His Voice Devotional

 Text : Mark 10:47.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. The scripture is full of stories of mere men who became great men of valour and worth by seizing seemingly common occasions to rise to high positions.  Today, we shall begin a series that will look into the lives of these men in order to glean wisdom from them. JOSEPH Joseph was a young man who carried great destiny. He grew up like every regular person. His divine moment came almost unnoticed, but his habitual obedience to simple instructions helped him launched into his divine destiny. In Genesis 37:13 Jacob, Joseph's father called him and said, “Your brothers are tending the flock in Shechem. Come here, because I am going to send you to them.” “Here I am!” he responded. Joseph didn't know he wouldn't see his father again until over thirteen years later. His obedience to carry out his father's instruction paved way for him to ...

Text. : Hebrews 12:2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith: who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Today, we shall be taking a critical look at some of the key words from our text : LOOKING: This is a continuous tense which suggests that, what we are to do is not a one-off event. *For you to succeed as a Christian, you must continually fix your gaze upon Jesus. Keep looking unto Him. UNTO JESUS: it is very easy to look at something else other than Jesus. We live in a world full of distractions, where every thing is calling and demanding for your attention. Things like : facebook, whatsapp, Instagram, movies, parties, religious activities, friends, families, sports, career, business, pleasure, and the list is endless.  I know that quite a number of the things calling for our attention are truly legit, but even amidst it, we are to look unto Jesus because He is...

Text: Proverbs 4:22  "...For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh" God's word must be held unto firmly in order for it to yield desirable result.  The third factor that makes the word of deliver life and health to you is by not allowing the word to depart from your eyes.  For the word not to depart from your eyes, you must glean revelation and insights from it. Unless you receive revelation from God's word, it remains a mere information.  Proverbs 4:21 says "Let them (God's word) not depart from your eyes..."  One of the major gateways to your life are your eyes. When your eyes trap God's word by the reason of its singleness(focus), you reap the benefit of great and deep insight from it.   The writer of the book of Proverbs in chapter 23:26 talks about the son letting his eyes observe His ways. For your eyes to behold the wondrous things in the word of God, you must be very intentional about it. It takes your regular...

Text: Proverbs 4:22 "...For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh" Yesterday we saw how important it is to pay attention to God's words. When you pay attention to God's word, which is likened to a mirror, you'll certainly see your true self, thereby making it easy for you to make necessary adjustments in your life. (James 1:23) Today, we shall be looking at the second factor necessary for God's words to be life and health to your body. My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;_  2.  Incline your ear to God's sayings : In paying attention to God's words, the scriptures further stress what you need to do in order to reap the benefits of obedience.  You are to submit yourself to the authority of the word. Sometimes you find yourself arguing with God's words. This happens to you in a very subtle way.  For instance, God...

Text: Proverbs 4:22  *"...For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh"*  God's words have the power and potency to give you life and supply health, healing and cure to your body. When you devote yourself to the study of God's words like your necessary daily meal, you reap great rewards therein.  In anyway, *God's words are spiritual meal that guarantees your spiritual and physical wellbeing. Job said, "Neither have I gone back from the commandment of His lips; *I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food"* Job 23:12. There are few things you must do for God's words to become flesh(real and tangible)in your life and situations.  Proverbs 4:20-21 stated four(4) things you must do for God's words to be life and health to you. My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 1. Give attention to His wor...

Text : Psalms 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. When the Lord Himself is your shepherd, then you have everything you need. One of His responsibilities as your shepherd is to make you lie down in green pastures. Normally, sheep only lie down when they want to sleep or rest. But when the Shepherd makes them lie in green pastures, it suggests that the shepherd creates enclosures where the sheep can rest at night in safety, as well as eat. In this sense, the green pasture is a place for us to rest under the shepherd's (God's) watchful eye. That is, even while you are resting securely under the able watching guard of the Shepherd, you are also assured of adequate provision.  This is the kind of Shepherding the Lord provides for His own. In as much as you belong to His fold, you have absolutely nothing to worry about for He will always provide for your need. Note that He is the one doing the leading. The text says: "He (the Shepherd), ...

