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

  Psalm 68:19–35: Today’s reading concludes the psalm and describes a joyful procession into God’s sanctuary—the Temple in Jerusalem. Verses 21–23 include a description of enemies being defeated by God, and the psalm concludes with songs in praise of God’s power. Today’s Key Verse: Psalm 68:35 How awesome is God as he comes from his sanctuary—the God of Israel! He gives strength and power to his people. Praise God! Read 19  Praise the Lord,     who carries our burdens day after day;     he is the God who saves us. 20  Our God is a God who saves;     he is the Lord, our Lord,     who rescues us from death. 21  God will surely break the heads of his enemies,     of those who persist in their sinful ways. 22  The Lord has said, “I will bring your enemies back from Bashan;     I will bring them back from the depths of the ocean, 23  so th...

  God Performs His Word Through Us Scripture: Jeremiah 29:10–11 “ For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ” (Jeremiah 29:10–11) God told the people in captivity that he would visit them and perform his good word toward them, giving them both a future and hope. Even though this passage was written to the people of that time in captivity, the principles still apply today. Every time we experience the fulfillment of a promise God makes to us, we are experiencing his visitation and the performance of his good Word. For example, we live by his Spirit, and by his Spirit he fills us so we can put to death the misdeeds of the body. He performs his Word through us. We need to have a greater expectation for the working of God in our lives. W...

  At last we have freedom, for Christ has set us free! We must always cherish this truth and firmly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past. Galatians 5:1 Let Freedom Ring Today we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which marks July 4, 1776, as the day our Founding Fathers declared our freedom as a nation. What’s interesting is that it wasn’t until 1783 that our nation actually experienced freedom. There were battles raging, but the people were celebrating their decision to fight for freedom. They declared their freedom first, then they stood their ground until they had the victory to live as free men and women. There may be some opposing forces that you’re fighting today, things that you want to get free from—freedom from an addiction, an anxiety, a lack, a fear. No matter what battle you are facing, let this be the day you declare your freedom, because victory is on the way. You may have to stand and press through for a little while, but know that fr...

  Work While You Have the Opportunity Scripture: Haggai 2:4–5 “’ But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ ” (Haggai 2:4–5) Opportunity is one of the greatest blessings that can be given to a person. Whenever we have opportunity to do something that advances the kingdom of God, we want to take advantage of it. Sometimes we have only one opportunity to do something. We never know if the same opportunity will come by again. The Lord tells us to be strong and to work, for he is with us in our endeavors. His Spirit gives us the capacity, the talent, and the treasure, if needed, to accomplish his purposes. We do not want to miss out on opportunities he offers – opportunities such as bringing glory to h...

  But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” Luke 5:5 He Controls the Fish As Jesus was preaching along the Sea of Galilee, so many people pressed in on Him that He got into Peter’s boat and pushed out from shore in order to keep speaking. When He was finished, He told Peter to launch into the deep and he would catch a great haul of fish. Peter had fished all night and caught nothing. He was a professional fisherman and knew when and where to fish. Peter could have thought, “Who is this man to tell me how to fish?” But he responded, “Jesus, this doesn’t make sense. Nevertheless, because You say so, I’m going to do it.” He went out and caught so many fish that his nets began to break, and when his partners in another boat came to help, both boats were so loaded down that they almost sank. God controls the fish. He knows where your provision is, and He knows how to get it to you. It may...

  Converterlators are Creators Scripture: Isaiah 42:9 “ Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”  (Isaiah 42:9) God is in the creation business. When you become a  converterlator , you are a new instrument of God. God uses you to convert time, talent, and treasure into the imperishable values of the kingdom. He also works through you to bring about the “new” in others’ lives. “ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Our new worldview empowers us to live for the one who died for us. The  converterlator  is on the lookout. “ Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ” (Isaiah 43:19) We live in anticipation of seeing the hand of God at work in us and in our circumstances. He is always in the process ...

  When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” Luke 19:5 He Knows Your Name Zacchaeus had climbed a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus as He passed by. Amidst the waving, shouting crowd that had gathered to get His attention, Jesus suddenly stopped and looked up at Zacchaeus. Now all the eyes were on him. Zacchaeus thought, “Oh no! He knows I’m a crooked tax collector. He’s going to condemn me for cheating people.” But Jesus stunned him by saying, “Zacchaeus!” He thought, “How does He know my name?” Can I tell you that God knows your name? You may have never spoken to Him, but He’ll speak to you. He doesn’t hold your faults against you. No, He calls your name. What’s significant is that the name Zacchaeus means “pure one.” Jesus could have called him “scum” as the crowd did, but He called his name, “Pure one!” He was not calling him who he was but who he could become. That was the t...

  Our Source of Help Scripture: Psalm 16:8–9 “ I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure. ” (Psalm 16:8–9) The Psalmist made it his life habit to set the Lord before him. This is an important lesson for us from an application standpoint. When we face problems, it is easy to focus on the problem. Focusing on the problem alone can sap our energy and lead us down the path to depression. Problems can be the tools of the  consumerlator   if we are not careful how we treat them. By focusing on the Lord, we can  converterlate   the problem, using it to strengthen us in our relationship with the Lord. By focusing on the Lord we make the great discovery: “ For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. ” (Psalm 36:9) The Lord is the source of our life. Strength, joy, and help flow from the Lord. If we focus on the problem, it ca...

Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 1 Kings 12:8 Truth Tellers In 1 Kings 12, King Solomon had died and his son Rehoboam was about to take the throne and rule over an unmatched kingdom of wealth and influence. When the people of Israel asked him to lighten their harsh labor and heavy taxes, he asked the elders who had served his father for advice. They said to do as the people asked, but Rehoboam rejected their counsel and turned to his young friends. They told him to do just the opposite and make it even harder on the people. These young men knew this is what Rehoboam wanted to hear. It fed his ego, made him feel more powerful, more in charge. But this bad advice caused the Israelites to rebel, tragically splitting the kingdom between Judah and Israel. Don’t make Rehoboam’s mistake. You need people who tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Don’t surround yourself with yes peop...