Divine Encounters

Day 147 Reading: Job 27:1 - Job 30:31 We live in a world filled with many evil works. In this same world, we also hear testimonies of the marvellous acts of God. Nothing is impossible with God even when the devil has made it look like its over. God has the final say. Reading through the Book of Job I am amazed at the righteousness of Job. Job loved God and didn't have a problem talking about the acts of God. Today we find that we have to get a grasp of the expectations of God while we live here on earth. Am I expected to just go with the flow or is God expecting me to live by His standards? What are His standards?  Firstly, if we are to see God's goodness in our lives His lamp is to shine over us. When the spotlight of life is from God then we experience His goodness like never before. However, when we walk in ways that are not godly we reap pain, sorrow and unrighteousness. Always have a desire that God's lamp shines upon you. Just like in a play we see a spot...

Day 146 Reading: Job 22:1 - Job 26:14 Dear Kenya, Great are the promises that have gone ahead of you. You are a nation with great potential. A nation that many believe has the capacity to become a force in the world. Many African nations look up to you and measure their standards of development by how far you have gone. However, you have been found wanting. Greed, idolatry and immorality have consumed your soul to the detriment of your well-being. You have forgotten the principles on which you are founded. You called on me the Creator at the beginning of time, however, you have now decided to live without Me.  This letter is to not only a warning of the impending judgement coming towards the wicked but also a cry to return to God. The only solution to the troubles that plague this land is a wholesome returning to the Lord God. The wicked need to understand that their days are shortlived. Whatever, you have stolen from Kenya get ready to see God collect it and ...

Day 145 Reading: Job 18:1 - Job 21:34 Have you ever been in a situation where you cannot see the good coming? You know that challenge that is hell personified and leaves you broken, burst and down desiring to just die. Well that was the situation Job was facing. He was in pain physically, emotionally and mentally. His friends didn't bring comforting words to strengthen him. Instead, they brought accusations that made him sad and filled him with self-doubt. However, as I read the Book of Job I have seen that he constantly encouraged himself. Today I was led to write down a few points to hold onto while in trouble. Maintain your faith in God. Job declares that he knows his Redeemer lives. He understood that no man or woman could deliver him from the trouble. His faith was in God. That is why he said before that his trust is in God no matter what he encounters. Don't allow your joy to be stolen. Trouble comes to steal our joy. Joy is essential for the walk of the ...

Day 144 Reading: Job 13:1 - Job 17:16 Dear Friends, Thank you for reaching to me whilst I am in trouble. I appreciate that you have chosen to seat with me and console me as I walk through this affliction. It's been tough and I am grateful that at least I am not alone as you have come to sit beside me as I try to figure out what is going on while I am in this sad state. It's great to be in tough situations surrounded by friends. Great because I am not alone. Many times when we go through challenges we are left alone. Friends whom you have helped or relied on suddenly flee and leave you to cry alone. You haven't left me alone. You indeed are a different breed of friends. I want you to know that my trust is in God. I may appear shaken and stirred, however, my trust is in God. Though He slays me my trust is wholly in Him. I believe I have a hope within me that just like a stump of a tree will grow at the scent of water flowing nearby I also know that as lon...

Day 143 Reading: Job 9:1 - Job 12:25 Hope is the expectation one has for good to happen. We have two types of hope. When someone says I hope to see you, what they are conveying to you is not only a desire but an expectation that is good. This is carnal hope. Another example of carnal hope is when we express a hope that one will pass the exams. This kind of hope doesn't carry a certainty of an occurrence. Biblical hope, on the other hand, carries not just an expectation of good it contains with it a certainty of happening. An example is a promise given to Abraham and Sarah of a son. There was a certainty of it's happening as it was backed by God.  When we are faced with storms in life we often lose hope. We lose that which gives us an internal bounce or a swagger to face the world head-on. Without hope, one has no reason to live. That's the reason why many commit suicide because they lose hope. When one is hope-less one cannot see the manifestations of the promi...

Day 142 Reading: Job 5:1 - Job 8:22 Whilst going through adversity we are tempted to think that God is not with us. The enemy's agenda is to separate us from God. He assails our minds with thoughts of defeat and worthlessness. HIs attempt is to get us to waver in our faith and walk in fear. Once he succeeds in doing this, defeat is on the horizon except for the mercies of God. We have a responsibility to hold onto the promises of God to know them and know them for ourselves. Have a personal knowledge of the promises of God. When we magnify problems we become the problem. Notice when people talk about lack of money all the time they become broke people living broken lives. What you are seeing in that situation that is and how you address it will determine the end game result. Understand that when all you. perceive is trouble then you cannot see the promises of God. Job in the midst of adversity questioned why he was born. He began to curse his life and questioned the wi...

