Success cannot be defined strictly by the volume of financial and material accumulation or ascendancy in power. We have seen people with all these yet they are miserable. It is possible to have all the physical attributes of success and be unsatisfied and even get jealous of others. Jealousy is a raging fire which consumes both ways. A jealous man is always nervous – feeling horrible and uncomfortable. Jealousy affects one’s esteem. The jealous man or woman feels inferior to their contemporaries. The likely outcome of this is competition, seeing everybody else as an opponent. This is what produces sabotage in the business world where everything that cuts down a competitor is deemed fair.

Jealousy is a raging fire which consumes both ways. A jealous man is always nervous – feeling horrible and uncomfortable. Jealousy affects one’s esteem…Discontentment is a frame of mind. Those who are not contented with where they are today may probably not fare better when the conditions alter favourably.

The Bible teaches us the disastrous consequences of jealousy. Cain was consumed by jealousy because God rejected his offering while accepting his brother’s offering. As a result, he killed his brother, but that did not end the raging fire. He became a vagabond and a wanderer. Korah’s rebellion against Moses in the wilderness was traceable to jealousy. Korah and his group became envious of Moses’ authority. They spoke against him and refused to obey his order. They died a strange death – the ground opened and swallowed them. Discontentment is a frame of mind. Those who are not contented with where they are today may probably not fare better when the conditions alter favourably.

An antidote to being swept away from the faith is growing in grace. “You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:17-18 NLT. Most of the things of the spirit move pretty well like physical development in man. Just as we grow from stage to stage physically, even so are we to grow spiritually. It is by grace that we are saved, through faith. However, at salvation, grace is at infancy. Believers should grow to maturity, climbing the grace ladder until they reach the fullness of God’s purpose. To mature in grace as Peter enjoins us, we must understand the means of grace.

An antidote to being swept away from the faith is growing in grace…To mature in grace as Peter enjoins us, we must understand the means of grace…Grace is administered through hearing the word of God…The more we open ourselves to the word of God, the more grace we contact.

Grace is administered through hearing the word of God. It is instructive to know that the scripture describes God’s word as the word of His grace. We have this in Acts 14:3 and Acts 20:32. Proverbs 8:34 says, “Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors”. Revelation 1:3 also confers a blessing on those who read and hear the words of God. I believe one of the blessings that we contact when we give attention to the word of God is grace. The more we open ourselves to the word of God, the more grace we contact.

As the early Church increased in number so did the welfare concerns of members. Of particular importance were the complaints of the Greek-speaking believers against the Hebrew-speaking believers, who felt their widows were being discriminated against in the distribution of food. The twelve apostles thought out a solution as these verses of scriptures indicate: “So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.” Acts of the Apostles 6:2-4 NLT

If we neglect the means of grace, we become unfruitful in the Christian life. This is why the writer of Hebrews admonished us to come to the throne for grace and mercy.

Prayer is a spiritual discipline that connects us to the grace of God without which nothing gets done. The apostles detected the plan of the devil who was trying to swerve them from the main to the mundane. If you take away the word and prayer from a minister of the gospel or any believer, you see them running on empty or at best running in the flesh. The apostles refused to abandon the word and prayer, the means of grace without which they would have been sterile in the ministry. If we neglect the means of grace, we become unfruitful in the Christian life. This is why the writer of Hebrews admonished us to come to the throne for grace and mercy.

The Old Testament system of worship was rigorous, yet ineffectual at producing an acceptable life before God. “For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.” Hebrews 9:10 NLT. Jesus came and established a better system, thereby removing the endless rituals before Him. Christianity is not about rituals. About the only thing left for us is the table of the Lord or what some term Holy Communion. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, He instituted what we call the Lord’s supper or the Communion. He asked the believers to observe it as often as possible, describing the elements as the symbol of the New Testament.

Christianity is not about rituals. About the only thing left for us is the table of the Lord or what some term Holy Communion…When next you approach the Lord’s table, do it with understanding, purpose, and reverence.

The life of Smith Wigglesworth is a classic example of the efficacy of the Lord’s table. He was an illiterate British plumber whose wife taught to read and write. He was later known as the apostle of faith under whose ministry many miraculous healings took place. The secret to his success is captured here: “The real change in Smith Wigglesworth did not come until he started getting up every day at 4 a.m. to take Communion. Like clockwork, he would begin each day by remembering his covenant with Almighty God by taking the bread and the cup. Every day he lived under the influence of that covenant. And every day he became more and more bold—until finally, he became one of the boldest men of God in  history”. When next you approach the Lord’s table, do it with understanding, purpose, and reverence.

