Divine Encounters

Day 211 Reading: Lamentations 3:1 - Lamentations 5:22 A friend sent me a message after reading this blog a few days ago stating that the reason many cannot pray is all the issues people are facing. This friend continued to explain that one cannot focus on anything else when they are dealing with the challenges of life. As I read today's portion of Scripture my friends' words were ringing in my mind. We all feel as though God has forgotten us when we are going through challenges. Reading the Word of God gives one hope. Jeremiah stated that he had hope and for specific reasons. Firstly, Jeremiah understood that God's compassion does not fail and results in His mercies being new on a daily basis. I don't know what mountain or giant is boasting in front of you that is making you feel hopeless and helpless. I have good news for you. You have a reason to hope that your situation will work out better than expected. You have a reason of the hope that a miracle with...

Day 200 Reading: Jeremiah 15:1 - Jeremiah 17:27 As I woke up I had a restlessness in my spirit. As I drove to work I travailed in prayer for I knew that God desires to do something great in our generation. We live in a day and age where the world has forgotten God. We don't seem to have any sense of God in the world today. However, I have news that if God is God the tables are about to be turned.  God is about to release His vengeance on the world. The world is about to see manifestations of God's power like never before. I don't know about you but I am already for God to come and change the order in the world. For too long God has been relegated to the back and even kicked out of the scene. However, God is raising a new generation of children who will show off His glory and power.  God is about to remember His children who seem forgotten. The world has mocked you asking where now is your God? I tell you to get ready for the day of vengeance is nigh. Prepar...

Day 199 Reading: Jeremiah 12:1 - Jeremiah 14:22 In business, the entrepreneur seeks to maximise revenue against low expenses to make a decent profit. The way in which investors seek information about a company they have invested in is an example of how God also looks at us to see where His investment in us is going. A shareholder will not be paid a dividend if the profits in the company are not good. The share price also gets affected fluctuating with the performance and the perceived future of a company. God has shares in us and we have a responsibility as the CEO's of our lives to run profitably to the glory of God. Jeremiah is asked not to pray for his nation by God. The reason was that the people had forsaken God. God stated that the people of Israel were not profitable people. God had invested much in them however they didn't give Him any returns. The land He gave them they had polluted it with idolatry and the people had forsaken Him. This is the state of man...

Day 196 Reading: Jeremiah 1:1 - Jeremiah 3:25 Welcome to the Book of Jeremiah. I pray that as we start this book that your life will rise to new heights as you walk with God. Jeremiah begins with you and me being introduced to the call of God over him. We see the discussion between God and Jeremiah. This portion of scripture for me is very pertinent to my destiny. This scripture has spoken to me for many years as God has used it to encourage me to do His work.  God's conversation with you today begins with His proclamation that before you were born He already had ordained your purpose. No one is born by accident. You are not a mistake. It doesn't matter how you arrived here, God knew of your arrival and He had a plan for you. Live with the confidence that God has a plan for you! Locate the plan to secure His backing. We all have excuses when sent by God. Jeremiah gave the same excuse as Moses. They both stated that they were not eloquent. However, God overruled...

Day 165 Reading: Psalms 141:1 - Psalms 150:6 The Book of Psalms is filled with promises that release the power of praise. I have every reason to praise God. God is the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth Genesis 1:1 . He is the Author of my life Genesis 2:7 . God is the one who is able to save Psalms 103:1-5 . I praise God because His thoughts about me are uncountable Psalms 139:17 . God is mindful of me Psalms 8:5-8 . God cares so much for me that He set a crown on my head. I know maybe my life doesn't look like it has a crown however like David I will yet praise God because even if Goliath boasts I know who I represent and praise Jehovah. As I praise Him I see His power displayed.  When I praise God His power is displayed because praise enthrones God in our lives Psalms 22:3 . Many times we go through situations where the enemy seeks to be enthroned. All we talk and think when in the valley is about that which is a shadow of death. However, remember that though you ...