 Text : Proverbs 10:22. The blessing from the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow to it. Today, we shall continue our review of the life of Mr Elimelech and family in relations to their relocation to another country in order to glean some wisdom from it. One thing that was wrong about Elimelech's relocation was the place he moved to.  Now there came a time of famine while judges were ruling in the land of Israel. A man from Bethlehem of Judah, his wife, and his two sons left to live in the country of Moab. Ruth 1:1. The Moabites were historically regarded as the perpetual enemy of the Israelites, ("God's Chosen People") Now, of all the places Elimelech could take his family to, it has to be the camp of God's enemy. Note that Elimelech and his family were not the only family affected by the famine at that time, but they were the only one recorded to escape into a nation they were forbided not to. Somethings don't need prayers, they only need your ob...

Text : Proverbs 10:22. The blessing from the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow to it. Don't disdain or trade what you have for a fantasy or mirage you might never have. The pasture always look greener from a distance, but at a closer look, you may discover your field is actually greener.  The story was told of a man named Elimelech with his wife Naomi. The two were blessed with two goodly sons namely: Chilion and Mahlon respectively. They were Isrealites.  By the reason of the economic challenge Isreal was faced with at that time, this family decided to relocate to Moab.  Now there's nothing wrong in relocation, what is wrong is not asking from the Lord if that is His plan for you. Because as a good Father, He always have good plans for His children.  He says in Jeremiah 29:11 that He knows the plans He has for you, plans of good and not evil to give you hope and a future. Even here on earth, every well meaning Father has good plans for his children, ho...

 Text : Proverbs 10:22. The blessing from the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow to it. Everyone is looking for greener pasture, but the only one that can make you live in green pasture is the Lord. The rate at which people are migrating to the so called developed Countries is quite alarming.  From the word go, the fallen nature in man has always been in search of greener pasture. But the truth is, not very many actually found this GREENER pasture they frantically search.  To some, Ukraine was a GREENER pasture until few months now. Anyone who was denied visa to Ukraine about a year ago will have cause to be grateful to God now.  This is why it is essential to seek the face of God concerning every facet of your life and this include your choice of where to live. When Lot (Abraham's nephew) was told to make a choice of where he would like to settle, he simply chose the so called greener pasture of that time. Lot looked around and noticed that the whole Jo...

Text:1 Corinthian 10:32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God. If you carefully scan through our Bible Reading today (1Cor.10), you will see that Apostle Paul clearly outlined the need for you to live in such a way that people in your community are not offended by your behaviour, knowledge and lifestyle as a true child of God.  Today, we shall be looking at the three (3) communities the Lord is instructing you not to give offense to.   *Give no offense, either to (1) the Jews or to (2) the Greeks or to (3) the church of God* 1Cor. 10:32. Let's quickly look at how you can give offense before we look at the three communities.  The Amplified version of the Bible render the text verse thus;  _Do not let yourselves be [hindrances by giving] an offense to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God [do not lead others into sin by your mode of life];_ (Amp).  *If by your so called freedom and knowledge of God, you destr...

Text:1 Corinthian 10:32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God It is pertinent to know that human beings live within a community, and that we are interdependent beings. This knowledge of interdependence therefore calls for accountability on personal, corporate, direct or indirect levels.  You are directly or indirectly responsible and accountable to people within your family, workplace, worship place, community, the nation at large and essentially to God.  Ignorance of this responsibility and accountability is what leads to reckless living of "I don't care what people think or say about me". This principle of being your brothers' keeper must be well established amongst brethren within the church and the body of Christ. You must know that you owe your brother love. And paying this debt of love to your brethren, is ensuring that you do not offend them by your lifestyle and conversation.  Romans 13:8 says that you should *"Owe n...

