Oluwafemi .The Word of God is a light to my Path.

  “My eyes are swollen with weeping, and I am but a shadow of my former self.” Job 17:7 Don’t Look Back In the Scripture, Job’s life was suddenly shattered by great personal losses as well as a devastating illness. Although Job honored God with all of his life, he experienced a difficult test of his faith that he didn’t understand. Maybe like Job, you feel like a shadow of what you used to be. At one time you were healthy and strong, but now you’re weak and tired from fighting an illness. At one time you were blessed in your business, but now you’re barely making it. Or at one time you had a great marriage, but now you’re just trying to keep it together. Fortunately, Job’s story did not end there, and neither will yours. God eventually turned it around and brought Job out with twice what he had before. After the heartache, after the loss, after the sickness, after the divorce, you’re going to see years of health, happiness, and favor to where you don’t look back and dwell on what y...

  Guarding Our Hearts at All Costs Scripture: Proverbs 4:23 “ Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. ”  When we come to Christ, we give him our hearts in worship. This lays the foundation for all that follows in life. “ If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ” (Romans 10:9–10) As soon as we trust in Jesus Christ, alone, as our Lord and Savior, we are sealed by the Spirit of God, and we are justified and made acceptable to Almighty God. Now that we are secure in him, we are in a position to do the works he has prepared for us to do. We are counseled to “ Let the message of Christ dwell among [us] richly as [we] teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gra...

  But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? James 2:20, NKJV Take Action The difference between a dream and a wish is that a wish is something you hope will happen, but a dream is something you put actions behind. Today’s Scripture says that faith without works is dead. You can wish you could go to college, wish for a job, or wish for a better car, but wishing is not going to get you there. You have to put the work in to make it happen. The people who succeed don’t always have the most talent, education, or opportunities. Many times, they simply want it more than others. I want to light a fire in you today. You have to go after what God has for you. Being passive and indifferent will keep you from your destiny. When you make up your mind that you’re going to do something, God will breathe on your efforts and give you strength that goes beyond your natural ability. It’s not just willpower; it’s the blessing of God helping you. But it kicks in when God...

  Our Hope! Scripture: Philippians 3:20–21 “ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. ”  It is amazing to think we are only passing through a temporary world, knowing the real world awaits us when our “time bubble” breaks, thrusting us into the eternal paradigm. We have the assurance that our citizenship is in heaven and that is where we are heading. In the meantime, we have the prospect of Jesus Christ returning at any moment. This is truly a blessed hope! How encouraging to know that we will be freed from the foolishness of the wisdom and rulers of this age. I can hardly wait, in God’s timing, to receive a glorified body like the glorified body of Jesus Christ. This body will be beyond anything you and I can think or imagine. “ Then the righteous will shine like the sun...

  What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14 Does It Really Matter? Every day is a gift. The longer I live, the more I realize how valuable each day is. We’re not going to be here forever. It’s easy to live uptight, frustrated, and worried, but in the big picture, most of the things that are upsetting us don’t really matter. Is it worth losing your joy over bad traffic or something someone said that was offensive? If you found out you only had a day to live, you wouldn’t even pay attention to many things that upset you now. If you let a grouchy boss or a bitter relative keep you from being happy, it’s your fault. You are as happy as you want to be. You have to put your foot down and say, “This is the day the Lord has made. I’m not going to let what people do or don’t do, what they say or don’t say, or what I have or don’t have keep me from being happy. I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to enjoy this day.” A Prayer for Today “Father...

  Kingdom View of Money Scripture: Psalm 19:9–11 “ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. ”  The Bible warns us about the deceitfulness of riches. I have come to the conclusion that money is like a rattlesnake. It has to be handled carefully. It is paramount we understand and take to heart what the Scripture says about money. If we are not careful, it can become the god of our life. In fact, we are counseled to desire God and his Word more than riches. Here are some passages that tell us the same thing. In Proverbs we learn, “ Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold. ” (Proverbs 8:10) Job tells us, “… and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravine...

  But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3 Reconnect When we face situations for which there’s no logical solution, it’s easy to live worried. That voice starts playing in our head, “What are you going to do? What if it doesn’t work out?” Our answer should be, “I don’t know what to do, but I know the One who does.” We know we don’t have to make everything happen in our own strength. We don’t have to have it all figured out or even lose sleep. We know God is on the throne. We know He’s fighting our battles. When we worry, and our mind is going in circles, we’ve lost our connection to our source of strength. You have to reconnect to God. Today’s Scripture says that when you give God praise, you’re putting Him on the throne. Life is too short for you to live worried, overwhelmed by problems, upset because somebody hurt you. Take that off the throne and put God back on the throne. Quit dwelling on the negative and start praising. God inhabits your praises. A Pra...