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 128 Reading: 2 Chronicles 26:1 - 2 Chronicles 29:36 God desires the very best for our lives. This desire is continually expressed in the Bible. The promises of God are sure and certain. Understand that you were not born for failure, sickness or pain. Joy, peace, successful, prosperous are words we use to describe how we would like our lives to be viewed as. God is more than willing for us to have His best. The question is are we willing to meet the requirements God has placed for us to enjoy His benefits. Today we look at 3 kings who were great before God.  Uzziah became king when his father Amaziah died. His father had waged war and brought the gods of the Edomites to be worshipped. Just imagine how ridiculous Amaziah was. He worshipped the gods of the people he just defeated. His son, Uzziah was different. He sought God and as long as the king sought God he was assured of prosperity. There is a lesson to learn here that we need to understand that as long as we ar...

Day 120 Reading: 1 Chronicles 24:1 - 1 Chronicles 29:30 Success is not a coincidence. No one who is termed successful did it by chance. Success is a result of good decisions towards a goal. Success requires a system in place to enable the goal to become a reality. Reading through the passages of Scripture for today's reading I realised that many times I have assumed success would just happen. I don't know why we sometimes think this way, however, I have today reinforced it within myself that I can only be successful if I am willing to have systems in place that run a well-oiled machine to fulfil the vision within. Put people in the right place and they will function well. David had systems in place to govern the land. He oversaw appointments that ensured the worship of God was coordinated well and that had leaders appointed to various tasks. Every department of governance was overseen by a capable person. Appointments were not dished just because you were born or h...

Day 118 Reading: 1 Chronicles 17:1 - 1 Chronicles 20:8 Do you know that God speaks? Yes, He does. God desires the best for you and me. When God speaks it is for our good. Once God has spoken we have a responsibility. That responsibility is to pray the promise into manifestation. God cannot fail in delivering His promises. God promises and delivers on the promise. The question then is why do we not see the promise fulfilled? Saul was anointed by God to become king and yet he never fulfilled the expectations. David on the other hand is regarded as the greatest king of Israel ever.  David on being established as the king and having secured his kingdom desired to build a house for God. He couldn't stand staying in a palace whilst God was in a tent. He expressed his desire to the prophet Nathan who tells him to do as he desires. However, that night God speaks to the prophet and sent him to David. David was instructed not to build as his son would build the House of God...

Day 117 Reading: 1 Chronicles 14:1 - 1 Chronicles 16:43 Every pain we experience in life has a termination date. Nothing was ever made to last forever. That stinking situation that has made your life hell was never meant to last. Please before you read further speak to that situation and announce to it that it is being terminated. Every troubling situation has an expiry date. If man-made products expire why should issues on earth last a lifetime? God didn't create you and me for trouble. We were born to reign. Remember that in the beginning, God spoke light into darkness Genesis 1:3. The beginning of your turnaround is with your words. Speak light to terminate darkness. The Philistines were not happy that David whom they had sheltered while Saul was seeking to kill him was now their rival. They must have thought now that David was king they would have an alliance of some sort. Time to cohabit with the enemy was over. They weren't going to have a party together. ...

Day 116 Reading: 1 Chron. 11:1 - 1 Chron. 13:14 Who surrounds you? What makes those around you tick? Why should anyone follow you? Reading today's portion of scripture I was challenged on various aspects of being a leader sent by God. David emulated a style of leadership that turned worthless men to great champions. What may we learn from David's leadership in this passage? Firstly, David loved God. The Word declares that God was with David. He on becoming the King sought for the Ark of the Covenant to be brought to Jerusalem because the children of Israel had not inquired of it. David understood that the Ark was important to maintain the covenant with God. Is God with you in your leading? Secondly, David was surrounded by different skillsets. He had men who were giant killers. He also had men who understood timing. The sons of Issachar had an understanding of the times. They understood seasons and timings of seasons. It's important to be surrounded by peop...

