TODAY’S DEVOTION (FRIDAY 17TH MAY 2024)
“For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease.
Though its root may grow old in the earth, And its stump may die in the ground, Yet at the scent of water it will bud And bring forth branches like a plant.” Job 14:7-9 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 138TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF IMPACT.
God has been gracious, we give Him the glory. He has been amazing in His grace towards us. We remain ever grateful to Him.
He is our unchangeable Father, LORD and king. He is ever present with us, that is why He is our Emmanuel. He is our Prince of Peace, and remains our immediate present help in time of trouble.
No matter what you might be facing in life, do not give up on God.
Yes, do not give up because a job is lost, a marriage is gone, a visa appointment was denied, a doctor gave you a bad report, or something more terrible than all these happened.
Do not give up because some money was lost, debts are around you, kids can not go to school, or whatever. Do not give up because life has refused to smile on you despite your efforts in life.
Do not give up because the sun of prosperity is no longer shining.
Do not give up because your enemies seem to be succeeding against you, their plans seem to be working, and their evil desire against you seems to be coming to pass. Do not give up for any reason!
Get tough! They say, “when the going gets tough, only the tough gets going.” Get tough because there is a glorious future ahead of you. Get tough because God will stand with you or for you the way you stand. Do not fizzle away. Get tough and stay tough!!
Get tough and let the everlasting God who has been your refuge see you standing in faith waiting for Him to help you marvelously. Do not forget, He said in His word;
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
So, do not fizzle away because of what has happened or what is happening. Get tough on the enemy and all he might have unleashed on you. Remain hopeful and faithful.
Keep trusting and Thrusting the oar of your faith forward. Get tough and stay tough!!! The enemy hates those who get tough at him.
SO, GET TOUGH AT HIM AND HIS WORKS, HOLDING THE SHIELD OF YOUR FAITH IN STRONG RESISTANCE AGAINST HIM.
One way a Child of God gets tough is by looking for a fresh faith position to take. So, do just that. Get a fresh faith position to take. There is fresh faith position for any dark season of life we might be in. So, look for it.
It is a faith position for the new season. Though it is dark, but you are in a season, and there is a faith position for it.
Understand that for us in Christ, there is always a reason for a season, and the reason is never to destroy us, but to give us something better, because the plans of God for our life remains intact, despite what we might be going through.
His plans remain to give us a future and a hope. It remains to take us from grace to grace and glory to glory.
Sometimes the pathways from one glory to another glory, or one grace to another grace, are not always good and great. Sometimes they are dark, troubling, and full of things we do not want in life.
They manifest as loss of jobs, loss of marriage, loss of joy, loss of a love one, loss of hope and etc. We must understand that.
David called those pathways, “the valley and shadow of death.” He said;
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 NKJV
This scripture made it clear that the pathways will not even consume us, because God is there with us, with His rod and staff to comfort us till we get to the next glory.
So, do not give up! Keep holding on to the LORD, and let your faith not fizzle away.
Like we stated earlier, get tough and stay tough. You are on a pathway, from one glory to another. No pathway is a destination. Do not treat your rough pathway as a destination. Keep moving.
A people who treat their pathways as a destination, will never get to their God ordained destination; they will never get to the promise land. They will move from one glory, but never get to the next glory.
THEY WILL MOVE FROM ONE GRACE AND NEVER GET TO THE NEXT GRACE.
They will end up destroying the glory to glory and grace to grace plan of God for their lives. So, you are to stay strong, because your tough season is a pathway to your next glory!!
Let what you are going through not confuse you. You are still on course.
It is still from glory to glory, and grace to grace. So long as you are joined to the living God, there is hope. By the scent of the water of His word and presence, you will spring up again. Our devotional text says;
“For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease.
Though its root may grow old in the earth, And its stump may die in the ground, Yet at the scent of water it will bud And bring forth branches like a plant.” Job 14:7-9 NKJV
This scripture is about you and I, because we are the trees of righteousness, planted by the LORD in His kingdom. When we are cut down by anything, the plan of God is that we spring up again.
His plan is not that we rot in the ground and die permanently. His plan is that we spring up again. However, the key is in the scent of water.
The word says it is the scent of water of His word and presence that will help us get back on our feet again, with even a more glorious life. That is what will help you spring up again. Yes, that is what will change your circumstances. It is not some oil in a bottle, some prayer with holy water, prayer clothes, salt, or soil from your village.
It is not some altars to raise or silence. It is the scent of water from the LORD.
You need to position for the scent of water by cultivating intimacy with the LORD.
Wisdom demand that you do not go about bemoaning your situation, rather find the faith position to take for God’s scent of water that will help you get back to your feet again to be reaching you.
One of the faith positions to take is to find a Church that operates as a ground and pillar of truth, then you add to that faith position, the faith position of intimacy with the LORD. We have been looking at intimacy with the LORD of late.
THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL FAITH POSITION TO TAKE.
You do not allow your tough times to take you away from the LORD. You use them to press further into the LORD.
If you find your feet in a good Church, and you use whatever you are taught there to build a life of intimacy with Jesus Christ, you will begin to touch the scent of water of the word and the presence you need to spring up again.
So, find a good church and take the faith position of intimacy with God. Do not stretch your hands unto iniquity.
During this period, be careful of the counsels you listen to. Make sure you remain faithful to the LORD and pure before His eyes.
Do not allow the enemy to use what you are going through to put a filthy garment on you. The Bible says when Job was going through his tough times, he did not sin with his mouth. He kept fearing God and eschewing evil. Then everything changed.
If you do the same, you will have even better results because we are in a better covenant than Job operated.
The danger of allowing the enemy Put a filthy garment on you by making you sin with any part of your body, stretch your hand unto iniquity, or commit a trespass is that, the scent of water will no longer be able to reach you.
You will need to repent first before it can reach you. So, while you take the faith position required for the scent of water, stay pure and holy.
Yes, all the days of your tough times, worship in a good church, use what you are taught there to be intimate with the LORD and keep waiting in purity. The scent of water will be reaching you from time to time, and your change will come.
That is the word of the LORD!!!
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY;
“If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes.” Job 14:7 NKJV