note, being familiar with the appropriate weapons alone is not sufficient for victory. Those weapons work in conjunction with a life of obedience. Apostle Paul made it clear to the Corinthians that though our weapons are mighty through God for pulling down all strongholds; they are only effective when our obedience to the Lord is complete.

…victory or failure is not determined by the size of battle we face. Small battle without God on our side is doom; big battle with the Captain of the Hosts is a walk-over. Unfailingly, obedience will always woo God to our side.

The place of obedience in battle is better illustrated with the campaign of the children of Israel at Ai. Joshua’s first campaign was a huge success. Following the instructions of God, the massive wall that shielded Jericho came crashing down, and they defeated the country. But when they faced a small, little known city called Ai, they suffered a defeat. The reason was because they had disobeyed God. Achan took of the stuff that God had forbidden them from touching. We understand from here that victory or failure is not determined by the size of battle we face. Small battle without God on our side is doom; big battle with the Captain of the Hosts is a walk-over. Unfailingly, obedience will always woo God to our side.