5 OCTOBER
2 KGS. 7:16
THE LORD KEEPS HIS PROMISE
There was a great famine in Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom
of Israel as a result of a very long siege by the Aramean army (2 Kgs.
6:24-25). The famine was so severe that parents ate their children (2
Kgs. 6:28-29). In the thick of this disaster, the LORD promised through
His servant Elisha the Prophet to lift the siege and end the famine (2
Kgs. 7:1). The LORD kept His word, and it happened just as He promised
(2 Kgs. 7:16). He caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and
horses and a great army and flee (2 Kgs. 7:5-7). Thus, His word came
to pass without the Israelites shooting an arrow or throwing a spear.
Every word of God is potent (cf. Heb. 4:12). None of the LORD’S
promises has ever failed (Jos. 21:45; Jos. 23:14; Matt. 24:35). Everyone
has been fulfilled (Jos. 21:45; Jos. 23:14; Matt. 24:35). All His promises
are yes in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 1:20). Consider all the LORD’S
promises fulfilled (2 Kgs. 7: 16; Jos. 21:45; Jos. 23:14; Matt. 24:35).
With Him all things are possible indeed (Lk. 1:37).
PRAYER
• Father, please enable me to believe all your words and promises.
• Father, please take away whatever hinders me from believing your words
and promises.
• Father, please let all your words and promises concerning me be fulfilled.
6 OCTOBER
EZRA 5: 3-5
NO OPPOSITION CAN SUCCEED AGAINST THE LORD
When the people of Judah started re-building the temple of the LORD
following their return from captivity, they were opposed by people
led by Tattenai, the
Governor of what was then known as Trans-Euphrates (Ezra 5:3). The opposition
was quite strong since it was led by no less a personality as the Governor of
Trans-Euphrates (Ezra 5:3-4). But the LORD ensured that the opposition failed
and the work was not stopped (Ezra 5:5). How did He do it? He personally watched
over the Jewish elders involved in the re-building (Ezra 5:5).
No opposition of any kind or magnitude can succeed against the LORD or His cause
(see Is. 54: 16-17; cf. Jos. 1:5; Ps. 76: 7). Any opposition to the LORD or His
cause is an exercise in futility (see Is. 54: 16-17; cf. Jos. 1:5; Ps. 76:7).
Believers can always count on the LORD’S presence and help whenever they
face opposition in their lives and ministry (see Acts 18:9-11; cf. Jos. 1:5;
Matt. 28:18-20).
PRAYER
• Father, please overcome every opposition against all aspects of my life.
• Father, please watch over all of my life to ensure that your will alone
is my portion.
7 OCTOBER
MK. 12: 28-31
THE GREATEST AND MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENTS
In answer to a question by one of the teachers of the Law, Jesus stated that
loving God with all of one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving
one’s neighbour as oneself are the greatest and most important commandments
(Mk. 12: 29-31). According to Jesus, no commandment is greater than these (Mk.
12:31). These two commandments summarise all the commandments (Matt. 22:40;
Exod. 20:1-17). They are most fundamental and critical as far as our relationship
with
God and fellow human beings is concerned. Therefore we must make it our priority
to keep them. One who keeps them keeps all the other commandments as well (Matt.
22:40; Rom. 13:8-10). One who fails to keep them fails to keep the whole commandments
(Matt. 22:40; Rom. 13: 8-10). We can evaluate the state of our relationship
with God and fellow human beings by how much we keep these commandments.
PRAYER
• Father, please enable me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind and
strength and my neighbour as myself.
• Father, please take away whatever hinders me from loving you with all
my heart, soul, mind, and strength and my neighbour as myself.
8 OCTOBER
NEH. 2: 4-6
THE USEFULNESS OF PRAYER
Nehemiah was deeply saddened by the deplorable condition of the people
and city of Jerusalem and planned to go and rebuild the city (Neh.
2:11-21). When King
Artaxerxes asked Nehemiah what he wanted after Nehemiah told him of his concern
for the people and city, he prayed to God before he answered the King (Neh. 2:4-5),
who granted his request (Neh. 2:6). By resorting to prayer before answering the
King, Nehemiah took the right and best step. Nehemiah was fond of praying (Neh.
1:4-11; Neh. 4:4-5; Neh. 5:19; Neh. 6:14). It is quite apparent that his success
before the King was a direct outcome of his prayer (Neh. 2:4-6).