The subject of giving has been quite bastardized. Mostly when giving is discussed, people immediately think in terms of financial or material rewards, but there is more to the subject than that. Paul had a valedictory session with the elders of the church at Ephesus while he stopped over at Miletus. He spent the entire night putting things in place as he was not sure of seeing them again after that. A portion of his encouragement is the text for our meditation today. He employed the words of Jesus to stir their hearts to stewardship, stressing that “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. It is not clear exactly where Paul lifted these words of the Lord, but we do know that giving was part of His teachings. In His teaching on the mount, He warned the disciples not to go about their stewardship the way the Pharisees did, just as He said concerning prayer and fasting.

When we cultivate a lifestyle of giving, we do away with the garb of selfishness and open the way for the grace of God to flow in.

Apart from the hope of receiving financial returns, giving also provides opportunity for us to grow in grace. God Himself demonstrated that giving cannot be separated from grace when He gave His only begotten Son for the redemption of mankind. Moreover, we know that human nature is essentially selfish. Grace and self are irreconcilable. When we cultivate a lifestyle of giving, we do away with the garb of selfishness and open the way for the grace of God to flow in.

One of the primary responsibilities of the church is prayer. Like the umbilical cord ensuring the sustenance of the unborn, so is prayer in relation to God. It is where the church draws her strength from. There are a few lessons we can learn from the early church about this timeless spiritual discipline. Their prayer wore a corporate outlook. When the apostles encountered persecution, they returned to the rest of their company and they all lifted up their voices in supplication to God. The responsibility of praying was not delegated to a segment of the church, all prayed. Prayer is the Old Testament equivalence of burning incense to God. Only the priestly tribe could do that then. But in the New Testament, all believers have been co-opted into what Peter calls the royal priesthood. When prayer becomes the business of everyone, we stand to see more of the power of God at work.

Like the umbilical cord ensuring the sustenance of the unborn, so is prayer in relation to God…When prayer becomes the business of everyone, we stand to see more of the power of God at work…Continuity in prayer breaks down satanic barriers. Importunity brings down the hand of God for deliverance.

Secondly, their prayer was continuous. They prayed without ceasing. We noticed this before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the upper room. As soon as they returned to Jerusalem after Jesus ascended, they continued in prayer. They also prayed without ceasing over Peter. Continuity in prayer breaks down satanic barriers. Importunity brings down the hand of God for deliverance. It is not an expression of faith to mention an issue just once in prayer and turn to other matters. If repetition of prayer is an expression of faithlessness, then Jesus was faithless when He prayed for the same issue three times at Gethsemane. The Bible says nothing against repetition, but frowns at vain repetition.

The disciples asked Jesus if He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel anytime soon. He replied that it was not their business to know the time that God has kept in His power. By this, God is introduced to us as the perfect time keeper who does things exactly at the time He pleases. The Bible did not state how long Peter was held before his freedom; we are only told his arrest was in the Days of Unleavened Bread. That was the time of the annual Passover Feast. If he was arrested at the beginning of the feast, then he must have been in jail for a week. The important thing is that the Church prayed long enough to draw heaven’s attention.

We should keep in mind that God alone is the Master Time-Keeper. He will never come one minute late in our affairs. Our own set time may sometimes be fast, but God’s own is never late.

Besides this, God showed up just at the nick of time – a night to the presumed day of execution. No doubt, it would have been no less miraculous had he been set free on the first day of incarceration. However, waiting until the last moment heightened the excitement that the miracle caused among the brethren. It is beyond us to dictate when God should work. Ours is to remain faithful in prayer. God will show up at the perfect time. We should keep in mind that God alone is the Master Time-Keeper. He will never come one minute late in our affairs. Our own set time may sometimes be fast, but God’s own is never late.

The world was stunned on January 3, 2026 as the US forces captured the president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, in a military operation codenamed “Operation Absolute Resolve”. The expert manner in which the mission was executed was breathtaking. Perhaps, the only operation that came close to this in recent history was the raiding of a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011 when Osama Bin Laden was killed. Such missions leave the world in awe and admiration.

God knows how to deliver the righteous; and when the time comes, no device of man can stop Him…Angels have not been withdrawn from believers; so we can still enjoy their services.

