Readings of Today:
Psalm 121; Isaiah 51:1-3; 2Timothy 1:3-7
“LISTEN TO ME, you who pursue righteousness (right standing with God), Who seek and inquire of the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut And to the excavation of the quarry from which you were dug, 2“Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; For I call him when he was but one, then I blessed him and made him many.” 3For the Lord will comfort Zion [in her captivity]; He will comfort all her ruins. And He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of a melody.” (Isaiah 51:1-3)
The faithful remnant of the Israelites may have felt few and lonely because they were really very few. But God reminded them of their ancestors, the source of their spiritual heritage. “the rock from which they were cut, and the quarry from which they were mined – Abraham and Sarah (v. 2). Abraham was the only one, but out of his obedience and faithfulness came a great nation. The exiled community had reduced greatly in number. They needed encouragement and faith that God could restore them back to a healthy and thriving population.
The same with the community of faith today. There was the COVID 19 in 2020, persecution is ongoing, there is bastardised economy, there is oppression by the high and mighty that tenaciously hold on to power with which the poor, the needy, the widows, fatherless and the masses were being oppressed; unnecessary destruction and deaths, unbearable hardships and pains; there is also natural disaster which is beyond anyone. God has not promised us Christians/believers smooth path to holiness, to faithfulness. If we would remain obedient and faithful, what God will do through us would be unimaginable. For He is able to do more we can imagine. Has he promised and not able to fulfil?
Habakkuk’s eyes witnessed a lot in his days, but after recounting God’s mighty acts of redemption (3:2-15), he reaffirms his trust in God and he closed the book with a prayer – “even though …yet I will rejoice”: even if God does not pour out material blessings on his people again, He is yet worthy of all the trust and praise they can give. Come what may, he would rejoice, knowing that the Lord is not only Israel’s Redeemer, but also the source of his own, (Habakkuk’s) salvation (Habakkuk 3:17-19). King Solomon lived when Israel was flourishing, he sought knowledge, lived well and tasted all. He concluded the book of Ecclesiastes that: “Here is my final conclusion: fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty (Ecclesiastes 12L13). God does and allows whatever pleases him in the world because we are the works of his hands. He has created us for his pleasure and glorification.
What do we do in hopeless and helpless situation?
Be a friend of Jesus Christ, if you have not given your life to him as Lord, do so or if you would like to rededicate your life to him do so, so that the Holy Spirit will guide your steps and decisions.
Pull down the stronghold of fear and doubt within and around you.
Believe in God and his promises because he rewards those who diligently seek Him;
Continue to pray all manner of prayer – cry for mercy, give thanks and praise God in every situation. Prayer is our strength, stability, power, stamina, and encouragement for all situations. Intercede for others that are weak to lift up their spirits.
Be filled with the love and compassion of God. If you are in a position to help others, please do, especially those in the household of God. Do not hoard, stretch out your arm of love and charity generously. This is not the time for extravagant living.
Forgive those who have offended you. Unforgiveness affects a lot of things in our lives and environment that you cannot imagine.
Continue to meditate on the word of God, it is our link with God.
OLUFUNMILAYO TITILOLA ADEKUSIBE
Prayer:
Lord our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens.
Father, thank You for You are the horn of our Salvation and the lifter of our head, in Jesus name.
Thank you for Your promises that never fail, in Jesus name.
By the power in the blood of Jesus, I gain access into the presence of God, in Jesus name.
Today and always, I receive help from the Holy Spirit to intercede for the poor, the needy, the helpless and the perishing souls, in Jesus name.
By Your divine mercy and compassion, Lord have mercy on us as individuals, family, society and nation.
Fill me with your love and compassion to see the needs of all around me in Jesus name.
Father, revisit every Christian home with your mercy and compassion, in Jesus name.
Father, uproot anything you have not planted in Your Church, and revive your Pentecostal fire and power, in Jesus name.
By the mighty power in the blood of Jesus, we pull down the stronghold of darkness in our nation and smash it against the Rock of our Salvation, in Jesus name.
More Grace for all exhorting us with the Word of God 🙏By His Grace, we all +themselves will be doer of God's word with everlasting reward in Jesus name Shalom.