Day 141 Reading: Job 1:1 - Job 4:21 Suffering is a topic we don't like to discuss. Going through problems or experiencing challenges is one thing no one likes. The Book of Job is associated with challenges. Many don't like reading it today because they feel its an invitation to challenges. Many others feel that it obscures the view of a good God that they have of God. In doing this they misunderstand that the Book of Job is a good lesson on dealing with the challenges of this world. Life will always have challenges as it is not smooth sailing forever. Just as the sea will have storms the Book of Job makes us understand how to deal with storms in life. What caused Job to go through his suffering? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Whenever we go through challenges we are used to asking why me. While this is not a bad question it's not a great question. The question one should ask foremost is what is the source of this trouble I am facing? Once you ident...

Day 140 Reading: Esther 5:1 - Esther 10:3 The story of Esther is one of favour. Do you know that the name of God is not mentioned in the book of Esther? Yet we see the hand of God mightily at work in this book. Esther was an orphan who became queen being chosen from the large crowd of virgins. She became queen and immediately it became clear that she was there for a divine purpose. How may we access favour? How may we sustain favour? What are the benefits of favour? Here are some thoughts on God's favour from the Book of Esther.  Preparation : Esther was prepared before she met the king. Her preparation began with her listening to the instructions of Mordecai After she was handed over to the royal household to be prepared to meet the king she continued to listen to Mordecai and also heeded the advice of Hegai the king's custodian of women. Favour flows to the prepared. You cant expect to see favour in a meeting where you are unprepared. Opportunity is taken by those...

Day 139 Reading: Esther 1:1 - Esther 4:17 Dear Reader, Life has many turns not just ups and downs. The bible is a roadmap containing lessons for our edification, encouragement and education. We are to take the Bible and learn from it. This letter is to help someone not lose a position in life. I am not writing to wives only but also to men and friends alike. I don't want anyone to suffer my fate because they weren't warned.  My name is Vashti. I was the wife of Ahasuerus the king whose empire was from Ethiopia to India. He had 127 provinces which were empires which were conquered by his forefathers. I was his queen and everyone knew that he liked me. As I write this letter I am still in pain at my actions knowing that what I am going to tell you about is painful. One day the king decided to show off the splendour and great expanse of his kingdom. He invited dignitaries from all over the kingdom to come to the capital and for 180 days he was showing them dif...

Day 138 Reading: Nehemiah 11:1 - Nehemiah 13:31 Life is a school we begin at birth and graduate when we depart. To think that school is only that duration we get educated is the beginning of death. It is commonly said that anyone who stops learning has started dying. This is one of the reasons I read the Bible. There is a lot of knowledge that is hidden within it. Nehemiah is loaded with lessons to glean. Servant Leadership . Nehemiah served the people. When serving as the governor of Judah he gave up his perks for the people's benefit. Lord give us leaders who think about the people first. Abhorred corruption . Nehemiah found that Eliashib had given Tobiah a room in the House of God. Tobiah was an enemy of Nehemiah and was against the rebuilding of the wall. Nehemiah quickly corrected the wrong. He feared God and served God reverently. He appointed men who were faithful and could be trusted.  Prayerful . The book of Nehemiah begins with prayer. His burden for that whi...

Day 137 Reading: Nehemiah 8:1 - Nehemiah 10:39 I am not alive because I deserve it and neither are you. We are alive and where we are in life because God is merciful. Many don't understand God's mercy. Many go through life thinking they deserve or are owed by God the best in life. That is a proud attitude. You see God is Holy. We are sinners. We are unclean yet we are loved by God who is pure and all powerful.  Nehemiah and Ezra summoned the people to listen to the Book of the Law. Ezra read the Book of the Law and was surrounded by people who helped the people understand the commandments and statutes. The whole purpose of reading the Law was to not only remind people of the Covenant God had made with them but to also get them to see the mercy of God. The reading of the law brought conviction to the hearts of the people. This conviction resulted in people weeping, however, Nehemiah and Ezra resolved that it was not to be a day of mourning but a day of joy.  Jo...

Day 136 Reading: Nehemiah 5:1 - Nehemiah 7:73 God is raising a new generation of leaders. 500 years ago the Reformation began when Martin Luther placed 95 theses or disputation on the power of indulgences. This brave act by Martin Luther began the schism of the Catholic Church and gave birth to the Protestant movement. Martin Luther was not the likeliest character to begin a new move of God and neither was Nehemiah. God is raising Nehemiahs who will rebuild the walls of cities. Nehemiah was not called or anointed like David or Saul. We meet Nehemiah serving the king in a position that may well be described as a civil servant in today's terms. Nehemiah was even promoted to become the Governor of Judah while living in Jerusalem. I believe God is raising a Nehemiah-like generation of leaders who will change the nations. Their only interest is in the well-being of the people.  In this new move, there will be a synergy where the people come together and rebuild the wall...