Text :Proverbs 11:14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Joshua and the Israelites paid huge cost for accepting the men of Hivite (Gibeonites) without consulting the Lord. It was only after three days of making league with the Gibeonites that the Israelites found out that they have been deceived. (Joshua 9:16). In making critical life decisions, you must learn to consult widely and be patient. Don't always be in a hurry to jump into conclusion. Always seek the face of God before taking steps.  If Joshua had waited just three more days, he would have uncovered the lies of the Hivites. The Israelites lost this inheritance because they did not seek counsel from the Lord.  Another lesson the Lord would have us learn from this story is the need to live by our decisions. Today, you will hear many say they are coming out of their marriages simply because their partners have deceived them. This ought not to be so.  *You must ...

Text : Isaiah 11:3. His delight will be in the fear of the LORD. He won’t judge by what his eyes see, nor decide disputes by what his ears hear. It is natural for a natural man to judge based on what he sees and ears. But physical sight and ears are not true yardstick of judgement for a Spiritual man. Things are not always what they seem. Never take anything or anyone from the face level. Remember that the spiritual rules the physical, so don't live as just mere mortals.  A dramatic event happened in the book of Joshua chapter nine that we should glean wisdom from : After the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they took the initiative by preparing their provisions shrewdly: they took tattered sacks for their donkeys, worn-out, torn, and mended wineskins, worn-out, patched sandals for their feet, and worn-out clothes. All of their food was dried out and covered in mold. Then they approached Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and addressed him and the Israe...

Text : Psalms 119:11.  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Prevention they say  is better than cure. Sin will ultimately lead to death, yet sin can be prevented.Any wise man will do anything to prevent himself from any deadly disease, especially when such Prevention is in public domain. The Bible is full of the records of mere men like you and I who by the wisdom of God lived and prevented themselves from sin. Their stories were documented not so they could become tales by moonlight, but so we could be encouraged and learn how to live right. One of such men was the man Joseph. Obviously, his story was such a popular one but its inherent lessons are indeed ageless. A young man who had been betrayed by his own blood brothers and sold into slavery. Ordinarily, he should be a bittered fellow.  When Mrs Potiphar, tried to seduce him, it shouldn't really take much work before he would succumb considering the fact that he has a lot to enjoy. But...

Text : 2 Corinthians 5:21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Your true identity as a child of God is only found in Christ. Christ who knew no sin was made sin for us so we can be made righteous in Him. Now, it will be anomaly for you not to be in Christ and still claim to be righteous in God. Isaiah 64:6 says But we are all as an unclean thing, _and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Again, Romans 3:23 says *For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;* So it's clear that man in himself has no capacity to work out God's righteousness.  However, if we are God's children, we are expected to be righteous as our Father (God) is righteous. 1 Peter 1:16. This is a feat that can only be achieved when you are in Christ. To be in Christ is a full time occupation. IN HIM WE LIVE, WE MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEI...

Text : Matthew 5:6.  When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell down in front of him, It is wisdom to run to Him who has power to help you, infact, it is foolishness to hide from such. When Jesus demanded to know the name of the demon that possessed the popular mad man of Gadarene, in response, the demons said "Legion", for they were many. Mark 5:9. In military terms, a legion is a unit or division of the army, usually comprising up to 3000 to 6000 infantry soldiers.  So if we are to go by the least statistics, about 3,000 demons reside in this man alone. This explains why he can't be tamed. Mark 5:3-4. However, when this man saw Jesus (even though from a distance), the Bible says he ran towards Jesus. Now, this is a supposedly possessed man who wasn't really in control of his senses, yet he ran to Jesus.  While this man was running to Jesus, the demons were still inside him. That is, he ran to Jesus with his problems. He wasn't waiting for his problems to...

TEXT : Jeremiah 8:22  Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? One of the major signs that you have been healed from hurts is your willingness to become an healing agent yourself. If you have been healed, God expects you to become an agent of healing in your circle of influence and community at large. The demon-possessed man of the Gadarene did not just receive deliverance, but Jesus gave him a ministry to become a healing agent.  Though he desired to follow Jesus, but was asked to go to his friends. Mark 5:19 says "...Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." Jesus gave this man a ministry to go home to his friends to do 2 things: 1. Tell them what great things the Lord has done : The Lord would have you go to your circle of influence and tell them about the great t...

