We will sometimes find ourselves in situations that will put us to the test. A long time ago, I had a cause to drive to my bank. There were only two slots remaining, and I was made to pick the one closest to the perimeter fence. As I made my way into the banking hall, I feared that someone would pull up behind me by the time I was through. That fear was confirmed. When I returned, some unknown person had packed behind me and there was no way I could maneuver my way out. I had two options: either I would begin to throw tantrums at the security men and other officials of the bank or seek for how to make the moment of waiting count positively. I chose the latter. I sat in my car, reached out for my ipad and began to read. Eventually the owner of the vehicle parked behind me, a woman, leisurely walked back and drove off. I followed in her heels.

“Separate between what you can change and what is outside your scope. When issues are beyond you, the next best thing you can do is to pray and draw on His all sufficient grace.”

I have recounted this experience because everyday I see people stress themselves over matters they have little or no control over. Take for instance a snail-like traffic. There is no amount of yelling that can speed up the flow.  You don’t need to fuss about the rain; because that will not change anything. God’s word already informed us that varying weathers will come, just as there will be day and night. Separate between what you can change and what is outside your scope. When issues are beyond you, the next best thing you can do is to pray and draw on His all sufficient grace.

‬There is enough Biblical warrant to say that Jesus came to establish the nation of God. This nation is to be created from various nationalities and tongues among those who believe. Our present focus is to examine the characteristics of this nation that Jesus came to found. Before this, it will be refreshing to say that God promised to make Abraham a great nation, and that through him and his seed all the families of the earth will find repose in that one nation. The gospel of Matthew in one stroke of the pen connected the genealogy of Christ to Abraham. “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1). The promise of God to Abraham to make him a great nation is fulfilled in Christ.

“We are to rule by the inspired word of God coming from our mouth. If you are a believer, you are a member of a nation made up of special people.”

The first thing to note about this peculiar people is that it is a nation of kings! In Peter’s description, we are a royal nation. Jesus is called King of kings. We can understand this from the point of view that He is superior to every other power or potentate. We can also have another idea that He is King among other kings. We are those other kings! This interpretation will make sense considering the fact that we are going to reign with Him. What we need to add is that even now we are expected to begin to exercise our kingly anointing, to subject things to the will of God here on earth. We are to rule by the inspired word of God coming from our mouth. If you are a believer, you are a member of a nation made up of special people.

Abraham enjoyed several compliments in the Bible. Fancy the idea that God called him a friend. ““But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend.” Isaiah‬ 41‬:8‬ NKJV‬. Growing up in the Baptist circle, it is a common thing to hear Abraham addressed as “the father of faith”. That was the interpretation given to Romans 4:11 – “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also” Romans‬ 4‬:11‬ NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“The fact remains that our belief is demonstrated by how much we are willing to obey. Those who want to enjoy the blessing of Abraham must also learn to walk with God with unreserved obedience.”

We can add that Abraham was a model in obedience. He believed when it was humanly hopeless to do so, and obeyed when it was difficult to so do. He obeyed when God told him to move at 75. His obedience came to the fore again on the issue of circumcision. God introduced this as a token of the covenant He made with Abraham. All male children in Abraham’s house must be circumcised, beginning with him of course. The Bible captures Abraham’s response to this: “In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son” (Genesis 17:26). The value of this obedient step is further enhanced when one considers the fact that Abraham was already 99 years at that time. The fact remains that our belief is demonstrated by how much we are willing to obey. Those who want to enjoy the blessing of Abraham must also learn to walk with God with unreserved obedience.

In our previous meditation, we learned about God’s plan that often ends on a positive, no matter how hard the devil tries to mess with us. Today, we shall talk about God’s hands that can deliver as illustrated by the story of the woman with the spirit of infirmity. This woman represents many who have put in everything they know but have not been able to alter their state. We are told she was bent over and could by no means lift herself up. That only suggests to us that she tried everything within her capability. It will be gross biblical illiteracy to suggest that people like this have no faith. If others do not have the kind of result you post in an area of life, don’t jump to conclusion about their state. They may have done all they know. Somewhere along the line, you will discover that it is the pure mercy of God that makes for the difference in people’s station in life.

“Jesus located this woman, placed His hands on her and loosed her from that bondage. Jesus remains the same even today, and His hands can still deliver.”

