TODAY’S DEVOTION (THURSDAY 7TH May 2026)
Dear friends, even though we say these things, we are still convinced that better things are in store for you and that they will save you.
God is fair. He won’t forget what you’ve done or the love you’ve shown for him. You helped his holy people, and you continue to help them.
We want each of you to prove that you’re working hard so that you will remain confident until the end. Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are receiving the promises through faith and patience. Hebrews 6:9-12 GWT
WELCOME TO THE 127TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF STRATEGIC VICTORY.
The LORD began this month with us by speaking to us about having His miracle working power running our lives this month, more than ever. For the past few days, we have discussed what seems away from that devotional goal for the month, but they are not away.
The other day we looked at how to deal with the suffering that will not go away, and yesterday we shared on dealing with the sin that will not go away. Whatever you want out of your life that will not go away requires something from outside this world for it to go away.
Man was not really created to live by something within his world. Yes, there are times when we survive by things within our world. But the ultimate way to survive this world is to live by something from another world. For us children of God, it is something from the world of God, the Throne Room of God.
Suffering that will not go away requires the opening of a heavenly portal over us, something that is not of this world. While the sin that will not go away requires that we uproot the thoughts that pushed us into that sin and is keeping us there. Such thoughts or information are usually from this sinful and ungodly age.
Sometimes they are from the underworld because whatever is from the underworld take us under in our relationship with God.
Meaning, whenever something from this age or the underworld enter our souls, we begin to go down, do unholy things, and engage in unrighteousness. But whenever something from the world of God enters our lives, we begin to go up in holiness, purity, uprightness or righteousness.
WE CANNOT BE FREE FROM THE SIN THAT WILL NOT GO AWAY UNTIL SOMETHING OUTSIDE THIS WORLD ENTERS US.
Our lives were originally designed to live by things outside this world, not things from this age or the underworld. It is when something from this age or the underworld enter our souls over time that we get trapped in sins that will not go away. We saw the importance of controlling what enters our souls from this sinful age and guarding our hearts with all diligence against it.
Both spiritual life circumstances needs God’s power for them to be changed. Sufferings that will not go away will go away once God’s power begin to flow into the person’s life through the portal that open within the person, and the sin that will not go away will go once God’s power begin to flow.
It will flow once the thoughts that were formed by what entered the soul either from the underworld or this ungodly age are removed. Once the unholy thoughts are removed and a set of righteous and holy thoughts are planted, especially through seasons of giving ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word, power to live a holy and righteous life will be restored.
Yes, the Grace to lay down that sin that easily ensnare or distracts us will be released. The Bible says:
“Since we are surrounded by so many examples ⌞of faith⌟, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up.” Hebrews 12:1 GWT
The last line is very crucial. It says we must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. The power to do so is in God. The grace is usually given when we bend the prayer knee and ask for it, giving ourselves to the word of the LORD and prayer fuel by abstinence of fasting.
Yesterday I received a message from someone who fell into sexual sin and has decided to give up and return to the synagogues of Satan he once worshiped in. I encouraged him to keep running the race. I fell too in my beginning days, and sometimes I still do things I should not do as I strife for my Heavenly rest with Christ. I shared all that yesterday.
THE BEAUTY IS IN STANDING STRONG, AND NOT GIVING UP IF YOU FALL. THE BEAUTY IS NOT NECESSRILY IN NOT FALLING AT ALL!!
Every sinner can become a saint, and every saint was once a sinner, so you do not give up because you fell into sin, no matter how grievous or small it may be. Giving up is not an option in God’s kingdom. It’s good not to fall at all, but if you do, do not give up, pick up yourself and continue the race. Who knows, God might use you who fell and returned to the race to save those who have fallen and are still in the pits.
The words again said, “we must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up.” In doing so, we are to lay aside everything that slows us down, especially that sin that distracts us and will not go away. It is the sin the Bible says we should lay aside not the race, and we will come to that.
Understand that it is the things that slow us down and the sin that distracts us that we are to lay aside not the race or our faith in Jesus to forgive our sins.
Yes, we are to lay aside the sins, not our faith in His blood to wipe away the consequences of the sins and make us whole repeatedly until we become strong and no longer fall. If you lay aside your faith in the power of the blood to wash you and make you whole repeatedly, or the power of God’s mercy to forgive you and restore you back to practical righteousness, you will give up.
Sadly, many lay aside their faith instead of the things that slows them down, especially the sins that distract them. They lay their faith aside and walk away like the person who wanted to walk away but remembered to send me a message. When you give up and walk away, you have laid aside your faith instead of the sin, and that is not good.
People who lay aside their faith instead of their sin at the feet of the Cross, will draw back to perdition and lose their inheritance in Christ. But those who fight on and seek the LORD to help them lay aside their sins instead of their faith, believing in the forgiving power of Jesus Christ and the cleansing effect of His Holy Spirit, will make it.
HEAVEN IS NOT FOR MEN WHO NEVER FELL, OR WHO NEVER SINNED, BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS ALL HAVE SINNED.
The only people in Heaven who have never sinned are God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Then the angels, the creatures and all other Heavenly beings.
But even the 24 elders were people who walked this earth and sinned. Every human there sinned at one time or the other in their lives, but they never gave up. They kept fighting and laying their sins at the feet of the Cross instead of laying aside their faith and walking away like some wants to do. Finally, today they are in Heaven.
You will also be in Heaven one day if you follow their pattern of life. Major portion of our devotional text says:
“Dear friends, even though we say these things, we are still convinced that better things are in store for you and that they will save you.
God is fair. He won’t forget what you’ve done or the love you’ve shown for him… …We want each of you to prove that you’re working hard so that you will remain confident until the end.
Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are receiving the promises through faith and patience. Hebrews 6:9-12 GWT
The last line tells us that instead of being lazy, we should imitate those who are receiving the promises through faith and patience.
We are to imitate these precious saints in Heaven today, who made it there, not because they never fell, but because they never gave up.
SO, HEAVEN IS NOT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER SINNED, BUT FOR THOSE WHO DID NOT GIVE UP.
People who laid aside their sins not their faith in Jesus to forgive them of their sins. You are to be a Christian who lay aside sins not faith in Christ. You lay sin aside by not giving up but standing up in faith in Jesus and demonstrating it by reaching out to His Holy Spirit for help and cleansing through the prayer of repentance, and a fasting that helps you to yield your soul to His grace.
Finally, understand that it is a race we are in, not a championship. It is a Christian race, not a Heavenly Championship. There is no one to beat in this race. There is only a finishing line to get to. Each person has his or her own finishing line in Christ. That is where you must get to.
Yes, the Bible teaches that we provoke ourselves to do righteous works, but there is no one to beat in this race and then win a crown. We all have individual finishing lines to get to. So, why give up? It is in championships you give up, especially if everyone has overtaken you and you have no hope of winning. But in this, we are not in competition.
We are not in a championship. It is a race, not a championship.
So, even if all are holy except you, you are still not to give up. It should only motivate your faith to become holy like them also. It should not diminish your race. I pray that God use these lines to continue building us up and giving us an inheritance among they that are sanctified in Christ. Amen!!
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY!!
So don’t lose your confidence. It will bring you a great reward. You need endurance so that after you have done what God wants you to do, you can receive what he has promised.
“Yet, the one who is coming will come soon. He will not delay. The person who has God’s approval will live by faith. But if he turns back, I will not be pleased with him.”
We don’t belong with those who turn back and are destroyed. Instead, we belong with those who have faith and are saved. Hebrews 10:35-39 GWT
