TODAY’S DEVOTION (THURSDAY 21ST August 2025)
Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.” Habakkuk 3:17-19NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 233RD DAY OF OUR YEAR OF VICTORY
With just 132 days to go this year, wisdom demands that we spend time this morning saying unto God, “thanks for keeping me for 233 days of this year. I believe the remaining days are already secured for me by your mercies.”
Do not let anything stop you this morning from doing the right thing – which is appreciating GOD! Do not forget, your destiny, among other beautiful things we have seen, will need a heart of gratitude to God to be fulfilled. David praised God seven times a day, that was one secret that unlocked his destiny.
People who are so passionate to declare God’s works in deep appreciation carries an aura of His power, presence and glory around them.
You may not be able to do a seven-times-a-day daily praise like David, but maintaining a heart of gratitude can help. Some of those who left Egypt for the promised land, could not fulfill that beautiful destiny because of ingratitude. They keyed into complaints and were destroyed by the consequences.
Their lives are a huge generational lesson.
A man or woman of destiny who live a life of complains instead of a life of gratitude, will not fulfill his or her destiny. Appreciating God for who He is, what He has done, or will do, is very important in life. The enemy may lay a siege against you, but if you live a life of gratitude to God, even for who He is, you will never be grounded or scrambled.
A people who cannot appreciate God will depreciate. If you want to be significant, learn to offer God spectacular gratitude regularly. It will break barriers to destiny progress and give you an atmosphere for the release of destiny.
So, whatever may not have happened in your life before today should not be an excuse for not appreciating God or for complaining. Complaints can be very destructive. Many who started the year with us are no longer here! It is not because we are more righteous than they are, no!!
IT IS OUT OF GOD’S MERCIES THAT WE ARE NOT CONSUMED.
So, we owe the LORD praise, thanksgiving and a lifetime of gratitude. We do not just owe Him praise, thanksgiving and gratitude today, we owe Him that every day. Divine destiny is released if we live our days doing His will and being grateful.
There is power in being grateful to God. One person that knows that is the devil, hence having a history of giving us a thousand and one reason not to be grateful.
He uses facts to destabilize us from being grateful to God. Facts like the job that has not yet come, one getting older but not yet married, the pressure of debts, dwindling business, marriage but no child, single with child or single with children, no life progress or significant achievements, no education or support from anywhere, etc.
He has used some of these facts to fight the praise of many to a standstill. They no longer think of showing God gratitude for being alive. They have forgotten scriptures that says, “let everything that has breath praise the LORD.”
Satan will always work with our flesh to find us reasons that sap our gratitude or make us ingrates, or man and women full of complaints. He knows if we become men and women of grateful hearts, he is in trouble. He knows we will unleash such power from Heaven, especially if we praise God in times when things are not encouraging.
ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL ACTS OF FAITH IS TO PRAISE GOD WHEN THERE IS NOTHING ENCOURAGING AROUND TO PRAISE HIM FOR.
Yes, it is to be thankful, and truly so when there is nothing to thank Him for. Paul and Silas had a very bad experience after preaching in a particular city. Ordinarily, they should be getting honorarium for that, but they got beaten and thrown into prison. Then they remembered what the LORD said we should do when we are persecuted, rejoice.
They did rejoice and showed gratitude to God for everything. The results were amazing. The LORD descended into the prison and carried out a prison break for them. However, they did not take the opportunity and escaped or run away because they were not criminals, and God is God of order.
But their destiny was released in a very powerful way leading to the salvation of an entire household and glory to God!!! The Bible says:
“Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.” Acts 16:32-33 NKJV
Their lives are a lesson that we should not slip into complaints and depression when things are not working, we should rather seek the LORD for wisdom, and during which we lead a grateful heart.
Destiny is released more powerfully at that time than at any other time.
The rule for men and women of destiny is this, even if things are not working, so long as your heart is still beating, we should praise the LORD. Our devotional text says:
Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.” Habakkuk 3:17-19NKJV
This is the faith position to take when things are not looking good, and you need to praise the LORD. It is a beautiful scripture that has helped men and women who served the LORD from generation to generation. It holds the truth that should always guide men and women of destiny.
As you embrace this day, do not forget that your destiny will need a life of gratitude to be released. You must not hold onto any facts the enemy is pointing at you. You must hold unto GOD!!!
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NKJV