As wonderful as these were, they are grossly inferior to the deliverance of Peter by the angel. On the night of his deliverance, he was sleeping between two soldiers. That means his legs were tied, one each to the two soldiers. Whoever would steal Peter away must have to contend with these two fierce-looking Roman soldiers. When the angel entered, the chain snapped; yet there was not a stir among the soldiers. The angel told Peter to arise and that, too, did not wake them up. The summary of this is that God knows how to deliver the righteous; and when the time comes, no device of man can stop Him. Writing to the Hebrews, the author described the angels as ministering spirits who have been assigned to minister to heirs of salvation. That talks of those who are born again and have been redeemed. Angels have not been withdrawn from believers; so we can still enjoy their services.

In our previous meditation, we saw how Peter was delivered from prison and death through the ministry of the angel. To appreciate this deliverance, let us go over the huddles. Firstly, a chain tied him to two Roman soldiers. Two, there was the immediate door leading to where Peter was kept. Add to that the main door to the prison house, and the obstacle will seem daunting enough. The verse before us pinpoints three other obstacles. You have the first and the second guard posts before coming to the iron gate that led to the city. The angel of God beat all these security arrangements and set Peter free.

You may not fully understand what God is doing in your case right now, but keep following.

In Isaiah 43:13, God exercised His bragging rights – “Yes, from the time of the first existence of day and from this day forth I am He; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand. I will work, and who can hinder or reverse it?” (AMPC). God was set to deliver Peter in answer to the prayer of the saints, and no efforts of Herod and his agents could keep him bound. All that Peter needed to do was to follow the lead. When light shone in the prison, the angel asked him to get up. He did. Next, he was asked to put on his garment and tie his sandals. He obeyed. Then he followed the angel, even when he did not fully understand what was going on. You may not fully understand what God is doing in your case right now, but keep following.

In our previous meditation, we learned of Herod’s failure to kill Peter the way he did to James. The prayer of the saints played a major role in this. The church made unceasing prayer for him while he was in prison. Upon his deliverance, Mary’s place was his first port of call. Mary must have been a prominent woman in the Church and, perhaps, a person of means. Peter’s choice of this place must have been informed either by the fact that the Church had used her place for meeting purposes before or was prompted by the Spirit. Anyway, that was the best choice as people gathered there to pray for Peter’s release.

Testimony has its place in our worship of God…it is a way to thank God…your testimony stirs up faith in the heart of your hearers.

Showing up in the middle of the night seemed too good to be true for the praying saints. It literally brought to light the words of Psalm 126:1 – “When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream.” Peter had to clear their doubts by sharing his testimony. Testimony has its place in our worship of God. Primarily, it is a way to thank God. Many times in the Psalms we read of commitments to telling the deeds of the Lord in the assembly of the saints. Apart from this, your testimony stirs up faith in the heart of your hearers. They too can reach out to God and be persuaded that heaven will come through for them. For those who gathered  in Mary’s home that night, Peter’s testimony would have gone a long way to reassuring them that they had not laboured in vain and that we serve a God who answers prayers.

Following the declaration of Peter that Christ was the Son of the living God, Jesus promised to build His church with the assurance that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. The words of Jesus have come through again and again both in ancient and modern history. The persecution of the church started soon enough after Christ’s ascension. The apostles were threatened and beaten. They were thrown into jail at some point. Herod took the persecution to a new height when he killed James. His attempt to follow on the heels of that with Peter’s arrest failed as God intervened supernaturally. When he could not kill Peter, he executed the soldiers who had custody of the apostle. Those men became a ransom for Peter.

God’s word will always outlive its persecutors…Those who stay faithful to the word of God will outlive their challenges.

Herod later overstepped his bounds when he engaged his oratorical power in addressing the people of Tyre and Sidon. He was instantly eaten by worms because he took the glory that rightly belonged to God. The lesson today is that the Word of God which he tried to silence by persecuting the leaders of the Church lived on. He died but the word lives! This has always been the case in history. God’s word will always outlive its persecutors. There is a personal application of this to life’s many challenges. When a child of God faces challenges, he or she should hold on to faith. Those who stay faithful to the word of God will outlive their challenges. The affliction of the righteous may be many, but as the scripture says, they shall be delivered from them all.