This woman also represents another group of people; those who keep serving the Lord even when the challenges of their life have not been resolved. We notice that Jesus found her in one of the Synagogues. The foul spirit that bent her body over had not succeeded to twist her trust in God. It is a great estate that a man has come into when his spirit is free to relate with God irrespective of the pressure of the outer life. Of great interest to us today is the fact that Jesus located this woman, placed His hands on her and loosed her from that bondage. Jesus remains the same even today, and His hands can still deliver.

One of the most enduring of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s quote is this – “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.” The quote can be put to different uses. Firstly, it is to encourage those who may be weary of making efforts. Secondly, it is to help people cast their dream of ease away, if they want to make it to the top. The story of Joseph is a good illustration of this.  He made it to the top of God’s plan for his life, but the ride was far from smooth. The vision that God imprinted on his mind was to be a ruler. That took thirteen long years before it came to pass. He first had to endure the envy and cruelty of his own blood brothers who seized and sold him.

“God can make good things to proceed from every evil you have been through…”God never ends anything on a negative; God always ends on a positive.””

For a long time, Joseph’s experiences did not correspond with what God showed him, at least not on the surface. He was also slammed with a sentence that took him to jail. At the fullness of time, he was brought out of the prison and ushered in straight to the palace, having the whole world at his beck and call. God’s word to Joseph eventually came to pass when his brothers came to him to buy corn. They could not hide their shock to see a man whom they thought had been forgotten becoming their succour. Joseph’s word to his brothers is captured in our passage today. Everything done to him by his brothers (and of course his boss’s wife) were meant for evil; but God turned them around for good. God can make good things to proceed from every evil you have been through. This brings me to a quote of Edwin Louis Cole that I have used repeatedly – God never ends anything on a negative; God always ends on a positive.”

Samson had quite some impressive performance in his days as judge over Israel. He was a one-man army who reined in the Philistines. However, he suffered a miserable end to his career. Everyone will agree that his liaison with strange women was his undoing. The other reason which is not expressly stated could be his isolationist approach to life. He had no one who served as armour bearer to him. Now, what God assigned to you falls under the “must do” list. That is your purpose. The next most important thing to this is the people who will help you. Moses understood this point very well; that was why he voiced out his frustration in our text. He wanted to know the people that God would send with him. A purpose without people backup will lead to paralysis.

A purpose without people backup will lead to paralysis. Every purpose carrier needs a friend or circle of friends… A good friend will give you counsel that will save your life and your vision. 

Every purpose carrier needs a friend or circle of friends. We do not mean the kind of friend that Jonadab was to Amnon. Jonadab was the one who gave crafty counsel to Amnon how to force his sister to bed, thereby preparing the way to his death ultimately. The kind of friendship that your mandate requires is the type of friend Jonathan was to David. A good friend will give you counsel that will save your life and your vision. A good friend will watch your back. Jonathan did more than this for David; he actually relinquished what would have been his natural right to the throne to pave way for the fulfillment of God’s promise to David. Your friend will not envy you, but support you. True friends will not mind to step aside so you can step ahead.

Pastoring churches for upward of three decades brought me to a conclusion that what eats into the fabrics of most congregations is offense. People get offended too easily. Whole families have pulled out from congregation because they feel aggrieved. To compound the problem, they leave without giving the pastor a hint of why they are offended. I know a case of a sister who loaned another sister some money. When repayment was delayed, there was problem. Part of the fall-outs was that they both left the church, at different times. Offences happen between one member and another, and between members and the authority of the church. People are unaware of the corporate damage such attitude brings. It is hardly possible for someone to be offended and not speak negatively about the supposed offender.

The way to deal with offences is to pray; trusting God to prevent the root of bitterness from springing up in your heart.

It is not only the church that suffers from offenses. Those who pick offense, particularly when there is no justifiable reason for it, are also hurt. The danger is that if we nurse a hurt for considerable length of time, it will take root in the heart. This may lead to evil speaking and other inconsiderate behaviour. The way to deal with offences is to pray; trusting God to prevent the root of bitterness from springing up in your heart. Well, this subject can actually be an acid test of your level of spiritual development. Since we are no higher than the things that offend us, it simply boils down to the fact that if we are offended often at things we ought to overlook, we have some growing up to do.

