TODAY’S DEVOTION (THURSDAY 13TH FEBRUARY 2025)
Come, behold the works of the Lord, who has made desolations in the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. Psalms 46:8-9 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 44TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF VICTORY
We bless the God of Heaven and earth for giving us another day. Marvelous are His deeds and that our souls know very well. The Heavens declared His glory and our lives testify of His everlasting love. He has not been dealing with us according to our sins but according to the multitude of His mercies.
Today we are going to revisit a well of truth that was dug previously on this platform. Wells of truth do not run dry, irrespective of how long they might have stayed, they still carry substance for the refreshing of our souls. Time does not dry them. Time only makes them better.
So, as we visit this piece of devotional written ten years back, I believe it will be refreshing for us. Open your heart, open your mind, and you will hear the LORD speaking to you through it.
JESUS CHRIST, THE PEACE MAKER & A MAN OF WAR
When our LORD and savior Jesus Christ walked physically on this earth over 2000 years ago, He did so many things and said so many things that were not even written in scriptures. That was God manifesting, not just as a redeemer but as a peace maker.
He healed sicknesses and diseases that were not recorded. He did domestic miracles in the house of the source of His flesh that were not recorded. He did so many supernatural things that John would later write to say if all were recorded; there would have been no space to keep the books.
I believe God wanted everything seen and recorded that was why He performed the miracles. That is one way He makes Himself known.
Recording all of them would have just fulfilled that vision. But as it was demonstrated in Bible History, the frailty and inadequacy of humanity did not prove itself adequate in capturing all that Jesus did. In my opinion, all should have been captured and preserved for subsequent generations including our generation.
The manifestation of God as redeemer and prince of peace are some of His works that must be declared to the next generation so that they may know and fear Him. If all had been captured it would have made a whole lot of difference.
Frequently, mankind does find Himself in spiritual seasons where God wants Heavenly things received and made known on earth. But our frailty does not always allow us to get those things. Sometimes our minds are too weak to capture them.
But in the beginning, it was not so.
Adam could keep pace with God during every Spirit-to-spirit communication. The fall of man is what reduced our ability to keep pace with God the way he did. God inhabits eternity and speaks to us in time, that is why things do happen that way sometimes.
Jesus did and said so many things when He was physically on earth that the frailty of humanity then could not capture and store up the information for subsequent generations except for what we find in the Holy Scriptures. He manifested as God who redeems and make wars to cease in the lives of men.
THAT IS THE PEACE-MAKING ASPECT OF GOD.
One of the things Jesus said that was captured and written down in the Bible for us is what we call the “signs of the end” and what He called “the beginning of sorrows.” He said nations will rise against nations, there will be bitter betrayal even among blood relatives, and there will be earthquakes, wars and rumors of war among other things. But all that will be preceded by hyper deception.
It is during war that He manifest as a peace maker. As a peace maker, He causes wars to cease. He manifest as a man of war in time of war, to establish peace and save His own. So, in seasons of wars and rumors of war, we must understand that. Our devotional text further reinforced this Bible truth in very beautiful terms. It says;
“He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire”
If God makes wars to cease and will step into the theater to manifest a presence that will protect His own this end time. God will not intervene and stop the wars and rumors of wars.
It is part of a redemptive process to allow wickedness to destroy itself and bring us to an age of peace that will last for a thousand years. So, He will only intervene to protect His own in the midst of it all. He will not just protect His own, He will one day take them out of the earth at the point of its total collapse and bring us back after seven years to rule and reign with Him.
That is what the Bible calls the blessed hope. People who make the blessed hope their ultimate hope in life leads very victorious lives. The Blessed hope was what kept our fathers in the faith, and should be what is keeping us in faith.
It makes giving our Lives to Christ and walking in the ways of God very important; because if we do not give our lives to the LORD and walk in His ways; living His life on the face of the earth, we won’t be among the redeemed that will be in the new Heaven and new earth where Righteousness dwells. We will be lost forever when the events will take place.
GENUINE SALVATION IS THE GREATEST BLESSING OF GOD FOR MANKIND!
Now, the Bible did not say God will take away the righteous from the earth when these things begin to take place. He will take us away when it gets to the zenith. It is when we are close to the very end that He will rapture us, His Church from the earth. But before then, we will be here seeing every bad thing happening.
It is therefore important that we know how to survive during these wars as prophesied by the LORD.
Sometimes I get terrified by what is about to happen. But the LORD has assured us in His word that no matter what may be happening in the world during the days we find ourselves, He will manifest as a man of war and peace maker to make wars to cease around those His blood has washed and His Spirit has filled.
That is how He is going to put a difference between the righteous and the wicked; between those who serve Him in spirit and in truth and those who do not. People will discern again the difference between those His blood has truly washed, and His Spirit filled and those His blood has not washed or His Spirit filled.
These are the things that make me strife daily to live a life worthy of my calling. And I urge you to do the same. Righteousness will be our life insurance these end times not prayer, fasting, or sowing seeds. Prayer and fasting are important aspects of our faith, but they will not be what will secure us this end times except they are done in righteousness.
Anything that will not be done in righteousness will not insure us from the horrors of the last days. Isaiah saw this and prophesied saying;
“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
FRIEND, WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THIS SCRIPTURE?
If you look at this scripture carefully, you will realize that it is when we are established in righteousness that people who assemble against us will perish. We are dealing with a righteous God.
It is therefore when we align with righteousness that weapons that may be formed against us do not prosper. Yes, it is when we align and lead a righteous life that tongues rising against us are condemned.
It is going to get dark down here. Get ready my friend! Not being established in righteousness, is the greatest killer of many souls in the Church.
We ask people to sow seeds, fast and pray, sacrifice towards our Church projects but we do not get them established in righteousness. That is why many are caught up and destroyed by the happenings around us.
The word of Isaiah concluded with the statement “this is the heritage of the servants of the LORD.” It is those who are walking with the LORD in righteousness that will enjoy the heritage of seeing Christ manifest in their lives, both as a peace maker and man of war. What God has decreed to come to us by righteousness can never come to us by any other means.
If every act of our giving and sacrificing towards God’s work, or praying and fasting are done in righteousness, we would have unleashed a great glory on the face of the earth.
As I bring this to a close, I want you to understand that the greatest things that will ever happen to you as an end time Christian will come to you by leading a life of righteousness. If we will add righteousness to our tithing, offerings, sacrifices, prayers, and fasting, we will be the most glorified people on the face of the earth.
We will move in waves of glory and operate at great heights of faith and favor from the LORD. Wars will cease in our lives and peace will become permanent.
I want to admonish us on this day to wake up to righteousness where we have not. You are the son and daughter of a great king. You are the son and daughter of the king of Righteousness. Do not go back to your vomit (past life). Do not sit spiritually in filth like pigs do naturally.
Do not keep company with people or things that will take you back to the sins you have repented of. Awake to righteousness and you will come into the inheritance of the righteous spoken of by Isaiah. Amen
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR YOU TODAY;
“Do not be deceived:” Evil company corrupts good habits.”
Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 NKJV
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” Psalms 46:10-11 NKJV