Abraham received a promise of increase and enlargement from God. Two significant things are attached to that promise. Firstly, the promise was made trans-generational because God included his children in the package. Understandably, God reiterated the same promise when Isaac and Jacob came on the scene. Secondly, the promise was backed with an oath. Specifically, after Abraham obeyed God by offering Isaac in a figure, God swore to do as He had promised. Believers have all been made a part of Abraham’s lineage through faith. Therefore, we can lay claim to this blessing of Abraham just as Isaac and Jacob did.

Believers who long for increase and enlargement are not acting out of context…it is an expression of faith which connects us to the ability of God…God wants us to put forward our expectations because they represent our faith.

Believers who long for increase and enlargement are not acting out of context. We can raise our expectation in this regard because it plays a major role in our walk with God. In a sense, it is an expression of faith which connects us to the ability of God. I read of a poet who wrote that to be free from disappointment and heartaches, one should have no expectations. However, God’s word teaches the exact opposite of that. God wants us to put forward our expectations because they represent our faith. Finally, let us bear in mind as we said yesterday that even concerning this, what we expect may not come in one package but a little at a time.

The creation story in Genesis 1 did not only show products but processes as well. Since we know God to be Omnipotent, He can do all things, including creating everything at once. However, God did not go that route. Rather, He created things in an orderly, sequential, and piecemeal manner – just a little at a time. By this He established a profound principle that will guide us in our pursuits. Never expect that the purpose of your heart will be realized all at once. Not even if you claim that the purpose originated from God.

God will bring increase your way a little at a time not just because of His principle but because of your capacity to receive…Never despise the day of little beginning; overtime the little will compound and yield great results.

God promised to give the land of Canaan as an inheritance to the children of Abraham. Our text spelt out the method He recommended; He was not going to give them everything at once, but little by little. The same principle stands when you convert this to pursuit of success and increase. God will bring increase your way a little at a time not just because of His principle but because of your capacity to receive. He will never allow any increase that will overwhelm you so that the blessing does not become a curse. Therefore, when we submit to His discipline and the training, we facilitate our access to greater blessings. Be thankful to God for where you are now, and count on His promise to take you further in life. Remember, if you walk closely with God your light can only shine brighter. Never despise the day of little beginning; overtime the little will compound and yield great results.

Our text encourages us to grow in grace. Growing in grace connotes having increasing knowledge of God. There are several sides to God, and being knowledgeable in just one area could be a recipe to heresy, extremism, and other forms of delusional thinking. To have a balanced view of God, here are areas to consider. Firstly, seek to know His person. This was the very first thing in Paul’s list in Philippians 3:10 – “That I may know Him…” You can’t have a meaningful relationship with someone whose character is not known. Secondly, seek to know His purpose. God does nothing without a purpose. He has general purpose for all of creation, as well as specific purpose for individuals. No one can please God unless he or she uncovers His purpose and choose to walk in it.

You can’t have a meaningful relationship with someone whose character is not known…God does nothing without a purpose…No one can please God unless he or she uncovers His purpose and choose to walk in it…Power that is not properly situated will do more harm than good.

God also has patterns, and those who desire to know Him must know how He works. Failure to understand God’s modus operandi may lead to destruction. “Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, Nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them And not build them up.” Psalms 28:5 NKJV. Apart from His person, purpose, and pattern, it is also important to understand God’s power. His power can move mountains and cause the desert to blossom like the rose. It is important to put this sequence in place and not to be jumpy about power. Going back to Paul in Philippians 3:10, he sought to know His person first before desiring to taste the power of His resurrection. Power that is not properly situated will do more harm than good.

In previous meditation, we observed that there are protocols to be followed by those who want to grow in the knowledge of God. In summary, there has to be a desire to know Him. Without a hunger, nothing comes through. In turn, the hunger must be converted to supplication, trusting for the spirit of revelation to take its course. One of the things that will happen when revelation comes is unusual boldness. Those who know God can indulge in the luxury of boasting about Him. “In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever. Selah” Psalms 44:8 NKJV

Those who know God deeply are not only free of intimidating forces of hell, but they also have what it takes to fulfill their mission on earth.

Apostle Paul secured his boasting right in God through revelation knowledge. Writing to Timothy, his son in the faith, he wrote with certainty – “for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12. He was so confident about God’s estate that he knew the needs of the Philippian brethren would be met. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19). Such confidence can only come from a deep knowledge of God. So great was the knowledge of this apostle that God had to keep him in check with a thorn in his flesh, something to remind him that he was still human after all. Those who know God deeply are not only free of intimidating forces of hell, but they also have what it takes to fulfill their mission on earth.

