NOVEMBER 8
2 KGS. 7:16 THE LORD KEEPS HIS PROMISE
There was a great famine in Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom
of Israel as a result of a very long siege by the Aramean army (2 Kgs.
6:24-25). The famine was so severe that parents ate their children (2
Kgs. 6:28-29). In the thick of this disaster, the LORD promised through
His servant Elisha the Prophet to lift the siege and end the famine (2
Kgs. 7:1). The LORD kept His word, and it happened just as He promised
(2 Kgs. 7:16). He caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and
horses and a great army and flee (2 Kgs. 7:5-7). Thus, His word came
to pass without the Israelites shooting an arrow or throwing a spear.
Every word of God is potent (cf. Heb. 4:12). None of the LORD’S
promises has ever failed (Jos. 21:45; Jos. 23:14; Matt. 24:35). Everyone
has been fulfilled (Jos. 21:45; Jos. 23:14; Matt. 24:35). All His promises
are yes in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 1:20). Consider all the LORD’S
promises fulfilled (2 Kgs. 7: 16; Jos. 21:45; Jos. 23:14; Matt. 24:35).
With Him all things are possible indeed (Lk. 1:37).
PRAYER
1. Father, please enable me to believe all your words and promises.
2. Father, please take away whatever hinders me from believing your
words and promises. 3. Father, please let all your words and promises
concerning me be
fulfilled.
NOVEMBER 9
EZRA 5: 3-5 NO OPPOSITION CAN SUCCEED
AGAINST THE LORD
When the people of Judah started re-building the temple of the LORD
following their return from captivity, they were opposed by people
led by Tattenai,
the Governor of what was then known as Trans-Euphrates (Ezra 5:3).
The opposition was quite strong since it was led by no less a personality
as the Governor of Trans-Euphrates (Ezra 5:3-4). But the LORD ensured
that the opposition failed and the work was not stopped (Ezra 5:5).
How
did He do it? He personally watched over the Jewish elders involved
in the re-building (Ezra 5:5).
No opposition of any kind or magnitude can succeed against the LORD
or His cause (see Is. 54: 16-17; cf. Jos. 1:5; Ps. 76: 7). Any opposition
to the LORD or His cause is an exercise in futility (see Is. 54: 16-17;
cf. Jos. 1:5; Ps. 76:7). Believers can always count on the LORD’S
presence and help whenever they face opposition in their lives and
ministry (see Acts 18:9- 11; cf. Jos. 1:5; Matt. 28:18-20).
PRAYER
1. Father, please overcome every opposition against all aspects of
my life.
2. Father, please watch over all of my life to ensure that your will
alone is my portion.
NOVEMBER 10 MK. 12: 28-31 THE GREATEST
AND MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENTS
In answer to a question by one of the teachers of the Law, Jesus stated
that loving God with all of one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength
and loving one’s neighbour as oneself are the greatest and most
important commandments (Mk. 12: 29-31). According to Jesus, no commandment
is greater than these (Mk. 12:31). These two commandments summarise
all the commandments (Matt. 22:40; Exod. 20:1-17). They are most fundamental
and critical as far as our relationship with God and fellow human beings
is concerned. Therefore we must make it our priority to keep them.
One
who keeps them keeps all the other commandments as well (Matt. 22:40;
Rom. 13:8-10). One who fails to keep them fails to keep the whole commandments
(Matt. 22:40; Rom. 13: 8-10). We can evaluate the state of our relationship
with God and fellow human beings by how much we keep these commandments.
PRAYER
1. Father, please enable me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind
and strength and my neighbour as myself.
2. Father, please take away whatever hinders me from loving you with
all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and my neighbour as myself.
NOVEMBER 11
NEH. 2: 4-6 THE USEFULNESS
OF PRAYER
Nehemiah was deeply saddened by the deplorable condition of the people
and city of Jerusalem and planned to go and rebuild the city (Neh.
2:11-21). When King Artaxerxes asked Nehemiah what he wanted after
Nehemiah told
him of his concern for the people and city, he prayed to God before
he answered the King (Neh. 2:4- 5), who granted his request (Neh. 2:6).
By resorting to prayer before answering the King, Nehemiah took the
right
and best step. Nehemiah was fond of praying (Neh. 1:4-11; Neh. 4:4-5;
Neh. 5:19; Neh. 6:14). It is quite apparent that his success before
the King was a direct outcome of his prayer (Neh. 2:4-6).