  A Comforting Truth Scripture: Isaiah 43:1 “ Now this is what the Lord says. He created you, people of Jacob; he formed you, people of Israel. He says, ‘Don’t be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name, and you are mine.’ ”  How comforting to realize that God knows us by name. He has created us, formed us, and even fashioned our hearts individually. “ He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. ” (Psalm 33:15) Each of us is unique and special, created for fulfilling a specific purpose. Our priority must be to discover what we have been designed for, so we can find God’s purpose for us. Then we can be busy doing the works he has prepared for us. “ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. ” (Ephesians 2:10) When we are used for our designed purpose, we can live the abundant life. We must listen for the voice of the Shepherd, “ The one who guards the...

  Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” John 5:8 Remember In John 5, Jesus healed a man lying beside the pool of Bethesda who had been crippled for thirty-eight years. Why did He tell him to take his mat with him? After all those years, that mat was dirty, ragged, and probably stunk. Why didn’t Jesus tell him to get rid of it? Because that mat was there to remind him of what God had done. It was part of his story. Whenever people asked him, “Why are you carrying that ugly old mat?” he would say, “No, this is a beautiful mat. It’s a reminder that God healed me.” The reason God leaves mats from our past is not only that we’ll remember what He’s done, but so we can tell others. The mat means you’re healed, you’re forgiven, and you can walk again. You may still have your mat, but that’s simply to remind you of the greatness of our God. When you see other people who need healing, let them know that what God did for you, He can do for them. A Prayer for Today “Father, t...

  The Breath of Life Scripture: Genesis 2:7 “ Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. ”  We live in a world filled with people who have no fear of God reflected in the way they live. As we can see from the above verse, our very life—every breath and every heartbeat—are sourced in God. “ In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. ” (Job 12:10) “ The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. ” (Job 33:4) “ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. ” (Acts 17:25) We are talking about the power of life that belongs to God. It makes sense that created people should pay deference to their Creator. There is a general saying that one should not bite the hand that feeds you. It does not make sense to offend the one who can literally shu...

Lord God, bestow upon me your wisdom, as you have done for others. Help me not to prejudge others based on social or economic status. Teach me to listen for your voice each day and to be guided by your Word. In your holy name, I pray. Amen.

  Knowing God “ Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”  (Hosea 6:3) “ 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) These verses contain the keys to enjoying a life now, and a life that will echo into eternity. We have seen how he holds our breath in his hand, and that every heartbeat is sourced in God. We have seen how he has designed each of us for a specific purpose, having fashioned each heart individually. He created us, formed us, and knows us by name. Therefore, it is critical to press on to know him to the extent he will reveal himself to us. Kingdom of God thinkers want to know God at all costs, and will press on to know him. As surely as we know that the sun will rise tomorrow, we know that God responds to those who pursue...

  God’s Precious Investment Scripture: Ephesians 1:18 “ I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. ”  As believers in Christ, we are God’s precious inheritance. He has purchased us with the precious blood of Christ, and looks forward to spending eternity with us. “ But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. ” (Ephesians 2:13) God has invested a lot in you and me. He has given us time, talent, and treasure in varying degrees. We will have to give an accounting for the use of these gifts; however, we should view our time in this world as the greatest opportunity to serve in advancing his kingdom. He has given us the assurance of salvation: “ I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have ...

  Gracious God, your Son Jesus taught that words that come out of our mouths based on evil thoughts cause us to be unclean in your sight. Such words stir up trouble and hurt others. Guard my lips this day so that I speak lovingly and truthfully with words that are kind and offer encouragement and hope. Amen.

  You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. Psalm 23:5 It Will Be Undeniable You may have some obstacles in your path today that have you feeling stuck. There’s no way you’ll get well, no way you can pay off your house, no way to go back to school. It’s a setup. God is about to display His awesome power, not just so you can see it, but so other people can see it. When David says that God prepares a feast before you in the presence of your enemies, that’s not private. God is going to show out so the opposition and the critics will all see you promoted, honored, in a position of influence, in a public display. That’s why you don’t have to prove to people who you are or waste your time trying to convince people who are not for you to like you. Keep running your race, honoring God, and at some point, He’s going to show out in such a way that your critics can’t deny the favor on you. People are going to know the Lord is on your side. A Prayer for Today “Father, than...