The import of this passage of scripture is that Paul did not want his audience to be surprised at his depth of knowledge about God and the mystery of salvation. He tried hard to take attention from himself. The knowledge he paraded was not his own making but a product of divine disclosure. This reiterates what we shared yesterday. The knowledge of God does not come through rigorous scrutiny of scientific facts; it is by revelation. Interestingly, the Bible portrays God as one who is still in the business of unveiling things to people. However, there are protocols to be followed in order to enjoy revelation.

The knowledge of God does not come through rigorous scrutiny of scientific facts; it is by revelation…Nothing is guaranteed without desire…If you want to know God, you have to keep asking for this spirit to be at work in you at all times.

Firstly, there has to be a desire. Nothing is guaranteed without desire. This desire must be rooted in the fact that there is nothing that comes close in importance to the knowledge of God. If we must boast at all, it has to be on the basis of knowing God. “Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:23-24 NKJV. Next to desire is prayer. There is what Paul described as the spirit of wisdom and revelation in Ephesians 1:17. If you want to know God, you have to keep asking for this spirit to be at work in you at all times.

Apostle Peter admitted the difficulty in grasping some of the things written by Paul. Beyond what Peter said of Paul, an honest reader of the Bible will readily admit that there are tough issues to decode. Take for instance the doctrine of Trinity. Adherents of the Islamic religion will accept many of our claims about Jesus and Christianity. However, when you discuss the deity of Christ or the triune nature of the Godhead, you will stir up a controversy. Not even among professing and sincere Christians do you have a robust discussion and consensus on such subjects. Personally, an anonymous quote settled the doctrine of the Trinity for me. It says, “Deny the Trinity and you will lose your soul; try to explain it and you will lose your mind”.

Those who desire to know God beyond mental assent should rely on the spirit of revelation.

The point is that we cannot by our rational mind know God. The Bible puts cap on this: “Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?” Job 11:7 NKJV. The answer is a no! Revelation is the key to knowing 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. In our text, Paul admitted that it was when it pleased God that He revealed His Son in him. Those who desire to know God beyond mental assent should rely on the spirit of revelation.

Apostle Paul spoke about the humility of Jesus, and used that to inspire us to embrace the same virtue. Jesus has the same status as the Father. However, when He took the form of a man, He became obedient to the Father. He stretched His obedience to the limits when He embraced the cruel death on the Cross. The first lesson about this great virtue is that humility is a personal choice. No one can truly be humble without a conscious choice.

No one can truly be humble without a conscious choice…We can get a final inspiration for a humble disposition from the fact that the humbler we stay, the more God elevates us. A proud person has no future with God.

Our text provides a powerful inspiration for humility. Apostle Paul considered the differences between people. Such differences are made possible by God; of course, for divine reason and purpose. He further argued that there is nothing any of us can lay claim to that is not a product of God’s benevolence. We made nothing, God made all things. We own nothing, God owns all things. Therefore, whatever we have is given to us on trust. We are mere stewards. This mindset will keep us humble. We can get a final inspiration for a humble disposition from the fact that the humbler we stay, the more God elevates us. A proud person has no future with God.

God established three major feasts for the children of Israel; namely, the feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacle. When the Bible talks about the great day of the feast, it refers to the Feast of Tabernacle. It was usually an eight-day affair commonly marked with great pomp. Specifically, on the 8th day, the priests would go to the pool of Siloam to draw water. Their return was accompanied by the blowing of the trumpet and great rejoicing. Perhaps that was their interpretation of Isaiah 12:3 – “Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.”

We are not left in the dark about the meaning of the rivers, it is the Holy Spirit indwelling the believers. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of real joy.

It is instructive that Jesus chose that great day as the context for the words of our lead scripture. In essence, Jesus told the crowd that they didn’t have to make their joy seasonal, waiting for the feast of Tabernacle. Neither did they have to go to any pool or river to find such ecstasy. Rather, for those who believe, rivers of living water would flow from the depths of their hearts. That reminds us of Psalm 46:4 – “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.” (NKJV). We are not left in the dark about the meaning of the rivers, it is the Holy Spirit indwelling the believers. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of real joy.