Whenever and wherever Christmas is marked, there is always an electric atmosphere. People eat, drink, dance, and make merry. The temptation here is that if care is not taken, the importance of His coming will be shrouded by festivity. Among several reasons, Jesus was sent into the world to bridge the gap. The world was divided along racial lines. The same demarcation affected social standing as well as gender. All these were brought under one roof at His coming. “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us”. (Ephesians 2:14). Of particular note is the removal of the divide between the sexes.

Jesus bridged all gaps and reconciled us with the Father…We are to follow in the heels of Jesus who bridged the gap between God and man, and between man and his fellow man. 

The coming of Jesus clearly demonstrates that women are not second class to men. The good news of the conception of the Holy child was first given to a woman, Mary. It would be months later before Joseph got to know of the plan of God. Then when Jesus rose from the grave, it was another Mary that had the singular privilege to first sight Him, and to carry the good news of His resurrection to the other disciples. Jesus bridged all gaps and reconciled us with the Father. All believers have been enlisted into the same ministry. We should all be bridge builders. We are to follow in the heels of Jesus who bridged the gap between God and man, and between man and his fellow man.

The Jews were obviously proud of their Abrahamic roots. In John 8:33, they proudly declared, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” So, in our passage Jesus challenged the Jews who love to boast of their ancestral connection to Abraham. True claim to Abraham as father is not by chanting it; it is by doing the things that he did that made even God to call him a friend. To enjoy the blessing of Abraham, we need to work like him.

“ To enjoy the blessing of Abraham, we need to work like him.”

One of the works of Abraham was that he believed God! This may sound rather too simplistic; but when you examine the circumstances under which he believed God, coupled with our own struggle in trusting His word in less severe circumstances, we will commend Abraham. Abraham was already an old man when God spoke that He would give him a son. Paul would later refer to Abraham’s body as dead at that point in time, in addition to equally dead womb of Sarah. These were like two medical impossibilities. Believing in this kind of situations is not the easiest of things. Time and again in our lives, we may find ourselves in dare situations that will require us to believe God, to take Him at His word if we are going to see His blessing.

There are accounts in the Bible where foul spirits saw Jesus and gave out a scream. The case was different in the case of the woman covered by our text. The uniqueness of this woman’s story was that the demon responsible for her illness never gave a hue and cry. Not all demonic activities are lousy! Ironically, those who don’t make noise might be the more dangerous as they may be difficult to identify. Where demonic manifestation is loud and clear, one can easily identify it and confront it headlong. The devil does not like to be dislodged; it is for this reason many of his operations are done imperceptibly. A high degree of sensitivity is necessary to handle cases of a non-vocal demon.

If you expose yourself to the word constantly the devil will find it hard to operate in your life.

There is a lesson to learn from the environment where Jesus met this woman. It was in one of the synagogues where He was teaching. One of the best ways to expose activities of the devil is to be in the atmosphere of undiluted teaching of the word of God. We are given powerful description of what the word can do in the following terms: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). Take note that the word is capable of discerning even to the thoughts and intents of the heart. If you expose yourself to the word constantly the devil will find it hard to operate in your life.

On the surface this Scripture will paint a perfect, seamless transition for believers as they move from one level to another. Such assumption will however melt away like cubes of ice when you place it by other Scriptures and in the light of real experiences of the saints of God in and out of the Bible. David did not only have troubles of his own, but he observed the same trend in other godly people. That moved him to pen Psalm 34:19. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” In similar vein Paul recalled his own challenges in these terms: “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.” (2Timothy 3:10-11). These witnesses have two things in common. They both establish that there will be some difficult moments even for the most righteous among us. The good part is that God will work out our deliverance.

If you are hit by some troublous situations, fix your gaze on God who has all things planned out from beginning to the end. 

So what do we make of our Scripture that says the path of the just shines more and more? It simply means that hiccups that we may encounter will also be shaped to lead to God’s ultimate plan for our lives. God knows how to work everything together for good to the advantage of those that love Him. God will not allow anything that will not add up to our overall destiny. If you are hit by some troublous situations, fix your gaze on God who has all things planned out from beginning to the end.