Day 135 Reading: Nehemiah 1:1 - Nehemiah 4:23 One of the things I am learning is that God is not interested in my being so heavenly minded that I am not of any use here on earth. God placed man in the Garden of Eden here on earth, not heaven. We are created to be creators here on earth. God made us for work. If God made the earth how much more should we also work if we are His children? We have a responsibility to work and at the same time be vessels that bring honour to God's Kingdom. Today we begin the book of Nehemiah. This gentleman was not a king but the cupbearer for the King and he did mighty things for God.  Nehemiah was burdened with the state of Jerusalem. We are told of how he enquired to know the state of the returnees from exile and was perplexed at the sad state they found Jerusalem. He was saddened to hear that the Jerusalem, the focal point of the children of Israel, was desolate. He took it to prayer that God would restore Jerusalem. We meet Nehemiah p...

Day 134 Reading: Ezra 8:1 - Ezra 10:44 God's eyes are searching to and from for a person or people that He may show Himself strong for 2 Chronicles 16:9a . What are the qualities that we need to become a people who will rebuild the House of God on earth today? In the midst of all that you are doing here on earth understand that the clock in heaven is saying its time to rebuild. This is God's hour of restoration. We are being restored to be the House of God in all glory and splendour! Reading the book of Ezra there are 3 things that I have picked that are critical for the days we are living in. Preparation Ezra prepared before he set off for the journey. We read in Ezra 7:10 that he prepared for the task that lay ahead. We read that even before setting off for the journey to Jerusalem he prepared by gathering the required resources and authority to undertake the task at hand. Ezra didn't travel because of fantasy or fun. He travelled to Jerusalem knowing th...

Day 133 Reading: Ezra 5:1 - Ezra 7:28 Breaking News! God is in the process of rebuilding His House. Ladies and Gentlemen, please note that God did not seek your permission. A command has gone out that His House is restored to the place of glory that all mankind may come and worship Him. God desires to show off and the rebuilding of His House is central to the next chapter of mankind.  Those who knew the former glory will build alongside those who never saw the glory of the House of the Lord. Those who knew of His glory will rebuild the House of God with weeping for the past glory while those who never knew of the glory will shout with joy. The sound in the House of God will be a mixture of joyful shouts and groanings of travail for restoration. This will usher the next move of God's Kingdom. Many wonder how this will be. God once ordered kings who didn't worship Him to do His bidding. Is God not the God of the Universe? He holds all the resources in H...

Day 132 Reading: Ezra 1:1 - Ezra 4:24 We live in very prophetic times. Days that have been described by God Himself. Many though walk through life ignorant of the times we are living in. Others are not ignorant, they have decided to be oblivious to the obvious. God's word cannot fail. His Word has never failed and will never fail.  The book of Ezra opens with the fulfilment of a prophetic word of the restoration of the people to the land of promise. As we read this book I pray that God will restore us back to the place of promise.  Jeremiah prophesied that the children of Judah would be carried away as captives for 70 years 2 Chronicles 36:21 .  At the end of 70 years, God moves a king, Cyrus, who didn't know about the prophecy to release the children of Israel. Here is a man whom we don't know if he worshipped God, however, at a particular point in time he decrees that the children of Israel return to their land and rebuild the temple of God.  What wou...

Day 131 Reading: 2 Chronicles 35:1 - 2 Chronicles 36:23 What have I learned from reading the chronicles of how Israel asked for a King in 1st  Samuel to the time of the nation being led to captivity because they had departed from the ways of God? That was the question I heard in my heart as I was studying the scriptures today. The Bible is not a storybook we read for entertainment. The Bible is God's Word for our edification, instruction and in studying it one becomes knowledgeable in the ways of God. This list of lessons learnt is not exclusive to the 2 Books of Chronicles but includes lessons from 1st Samuel to the end of the 2nd Chronicles. No one should take the place of God . The children of Israel in asking for a king to lead them like other nations despised God's leadership. Child of God where have you chosen to be like the other nations and despised God's leading? God can pick anyone to rule . The same God who chose Saul fired him and left him on the thr...

Day 130 Reading: 2 Chronicles 33:1 - 2 Chronicles 34:33 There is a force in the spirit realm that many today don't like hearing. Many people don't want to hear the word repentance. Repentance is a force that changes situations creating a turnaround. Repentance has been misconstrued to be a bad word conveying an impression of one having been so evil. When the word is mentioned it evokes an uneasy feeling that many today feel is not palatable to the time and age we live in. However, repentance is a key we need to see restored in the Kingdom of God. Remorse is not to be confused with repentance. Repentance goes further than remorse.  Remorse is to be filled with guilt and shame because of our actions or words. It a form of regret filled with sorrow. It may lead to tears however it doesn't lead to a change in character. Repentance, on the other hand, goes one step further. Repentance not only has regret but one also turns from their pattern making the choice and ac...