The parable in Isaiah 5 can help to throw light on the subject of success. God picked up a parable to describe Israel. Israel was described as a beautiful vine set on a fruitful hill by its owner. God who is the husbandman removed the stones from it and hedged it around. He built a winepress in readiness for the yield. Then the unthinkable happened. At harvest, the vineyard produced bitter or sour grapes which enraged the owner. Let us observe that the vineyard did produce something – it produced sour grapes. Note that bitter or sour grapes are not without their uses. However, because that was not what the vinedresser expected, He was displeased. The vineyard failed because it did not meet the expectation test.

Simply put, success is meeting the expectation of God. Success is not having things; it is not becoming something or looking like another person. Until you meet the expectation of God for your life or organisation, you are not truly successful.

What then is success? Simply put, success is meeting the expectation of God. Success is not having things; it is not becoming something or looking like another person. Until you meet the expectation of God for your life or organisation, you are not truly successful. The beginning of the journey to success, therefore, is this question: “Lord, what do You expect from me”. Having this perspective about success will show the futility of comparing ourselves with others. What God expects from you may not be exactly the same thing as what He expects from others. Since we cannot determine what He expects from individuals, it is puerile to use physical parameters to say someone is more successful than others.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 stresses the benefit of partnership – “Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.” However, we find in other portions of the Bible that we cannot afford to do a free-for-all partnership without suffering damage. Unequal partnership can be counterproductive and set us backwards. Jehoshaphat was a righteous king, but he allied with Ahaziah king of Israel who was reputed for wickedness. They built a ship to go to Tarshish in search of gold. That joint venture was a fiasco! God sent a prophet to him: “But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.” Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.” II Chronicles 20:37 NKJV

Unequal partnership can be counterproductive and set us backwards…Before you go into the next alliance, find out from God if the prospects are the right choice.

God was not against the business plan. What He was against was the alliance of right with wrong, light with darkness. The place where the ship was destroyed is significant. The place was called Ezion-Geber, which means backbone, like that of a man. In other words, Jehoshaphat tried to make a man (and a wicked man at that) his backbone or his support. It was a misguided trust. Before this, Jehoshaphat had prospered tremendously because of the favour of the Lord, but he shifted focus to man and that was his undoing. Before you go into the next alliance, find out from God if the prospects are the right choice.

Favour manifests in several ways, but a principal one is through waivers. When favour is at work, rules and norms are sometimes set aside, even if only temporarily. We see that in Esther. She went to see the king, though uninvited. The law of the land did not permit any intrusion on the king. Any intrusion could attract a death sentence. The only exception was if the king lifted the golden sceptre. The Bible paints the picture of what happened when Esther made her approach. “So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.” Esther 5:2 NKJV.

When favour is at work, rules and norms are sometimes set aside, even if only temporarily…Favour can make you enjoy benefits beyond your imagination.

Favour can make you enjoy benefits beyond your imagination. Understandably, the scripture places favour above silver and gold. “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold.” Proverbs 22:1 NKJV. In light of this, it means if you have to choose between favour and riches, choose the former. That means there are things that favour will deliver that great wealth cannot deliver. No wealth could have matched what Esther got when she stood before the king. That singular move averted disaster for the people of God and gave them a mighty victory which is still being celebrated till today.

Positive response to divine instruction is often the precursor to restoration. David sought the face of the Lord after he lost his base at Ziklag. He was instructed to pursue the enemy, and when he obeyed, he got everything back. Mary knew the place of taking heed to instruction. So she warned those who needed replenishment of wine to do whatever Jesus told them to do. It was also on the heels of following instruction that Lazarus came back from the dead.

Positive response to divine instruction is often the precursor to restoration…Many of the acts of God will only make sense in retrospect. Those who are wise will push to follow through even when they can’t make sense of everything momentarily.

Let’s be clear of one thing: divine instructions may not be in line with conventional wisdom. Jesus’ method defied several orthodox approaches. He healed on the Sabbath contrary to the law of Moses. He dined and wined with commoners and sinners. He made wine from water and not grapes. In our text, He mixed clay with spittle and plastered blind eyes! If you argue with God’s method, you may end up missing His miracles and blessings. Mixing clay with spittle wasn’t decent, to say the least, but that was the divine approach at that time. If we fully know how God is doing some things, we would probably rebel. Imagine if God didn’t put Adam to sleep before ripping his side open! Many of the acts of God will only make sense in retrospect. Those who are wise will push to follow through even when they can’t make sense of everything momentarily.