The writer of the book of Hebrews placed the pursuit of peace and holiness as conditions to see the Lord – “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:” Hebrews‬ 12‬:14‬ NKJV‬. Let us focus on the subject of peace a little more. There are three aspects of peace that we need to be conversant with. First of these is peace with God. This is foundational, as no lasting peace can be achieved except one has made peace with God. The sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the world is the basis to expect this type of peace. If we confess our sins and renounce them, God sends His peace into our hearts. ‬‬‬‬‬

“No lasting peace can be achieved except one has made peace with God…Being at peace with yourself also demands that you are a contented person.”

Secondly, there is peace with our neighbours. This will include everyone we have to deal with in close quarters. You cannot know real peace except you are walking in understanding with your spouse and other members of your family. Those who are closest to you impact your joy and peace more than you can imagine. Apart from understanding them, you will also need to practice a lot of forgiveness as occasional frictions may not be ruled out. Finally, you need to be at peace with yourself. This can only happen when you are in your elements, doing exactly what you are cut out for. Abraham Maslow was quoted as saying, “A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself”. Being at peace with yourself also demands that you are a contented person.

I remember visiting a place and needed to use the bathroom. The bathroom was quite impressive. The wall was overlaid with glossy white tiles. But whatever you have going for this washroom was countered by a couple of cracks on the surfaces of the wall. I am not a builder; but I have heard professionals explain that when faults develop on the surface it is a pointer to some cracks within the wall. Sometimes the cracks may even be traced to faulty foundations, in which case the whole building stands at the precipice.

Sometimes in life, we seem to wear “cracks” on our face because of the multitudes of problems we face…It is when the spirit is broken that we are in real danger.

Sometimes in life, we seem to wear “cracks” on our face because of the multitudes of problems we face. It could be some inexplicable tension in our marriage. Maybe one of the children is becoming unmanageable. The relationship with the boss at the workplace leaves so much to be desired. The list is endless. As bad as these conditions may appear, they can be separated from the state of the heart. As long as the cracks are not a reflection of the inner conditions, we can easily overcome. It is when the spirit is broken that we are in real danger. Apostle Paul and some of his close associates endured a great trial of afflictions for their faith and work in the gospel. Despite this, they never allowed that to have a negative effect on their spirit man. Learn to commit every negative external condition to the Lord, and draw from His inexhaustible grace.

Under the Mosaic economy, Israel had a robust welfare system. Provisions were made for the poor in the land to be able to borrow from their brethren without any interest charged. God warned them to open their hearts and hands to their brethren when they come to borrow, except when there were no more poor people in the land. It is interesting to note that God had the plan to greatly bless the people in their land so much so that there would be no poor people among them. Whenever Israel operated God’s law to the letter, everyone’s need was met.

It is within the ability of God to bless everyone in His household…God can bless everyone from His largesse without any stress to Him. The wealth of the world are all His.

It is within the ability of God to bless everyone in His household. Paul wrote to the Romans to stress that God can bring His riches to bear upon everyone. “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.” (Romans 10:12). The same Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said that God can make His grace abundant on all to guarantee all sufficiency. God can bless everyone from His largesse without any stress to Him. The wealth of the world are all His. Does it make any sense to think that He will want to give this to those who will use their wealth against Him rather than to those who will serve Him with it? Certainly not! When we meet the terms and conditions, we can draw down on supernatural abundance.

‬‬‬‬After Abraham entertained the heavenly visitors, he was treated to a number of rewards. The first thing he got was a new assurance of his wife, Sarah, becoming a mother. This promise was given in the past, but now there was a time frame attached. One year after that august visit, Sarah would be a proud mother. Here we see God put into effect the higher variant of the law of sowing and reaping. Abraham and Sarah gave material things to the visitors, but rather than return material things, God gave them their perceived need.

“Doing Abraham’s work precedes enjoying his blessing. Hospitality and intercession come into the equation when we talk of Abraham’s blessing.”

The second thing that Abraham enjoyed as reward of hospitality was divine disclosure. The plight of Sodom was brought to his notice, as well as the coming judgment. The impending doom of Sodom drove Abraham to intercession. Our passage says he stood before the Lord. This gives us a clear understanding of what intercession means – it is standing before the Lord on behalf of others. Just as he did when he entertained the visitors ever before he realised who they were, he began to intercede for Sodom. Several verses in Genesis 18 detail how Abraham negotiated for souls of men and destinies of nations. We are called into the same ministry; we are to give ourselves in selfless devotion to seeing others saved. In our previous meditation, we learned that we can become partakers of Abraham’s blessing. If there is anything to add to this, it will be to say that doing Abraham’s work precedes enjoying his blessing. Hospitality and intercession come into the equation when we talk of Abraham’s blessing.

