TODAY’S DEVOTION (THURSDAY 26TH DECEMBER 2024)
“Therefore, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 361ST DAY OF OUR YEAR OF REJOICING
Today is called boxing day!
When we were kids, we use to think boxing day means boxing day, as in giving out blows or punches as a gift. It was really funny. It took growing up to realize that was not the meaning.
Boxing day was the day people unbox all the gifts they received during Christmas. These days people do not give gifts again that much. Maybe due the economic situation or lack of knowledge.
Christmas use to be a time of sharing and making others feel loved. It use to be a little heaven down here when we were growing up.
But we do not usually wait till the 26th before opening our gifts, we use to open them as soon as we get them. Hahaha. That could be why we took boxing day to be punching day. Either you have a gift to open today or not, God’s peace is a gift to us.
Waking us up is another gift; greater than any gift. Besides the gift of life, He has a word gift for us as well. The Bible says daily He loads us with benefits.
One of the amazing benefits you can get from God is a word from Him. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. We want to begin today by refreshing our minds on God’s footstool presence on earth.
Heaven has been God’s Throne and the earth His footstool, that is why we are here today. If His footstool presence has not been on earth, the wicked one would have turned this earth into hades for all of us. But thank God for the restrictions that God’s footstool presence is imposing on the activities of the wicked one.
Can you imagine your life being in the hands of your haters? You would have been dead long ago. Aren’t you glad that those who hate you do not have your life in their hands? God’s footstool presence will not let that.
IT IS SOMETHING TO PRAISE GOD FOR.
Lately I had the chance to listen to a video of terrible unbelievable lies made against me, and wondered how wicked people can be. An investigator was playing it and I was listening. I had been told about it but had never had the interest to listen because such things usually happen to men with living truths on their lips.
If my life was in the hands of that woman and those she talks to, they would have killed me. Not just me, even the members of the church they so hate. She displayed so much hate for us all. You can see its expression in the lies she was spewing.
From the insight of the testimony we got from Spain, it is clear that those who hates us like that, are defeated witches and wizards who may have fallen down from the witchcraft covens that the LORD shut down by this ministry.
They are defeated witches and wizards trying to fight back, but God’s footstool presence has not given us to their hands. It is the footstool presence of the LORD that creates a refuge for us on earth. That is what gives us the protection we need to serve God.
Besides protecting us, it does other things on earth. It helps sinners to turn to the LORD and begin to live a life that make them ex-sinners. It helps practicing sinners to be convicted of their sins by the preaching of the word, so they can turn to the LORD. It is therefore responsible for our salvation.
We must understand this simple truth about God’s footstool presence on earth and thank Him for it always.
We have just five days to stepping into the new year according to the Gregorian calendar; and since many follow that calendar, it’s important that we find a word in God that will help us in the transition and give us pathways to follow.
I believe our Christmas service yesterday gave us that word. I encourage you to go back to that video and watch.
If you are tired of dark prophets and what they say about a coming year, if you seek a scriptural guide into the New Year, you will find it there. It will guide you and make you less vulnerable to any season of satanic assaults that might come in the New year, among other things.
WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THAT CHRISTMAS SERVICE WILL THRUST YOU TO THE REALM OF KNOWING WHAT TO DO.
As we transit into the New Year, it is important to note that one of the things to desire from the LORD is the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. In other words, the miracle of operating in the realm of knowing! That explains why Paul the apostle made that his ultimate prayers for those the LORD committed into His hands. He said;
“Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,” Ephesians 1:15-19
Why would apostle Paul make this his ultimate prayer for his flock?
If you look at this prayer closely, you will discover that everything centres around bringing them not to great financial prosperity, or getting the single married, or achieving one earthly success or the other. It centred on the people receiving the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the KNOWLEDGE of GOD!
Walking in the realm of knowing will help us overcome the seasons when one becomes vulnerable to spiritual attacks of the enemy.
Yes, there are seasons one becomes vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy, and there will be seasons in 2025, just as there had been in other years, when people will become vulnerable to spiritual attacks, with some even loosing their lives.
BUT GOD HAS A PROTECTION PROGRAM FOR MANKIND, AND ONE OF IT IS COMING TO THE PLACE OF KNOWING.
One of the things we must know, when it comes to coming out victoriously from the season of vulnerability to satanic attacks, is the knowledge of the season itself. The first of such seasons is the season of Pain.
Many years ago, the LORD said to me, “be careful when things are not okay with you.” It set me thinking. I remember teaching that in one of the meetings we held in a place called Keffi in Nasarawa state of Nigeria. The LORD made us to understand that when things are not okay with us, we must be careful, and when they are okay with us, we must also be careful.
Both seasons can be very destructive. For instance, the rich fool did not die when he was busy cultivating his farm to raise crops. It was when he reaped the greatest harvest of his life that he lost his life. We must be careful when things are not okay with us, and also be careful when they are.
The glorious moments of a life that is not anchored daily on the rich and sustaining word of God, can usher the person into inglorious moments. It can create in the person thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, leading to bad things happening.
This is something we must all watch against in the coming year. We must learn that Satan can show up both in our season of Joy and our season of pain, to kill, to steal, or to destroy. He showed up in both seasons even in the life of Christ. Our devotional text said,
“Therefore, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad”
This is a forgotten truth in the church today! To prevent a successful assault of Satan during our season of pain or joy, we must decide to lead lives that are well pleasing to the LORD at all season. Yes, we must live each day in the coming year with a heart that is seeking to be well pleasing to the LORD.
If we do, the LORD will pour His grace upon us, and protect us from any plan of the enemy, that might be hatched against us in the coming year. The Bible says that in righteousness we shall be established, and that we shall be far from oppression, and from terror, for it shall not come near us.
As we take the words of this devotional to heart, and walk in the light of the LORD in them, we will definitely live each day in the coming year, far from oppression and from terror. In Jesus precious name. Amen and amen!!!
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR US TODAY!
In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you.
Indeed, they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.
“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 54:14-17 NKJV