A profitable walk with God is impossible without persuasion. The writer of Hebrews makes this clear: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 NKJV. It is of no use calling on a God you don’t believe exists nor has the power to come through for you. It is this issue of persuasion that we mentioned in our previous meditation when we learned about the leper. He was persuaded about the ability of Jesus that He could cleanse him. Abraham, too, did not take delivery of the promised son until he got to the point of persuasion. “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.” Romans 4:21-22 KJV

Effective prayer is preceded by full persuasion in the heart… Those who come to God with strong persuasion will never be disappointed.

Effective prayer is preceded by full persuasion in the heart. So, when Jesus taught on the Mount, He tried to shore up people’s persuasion in God. He told them to ask and they would receive. He went further to appeal to their senses. If children ask their natural fathers for bread, they won’t answer by giving them a stone. Neither will they give serpent to those who ask for fish. He then concluded with the thought in our text. If natural fathers know how to give good things to their children, the Heavenly Father, who is without any constraint, will do much more. Those who come to God with strong persuasion will never be disappointed.

An incontrovertible statement from the Bible is that power belongs to God. “God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.” Psalms 62:11 NKJV. Celestial worship testifies to the power of God where He is described as the Omnipotent. “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!” Revelation 19:6 NKJV. The fact that God is known as the Omnipotent connotes that He has unlimited power and influence. From God’s standpoint, there is nothing He cannot do.

Anyone who wants to enjoy God’s miraculous intervention must believe that He is able and willing…When we bring ourselves to that point of accepting that God wills all good things for us and has the power to deliver, we will see more of His intervention in our affairs.

This leads us to a question: If God can do anything, why do we see people with so many unsettled issues around them? What we need to understand is that in the things of God, terms and conditions apply. From our text, we have two critical things that must be settled before we can tap into the power of God. The leper that came to Jesus said that if He was willing, he knew He could make him clean. Anyone who wants to enjoy God’s miraculous intervention must believe that He is able and willing. The leper had no problem believing in Christ’s ability to heal, but he wasn’t sure if it was the will of God. There are those who think God is willing but not able; others believe that He is able but not willing. When we bring ourselves to that point of accepting that God wills all good things for us and has the power to deliver, we will see more of His intervention in our affairs.

Provisionally, all believers have been given the privilege to cast out devils. By this we mean that believers can demon-proof themselves. However, there are things to do to make this a reality. One of them is to live a holy life. One day, Jesus entered into a synagogue where there was a demon-possessed man. He had not so much as spoken a word when the demon started screaming. “Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” Mark 1:23-24 NKJV. Jesus lived such a holy life that it was evident to all the hosts of hell. He testified in a certain place that the prince of this world came but had nothing in him. You couldn’t trace anything of the devil to Jesus. Such a sparkling life is a terror to the devil. The devil cannot survive a holy atmosphere.

Jesus lived such a holy life that it was evident to all the hosts of hell…You couldn’t trace anything of the devil to Jesus. Such a sparkling life is a terror to the devil. The devil cannot survive a holy atmosphere.

Our text points out another weapon necessary to subdue the devil. When the people brought the demon-possessed to Him, the spirits were cast out with His word. The word of God does not just have power, the word is power. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, Satan came to tempt Him on three different occasions. He obtained victory in each round with the word of God. If you want to win over the devil, the word of God must never depart from your mouth.

In John 10:10, Jesus summarized the mission of the devil in three words – steal, kill, destroy. He goes about this threefold mission in a wide variety of ways. Primarily, he lies. Jesus called him a liar and the father of all lies. Through syndicated lies, he sweeps many people off the path of destiny and throws them into chaos. It is interesting that the peace envisaged during the millennium will be made possible because Satan will be chained and put under lock and key for the whole period. When that time is fulfilled and he is loosed temporarily, deception will resume.

Satan blocks passage…I often say that if we don’t cast out devils they will cave us in. Refuse to be caved in by devils as you rise up by faith.

In our text, we can learn another means by which Satan carries out his mission. We are told of two demon-possessed men who were so fierce that no one could pass by the way where they operated. Satan blocks passage. Many people may have found themselves stuck in life without being able to find any reasonable cause for their predicament. Such people may be confronted with one of Satan’s wiles. This is why believers must learn the importance of resisting the devil. Apostle Peter taught that if we resist the devil, he will flee from us. As part of his final instructions, Jesus told the disciples to cast out devils. I often say that if we don’t cast out devils they will cave us in. Refuse to be caved in by devils as you rise up by faith.