TEXT :  Jeremiah  8:22  Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? Today, we shall be looking at steps on how you can rise through the ladder of receiving healing from hurt, becoming healing agent and raising many other healing agents.   *1. Receiving Healing from hurt*  The man of Gadarene  received healing because he went through three major steps. Let us look at the three major steps this man undertook in Mark 5:6 before he was restored to sanity. a. He had a clear vision of Jesus: *The only physician who gives true and total freedom from hurts is our Lord Jesus Christ.* The scripture stated in Mark 5:6 that the possessed man of the Gadarene _"...saw Jesus from afar..."_  You need to have a clear picture of Jesus' presence in your life in order for you to be delivered from any form of hurt. Seeing Jesus in your situation takes a conscious setting of your heart and ...

TEXT : Jeremiah 8:22  Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? An interesting story about a possessed man of Gadarene in Mark chapter five revealed God's desire and design to bring healing to every hurting Soul.  The Lord is not just willing to heal you of your hurt, but He is much more willing to make you a healing agent as well. The possessed man of Gadarene had his dwelling among the dead in the tombs. No man could bind or chain him down. It was recorded about him that: _Because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones._ Mark 5:4-5. I quite believe that he must have hurt a number of people to the point that when he had none around to hurt again, he started hurting ...

Text : Ephesians 2:10   For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.  *We live in a hurting world. A number of people you see on the streets are wounded souls capable of wounding others.*  We have many children today who are been wounded emotionally, and psychologically by their wounded parents. This endless cycle of hurts is the devil's master plan to keep mankind in perpetual damaged state. A damaged, wounded parent will give birth to an innocent child, but because of his or her imbalanced state of mind, he ends up damaging and wounding this innocent child who will in turn grow up to be wounded parents ready to inflict injury on his or her children, either knowingly or unknowingly.  To break free from this vicious cycle, an encounter with Jesus is the only way out.  Regardless of how damaged you are and Regardless of who was responsible for the damage, once you encounter J...

Text: Hebrews  13:17  Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. One major and critical point to note in our text is that *it is unprofitable for you when you do not heartily allow the authority over your life to joyfully discharge his or her duty over you.*  When you do not submit to the authority placed over you, you are indirectly opposing the final authority over your life, which is God. Let us take for instance, how much it cost Korah, Dathan,  Abiram and their company for despising Moses' authority in the wilderness.   Korah, Dathan and Abiram had 250 princes with them who are famous and renown men in the congregation. They all gang up against Moses, denying his leadership over Israel. (Number 16:3). **The people that often disregard a leader's authority are those closest to him-*  "...

Text : Number 11:5  We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: God hates complaints and murmuring. Imagine,  He said He  will judge evil doers and He mentioned complainers among the list of these evil doers.  He will judge all people and convict everyone of all the ungodly things that they have done in such an ungodly way, including all the harsh things that these ungodly sinners have said about him.” These people are complainers and faultfinders, following their own desires. They say arrogant things and flatter people in order to take advantage of them. Jude 1:15 &16. It may be easy for you to judge the Isrealites for complaining over such mundane things like cucumber and garlic. But if you reflect well, you will see yourself doing the same thing. You, whom the Lord quickened after you have died in your trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:1. Shouldn't you be eternally gratef...

Text : Colossians 2:8. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Once you have confessed Jesus Christ as your Saviour and your Lord, it is very important that you allow Him lead you and determine every details of your life.  *Christ, and Christ alone is more than enough.*  When you stay on Christ, you no longer draw your life principles from the philosophy or traditions of men. Christ simply becomes your standard and yardstick in all that you do. So many people in the church today pray and hear God's words, but their day to day life are being guided by customs, traditions of men and rudiments of this world. They are  Saints in the church, but another thing entirely in their homes and places of work.  They've got different faces. It ought not to be so! These are the people that are "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowled...