God has made prayer the means of obtaining what we need and has assured us of
His answer whenever we pray to Him (Lk. 11:9-10). Our blessed Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ, was also quite fond of praying (Mk. 1:35-36; Matt. 26:39,42; Jn.
17:1-26), and like the Father, has assured us of His answers when we pray in
His name(Jn. 14:13-14). Therefore, let us pray continually (1 Thess. 5:17), for
we receive what we ask for in prayer, not what we do not pray for (Lk. 11:9-11;
cf. Jn. 14:13-14).
PRAYER
• Father, please teach me to pray.
• Father, please answer me when I pray to you.
9 OCTOBER
ROM. 2: 11
GOD’S RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT
According to this passage, God does not show favouritism in His judgments (Rom.
2: 11; Rev. 16:7). He has never done so, He is not doing so, and He will never
ever do so (Rom. 2:11; Rev. 16:7). This is in agreement with His just and righteous
being (see Deut. 32:4). This means that God is just and righteous in all His
judgments (Rev. 16:7). When we all appear before His judgment seat(2 Cor. 5:10;
Rom. 14:10-12; Acts 17:31), we will all get what we deserve, except for those
who believed in Jesus Christ and will be acquitted on account of their faith
in Him(see Rev. 20:15; Rev. 16:7). No one will be able to influence God to
change the verdict due to him. It is impossible for God to act contrary to
His just
and righteous nature in all His judgments.
Without the righteousness of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, no one will
be justified before God during His judgment (Gal. 3:11; Rom. 3:21-24; Jn. 3:
16, 18, 36; Acts 4:12). In view of God’s righteous judgment and the fact
that no one will be justified before Him without the righteousness of Jesus
Christ, one must therefore clothe himself with this righteousness (Gal. 3:11;
Rom. 3:21-24;
Jn. 3:16, 18, 36; Acts 4:12).
PRAYER
• Father, please give me the grace to believe in your only Son, Jesus Christ.
• Father, please clothe me with Jesus’ righteousness.
10 OCTOBER
ESTH. 2: 21-23
THE UNFAILING PURPOSE OF GOD In the Kingdom of Persia and Media of those days, God delivered the
Jews from annihilation in a dramatic act of deliverance (Esth. 6:1-10:3).
How did he do it? In His providence, Esther, a Jew, became Queen and
Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, sat at the King’s gate. It was
while sitting at the King’s gate that Mordecai exposed a plot
to assassinate the King, which was recorded in the annals of the Kingdom
(Esth. 2: 21-23). Mordecai was later honoured and elevated by the King
for this act (Esth. 6:1-14). God used the presence of Esther in the
palace and the timely elevation of Mordecai to reverse Haman’s
decree of annihilation against the Jews in the Kingdom.
God always acts in this or similar manner to deliver His children (Gen.
37, 39-47; 1 Sam. 17; 1 Kgs. 6: 24-7:20). In His providence, He works
through ordinary events to achieve His purpose for them (Gen. 37, 39-47;
1 Sam. 17; 1 Kgs. 6:24-7:20). As He did for the Jews in the Kingdom
of Persia and Media of that time, He is still moving in dramatic ways
today to fulfil His will for His loved ones. Nothing whatever can stand
against His purpose for His beloved children (cf. Ps. 76:7).
PRAYER
• Father, please let your will alone be done in my life.
• Father, please overcome for me whatever obstructs your will for my life.
11 OCTOBER
GEN. 12: 7-8
THE MOST APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO GOD
After Abraham had arrived in Canaan in obedience to his call (Gen. 12:1-2),
the LORD appeared to him and repeated His promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:7). Abraham
responded by building an altar to the LORD and calling upon His name (Gen.
12:7-8). By so doing he responded most appropriately. Thus, the best response
to God is to worship and serve Him only (Matt. 4:10). It is not enough to know
that God exists, one must worship and serve Him only (Matt. 4:10). Until we
worship and serve God, we have not responded to Him as He deserves (Matt. 4:10).
Our knowledge of God is useless if we do not worship and serve Him (Matt. 4:10).
There is no better response to God than what Abraham did (Gen. 12:7-8).
PRAYER
• Father, please give me the grace to worship and serve you only.
• Father, please take away whatever hinders me from worshipping and serving
you alone.
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