TODAY’S DEVOTION (MONDAY 1ST NOVEMBER 2021)
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”
So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. Romans 9:14-16 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 305RD DAY OF OUR YEAR OF HIGHER HEIGHTS.
Welcome to a great month, the eleventh month of the year 2021. Prophetically, the number eleven is the number of extra measure, among other things.
Get set for extra measure of God’s blessings this month as He crowns our year with His goodness! The David said unto the LORD,
“You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths drip with abundance” (Psalms 65:11 NKJV).
I can’t forget yesterday service in a hurry. I guess many as well. It was a great service that the LORD used in moving us to a New Phase of His plans and programs for our lives. A phase we are starting with a school of the prophets 2021 edition. We believe what happened was part of MERCIES to crown our year with His goodness.
Whenever God crowns a man’s year with His goodness, the paths He designed for him will begin to drip with abundance. When a year is ending like this, those who spent the months of that year walking (only) on God’s paths for their lives will not miss God’s goodness.
God has a way of crowing any year we spend on His paths with His goodness – including this year.
For those who are not aware, I want to say at the beginning of this year, the LORD said to us “2021 Is Our Year of Higher Heights.” He then set paths for us to follow. And all through the year He was teaching us His paths and ways. Now He wants to crown the year with His goodness! Hallelujah!
On this note, the month of November shall be for us “Our Month of God’s Mercy.” A major highlight in our devotional text this morning quoted God saying,
“I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”
GOD HAS DECIDED TO HAVE MERCY ON US THIS MONTH.
Sometimes we think that God’s mercy is for wicked people. Well that is true but not the whole truth.
I have stated on this plat form before that God’s Children needs more mercy than the lost. The reason is because it does not take any effort to stand strong in sin. But it takes a lot of effort, external support from Heaven, to stand strong in righteousness. Peter shows us this when He said,
Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
Therefore, let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. 1 Peter 4:18-19 NKJV
This scripture made it very clear that we need more mercy from God than the lost. The Bible made it clear that the challenges of saying yes to Jesus are not easy without God. It says if we the righteous are scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and sinner appear? We need a lot of mercy from God to retain our salvation having received Christ as LORD and savior.
Becoming a true Child of God is not the end but the beginning of a journey. The real warfare is not always in becoming but in retaining your position or status in the Spirit as a true Child of God. It’s possible to lose what makes you a true Child of God if there is no mercy in your life as a righteous Child of God.
Jesus tells us the possibility of this happening when He said,
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Matthew 5:13 NKJV
LOSING YOUR FLAVOR AS THE SALT OF THE EARTH IS LOSING WHAT MAKES YOU GOD’S TRUE CHILD ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
The greatest tragedy in the life of a Christian is the loss of his flavor as the salt of the earth. Hebrew made it clear that once that is lost, even when you seek it with tears you will not find it again. Jesus Himself asked “but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” That is why we need God’s mercy as His righteous seed!
Jesus made it clear that if we lose our flavor as Children of GOD we cannot be seasoned again. The next thing that will happen is that we will become good for nothing; men and devils will be trampling on us. Sadly, that has become the lot of many in the kingdom today that is why we need mercy!
Another highlight in our devotional text today says,
“So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” Meaning, to retain our flavor as the salt of the earth it is not by might nor by power, but by the mercy of the LORD!
Zechariah the prophet puts it this way;
So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 NKJV
I believe God is answering us today and saying, “yes, you need to make sure you do not lose your flavor as my child, but it will not be by power or by might, but by my Spirit.” In other words, by His mercies! Paul will later warn, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12 NKJV).
The question now is; how do you take heed? You take heed, among other things, by knowing that it’s not by might or power but by the mercies of God, and then going all out for His mercies.
Friend, when it comes to “walking” and “talking” with GOD, or retaining your flavor as His child it is indeed not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
IF GOD’S MERCY IS ON YOUR LIFE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO OVERCOME TEMPTATIONS.
If God’s mercy is upon your life, trials of faith will not be able to destroy you. If God’s mercy is upon you, He will make sure you find a way of escape in any Circumstances that the enemy or you may throw at you.
Yes, sometimes the enemy throws things at us and other times we throw them at ourselves. But if the mercy of God is upon us, He will always make a way of escape for us. The Bible says,
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NKJV
If you look at this scripture you find another reason why we need GOD’s mercy. God’s mercy is the regulator of the impact of temptations on us. It is His mercies that makes sure we are not tempted beyond what we can carry. In other words, beyond what we have spiritual capacity for. It has a way of creating a way of escape for us; especially when it is becoming too much than we can bear.
It is just that many of us do not sense and make use of the way of escape. We just want to satisfy our flesh.
What is the message this morning? The month of November is declared unto us as our month of GOD’s MERCY. It is not because we are sinning or wicked; it’s because we are determining to live a “sin and wickedness” free life by the power of God’s mercies, and step into the new year bright in our garments of righteousness.
Welcome to a new month! Welcome to a month of the school of the Prophets 2021 edition. As you wake up each day of this month, may you not lack the mercy you may need each day in Jesus precious name! AMEN!
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY;
“My soul still remembers and sinks within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassion fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” Lamentations 3:20-24 NKJV