God has made prayer the means of obtaining what we need and has assured
us of His answer whenever we pray to Him (Lk. 11:9- 10). Our blessed
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, was also quite fond of praying (Mk.
1:35-36; Matt. 26:39,42; Jn. 17:1-26), and like the Father, has assured
us of
His answers when we pray in His name(Jn. 14:13-14). Therefore, let
us pray continually (1 Thess. 5:17), for we receive what we ask for
in prayer,
not what we do not pray for (Lk. 11:9-11; cf. Jn. 14:13-14).
PRAYER
1. Father, please teach me to pray.
2. Father, please answer me when
I pray to you.
NOVEMBER 12
ROM. 2: 11 GOD’S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT
According to this passage, God does not show favouritism in His judgments
(Rom. 2: 11; Rev. 16:7). He has never done so, He is not doing so,
and He will never ever do so (Rom. 2:11; Rev. 16:7). This is in agreement
with His just and righteous being (see Deut. 32:4). This means that
God
is just and righteous in all His judgments (Rev. 16:7). When we all
appear before His judgment seat(2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10-12; Acts 17:31),
we
will all get what we deserve, except for those who believed in Jesus
Christ and will be acquitted on account of their faith in Him(see Rev.
20:15; Rev. 16:7). No one will be able to influence God to change the
verdict due to him. It is impossible for God to act contrary to His
just and righteous nature in all His judgments.
Without the righteousness of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, no one
will be justified before God during His judgment (Gal. 3:11; Rom. 3:21-24;
Jn. 3: 16, 18, 36; Acts 4:12). In view of God’s righteous judgment
and the fact that no one will be justified before Him without the righteousness
of Jesus Christ, one must therefore clothe himself with this righteousness
(Gal. 3:11; Rom. 3:21-24; Jn. 3:16, 18, 36; Acts 4:12).
PRAYER
1. Father, please give me the grace to believe in your only Son, Jesus
Christ.
2. Father, please clothe me with Jesus’ righteousness.
NOVEMBER 13
ESTH. 2: 21-23 THE UNFAILING
PURPOSE OF GOD
In the Kingdom of Persia and Media of those days, God delivered the
Jews from annihilation in a dramatic act of deliverance (Esth. 6:1-10:3).
How did he do it? In His providence, Esther, a Jew, became Queen and
Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, sat at the King’s gate. It was
while sitting at the King’s gate that Mordecai exposed a plot to
assassinate the King, which was recorded in the annals of the Kingdom
(Esth. 2: 21-23). Mordecai was later honoured and elevated by the King
for this act (Esth. 6:1-14). God used the presence of Esther in the palace
and the timely elevation of Mordecai to reverse Haman’s decree
of annihilation against the Jews in the Kingdom.
God always acts in this or similar manner to deliver His children (Gen.
37, 39-47; 1 Sam. 17; 1 Kgs. 6: 24-7:20). In His providence, He works
through ordinary events to achieve His purpose for them (Gen. 37, 39-47;
1 Sam. 17; 1 Kgs. 6:24-7:20). As He did for the Jews in the Kingdom
of Persia and Media of that time, He is still moving in dramatic ways
today
to fulfil His will for His loved ones. Nothing whatever can stand against
His purpose for His beloved children (cf. Ps. 76:7).
PRAYER
1. Father, please let your will alone be done in my life.
2. Father,
please overcome for me whatever obstructs your will for
my life.
NOVEMBER 14
GEN. 12: 7-8 THE MOST APPROPRIATE
RESPONSE TO GOD
After Abraham had arrived in Canaan in obedience to his call (Gen.
12:1-2), the LORD appeared to him and repeated His promise to Abraham
(Gen. 12:7).
Abraham responded by building an altar to the LORD and calling upon
His name (Gen. 12:7-8). By so doing he responded most appropriately.
Thus,
the best response to God is to worship and serve Him only (Matt.
4:10). It is not enough to know that God exists, one must worship
and serve
Him only (Matt. 4:10). Until we worship and serve God, we have not
responded to Him as He deserves (Matt. 4:10). Our knowledge of God
is useless if
we do not worship and serve Him (Matt. 4:10). There is no better
response to God than what Abraham did (Gen. 12:7-8).
PRAYER
1. Father, please give me the grace to worship and serve you only.
2. Father, please take away whatever hinders me from
worshipping and serving you alone.
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