Divine Encounters

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 150 Reading: Psalms 1:1- Psalms 10:18 The Book of Psalms is a collection of prayers, songs, instructions covering a large array of topics. You can find a verse dealing with every situation in life in the Book of Psalms.  Within the psalms is wisdom for living. The Psalms are authored by different people from Moses to King David and Asaph the leader of worship in the temple.  As you read the psalms they not only encourage you by offering answers to questions but the psalms are also great at helping one develop a lifestyle of worship. Reading the psalms in the morning helps focus one on God.  The Book of Psalms begins with a psalm containing instructions to being a blessed person. God desires that you be blessed in every area of life. God desires that we walk with Him wholly to be able to access the best of what He has assigned to us. Reading through the Psalms you will get provoked to draw closer to God.  Reading through the first 10 Psalms no...

Day 119 Reading: 1 Chronicles 21:1 - 1 Chronicles 23:32 Dear Son, I know that this sounds strange that I have chosen to write to you. Especially when I could have called and told you what I want to say to you. This letter is not to criticise you but to encourage you of the great days that lie ahead for you. I had a conversation with God and heard things about you that astounded me. I was blown away thinking of the many things that God has in store for you. No matter what you are seeing I have news for you: God has great exciting plans for you. I told God about my dream to build a temple of worship for Him. I can't understand why we have allowed God to dwell in a tent while we have built cities for our people. Yes, I know that whatever we build cannot contain Him, however, I believe we are responsible for building the best for God. If anything, all our enemies worship their idols in magnificent buildings why worship God in some dilapidated building of a tent.  A...

Day 61 Reading: Deut. 32:1- Deut. 34:12 God can see where you and I cannot. He knows the future and not just the present. Towards the end of Deuteronomy Chapter 31, God summons Moses and Joshua and there advised Moses that the people would one day walk away from serving Him. I can't imagine the challenge for Joshua. He had to ensure that this prophecy would not be fulfilled in his time. For Moses, it also was a warning to ensure that the people are aware that God can see their actions and he as the leader would ensure that he took every step to avert this. The song of Moses is the warning to the people. 'Lord may my words be heard in the heavens and earth. May my words be Your Words. Let my teaching be as rain; may my speech distil as dew does to the ground. May I proclaim Your Name.' This is my prayer that I am one whose teaching will result in rain to the life of the listener or reader. I don't teach to show off but to communicate the knowledge of the glo...

Day 52 Reading: Deut. 3:1- Deut. 4:49 Moses recounts the past victory against Og, the king of Bashan illustrating that God had indeed given victory over the inhabitants and enemies of the children of God. Here we also learn that this king was a giant. Don't ever be surprised that before you enter the land you deal with a giant. Moses in going over the journey from Egypt to where they were was also to encourage Joshua. Moses is constantly told to encourage and strengthen Joshua. 'Charles, you must not fear them, for God is the one who contends for you.'  Ever felt as though there is a prayer God doesn't answer. God does answer though the answer may not be the one we desire.  Moses desired to enter the land and prayed. From the response God gave him, its obvious Moses prayed about this matter many a time. However, God wouldn't grant his petition.  Obedience is key to possessing the land. It will only go well with me when I walk in obedience to God. I ...

Day 51 Reading: Deut. 1:1- Deut. 2:37 Welcome to Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Bible and the last book written by Moses. Almost forty years had passed from when they left Egypt. What should have taken 13 days they took 40 years. An entire generation was wiped out because of unbelief and doubt. They didn't believe God had the best interests of them possessing the land and doubted His ability to give them the land. The evil report of 10 spies magnified giants in their ears that they doubted God's capacity to give them victory in possessing the land. Deal with every area of unbelief and doubt for it is the reason stopping you from entering the land of promise. God hates stagnation and as we begin studying this book I believe that God is going to move us into the promised land. Say bye bye to the mountain that you have gone around for long. See the land of promise that God has given you. Horeb means the desert or place of solitude. God appeared to Moses on this mo...

