He's Able!

The Lord will demolish the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow. - Proverbs 15:25

Sometimes life deals us a bad hand. We try hard to understand the reasons why bad things happen to us even though we are good people. We begin to feel like God has left us, like the heavens are covered by a large brass blanket impenetrable by our prayers.

One lady I know went through a horrible ordeal. Her husband whom she was married to for only a few years mysteriously got killed through a series of events that made news, albeit not in a manner leading to the resolution of the actual facts surrounding the case.

"Having grown up as an orphan, it had always been my dream to have a family of my own. I was in such a state of denial that I refused to accept that he was gone. I kept thinking he would just come back home as he had always done every day. I couldn't understand why people keep leaving me. My financial situation didn't make things easier. I had no idea how I was going to afford living in the house I was occupying. "

"But God had a plan. I got a raise at work and things got a bit easier. Then there was a program that saw me becoming a home owner. It was unbelievable. All these things happened shortly after we laid him to rest. I'm not happy that he died and these things happened. Rather, I am happy that there is a God whose ear is inclined towards the prayer of the widow. "

You may be in a situation similar to this woman. May her testimony bring you hope. We can never replace the people we lose that were dear to us, but we can find hope in God.

Focus on the Master

One of the main challenges we face as Christians is that of misplaced focus. While we have a real adversary whose interests are contrary to ours, we should bear in mind that he is a defeated foe and that victory has been given to us to enforce.  Enforcing that victory is done by using the name of our Lord, Jesus. The Bible declares that, “There is one name given in heaven and on earth, that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow…” We therefore do not put our trust in the anointing of our leaders but in the authority of Jesus.

Christ consciousness is the central part of the Christian walk. We study the word of God and imbibe of it. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. As we have fellowship with that word, it becomes a part of us. We put on the mind of Christ because as we focus on him and fix our eyes on him, we become like him whom we behold. We are transfigured into the same image. What you focus on grows. He (Christ) is magnified in our lives as we focus on him.

The Bible deliberately gives very little information on the anatomy and physiology of the devil’s camp. Jesus spoke more about the Kingdom of God than he did about demons and fallen angels. The apostle Paul preached the good news of the completed work of Jesus Christ. His prayer was that we may grow in our wisdom, knowledge and revelation of Jesus, not the devil. Yet many of us today have stopped talking about Jesus but are preoccupied with what the devil is doing in the world.

As we focus on Jesus, we are filled with his goodness. It is his goodness that leads to repentance, not several deliverance sessions. It is his goodness that leads to a victorious life, not deliverance sessions. It is his goodness that leads to the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit, not deliverance sessions. When we see demons in every corner and stoop to their level, we operate far below where we have been placed – at the right hand of the power in Christ. The name of Jesus is far superior to anything that the enemy can ever do. In that light, we treat him as we do the darkness – we switch on the light and darkness vacates. We don’t intensify our prayers because there are demons present. We intensify our prayers because of our love of Christ. The former is based on fear; the latter is based on love. That which is not of faith is sin. That which is not of love is sin.  

Instead of being sin conscious, darkness conscious and demon conscious let us aim to be grace conscious, light conscious and Christ conscious. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time for deliverance and rebuking of the enemy. There is a time for healing people from the works of the enemy. However, what sustains deliverance and healing is faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Focusing on the nature of God, his love and desire for us to prosper and be in good health. How that every good and perfect gift comes from him and there is no variableness in him.

Choose today to look in the right direction. Focus on Jesus and his goodness. Meditate on the Kingdom of God. Think of grace, truth, light, and the virtues of the Holy Spirit. Let your prayers be the positive declarations of who God is and what He can do in this world. Ghost busting prayers just keep you demon conscious. Hey, what happened to all the angels and the Holy Spirit? Don’t major on the minor. Major on what can create.

Your True Net Worth

You are significant. Even without a job, you are still significant. You still have a purpose in Christ. Times may get difficult and almost unbearable, but greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. He has made you more than a conqueror. You may think that your CV is not that great, but there is one who doesn’t care about your CV. He sees the end from the beginning, and the beginning from the end. He has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. He found you significant enough to deposit his Holy Spirit in you. You are significant.

You are loved with an unending, immeasurable and unfailing love. Though it may be hard to find someone to get married to, his yardstick is totally different. Man may deceive you and cause untold heartache, but he is dependable. He would have come to save you if it was just you that needed saving. He calls you the apple of his eye. It doesn’t matter what you have done or where you’ve been; he loves you all the same. He wants to spend eternity with you.

He created a universe for you. He made beautiful flowers with heavenly aromas for you. He left his glory for you. He endured the scourging of the Roman torture creativity for you. He carried the heavy wooden cross for you. He took the nails for you and was lifted up as cursed for you. The Creator of heaven and earth and all that is, on a rugged cross all for love - his love for you. So lift up your head and square up your shoulders! There’s more to you than meets the eye. You are worth more than you can imagine.

Affirmation: I am accepted in the beloved. I am worth more than silver and gold.