TODAY’S DEVOTION (SATURDAY 1ST JUNE 2024)
“But now [in spite of past judgments for Israel’s sins], thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt [to the Babylonians] for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba [a province of Ethiopia] in exchange [for your release].
Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you, I will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life.” Isaiah 43:1-4 AMPC
WELCOME TO THE 153RD DAY OF OUR YEAR OF IMPACT.
A song writer said, “The steadfastness of our God never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.”
The greatness of His faithfulness is the reason for our lives. It is the reason for our peace. It is the reason for our health and successes. It is the reason for our victories. It is the reason for all the LORD did to bring us where we are today.
The LORD has successfully brought us into the sixth month of the year, the middle of our year of IMPACT. If we sit down individually and see what the faithfulness of the LORD has accomplished in our lives in the last five months, our hearts will be filled with gratitude.
Indeed, God has kept His promise in our lives. He has oiled the wheels of our lives with it and made the journey smoother than we thought, despite all the works of darkness that threatened and is still threatening us.
For us at the Cry of the Spirit Ministries, it has been amazing. When we thought tears will come out of our eyes because of what the works of darkness through men are doing against us, we see our God coming to cut off the expectations of the wicked and giving us joy in replacement.
We see God fulfilling this scripture that says;
“The hope of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) is gladness, but the expectation of the wicked (those who are out of harmony with God) comes to nothing.” Proverbs 10:28 AMPC
If God had not decreed that the expectation of the wicked be cut off, we would not have made it to this beautiful month.
People made very dangerous plans against us and built very dangerous expectations about our lives, that they even communicated through prophecies, display of anger and resentments. But the decree of the LORD stood firm and manifested for us, making sure whatever they envisage did not come to pass.
I will be a fool to believe that there are no people who want to attend my funeral as soon as possible. I hear a lot that is being said, and a lot that is being planned, and a lot that is happening because of the word of truth and righteousness that the LORD has put on our lips.
But the decree of the LORD remains that the expectations of the wicked will be cut off.
WE WILL ONLY DIE WHEN HE WANTS US TO DIE.
And who knows, these haters, and our death wishers may even die before us. That is the irony of life. The life of a man is not in the mouth, heart, or expectations of another man. It is in the hands of the LORD.
In their view, we may be the worst sinners, most terrible people, devil incarnates or etc., but that cannot put or bring our lives under the power of their mouths, hearts, hands, or expectations.
Yes, it cannot even put it in the power of their prayer.
I want to submit to you that by the power of the Most High God, what people say about you or what they expect to happen to you has no power over your life. Yes, God will not put your life under the power of their expectations. He said in His word;
“But Zion [Jerusalem, her people as seen in captivity] said, The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.
[And the Lord answered] Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, yet I will not forget you.
Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands; [O Zion] your walls are continually before Me.
Your children and your builders make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste go forth from you.
Lift up your eyes round about and see [the returning exiles, ready to rebuild Jerusalem]; all these gather together and come to you.
As I live, says the Lord, you [Zion] shall surely clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament and bind them on you as a bride does.” Isaiah 49:14-18 AMPC
This scripture made the place where your life is, very clear. It made it clear that your life is in the palms of God’s hands. It says we should never conceive the thought that God has forsaken us even when we cannot sense Him around.
One of the beautiful lines says He has imprinted us like a tattoo on the palm of His hands. You know what tattoos are. The way they appear in people’s bodies is even weaker, compared to how we are in God’s hands.
God says we are tattoos in His hands. Hallelujah! What a scripture! What a translation! We are tattoos in God’s hands.
YES, TATTOOS THAT CANNOT BE CLEANED, REMOVED OR ERASED. ARE YOU NOT GLAD THAT YOU ARE SUCH IN GOD’S ETERNAL HAND?
The Bible made it clear that your life and mine are like tattoos in God’s hands. What a scriptural revelation to build our faith on this month.
The Bible says God will keep them in perfect peace whose minds are stayed on Him. He and His word are one. So, let our minds be stayed on this scriptural revelation. Let it be settled in your heart that your life is tattooed in the palms of God’s hands.
If you are looking for a word to start this new month, the LORD has just given you one!
The picture of you, and the picture of me, are indelibly imprinted or tattooed on the palms of each of God’s hands. Each of His hands, not just one of His hands. The walls of our LIFE are continually before Him. His eyes are watching us closely; watching to see that there is no break in or break out.
For me, that is enough to take me all through this month and beyond.
Yes, the weight of this promise from the LORD should keep a man at rest in a wicked world, unlocking God’s favor upon him to reduce his cost of living in a wicked place.
Yes, there is a cost of living in a wicked place. There is a cost of living where people want you dead. There is a cost of living where people who know nothing about you go about telling people everything about you. In other words, speaking lies in the language of truth.
