Daily Manna: Blessed And Highly Favoured

Wednesday 25, December 2013

TEXT: LUKE 1:27-33]

KEY VERSE: “And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28).

A Nigerian recently testified how God singled him out for divine favour. Years ago, while going for a World Conference on Applied Mathematics in Canada, he boarded a Nigerian airline, via London, where he would connect British Airways. It was his first trip outside Nigeria. By the time they arrived London, the British Airways had left and he was at a loss. A staff of the airline at the counter offered him assistance by booking him into a hotel with a meal ticket. Among all the passengers, he was the only person who had such a special privilege, as others slept at the airport.

Upon arrival in Canada, he found the weather terribly cold, while the queue at the registration point was something else, but a Canadian officer offered him unexpected help. He was given a big cup of tea and sandwiches. Everyone else watched speechlessly. The officer equally completed all his registration and got someone to lead him to where he would stay. Also at a government owned farm where the conference participants went for an excursion to see jumbo size cows, he could not sit on the grass because of the cold weather. Again, a white man spread his jacket for him to sit on. All throughout the journey, God singled him out for favour.

Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ had a unique divine favour. She was betrothed to Joseph, a just man. Our text pointed out that she was a virgin. God, who knows everyone’s heart, knew her spiritual state and consecration. So, He decided to bestow her uncommon favour, which she could not comprehend.

God can equally single you out for uncommon blessings. He gave Noah, Abraham and David, etc. a place in history. The same feat he can achieve in your life if only you hold on to your Christian conviction to the end.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: With God all things are possible.

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Daily Manna: Knowledge Of His Will

Thursday 26, December 2013

TEXT: COLOSSIANS 1:9-19

KEY VERSE: “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9).

Bilquis Sheikh shared with us her conversion and life experience in her book “I dare to call Him Father”. Bilquis was a devoted Muslim from a prominent family living in Pakistan in the 1960’s. In her deeper search into the Koran to find hope and meaning to life, she noticed the mention of Prophet Jesus and asked her maid to get her a Bible so she could read more about Him. This started her journey from Islam into the Christian faith. As she began to read the Bible, the Lord Jesus appeared to her to confirm what she was reading, a number of times. These experiences struck her such that she approached the local Christian missionary, Synnove Mitchell to learn more. Over the following weeks and months, God revealed to her that the Christ of the Bible is the true Hope for life here and hereafter. She got soundly converted and through rejection and persecution, the Lord made her life a strong testimony, demonstrating God’s ability to sustain all who would come to Him through Jesus Christ.

In our text today, Paul made two powerful requests for believers. The first is that God will fill the believer with the knowledge of His will. A deep and true knowledge of God’s word is essential for the spiritual health of all Christians. It is this knowledge that controls our thoughts, our habits and blossoms into a blessed Christian character. The second prayer is the result of the first that the believer will walk worthy of the Lord. Walking worthy of the Lord leads to bearing fruit in every good work, increasing in the full knowledge of God and living a thankful, God-honouring life.

All this begins with the knowledge of God’s will and word. The centrality of His will is that “The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9) and live a life worthy of the Lord in all purity and righteousness. How we need to heed the word of God in its entirety!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The Scripture will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the Scripture.

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