When Jesus healed a woman from the spirit of infirmity on a Sabbath, He justified it on the ground that she was a daughter of Abraham. “So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”  Luke‬ 13‬:16‬ NKJV‬‬. On his part, Zacchaeus received the gift of salvation also on the same grounds. “And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham” Luke‬ 19‬:9‬ NKJV‬‬. These two accounts give us the hint that there is something special with being a seed of Abraham.

“Faith in Jesus makes you a seed of Abraham. Being in faith makes you a joint-heir (at least potentially) with Abraham in his blessing.”

This privileged position was restricted to the Jews only before Jesus went to the cross. His sacrifice paved the way for the gentile nations to have direct link with Abrahamic covenant. Accordingly, the Bible says, “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” (Galatians 3:7). Faith in Jesus makes you a seed of Abraham. Being in faith makes you a joint-heir (at least potentially) with Abraham in his blessing. This is the truth conveyed by the Holy Spirit through Paul’s writing to the Galatians. “So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham” (Galatians 3:9). So, if God blessed Abraham in all things, He is willing to bless you in all things as well. The blessing of Abraham was both spiritual and material; and that can be ours too.

Unbridled desire to be like other people can ruin one’s peace and joy. It may even ruin people spiritually as the pressure to seek extra biblical means to attain certain ends will keep mounting. Drawing inspiration from what other people are doing is allowed; but making them ideal image of who you want to become can lead to harrowing experience. The only honorable thing to do is to compete against yourself, seeking to maximize your God-given potentials.

What God is looking for is to release people who carry the full nature of Christ into the world. This is what will give Him glory. Your prayer should aim at reflecting more of the beauty of Jesus.

The perfect model to copy is Jesus. He is God’s ultimate plan for everyone to line up with. The Son of God is the plumb line to assess our operations. If you must set a goal of becoming like someone, then that someone should be Jesus. The standard set by Him is so high that you will always find areas of your life that need improvement. If you use human beings as your standard, you will either become envious or proud — envious if you don’t measure up to them, and proud if you surpass them. Either way, you will still fall short of God’s approval because His word does not condone these attitudes. What God is looking for is to release people who carry the full nature of Christ into the world. This is what will give Him glory. Your prayer should aim at reflecting more of the beauty of Jesus.

On July 7 this year, I shared a thought on Solomon. It bordered on the fact that for a long time, I had assumed that Solomon never fought a war all his life. That was debunked when I came across 2 Chronicles 8:3 – “And Solomon went to Hamath Zobah and seized it.” This verse stated his military expedition. The other person who I thought never fought a battle was Jacob. That was until I came across our text. Jacob is here showing a privileged information to his beloved son, Joseph. It was time to peep into his final will for all his children. In that will, Jacob reflected again the preference he had for this child of his old age. Besides this, it was a way to compensate him for the injustice he suffered, and for how he had taken care of his father and his brethren in the days of famine. He gave Joseph one portion above what his brothers got. The particular emphasis here was how he got the land that was now being passed on as inheritance. Jacob claimed that he got the land “with my sword and with my bow”.

“Everyone you meet is fighting some undisclosed battles, so be considerate. Where possible, render help to make their battles easier to fight.”

I find this interesting because early readings on Jacob showed him as a man of the tent; it was his brother Esau that was a man of the field. Jacob took so much to their mother that he picked all the culinary skill that literally won him an award. At what time then did he become a man of the  sword and the bow? The details are not clear. Here is the point: everyone you meet is fighting some undisclosed battles, so be considerate. Where possible, render help to make their battles easier to fight. If you cannot help, at least don’t make things more difficult than they are already.

There was a little known character in the Bible by name Rhoda. The name appeared only once in the entire Bible, but there is a significant lesson we can learn from her. She was a domestic staff in the house of Mark’s mother. That was the place prayer was being held for Peter when he was incarcerated by Herod. A night preceding the day Peter would have been killed, God honoured the prayer of His people, and sent His angel to release him from the prison. Straightway, he headed for the venue of the prayer meeting. When he knocked, it was Rhoda that answered, and she immediately recognized Peter’s voice. Rhoda announced to the group of “prayer warriors” that Peter was at the door, but they did not believe her. At first they said she was mad. Later they said it could have been Peter’s angel. Throughout all of these, she maintained her stand, because she was sure of what she heard.

