THE FATHER’S LOVE
2 Samuel 18:1-5, 14-15, 32-33
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Romans 8:35
Absalom wanted to assume control of his father’s throne at all costs. He knew that the biggest threat he had was his father, David. So, he deceitfully won the heart of the people and then mobilised an army to kill David. David was not a threat to him. In fact, when David’s men were going out to fight against Absalom, David made it clear to Joab and the other captains that they should not hurt Absalom. When the servants returned with the news that Absalom was dead, David was broken; he wept loudly.
Imagine the love David had for Absalom, being fully aware that he was after his life. This is nothing compared to the love God has for us, His children. He loved us even while we were yet sinners, sending His only Son Jesus to die for us. God still loves us as much, and nothing is strong enough to separate us from His love. Henceforth, approach His throne with confidence and run to Him whenever you feel trapped in sin to ask for His forgiveness and deliverance. The Father loves you. Hallelujah! Are you born again? If not, accept Him into your life so you will enjoy and understand the depths of His love for you.
Prayer
Father, thank you for Your love in Jesus’ name. Amen.
ONE YEAR BIBLE READING
DAY 96 Deuteronomy 4:15-49; -Deut 5; Luk 11:5-32; Proverbs 8;32-36
RELIGION OR RELATIONSHIP
I Samuel 7:1-10
But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29
The Israelites carried the Ark of God as they would carry an idol. God reminded them that He is the almighty. In today’s reading, we see that they decided to set their hearts right with God. The Ark of God had been returned but had not been brought to the proper place.” They realised their foolishness and in one accord, turned from their wickedness and repented. While they were having this solemn assembly, the Philistines saw it as an opportunity to attack them and supposed that they would succeed as they had previously done. The Philistines however, were in for a surprise. The Israelites had restored their relationship with God, and consequently, He rose to defend His people and discomfited their enemies.
There are many things to note here. In the previous encounter, the Ark of the Covenant which is a physical representation of the presence of God, was with them, yet they fell before their enemies. This time, they were not prepared for the battle that came, nor did they have the Ark of the Covenant present with them, yet because they had consecrated themselves to God, they were victorious. This underscores the truth yet again that our activities and deeds cannot save us. If the Lord must be our shepherd, then we must be His sheep: submitting, trusting and yielding to Him. As He rose to defend His sheep in time past, He will rise to our defense too when we are obedient to Him.
Prayer
Lord, deliver me from the deception of religion without obedience, and the pride of works without devotion in Jesus’ name. Amen.
ONE YEAR BIBLE READING
DAY 97 Deuteronomy 6, -Deut 8; Luke11:33-54; Psalm 42:1-6
THE DANGER OF FORGETFULNESS
I Samuel 8:1-9
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. Hebrews 2:1
In our reading today, we see the Israelites demand a king from Samuel. From scripture, we see that their demand was tantamount to rejecting God as their King, and God told Samuel to tell them this. He even listed out what the King would do to them, yet they were adamant about their demands and God hearkened to them. Interestingly, in the preceding chapter, we see that the people earnestly repented and turned to God. How was it then that they had so quickly forgotten their devotion to God? Truth be told, while the chapters are right next to each other, there are several years tucked between them, and as is the nature of humans, the routineness of life made them forget who God was and what He had done for them.
All over the scriptures, we see a call to remember and rehearse what God has done and who we are in Him. In 2 Peter 1:13, Peter tells the church that it was his duty to stir them up by putting them in remembrance of certain truths. Paul re-echoes this in 2 Timothy 2:14, even Jesus asks us to observe the communion in remembrance of Him. Our memory verse says that the way to stay afloat and not drift from the truth that we have heard is by paying earnest heed to them. We are reminded, not just to pay heed but to pay the MORE EARNEST heed. Remembering who God is and what He has done is something that we must deliberately do lest we drift.
Prayer
Lord, cause me to stay grounded, give me the wisdom to remind myself often of who You are and what You have done. Amen.
ONE YEAR BIBLE READING
DAY 98 Deuteronomy 9,-Deut. 10; Luke 12:1-34; Psalm 42:7-11
CALLED OUT
I Samuel 8:5-9
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2
Peer pressure is as old as age itself and doesn’t spare any age group. The Israelites were God’s called-out people. Over and over again, God affirmed this throughout Scripture. He called them out from among other nations to be His people– very much unlike the rest of the world. However, in our reading today, we see them give in to the pressure to be like the people God called them out of.
In our day, the pressure ‘to belong’ has not been taken away. It even seems to be at an all-time high. However, as God called Israel His people and marked them to be different, we too have been called out and marked to be different. Israel’s request was a reflection of their values; they valued the acceptance of men over the approval of God, hence the desire to be like others. In Romans 12:2, Paul makes the appeal that we should not go into the mould the world will try to force us into. In the Amplified version, it reads, “And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes].” God does not want us to pattern our lives after the world’s value system. We are not called to be like the world. Rather, we are called to be like the Lord. If we must be like Him, then we must pattern our lives after His value system.
