Divine Encounters

Day 217 Reading: Ezekiel 22:1 - Ezekiel 23:49 God's eyes are seeking for a person that He may show Himself strong on their behalf 2 Chronicles 16:9. Many today live without the realisation that God is watching. He is not only watching to weigh our actions. God is watching to see where your heart is regarding all the pain in the world. There is a gap between the will of God and that which many are doing. That gap is concerning to God for He created us for a specific purpose and when we are off that plan we require remedial action. As an Architect looks at the progress of the building and compares to the plan to see any gaps God also does the same. We are also expected to look at the gaps and in this looking at the gaps we have a responsibility towards building right.  God's concern with the gap between the status of mankind and where He ordained for humanity causes Him to grieve. God has made a way through which we are to deal with the gap we see. How do you deal wi...

Day 193 Reading: Isaiah 58:1 - Isaiah 60:22 Many people fast these days. Fasting is actually a dieting fad called intermittent fasting. Fasting without prayer may lead to weight loss however, it will not move God. Prayer accompanied with fasting brings results. If you have never fasted but you pray I urge you to add fasting and devote that day to seeking the face of God.  There is a fast that God has chosen. It is the fast that brings God to the scene. The actions accompanying this fast are not a religious prayer. The fast God delights in is one where we share our bread with those who don't. Don't just skip a meal and save the money, feed the hungry with it. The fast chosen by God also sees one bring the poor indoors to be cared for; it also sees the person clothe the naked one. Naked is not just in terms of wearables but also naked in different facets of life. Cover the person whom you see naked and as you do remember Noah whose son saw him naked and talked about ...

Day 188 Reading: Isaiah 38:1 - Isaiah 42:25 Every human being needs to breathe to live. There is an aspect of our walk with God that is akin to breathing. It's called prayer. Without prayer a believer is lifeless. Prayer enables one to see the Life-Giver in action. When one breathes oxygen is taken in and it is distributed in the blood to the body. When you exhale carbon dioxide you are expelling death out of the body. Prayer is taking in the air of God and exhaling that which is the agenda of death. To breathe the life of God and see its fruit in our lives we need to understand the place and importance of prayer. Hezekiah understood the power of prayer. When told of his impending death, he cried to God in prayer, reminding God of his service to Him and the result was a life extension. Prayer will see death turned around.  Prayer ties you to God. Prayer is the avenue through which one receives the grace and strength that God gives. Without prayer, we cannot see God...

Day 187 Reading: Isaiah 35:1 - Isaiah 37:38 When God repeats a matter 3 times there must something He is emphasising to us. Today's portion of scripture contains the story of King Hezekiah and his encounters with the king of Assyria Sennacherib. We find a record of this encounter in 2 Kings chapters 18 and 19. The same encounter is also given to us in 2 Chronicles 32. To find it here again made me ponder what is God is emphasising in this matter. Firstly, the enemy doesn't rest at attacking anyone. He may go away for a period but not forever. Learn that your enemy will always return to seek to make you captive. The enemy desires to draw you away from worshipping God. The enemy's desire is that you stop trusting God. Secondly, God is able to fight for us. As Hezekiah cried to God, Isaiah was prophesying the death of Sennacherib. When Sennacherib went to take Jerusalem, he blasphemed against God mocking the altar of the Living God. God doesn't need an arm...

Day 183 Reading: Isaiah 22:1 - Isaiah 25:12 Inside the wardrobe in your home are different types of robes that you wear. Each is suited to a particular purpose. You don't wear a dressing gown to the office. God promises to dress us in the appropriate robe for our purpose. In the midst of the judgement that the earth is facing God is about to dress men and women for the task at hand.  The robe of God comes with its blessings and responsibility. Upon your shoulder is the 'key of David'. This key is not a physical key though it will give you access to dimensions in the physical that you wouldn't have had without it. This key is what made David have victories that were not of the ordinary. What is this key? Before discussing what it is, notice it is placed on shoulders. That implies it must be carried and comes with responsibility.  David firstly was a worshipper. The change of attire that you are about to undergo will see you enter a new realm that is tied...

Day 152 Reading: Psalms 21:1 - Psalms 30:12 Answered prayer is one of the most intriguing issues of the believer's walk with God. To some, it looks like hit and miss. God delights in granting our desires. God desires that we come to the place where answered prayer is normal. God loves us so much that He desires we experience bountiful harvests of His goodness. God desires to meet us with blessings of goodness and set a crown of pure gold upon our lives Psalms  21:3. Effective prayer is made with understanding. Prayer is effective when it hits the target. When we receive answers to prayer it is a result of effective prayer. Prayer is never complete without praise. Praise precedes and envelopes prayer. Prayer made with the understanding that God establishes His throne through praise will position one to be effective in prayer Psalms 22:3. When one walks with the revelation of who God is to them and His desire for them prayer becomes easy. David understood that the Go...

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 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 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 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 30:1 - 2 Chronicles 32:33 Certain things are constant in life. One of them is that as long as you live on earth you will need to learn the art of warfare. Life as a friend told me is not fanfare but warfare. Life is a battle and the enemy will do anything to ensure you are not winning. The Bible has many testimonies of victory in warfare when the children of God have encountered the enemy.  Hezekiah not only restored worship in the temple by opening the doors he also had the people celebrate Passover. The Passover was instituted to be celebrated yearly, yet this had not happened as commanded. The nation had not celebrated Passover from the reign of Solomon a timeline of about 200 years had passed. The children of Israel had not enjoyed the blessings of celebrating the Passover one of them being that the nation would be reminded of the power of God in delivering them from captivity.  Sennacherib arrives in the land of Judah with on...