Day 49 Reading: Num. 31:1 - Num. 33:56 God is a God of vengeance. Don't take it upon yourself to be vengeful. God will deal with it. The Midianites had joined Moab in trying to get Balaam to curse the children of Israel -see Numbers 22:3-7. Earlier we saw that the children of Israel committed harlotry by sleeping with the women of Moab. God had instructed Moses to harass the Midianites for seducing the children of Israel to sin and for listening to Balaam.  Balaam dwelt in the land of the Midianites. When it was time to harass the Midianites the children of Israel were given instructions, however, there were underlying expectations such as kill everyone. They went to war and killed every man. The women were captured. Note that Balaam was killed also. Today we need to remove everything that is a vehicle of the seduction spirit that carries one away from God. One remarkable thing about the war against the Midianites was that the children of Israel did a head count an...

Day 48 Reading: Num. 27:1 - Num. 30:16 God is a God of justice. Many today seek what is fair however many times they never get what justice has for them. The inheritance laws were clear about who would possess what. They seemed fair however the daughters of Zelophehad didn't think they were just. The Law didn't have a just settlement for where there was no male figure in a family. They questioned whether the law was inadvertently writing off the name of the family and his lineage because he didn't have boys. God's response is just and fair. A balance that is difficult to get in today's law systems.  The succession of leadership is important to God. Moses knew he wouldn't go into Canaan and sought God for a shepherd for the people. He didn't seek just for a leader but a shepherd. As a leader learn to wait on God on everything. Yes, Joshua was with Moses and it could have been easy to assume that he should take over, however, Moses asked God for d...

Day 44 Reading: Num 15:1- Num. 17:13 I just love the way God deals with His children. The children of Israel had just been rebuked for not believing God and in judgement, God had stated that only those below 20 would enter Canaan. They then tried to enter where God had said they wouldn't enter and they were beaten by nations that should have been fodder for them. At such a time God begins to give instructions about the offering they would offer in the land He would give them. God immediately began training the next generation that would possess the land. May I not miss my season that I spend my years preparing those who will enter where I should have entered. I know we leave in a dispensation that says God is a God of a second chance, however, we need to be willing and obedient to go the way of the Lord not by our own reckoning but by the leading and prompting of God.  The Law teaches us various aspects of God. Moses was given instruction on the law regarding unintent...

Day 43 Reading: Num. 12:1- Num. 14:45 Complaining will bring trouble. Make matters worse by not only complaining but also comparing yourself with those who are your leaders and think of yourself as their equals. Miriam and Aaron didn't understand the relationship between God and Moses.  Yes, Moses' wife was not an Israelite, she was black, however, that was not a reason to bring about an attack against your deliverer.  Secondly, they saw themselves as being able to lead the children of Israel. Just because God has used you isn't room to attack a leader. This is one of the worst manifestations of the religious spirit which seeks to usurp the true order of God.  Moses was known as a humble guy. There is no comment or indication that he cried to God about the insurrection of Miriam and Aaron. Instead, the Bible says, God heard the conversation and He instantly sought to resolve. Insurrection against God-ordained leadership will bring consequences that are d...

Day 42 Reading: Num. 9:1- Num. 11:35 Learn to walk in divine authority. Moses spoke to men who were troubled that they wouldn't be able to take part in the Passover. The men seemed agitated. Moses gave an instruction 'Stand Still', i.e. stop all you are doing and wait for an answer from God. Develop an intimacy with God that when you speak it is authoritatively the mind and heart of God regarding any matter. The response of God to Moses and by extension the children of Israel shows that God never wants us to miss on having the blessings He has ordained. Whatever the reason that may have hindered your not receiving at the appointed time would not mean that you cannot partake of the feast of the Lord the following month.  Twice we read that the entire camp only moved when the Pillar of Cloud of glory that rested above the Tabernacle moved. This is consistently mentioned from Exodus that they moved only when the Pillar of Cloud moved. Charles, learn to move only w...

