TODAY’S DEVOTION (SATURDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2024)
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:7-11 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 55TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF IMPACT.
We thank the LORD for keeping us. We bless Him for all His word and grace that has been made available to us. The reason for all that is that we might live for Him, doing His blessed will alone.
Talking about the will of the LORD, irrespective of how difficult, impossible or costly what you know to be God’s will is, it is the safest thing to do on this side of eternity.
Jesus so limited Himself to doing God’s will that the Devil could not find a place in His life to sabotage. Even when the hierarchy of darkness thought it had eliminated Him, He came out of the grave.
That is the destiny of men and women in God’s will. That is what you enjoy when you begin to live for and do God’s will. The Bible made it clear that if Satan had known what the death of Jesus will do to him, he would to do what they did; He would not have crucified Him.
The word says,
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 NKJV
People who are sold out to the will of GOD cannot be stopped by the enemy. Even when he kills them, resurrection would be sent as a response. What will happen thereafter, will be judgment for the killers.
That is why all who were slain by the devil for the Testimony of Jesus Christ they upheld, will be raised on the last day to enjoy a thousand-year reign with Christ in a new Heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. After that, the devil will be sent to the lake of fire as an eternal judgment.
You see, in every attack of the devil against the LORD, or us His people, you find Satan just knowing about death and not resurrection. In his mind, death is the end of all mortals, hence killing the LORD and his people, using lawless hands.
BUT THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST PROVED THAT DEATH IS NOT THE END OF ALL MORTALS, RESURRECTION IS.
If there is anything the devil has killed in your life, do not give up, expect resurrection, especially if you are in God’s will.
For instance, if Satan take down your health, expect the power of Christ resurrection to restore back your health. Then demonstrate your faith in God by calling upon Him to send that power into your life to heal you of any diseases.
The Bible says;
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11 NKJV
One of the major characteristics of resurrection is the life it gives back to the things that might have been killed. So, call upon the LORD to send that life into your body to take out the diseases of demon that may be making you sick.
The Bible says even if you may have sinned against the LORD, you will be healed as you confess the sin and renounce it.
Now, God’s resurrection power is not just of our health, but also for other aspects of our lives experiencing death or decay.
For instance, if Satan takes our morality down, and get us back to the state the Bible declare as dead in trespasses, where we become comfortable with a life of any type of sin, and we call upon the name of the LORD to send the power of His resurrection into us, He would send and bring us back to right living, purity, and holiness.
The resurrection power is for the restoration of a life of righteousness, purity, and holiness also. It is responsible to bouncing back to righteousness after being dead and buried in wickedness.
WE ONLY NEED TO CALL UPON THE LORD AS HE DIRECTED IN HIS WORD.
He said in His word;
“Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.
Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him—A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God? Joel 2:12-14 NKJV
So, learn to call upon the name of the LORD, in fasting and prayers, standing on the scriptures; call upon Him to send His life-giving power into your spiritual life, so that you can get back to your holiness feet again whenever sin floors you down.
People who are sold out to do God’s will, are usually organized to fall into one sin or the other by the enemy, using even the legitimate. The enemy knows how to tactically organize for their fall.
Therefore, if you are sold out to do God’s will, you must learn to deal with any fall according to God’s word, then get back to your holiness feet before it is too late.
Now, the resurrection power that is reserved for those who are sold out to do God’s will also works in our economic lives.
That is why, if you are sold out to do God’s will, and you find your finances down, call upon the LORD to send the power of His resurrection into your finances. It will bring you back to life financially.
You see, the enemy takes delight in killing financial things in the life of those who are sold out to do God’s will. So, learn to always call upon the LORD to send down His power into your finances. That power is called the power to get wealth. It also manifests as the power to discover wealth.
Call upon the LORD to make it available in your life. The Bible says, as many as call upon the name of the LORD, shall be saved.
Do not get tired of calling upon the LORD if you are one who is sold out to doing God’s will. The rule remains, “the righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them.” So, learn to cry out to the LORD persistently for help. The LORD will hear you. Do not send anyone. Go by yourself.
IT IS YOUR VOICE THE LORD WANTS TO HEAR NOT ANOTHER.
God wants us to live a life that is sold out to His will. He also wants us to always call upon the power of His resurrection to come to the rescue whenever the enemy kills anything in our lives.
A major part of our devotional text says,
“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,”
Knowing the LORD and the power of His resurrection, should not cease being your passion, if you are sold out to doing God’s will. It should not cease from being your prayer.
The power of His resurrection is our insurance and safety place so long as the attacks of the devil, the world and our flesh are concerned. Always seek it when the devil, the world, or the flesh strikes you down!
Attached to it, is the fellowship of His suffering that conforms us to the miracles of His death. We cannot go into that now. But let me conclude this word, by reiterating again that doing God’s will can be costly, but it’s the best thing to do in a wicked world.
It has a way of bringing you to the place of counting things that were gain to you as nothing for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ.
Another part of our devotional text says,
“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ..”
It is my prayer that we keep paying the price for Christ greater riches, denying ourselves the pleasures of sin, and pressing daily to live our lives according to His will and ways. Amen!
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR YOU TODAY;
“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of in, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” Hebrews 11:24-26 NKJV