For those who dare to hold on to their profession of faith, the external situations will eventually line up with God’s counsel.

How many times have we been confronted with feedbacks contrary to what we believe God has spoken! We seem so sure of what we know; yet everything on the outside is mocking our conviction. The world even says we are crazy for daring to say what we believe. How should we deal with such situation? Exactly the way Rhoda did: Keep on affirming that it is so. If you are sure of what God has said on a matter, discount the negative witness of your environment. Hold fast to your confession. Your agreement with the word of God is forceful enough to alter the environment. For those who dare to hold on to their profession of faith, the external situations will eventually line up with God’s counsel.

There are two extreme positions that people can assume when dealing with demons, and both may have devastating consequences. You have those who do not believe devils exist or are potent. Such people dismiss any teaching on powers of darkness as fairy tales. They can easily become pawns in spiritual conflicts, the devil tossing them at will. The other extreme is to think that everything, including ordinary events of life and happenstances are caused by the devil. Those who belong to this school of thought tend to abandon all responsibilities of life and think all they need to do is pray.

Victory only comes when the stumbling block is removed…Problems that are not dealt with from the root have the tendency to reincarnate.

Balance, which the Bible ensures, is the only way to avoid these extremes. In addition, we need the ability to discern and know what is going on at every given time. Jesus excelled at this. A man who had not spoken before was brought to Jesus. He cast out the devil and the man regained his speech. That means the demon had been the reason for his inability to speak. Though not all problems of life are caused by devil in the practical sense, we should know that problems with demonic root will never go away until the demon responsible is dealt with. Victory only comes when the stumbling block is removed. The Bible says “he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” (2Thessalonians 2:7). When Jesus cursed the fig tree, it withered from the root. Problems that are not dealt with from the root have the tendency to reincarnate.

As we stressed in previous meditation, believers have power and authority. However, this is expected to be exercised not magically but in fulfillment of divine will and tasks. In our text, Jesus revealed a powerful secret of His highly successful life and ministry. If anyone knew his exact job descriptions, Jesus did. Knowing this kept Him from distractions. At some point, Jesus was wooed to be made king. Even though He knew in Himself that He was King of kings, that offer was not from God. It would have eventually trapped Him into doing the irrelevant.  He rubbished the idea. That is one of the things that will happen when you are sure of what you should do with your life. What attracts other people will hold no appeal for you.

There is nothing that better guarantees successful exercise of power and authority than being in God’s will. Your authority will grow parallel to your obedience to God’s will.

Apart from this, divine support comes as you do what God expects of you. In John’s Gospel alone there were no less than 17 references where Jesus alluded to the fact that the “Father sent me”. One of the instances is what we adopted as our meditation today. He spoke with all clarity about the partnership of the Father with His mission here on earth. It could not be otherwise; the work He was doing was commissioned by the Father and has to be backed up. There is nothing that better guarantees successful exercise of power and authority than being in God’s will. Your authority will grow parallel to your obedience to God’s will.

The previous meditation stressed both the necessity and blessing of praying. Teaching further on the subject of prayer, Jesus enjoined His followers to table their requests to the Father in His name. “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”  John‬ 16‬:24‬ NKJV‬‬. His name is our access to the presence of the Father. His name is also our authority over devils.

His name is our access to the presence of the Father. His name is also our authority over devils…Faith in the name of Jesus will make even the gates of hell to quiver.

After a period of tutelage, Jesus sent His disciples into the field, but not until He had equipped them. Their power-equipping was wrapped up in His name. On their return they had more than enough tales of victory to tell the Master. Excitedly they said, “even the devils are subject unto us through thy name”. Their choice of words suggests that they never imagined they would have it that good. It was like a walkover for them. Never forget that before this time they had been under the wings of the Master. The point is this: brooding under the Master breeds power! The more time we have at His feet, the better we are able to operate in victory over the enemy. The Apostles of Jesus were ordinary men in every sense of the word. They submitted to Jesus until His aura was all over them. The council that tried to probe them recognized that they did not attend the best institutions of their time and wondered where they got their boldness from. They soon found out that they had been with Jesus. Faith in the name of Jesus will make even the gates of hell to quiver.