Day 115 Reading: 1 Chron. 6:1 - 1 Chron. 10:14 Reading through the first ten chapters of 1st Chronicles can be tedious if one is not keen to understand why the genealogy is listed. Why would God's Word have the genealogies of many written out? As I pondered on this I realised a few things. Firstly, the world today is filled with doubters, agnostics, apologists, atheists and every kind of person who has some belief or none existence of belief in God. The genealogy is written to show that God is a God of plan, order and continuity. God is not haphazard in His ways. The book begins with a listing from Adam to the sons of Abraham. From the Creator's first man to the Creator's new man for a new beginning of a nation. We see God listing the genealogy from Adam to Abraham. Adam was created first by God. Abraham would be used to create God's nation. God desires to show us in these first chapters that He is a God of process and order.  Secondly, within the genea...

Day 96 Reading: 1 Kings 1:1 - 1 Kings 2:46 Welcome to the book of 1st Kings. As the name suggests we will see ourselves introduced to different reigns of kings in Israel gleaning from them truths about the Kingdom of God. I commend you for being faithful in keeping up with your diligent study of the Word of God. David in his old age encounters a challenge many leaders deal with as they age. The issue of succession is one that in many societies is not dealt with properly. We find today many elderly people don't have a will and even where there is a will it is challenged in court. Every leader needs to understand the power of planning their own succession. Failing to plan your own succession is to leave people without direction. David by not intending to enforce this principle by appointing a successor created a problem. Adonijah was a son of David. He followed Ammon and Absalom and since both were dead he ascribed to himself the role of heir to the throne. Without c...

Day 95 Reading: 2 Sam. 23:1- 2 Sam. 24:25 Trouble is never far from our lives. Daily our lives seem to move from handling one issue to another. Every day we seem to have something that is a bother and needs divine intervention. I like saying to those without challenges please enjoy the mountaintop because you will soon be in the valley as you scale another mountaintop or to climb higher you need to push harder and that is not an easy task. Over the last few days, we have been introduced to a giant of faith namely David. David had his fair share of troubles. We have had the opportunity to look at his life from a young age when we saw him get anointed to when he becomes king. Throughout this time we have seen David display his strengths and weaknesses. The purpose is to teach us the ways of God. I don't want to be the believer who hears of God's acts, I want to understand His ways that my life may be a fragrance of the acts of God.  As we draw a close to the life of ...

Day 94 Reading: 2 Sam. 21:1 - 2 Sam. 22:51 One of my joys, as I'm reading through the Bible, is the way am learning new things. I have read the Bible many times, however, this year the Word of God has become more real to me. God in His Word has become real to me in ways I cannot explain. His Word is alive in me. I pray that this blog is causing you to hunger for the Word of God.  Over and over in the Bible, we are introduced to different characters. I love looking to see what made God choose a person. Why would He use Abraham? Many say they are children of Abraham, however, they don't know why God chose him. God chose Abraham because he would teach his children the commandments of God. It wasn't because of an offering. Abraham could be trusted by God to teach his children the ways of God, to do righteousness and justice Genesis. 18:19 . What made God use David? We have seen how David was forgiving and also how he was quick to repent. He feared God.  One m...

Day 93 Reading: 2 Sam. 19:1 - 2 Sam. 20:26 The Bible is not a fantasy book. The Bible is full of principles that point towards the culture of the Kingdom of God. Don't read the Bible just to read stories. Study the Word to learn the ways of God. Imbibe the Word of God that you may become the manifestation God desires and designed you to be.  David while mourning for Absalom was reminded of the importance of not letting personal issues becloud the good of the majority. Joab told him that he needed to congratulate the warriors who had fought valiantly even though he had lost a son. Every leader needs to understand the importance of putting aside personal challenges and issues to maintain the good of everyone else. As a leader, you have to be careful that you don't allow personal matters to distract you from seeing the good others are doing for it can be costly to you and others as well.  David was a forgiving person. Shimei insulted the king as he fled from Absa...