There is a cost of living among messengers of wickedness. There is a cost of living among sons of hell. There is a cost of living among those who do not wish you well, those who are looking for tears to be coming out of your eyes. That cost cannot be bore by anyone.
It can only be taken care of by our God; the eternal one who is ever present to help us. This month, God will bear our cost of living in a dark world like ours.
In the light of that, we should not expect what the aggrieved are saying to happen to us. We should expect the departure of our destroyers instead, and an increase in the number of those the LORD has called, equipped, and blessed to be our builders.
THE WORD OF THE LORD SAYS;
“Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands; [O Zion] your walls are continually before Me. Your children and your builders make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste go forth from you.”
I have come to realize that if we align our expectations with the word of the LORD, the power of the LORD will always sort us out. The war is between what the LORD is saying and what the enemy is saying.
The enemy wants to get what he is saying to our ears because he knows that is the only way we can be paralyzed with fear. He wants to make comments on your statements, send text messages to you, and meet with you to create doubts because he knows that is how the paralysis of your faith in God comes.
If you want to see the work of the LORD break forth in your life, do not give ear to what the enemy may be saying.
Fill your heart with what the LORD is saying and surround yourself with people who know what the LORD is saying. GOD warned us against allowing what the enemy may be saying to find a resting place in our hearts.
He said in His word;
“ ….whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is Kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].” Philippians 4:8 AMPC
What the LORD has said to us this morning carries all of these qualities.
So, think on it all through this month. Let us spend each day of this month fixing our minds on it. Let our entire attention be on it. When you are dealing with the enemy, where you fix your mind matters; it is a major key to victory or defeat.
That was why God said to Joshua;
“This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.” Joshua 1:8 AMPC
WE WILL NEVER HAVE GOOD SUCCESS IN BATTLE IF WE DO NOT FILL OUR HEARTS DAILY WITH WHAT THE LORD IS SAYING.
Like we said earlier, the enemy wants us to fill our minds with what he is threatening, planning, saying, expecting to happen to us, and all that.
That is why when the enemy boasts or says anything before you, it is to steal your attention away from God’s promises for your life, and fix it in what they expect to happen to you.
They want you to hear their visions about you, their dreams, there prophecies, and all that. They want you to hear their opinions and all of what is in their hearts.
Yes, they want to fill your mind with what is in their hearts, so that their will can be done in your life, as written in hell. That is why God warned against you and I allowing what the enemy is saying to steal our attention.
He has sent this word this morning to guard your focus for the month. Do not allow any other thing to steal your focus. Do not even be afraid of the prayer of the wicked or the aggrieved against you.
Some prophetess once gathered people to pray against me for three years; fasting along. I was not even aware.
Now, why were such prayers not answered? It is because when people pray against you out of grievances or any of the carnal reasons, their prayers becomes sin in the sight of God.
I encourage you this morning to draw faith from what the LORD did for me, and believe Him to do the same for you.
I encourage you not to be afraid of anything people might be planning or praying against you. Prayer from people who want your death because they are aggrieved is not always righteous before God. It was David that made that clear to us.
I have never seen God put the lives of His own in the power of the prayers of people who are aggrieved against them. Balaam tried it hundreds of years ago, and it failed. God has a History of not giving His own to the power of their enemy.
They may attack, speak, plan evil things and do whatever they have the resources to do, but the decrees of our LORD over our lives will stand stronger. It will keep us safe and sound.
THAT BRINGS US TO OUR DEVOTIONAL TEXT TODAY, WHICH ALSO HOLDS ANOTHER CRY OF THE SPIRIT FOR US THIS MONTH.
It says;
“But now [in spite of past judgments for Israel’s sins], thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt [to the Babylonians] for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba [a province of Ethiopia] in exchange [for your release].
Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you, I will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life.” Isaiah 43:1-4 AMPC
The Rhema word for us here says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.” What a word. Even the consequences or price of your sins and mistakes have been taken care. of. That is what to fix your mind on.
From today to the next 29 days, we will be following what the Cry of the Spirit says in the Holy Scriptures on FEAR. They are so many destinies caged by fear.
Sadly, the greatest people who know how to put others in fear are we, preachers. That is why God will judge some of us very severely. People are going through a lot by terrorist preachers everywhere; terrible people who ought not to be in ministry.
They terrorize God’s people and put their hearts in fear so that the people remain in their cages that are speeding to hell.
They say things that if you do not have the word of the LORD in your spirit to counter them, you will become their captive. What they say instills people with so much fear that they become caged in the tents of deception and stealing; places that appear as places of worship but are places of slaughter.
This month, God will be visiting us with the Cry of His Holy Spirit, and our lives will not remain the same. Amen!!
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY!
“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.
Be strong (confident) and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.
Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:5-9 AMPC