Prayer
Father, give us the courage to pattern our lives after You and may the dazzling sights and tempting sounds that the world offers grow dim and lose their value to us in Jesus’ name. Amen.
ONE YEAR BIBLE READING
DAY 99 Deuteronomy11,- Deut.12; Luke12;35-59;Psalm 43:1-5
CALLED BY GRACE
1 Samuel 9:15–25, 10:1
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8–9
Saul was a Benjamite, the smallest tribe of Israel. His family was the least of the families of the tribe of Benjamin (vs 21), yet God instructed Samuel the prophet to anoint him as the first king of Israel, after the reign of the judges. Saul was a good looking man (vs. 20), but it was not his looks that earned him his position as king. He was God’s choice and that was all that mattered. He did not have any special qualifications to be chosen, yet he was chosen by God.
A lot of times, we have believed the lies of the devil that we are not good enough or qualified enough to be chosen and used by God, meanwhile it is the grace of God that qualifies us to be used by God. It is not by how good or how bad you have been; it is God who decides. Your family background or historical heritage does not hinder God’s plan for your life as a believer because Christ has become our heritage, and we have been born into the family of God. As long as you are willing and ready to walk in God’s will, His plans for you will come to pass. God chose Saul not because of who he was, but because God’s grace found him and that was his qualification. It was the grace of God that saved us, nothing we did gave us the gift of salvation; it was all God. His grace has saved us. Glory to God!
Prayer
Lord, help me to remember at all times that Your grace is my qualification in Jesus’s name. Amen.
ONE YEAR BIBLE READING
DAY 100 Deuteronomy 13, -Deut. 14; Luke 13:1:30; Proverbs 9:1-12
IT HAPPENED AS HE SAID
Matthew 27:62-66, 28:1-7
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said … Matthew 28:6
Easter is a time to reflect on the sacrifice of Christ for the salvation of humanity. His coming was to identify with our weakness; His death was to pay the penalty for our sins; His resurrection was to confirm the acceptability of His sacrifice, validate our faith, and assure us of spending eternity in His presence.
The powers of the world fought to stop His resurrection; as though human effort could undo divine decree. This was the final attempt of the devil to thwart God’s purpose. They killed Him to stop Him but they somehow perceived that there was more to stopping Him than death. He said He would be killed; so their hatred and opposition fulfilled the prophecy. He said He will resurrect after three (3) days; so their anxiety to stop the prophecy is understandable. They were in a futile race to stop the word of the Word. Their efforts to oppose God did nothing but fulfil His word. The rulers of this world will always seek to oppose the word of the Lord. But the irony is that their opposition will be used by God to fulfil His word. “He is risen, as He said,” is a testament of the potency of His word. They spoke and plotted to stop what He said, but His resurrection confirmed their failure and reaffirmed the power of His word. Child of God, it is not about what the enemy has spoken or planned; it is about what God has said; just believe Him. In the final scheme of things, the world will bow the knee and affirm that all things happened as He said they would. The unbeliever may dispute now, but ultimately they will admit, probably when it is too late, that all things happened as He said. Would you believe Him now and run to Him for eternal life? Jesus can save you.
Prayer
Lord, I believe that all things will happen as You said they will. May this knowledge both strengthen and keep me in check. Amen.
ONE YEAR BIBLE READING
DAY 94 Deuteronomy 1,-Deut 2:1-23; Luke 9:57-62,-Lk 10:1-24; Psalm 41:1-6
OUR INHERITANCE IN CHRIST
Matthew 28:2-7; 1 Peter 1:3-5
Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. Romans 6:4–5
One thing Scripture makes very clear is that the resurrection did not just prove God’s power; it released so many benefits into our lives. Paul explains that “And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17 NLT). This means the moment Jesus rose, everything changed for us. Romans 4:25 (NLT) says, He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.” So the resurrection is not an event we just celebrate; it is the foundation of every spiritual benefit we enjoy today.
Because He rose, you have justification; you stand before God without condemnation. He rose so you can have access; the veil tore, and you can now approach God freely. Because He rose, you have a new life; you were raised with Him to walk in newness of life. “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18 NIV). So, you now enjoy authority, and that authority covers you. Because He rose, you have hope; a living hope, not a fragile one, and of course, you have victory, a guarantee that no situation in your life is ever truly hopeless. Today and beyond, be reminded that the resurrection is not a story; it is your inheritance in Christ. Live each day in the reality of His resurrection, knowing that you are a new creation with limitless potential and purpose.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for the benefits Your resurrection has released into my life. Help me live boldly in the power, freedom, and newness You paid for in Jesus’ name. Amen.
ONE YEAR BIBLE READING
DAY 95 Deuteronomy 2:24-37, -Deut 4:1-14; Luke 10:25-42,-Lk 11:1-4; Psalm 41:7-13
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