18 June
Deut. 6:5
Worship and serve God with the heart
God requires us His children to worship and serve Him with all our heart
(see Deut. 6:5; cf. Deut. 10:12-13; Deut. 26:16; Jos. 22:5; 1Sam. 12:20,
24; 1Kgs. 9:4-5). Like the Israelites of Prophet Isaiah’s time,
there are many who still worship Him with their lips while their hearts
are far from Him (Is. 29:13). This kind of worship is completely unacceptable
to God (Is. 29:13). God looks at our heart (1Sam. 16:7). As the Scripture
puts it, the heart is the well spring of life (Prov. 4:23). God treat
us according to the state of our heart in relation to Him (see 1Sam.
16:7). He knows the secret of every heart (see 1 Chron. 28:9). We cannot
pretend to Him (see 1 Chron. 28:9). Thus, we must worship and serve Him
with all our heart in order to worship and serve Him as He deserves (Deut.
6:5; Is. 29:13). To worship and serve Him not from our heart is not to
worship and serve Him at all (Is. 29:13). Those who worship and serve
Him from the heart are the only kind of worshippers God seeks (cf. Deut.
10:12-13). To worship and serve God from our heart is the basis for our
blessing (Deut. 11:13) and restoration (Deut. 30:1-10). The Psalmist’s
prayer for an undivided heart in his relationship with God must be our
own prayer.
PRAYER: Father, please enable me to worship and serve you with all my
heart.
19 June
1 Chron. 29:12
God honours His children
Honour is one of the promises and blessings of God to His children (see
Deut. 28:13; Ps. 91:15). He honoured Moses (Exod. 8:9-14, 30; Exod. 9:33),
Joshua (Jos. 3: 7-17; Jos. 10: 12-14), Elijah (1Kgs. 17:15-16; 1 Kgs.
18: 36-39), Peter (Acts 3:6-8; Acts 9:40-41, and Paul (Acts 19:11-12).
It is His nature to honour His children (1Chron. 29:12; Ps. 84:11). God
alone is the one who honours His children (see 1Chron. 29:12; Ps. 84:11).
No one else can honour us except Him (1Chron. 29:12; Ps. 84:11). He will
stop at nothing to honour His children (see Jos. 7:7-17). Only His true
children are entitled to His honour (cf. Ps. 91:9-16). But God honours
only those who honour Him (see 1 Sam. 2:30; Ps. 84:11; Jn. 12:26). Thus,
sin can deprive us of His honour upon our lives (see 1Sam. 2:30; 1Sam.
15:26). Anyone who really desires God’s honour upon his life must
ensure that he first honours God with his own life by living in holiness
and righteousness unto Him. We must ensure that there is no sin to hinder
God’s honour upon us (see 1Sam. 2:20). God is ready to honour us
today if there is no sin to hinder Him.
PRAYER: Father, please honour me as you promised.
20 June
Exod. 13:21-22
God’s Guidance
God has always guided His children in their lives. When He brought the
Israelites out of Egypt, He guided them along their way until He brought
them to the promised land (Exod. 13:21-22). His guidance made their journey
successful. His guidance guarantees the success of His children’s
lives today. Without it success would be unthinkable for His children
today. With His guidance the success of His children is assured. No Christian
can accomplish anything without God’s guidance (cf. Jn. 15: 4-5).
Except there is sin, God’s guidance never ceases (see Exod. 13:22;
Neh. 9:19-20; Ps. 48:14; Is. 58:11). Unless sin hinders it, His guidance
is available anywhere, in anything, and anytime (see Exod. 13:21-22).
No Christian can afford to undertake anything without God’s guidance.
PRAYER: Father, please guide me everywhere, in everything, every time.
21 June
Is. 41:10
God upholds His children
God upholds His children with His own right hand (Ps. 63:8). It is His
nature to uphold them (see Is. 41:10; Jos. 1:5; Deut. 31:6). To uphold
them is one of His promises and activities (see Is. 41:10; Ps. 37:17).