Day 40 Reading: Num. 5:1- Num. 6:27 Do whatever God instructs. That is obedience. Remove whatever is displeasing to God from your life. Whatever or whoever is causing discharge from your life that contaminates your faith should be far from you and I. I do realise that in today's dispensation some will say that they have nothing to do to walk with God, however, God won't come and move your feet away from a place sin. You go runnings and that is an instruction from your brain to your feet in obedience to the Word of God to walk in purity. I found it interesting that after Moses tells the children of Isreal to remove every leper from the camp God then speaks on restitution. The law was not just about worshipping God but also about relating right. God desires that we not only are in right standing with Him but also with others. I realised that first God began by clearing whoever may bring defilement to the camp before not dealing with relationships. Restitution is a fo...

Day 39 Reading: Num. 3:1- Num. 4:49 As I read through the Bible my heart is being convicted afresh of my service to God. I was created to serve God's pleasure. To bring pleasure to Him in my service is to be my utmost desire and lifelong duty. Aaron lost two sons who were childless for having served a strange fire. Be careful that in serving God you don't serve a strange fire bringing a curse to yourself of not only of death but also not having a posterity. As a priest, we are called to serve the needs of the High Priest and the people. These are two services which today is rarely fulfilled by many believers. Don't become the believer who only wants to serve their own needs before God. You and I are called to serve the High Priest and the people.  When the census took place every male was counted from 20 years of age. However, for the Levites, God instructed that from a month old every male was to be counted. The principle of redemption is displayed in the ...

Day 31 Reading: Lev. 8:1- Lev. 11:47 The month of January ends today. Thank You Lord for Your mercies that have sustained me. I am looking forward to great days ahead.  Start everyday by consecrating yourself to God. Learn to allow God to point areas that need to be consecrated-given- to Him. This is a daily walk where each day God will reveal more of Himself making one desire the need to grow into the fullness of what God has ordained. Moses would begin the process of consecration by washing the priests. Now I know why they say cleanliness is next to godliness.  Consecration into the office of God's calling is to be taken seriously. Too many times we take our roles lightly in that we don't see ourselves as sent by God in those roles. Take each role with a heavenly perspective and the brevity of consecration will be easy. Consecration is not for bishops and prophets. Every person has a role and we should be consecrated into them. Every husband and wife should en...

Day 28 Reading: Ex. 38:1- Ex. 40:38 Stewardship is another principle of God that runs through the bible. God expects us to be good stewards of His resources. An accounting system of all that was given was set up to give a proper account of all the resources that were given for the work. Transparency in the resources given to the work of God will lead to people trusting the work as wholesome not a corrupt idea.  Let your day begin with a meeting with God. God instructs Moses to set up the Tabernacle on the first day of the first month in the second year after leaving Egypt. The month of liberty would be the month they would set up the Tabernacle. My liberty is connected to my worship of God. The Tabernacle was to be dedicated to God most importantly.  The set up of the Tabernacle would enable the perosn on entering to sacrifice with a burnt offering which is a place of confession. They would then move to the lavar for cleansing. The priest would then move to th...

Day 27 Reading: Ex. 35:1- Ex. 37:29 God gives generously and thus instructed Moses on the offering to be received from the children of Israel towards the building of the tabernacle. God's condition was a willing heart. Learn to give willingly. Learn to give not under compulsion from sweet words spoken to loosen your purse strings. The offering that God required was specific. God will always instruct on what to give. Those who came to give were both willing and stirred to give to God. Giving requires a willing heart. Lord, may my heart be that of a giver.  The people gave so much it was more than enough. Today we rarely see believers give more than enough. I believe one of the reasons why this is the case is because God's people are not where they ought to be in financial terms. I find today that many of us believers are dealing with debt which has made many slaves to serving money to service bills. Another reason I believe we see so much lack in the giving of...