TODAY’S DEVOTION (THURSDAY 2ND FEBRUARY 2023)
“Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta.
And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.
But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.”
But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.
However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.” Acts 28:1-6 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 33RD DAY OF OUR YEAR OF SIGNS AND WONDERS!
God’s matchless love and mercies have given us another day again to be alive. We should not take it for granted even if things are not okay with us.
The Bible says a living dog is better than a dead lion. It is better to be alive, no matter what one may be going through, than to be dead, especially unprepared for eternity.
That is why nothing, I mean nothing, should make any human commit suicide.
Yes, things happen, but let us know that it is better to be alive and wait for divine intervention than to be dead by taking our own lives. Let us thank God therefore for keeping us alive. It may not be fashionable but let us do it.
Like we have always said on this platform, we are thanking God for keeping us alive because we can fall asleep but none of us has the power to wake up.
For you and I to sleep and wake, that is a sign that God loves us, it is a sign that He has a plan for us, and that has more days ahead of us for us to use in loving Him, and serving our generation according to His will.
God will never keep anyone alive if He has nothing good in mind for that person.
Understand that He can take away anyone’s life in less than seconds. So, when things are not fine with you and yet, God is keeping you alive, know for sure that He has a redemption plan for you.
I reiterate again that God will not keep us alive if He has nothing in mind for us. His plans for us are plans of peace, to give us a future and a hope. The only thing we need to do is surrender to Him and not interfere with His programs in any way.
WE SHOULD NOT MAKE ANY DECISIONS THAT RUN CONTRARY TO HIS WILL AND WAYS.
Decisions that run contrary to His will and ways include, decision to lie, decision to sleep with someone we are no married to, decision to marry those we should not marry, decision to quit a job while God wants you there, decision to live in places without consulting Him, or decision to become pregnant out of wedlock.
Other decisions that runs contrary to GOD’s will and ways are decisions based on vengeance, or a feeling to revenge a wrong done to you, decisions based on unforgiveness or a feeling of anger or resentment towards someone who offended you, decisions based on lust, pride, bitterness, ignorance, greed covetousness and all that.
These are templates of decisions that can interfere with GOD’s programs for our lives and make life difficult for us.
It could even be a decision not to go to school or acquire quality education. The bottom line is, to arrive at the glorious future GOD is working out for each and everyone of us, we have to be careful of the decisions we make.
Understand that to arrive at God’s predetermine future for us, there will be decisions to make and decisions not to make. I just listed a template of decisions not to make. But one major decision we must make is the decision for supernatural living.
Yes, no one can arrive at any glorious future God has prepared for them without living or walking in the supernatural.
Most of the things that we will need to do to arrive at God’s prepared future for us will be supernatural in nature. Things like praying in the Spirit, Spirit led fasting, visionary experiences, walking in faith, waging spiritual warfare, stopping demonic forces, walking in uncommon favor, resisting evil, living a righteous life in a wicked world, seeing into the future and standing right in the present, and etc.
Supernatural living for us, therefore, is not an option but a necessity. That is why we are on this 28-day journey of faith.
TODAY IS THE SECOND DAY OF THE JOURNEY. THE BIBLE SAYS;
“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” 1 John 5:19 NKJV
The classic Edition of the Amplified version of the Bible, puts it this way; “We know [positively] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] is under the power of the evil one.” How do we survive a world that is constantly under the power of the evil one who is not a natural being without supernatural living?
If we want to lead glorious lives on earth, or survive the many supernatural forces that militates against the human race, we must be supernatural. We must not limit ourselves to the natural realm.
God knew this hence making the first man supernaturally and planting him in the supernatural to live his natural life. Child of God, the Bible says;
“For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere. Ephesians 6:12 AMPC
This scripture reveals in clear terms the kind of world we live in. We live in a world that is heavily influenced by supernatural beings from the Kingdom of darkness called despotisms, powers or master spirits who are the world rulers; forces of wickedness in the heavenly or supernatural sphere, ruling and ruining this present age of darkness.
Off course, the supernatural is the birthplace of the natural. That makes anything in the natural plane inferior to things in the supernatural plane. That is why these master spirits are powerful over things in the natural plane.
To be successful in a world they rule and ruin, you must go beyond natural living. You must come into the realm of supernatural living in God.
THAT IS WHY THE BIBLE SAYS;
Therefore, put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].” Ephesians 6:13 AMPC
The whole armor of God is put on supernaturally. Each piece of the armor is a supernatural equipment. None is natural.
When we put the entire pieces on, we will become supernaturally equipped to deal with the master spirits mentioned earlier because each piece of the armor will bring us to the realm of supernatural living, where we become superior and more powerful than the totality of, they all.
Do not forget, the Bible says;
“Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” Matthew 28:18 AMPC
So, this scripture made it clear that the authority over the master spirits unveiled in Ephesians 6, have been given to Christ, who is our LORD. When we put on the armor of God, the complete armor, and come into the realm of supernatural living, we will begin to exercise the very authority Christ has over the master spirits and stop them from stopping us. Hallelujah!
So, going by the activities of the master spirits over the world we live in, supernatural living is not an option but a necessity. A vivid example is found in our devotional text.
The Bible says;
“Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.
But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.”
But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.
However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.” Acts 28:1-6 NKJV
OBVIOUSLY, IF NOT FOR SUPERNATURAL LIVING, GOD’S SERVANT, APOSTLE PAUL WOULD NOT HAVE LIVED LONG.
The first time he attempted preaching the gospel, they stoned him and left him for dead. Then the supernatural went to work and he stood up and went back to the same city to preach. No natural feat can accomplish that.
In this devotional text, he just escaped shipwreck by the supernatural of power of God and found himself and all who were with him in the Island of Malta. Then, the master spirits the supernatural of God he was walking in humiliated, reacted again; this time by snake bite. The Bible says;
“But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.” Acts 28:3-4 NKJV
The intention was not just to kill Paul but to kill him and leave an inglorious legacy behind for him. No one would have seen him as a man of God. Everyone would have seen him as a murderer whom, though escaped the seas, yet justice did not allow the live. None would have known that he was innocent that the master spirits killed him using the snake.
However, the Bible says;
“…But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.
However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead.
But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.” Acts 28:5-6 NKJV
That was God’s version of the supernatural. It protected Paul and made sure he shook the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. Only supernatural living can give a man such results.
NO NATURAL MAN WILL SURVIVE SUCH AN ASSAULT FROM HELL.
I reiterate again, that supernatural living is not an option but a necessity. It protects us from assaults from master spirits who are ruling and ruining the earth. It neutralizes them and all the weapons they sue against us and makes sure we are not cut down before our time.
When we live supernatural lives in God, He will make sure no weapon fashioned against us will prosper. The first step into it is a genuine salvation encounter. That was what the Cry of the Spirit pointed out to us yesterday. Trying to live the supernatural life in God without experiencing regeneration is dangerous. You will fail big time and be prevailed against by the master spirits.
The Bible made it clear that protection from weapons formed against us, through supernatural living is a heritage of servants or serving children of God or citizens of God’s Kingdom.
May the best of God be your portion this day, in Jesus precious name.
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY!
“Behold, I have created the blacksmith Who blows the coals in the fire, Who brings forth an instrument for his work; And I have created the spoiler to destroy.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD. Isaiah 54:16-17 NKJV