TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL (SUNDAY 17TH JANUARY 2021)
“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.” Isaiah 54:14 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 17TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF HIGHER HEIGHTS
Today, as we all gather to the LORD in nations where in person worship is allowed and welcomed, we want to take time out with the word as we have always done on this devotional. We want to look at some truths about the presence of the LORD, then touch some other divine insights that will be of help.
To start with, I want you to understand that the presence of God is where the pressures of men are taken care of, not really in a hospital as good as going there may be. That is why Jesus did not present His Church as a hospital, but a ground and Pillar of truth, where the spirits of just men are made perfect.
You may be depressed, oppressed, dejected and tired of this life. But if the presence of God comes upon you, everything will just change because of the renewal it brings.
The presence of God is where we are clothed with power that results in peace in our lives – God’s own power that is above every other power. It is in God’s presence that we pick our miracles because His presence brings things from Heaven to the earth. It does all that to prepare us for the glory.
The Bible says;
“You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” Psalms 16:11 AMP
I have come to discover that whenever the devil wants to kill a man or woman he will make them touch the anointed of the LORD or hate the true presence of God and accept what looks like it.
People who are cut off from the presence are actually cut off from everything God offers – Healing, deliverance, sustenance, protection, provision, preservation, vision, true anointing of the Holy Ghost, and etc.
One major thing the presence of God clothes us with is his righteousness.
Meaning, we may call ourselves the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, but until we spend time in His presence that confession will never translate into reality – our character will never show that we are.
THAT BRINGS US TO OUR TEXT FOR THE DAY!
Our devotional text today is very profound and relevant to our age. It promised us protection against oppression, fear and terror. Doubtlessly, we are in the days of oppression, fearful things, and global terrorism.
God knew these days will come. Things do not take Him unawares because He was before the beginning began and knows the end from the beginning. That is why people who are familiar with Bible prophecy are not lost on where our world is heading to. They know exactly where we are and where we are headed to as mankind.
Our devotional text made it clear that the secret of protection from oppression, fear and terror is righteousness. The Bible says in righteousness we shall be established, and we shall be far from oppression, fear and terror. That is why we need the presence of God to cloth us with it!
The world is dealing with new threats to world peace, from time to time; and the Church ought to offer the solution but sadly so many of us are too far from God and too corrupt to offer it. For instance, God’s says in His word that the cure for global terror is righteousness – that was long before our age and time.
Sadly, the world is spending fortune to deal with the scourge of global threats its own way. Our security agencies are trying their human best with many of them paying the ultimate sacrifice in the process to secure our nations. That is what usually happens each time man turn back at God’s solution to things and try to create his own solution.
Talking about terror, apart from global terrorism that is threatening mankind, there are also internal terrors called fear of the unknown hunting the souls of many. There is the fear for the Covid-19 thing that has crippled so any people. This is steaming from its reality. But none of these is bigger than the presence of God.
When a man is established in righteousness, he will be far from any kind of global threat or terror also, according to scriptures. He will come out of any oppression and fear. The Bible indeed said, the righteous are as bold as a lion.
RIGHTEOUSNESS HAS A WAY OF ELIMINATING FEAR.
Sadly, righteousness has indeed become very scarce today hence there is increase of oppression, fear and terror.
Actually the devil wants righteousness eliminated completely from the earth so that everyone will be eliminated. But mercy has been saying no! God’s goal has been to eliminate evil, sin, and all forms of wickedness by establishing righteousness.
The devil knows if he eliminates righteousness we all will become vulnerable to his attacks and schemes. That is why he even goes as far making everyone who departs from evil a prey to frustrate the inert desire to be righteous in their heart. And he seems to be succeeding in the lives of some.
There is a great falling away from standards of righteousness that our fathers of faith were established on. The very standards that made them carry a glory that turned the world upside down wherever they went with the word. The standards that made people like Peter discuss with death and men like Stephen pulled Jesus to His feet to receive them with honor in glory!
What is righteousness? Righteousness is simply a right standing with God!
However, righteousness is not just an act described as a right standing with God, righteousness is a person. The Bible says Jesus is our righteousness. But as earlier stated our generation seems to misunderstand this Biblical revelation. Some Christians live in sin and when you admonish them to desist they will tell you Christ is their righteousness, that whatever they now do, no longer matter. This is a dangerous position to take.
When you have been overwhelmed by the power of sin and begin to live according to its terms, that is who you take that Biblical revelation.
You see, when the Bible say, “Christ is our righteousness” it means He is the giver of our righteousness. Meaning we cannot be declared righteous by God until the righteous one live inside us. And here is how it works; no one on his own is righteous or can be.
But when Christ lives in you, he will permeate your life with his righteousness.
In simple terms, if the righteous one live in you and you cultivate unbroken fellowship with Him and His word, He will fill your life with His righteousness, putting all carnal desires in you to death and eliminating sinful living. Until that has taken place, Christ has not become your righteousness.
Like earlier stated, righteousness is a person. Until we are established in Him we cannot be far from oppression, fear or terror.
When He lives in us by faith and people feel His presence around us wherever we go, we can be far from terror, oppression and fear.
You see, Christ in you remains the hope of glory not money in your pocket!
Sadly, the Church takes money in your pocket as Christ in you. That is why we take true Christianity to be a Christianity that is putting money in your pocket, even if it is removing God form your heart.
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY!
“With my whole heart I have sought you; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:10-11 NKJV