Since He upholds us with His own hand, we cannot fall, though we may
stumble (see Ps. 37:23-24). With His upholding hand, our success, well
being, and victory are wholly guaranteed, since all things are possible
with Him (see Lk. 1:37). His upholding hand is completely safe (see Jn.
10:28; Jos. 1:5). It never ever fails (Jn. 10:28; Jos. 1:5). It is true
that no one can snatch us from His hand (see Jn. 10:28). Since we cannot
uphold ourselves (see Ps. 127:1-2), let us cling to Him as the Psalmist
did (Ps. 63:8).
PRAYER: Father, please uphold me as you promised.
22 June
2 Pet. 3:18
Growing in Grace
We can define grace here as the special enablement that Jesus provides
to His followers to enable them live the Christian life. Jesus Christ
alone is the author and source of this grace (see Rom. 1:5). The Christian
life is by grace from the beginning to the end (see Eph. 2:8-9). We need
God’s grace not only for Salvation but also for living the Christian
life (Jn. 15:4-5). In fact, we need God’s grace for all aspects
of the Christian life. Believers cannot accomplish anything without God’s
grace (see Jn.15: 4-5; 1Cor. 15:10). Every Christian needs grace for
the Christian life. And God has graciously made His grace available to
all His children who desire it (see Eph. 4:7). Grace is not a static
gift. We can grow in it if we desire to (see 2Pet. 3:18).
PRAYER: Father, please enable me to grow in your grace.
23 June
1 Pet. 5:8-9
Victory over Satan
There are many Christians who are of the opinion that Satan is not real
or does not exist. This point of view has no basis in the Scripture.
According to the Scripture, Satan Himself and His activities against
believers are quite real (see Matt. 4:1; 1 Pet. 5:8). He is personally
active against Christians and the outworking of God’s will in their
lives (1Pet. 5:8; Lk. 22:3, 31). No one is beyond his reach (see Matt.
4:1-11; Lk. 22:31). His sole aim is to destroy believers and their testimony
on behalf of God (see 1Pet. 5:8). The good news is that Jesus conquered
him by the cross (see Col. 2:15). Christians therefore have victory over
Him through Jesus Christ (see 1Jn. 5:18; Col. 2:15). Satan Himself is
thus a defeated foe (Col. 2:15). He and his activities are subject to
God’s Sovereign authority (see Matt. 10:29-31). We can liken him
to a barking lion which is chained. The lives of Christians are not subject
to Him but to God (see Matt. 10:29-31). Christians can overcome Satan
by resisting him (Jam. 4:7; 1Pet. 5:9), by prayer (Lk. 22:31-32, and
by the authority of God’s Word (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10).
PRAYER: Father, please deliver me from Satan and his schemes, activities,
agents and intentions.
24 June
Jn. 14:23-24
God requires full Obedience
Full, not partial obedience is what God requires of all His children
(Deut. 28:1-2). Disobedience for whatever reason, is not acceptable to
Him (see 1 Sam. 15:1-23). He even prefers our obedience to Him than our
offerings and sacrifices (see 1 Sam. 15:22-23; Matt. 5:23-24). Therefore
it is not enough to obey God in some things. We must obey Him in all
things (see Deut. 28:1-2). It is also not enough to obey Him some of
the time. We must obey Him always, all the time (cf. Deut. 6:5). Obedience
is rewarding (Deut. 28: 1-14; Ps. 1:1-3). It is to our benefit to obey
God full in all aspects of our lives (Deut. 28:1-14; Ps. 1:1-3). Disobedience,
on the contrary, is most displeasing to God and punishable by Him (see
Deut. 28:15-68; 1Sam. 23; Ps. 1:4-6). Obedience is the mark of true sonship
with God (Jn.14:15, 21,23-24). Disobedience is a sign of unbelief (see
Jn.14:24). God is most ready to give us the grace to obey Him fully,
if we truly desire to do so.
PRAYER: Father, please enable me to be fully obedient to you.
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