Text : Colossians 2:8. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Apostle Paul strictly warned the colossian church to beware lest any of them be cheated through philosophy and empty deceit... On a norms, when you hear of someone being cheated, what readily comes to mind is cheating in material terms. But one major truth the Lord would have you come into today is that real cheating as far as God is concerned is first of all in Knowledge of God.  Any man that is lacking in God's knowledge is one whom you can refer to as being cheated in life. *No one can cheat a man who has truly discovered God's knowledge.* This is because such has found eternal life. And in eternal life, you have escaped the corruption of the enemy(the devil).  John 17:3 says, " And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You ...

Text : Colossians 2:8. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. There are knowledge, philosophies, customs, behaviours, beliefs, values, traditions, principles, habits that are passed down from one generation to another; and all of these have characterized the lifestyle and way of life of humankind all over the world. Now, when you come to Christ, He wants to give you a brand new lifestyle and way of life. When you are trapped in between your earthly culture and Christ culture, you will not be able to enjoy all the offerings of Christ for your life. Though coming to Christ (that is, being born again) should automatically terminate your old lifestyle in order to unveil Christ's new lifestyle in you, but many Christians' experience is not portraying this reality. It is clearly stated in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new...

Text : 1Corinthians 13:4. Love is always patient; love is always kind; love is never envious or arrogant with pride. Nor is she conceited.  *Love is not just a feeling or emotions, it is a being. Love is not so much about what we do, but who we are.* I John 4:8 says God is love, so anyone who doesn't have God cannot truly love.  In reality, no natural man can satisfy all the characteristics of love as enumerated in 1 Cor. 13:4-13.  It's only a man who has surrendered his life to God through Christ that can truly fulfill the demands of love.   *Love is patient :* One proof of patience in your life is how slow you are to getting angry. King James version of 1Cor.13:4 says love suffers long. That is, patience in this regard is your ability to suffer long (especially the inadequacies of men). *Patience talks about your ability to endure without losing your cool and calmness.*   *Love is kind :* The International standard Version of 1 Cor. 13:4 says love is...

Text : John 14:27  I’m leaving you at peace. I’m giving you my own peace. I’m not giving it to you as the world gives. So don’t let your hearts be troubled, and don’t be afraid. The Lord of Peace Himself left us His peace, so be encouraged, if you have Jesus, you have more than enough. This world offers some kind of peace in a way, *be rest assured that whatever peace this world offers will always be temporal.* There's no lasting Peace in this world . The only lasting Peace there is, can only come from the Prince of Peace Himself. Isaiah 9:6. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 says *Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means* .  Because He is the Lord of Peace, the owner and custodian of true Peace. He can command your peace, your wellbeing to come from any quarter, regardless of protocols. This is why He said in Proverbs 16:7 that when the way of a man pleases the Lord, He will make his enemy to be at peace with him. Your take in this matter is to ensure that your way...

Text : Proverbs 14:12. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.  *Except for a mentally deranged person, people take decisions because they believe it's right. However, the best of man's decisions without God is folly.*  Man is full of ways. At different junctures of our lives,  we map out ways of how things should be done. And we pursue same with vigour and zest. Man's ways are his ideas and ideologies, which are expressed in his daily activities.  Logical and beautiful as man's idea may appear, if it's not birth by God, it will ultimately ends in death. Jeremiah 10:23 says,  O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Since the fall of man, man has lost capacity to order his steps correctly in life. This is why Psalms 37 verses 23 and 24 says, *A man’s steps are established by the LORD, and the LORD delights in his way.*   *Though he stumbles...

Text :Isaiah 41:10  Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Fear is one of the major weapons the devil uses to capture many folks as prey.  When you search through the scriptures, anytime God's angel appear to anyone, and the person is fearful, the first thing the angel will say to that person is 'FEAR NOT!' The scripture says in 1 John 4:18 that, *"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear hath torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love."*  This therefore means that there is no fear in God. God does not want his children to be afraid of anything because fear is a tormentor.  In this new month, God is promising to do three(3) things for you while you have the responsibility to do just one.  God said that He will:  *1.Strengthen you:* This means that you are weak and you are in nee...