₦airaland Forum

A Lesson in Success Management: How Not to Make Yourself Susceptible to Attacks

Soon after Rehoboam had control of his kingdom, he and everyone in Judah stopped obeying the Lord. So in the fifth year of Rehoboam’s rule, the Lord punished them for their unfaithfulness and allowed King Shishak of Egypt to invade Judah. – 2 Chronicles 12:1-2 (CEV)

This passage offers us an insight on how to make yourself impregnable and not vulnerable to enemies’ attacks. According to the passage, Rehoboam, king of Judah, got to a point in his reign when he felt he didn’t need God anymore. So he started to do things his own way and disregarded God and His laws. It didn’t take him long to discover he had made a terrible mistake, as another king from another country invaded Rehoboam’s kingdom with devastating effects.

This is a lesson for us in success management. No matter how big or high and mighty we become, we should never get to a point that we feel we can do without God or that we have all the answers. At the start of his reign, Rehoboam contended with an insurrection that divided the nation of Israel into two nations, leaving him with a paltry two out of the 12 tribes to govern. In the heat of this, he must have been a regular face at the temple and a prayer warrior of a sort pleading with God not to subject him to shame, as he could have ended with no kingdom at all.

Even before he became king, Rehoboam might have been very devoted to God praying earnestly that he would be the one to succeed Solomon, his father, among the numerous sons he had. Meanwhile, once he became king and survived the civil war, Rehoboam abandoned God and started doing things contrary to God’s counsel. And this made God remove the hedge of protection He had cast around him all this while, which had helped him to become king and survive the rebellion.

Immediately that hedge was removed, Shishak, the king of Egypt, saw the vast resources that were in Judah and mobilised his army to invade the land. He carted away all the treasures and gold that Solomon his father had amassed for years and left the land empty (2 Chronicles 12:9-10). But for Rehoboam’s sins, Shishak or any other enemy would have remained blind to the treasures in Judah. Sin exposes.

But for Rehoboam’s disregard for God, he and his people would have continued to live in peace, with no external aggression whatsoever. But, because he allowed his success to get into his head, and thus started feeling he could handle anything and had no need of God, he became exposed, vulnerable and inadvertently opened up himself, his people and his land to the invasion of the enemies.

We ought to learn from his example, and note that no matter how successful we become, or how secure we feel, there can never be any substitute for God.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/the-bank-of-time/
https://daily-dew.com/how-to-sustain-success/
https://daily-dew.com/a-greater-power-watching/

Today we will meditate on the reason you are qualified for divine aid from God.

For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.
– Hebrews 2:16

The challenges of life can be burdensome and appear unbearable. Even the smartest, the richest, or the strongest of men needs help from time to time, as no one knows it all, has it all or can do it all.

There are certain situations of life that are beyond our natural ability; in such cases, we need to rely on supernatural aid. Aid is defined as ‘financial or material assistance; anything done or provided that assists somebody or something.’ The synonyms of aid include assistance, help, support, relief, encouragement, service, and succour. These surely sound like things that any human can make do of irrespective of their age, race, background, academic qualification or societal status.

In the passage above, the Bible offers us an insight on who is eligible to receive divine help. We are told that divine aid is not meant for the angels, but humans; more appropriately, the seed of Abraham are the veritable candidates for divine aid. The good news is that it is humans who need aid, and it is to humans that God is offering aid. In what area of your life do you need aid? Is it in your health, finance, job, business, career, academic, marriage, relationships, et cetera? Where have you been seeking for help or solution? Have you been looking to men or you have been looking up to God?

Seeking the intervention of men in moments of crisis is a recipe for frustration and high blood pressure because the best of man will always be man. But when you look up to God, then you are assured of sure aid. Looking for help anywhere else apart from God is a sure route to vexation of the spirit. Whatever your situation may be, why not pause and tell God about it now, asking for His aid?

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/god-said/
https://daily-dew.com/theprice/
https://daily-dew.com/what-some-dignitaries-have-said-about-prayer/

Our meditation today shall be on the most reliable source of help.

Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You. When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. –Psalm 61:1-2

Challenges and trials are part of life, only the dead and inanimate don’t have them. We face various life situations that test our faith, maturity, endurance, skills, and expertise. But when the storms of life come billowing, do you fight or take a flight? When the vicissitudes of life become overwhelming, where do you turn for help?

Our answers to these questions are critical to how we fare in life: if you are the type that analyses a challenge and then tackles it headlong, rather than avoiding or running away from it, each encounter will certainly build up your maturity, spirituality, dignity, fortitude, and confidence; whereas, each time you take a flight and avoid a challenge constitutes a debit from your confidence and self-esteem. So, the best course to take is to fight it out. But, ensure you take the time to first analyse the situation, know how best to confront it, when to take it on, and what resources you need to realistically achieve your aim.

In the event where you are overwhelmed by the vicissitudes of life, such that you are feeling drowned, it is always good to look beyond yourself and reach out for help. While it is advisable to seek help from experts in the area of your challenge or from an enlightened significant other, you should not discountenance also seeking the help of God.

In the case of humans, you can only be helped to the extent of the resources available to the person you run to. But God has unlimited resources and He has monopoly of solutions. He had solved innumerable challenges since humans started becoming conscious of them; and He hasn’t stopped. So you get the advantage of experience, expertise and formidability when you run to God. Nothing fazes Him; everything thaws in His presence. He is just a prayer away; why not tell Him about the issue now?

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/5-reasons-you-should-help-a-fallen-christian/
https://daily-dew.com/5-reasons-you-should-help-a-fallen-christian-2/
https://daily-dew.com/5-reasons-you-should-help-a-fallen-christian-3/

To be a good leader, you must be a good listener. Ever wonder why God spends greater part of His time listening to us? Listening is an effective influence tool. Every successful leader commands great followership because he yields himself to listening to those he leads. One mark of true leadership is when the people being led begin to hear their own voices in the words of their leader.

Every good listener may not be a leader, but every good leader must be a listener. To have a successful leadership experience, learning the listening aptitude would be an unavoidable success-factor. This is because listening enables you to expose yourself to positive input from others. It usually opens a leader to many options required for the creative thinking process. It is in the strengths and weaknesses of other people’s words that a good leader fashions his own wisdom. Apply speed in paying attention to other people’s words, but slowly and carefully respond to them [James 1:19, paraphrased].

Listening must become a habit for any result-oriented leader, whether he is leading a home, company, community, association, or state. This is so because, as a value, listening ability fosters shared thinking, while qualitative shared thinking bequeaths a listening leader with innovation, strength and maturity. A leader, who has developed the practice of effective listening stretches beyond the hurt of indictments and criticisms to understand the humanness of his critics, positions himself for synergy with his team an avails himself of resources hitherto unused.

Meditation: So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; – James 1:19

Author Unknown

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/the-source-of-all-truth/
https://daily-dew.com/insights-from-psalm-23/
https://daily-dew.com/how-to-make-your-sayings-sure-2/

(A poem sent to Dear Abby from a couple who have too much stuff.)

So many of you asked us (since Yuletide’s drawing near)
“What do you want for Christmas? What can we give you this year?
If we say, “We want nothing!” you buy something anyway,
So here’s a list of what we’d like; believe now what we say:

Pajamas for a little child, food to feed the poor.
Blankets for a shelter, and we ask a little bit more–
Perform good deeds and let us know, or volunteer your time.
These last are worth a fortune, and they needn’t cost a dime.

We have too many things now, vases, candles, tapes and clocks.
We have our fill of garments, ties, underwear and socks.
Candy is too fattening, crossword books we’ve more than 20.
We don’t need trays or plates or cups, and knickknacks we have plenty.

We’ve no walls to hang more pictures; we have books we’ve not yet read;
So please take what you’d spend on us and help the poor instead!
Just send a Christmas card to us and tell us what you’ve done;
We’ll open them on Christmas Eve, and read them one by one.

It won’t cost as much for postage as a package sent would do,
You’ll need no wrapping paper, ribbons, ink or glue.
And we’ll thank God you listened to what we had to say,
So we could be the instruments to help someone this way.

– Author Unknown

Meditation: Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. – James 1:27

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/christmas-love/
https://daily-dew.com/the-christmas-gift/
https://daily-dew.com/the-greatest-gift-of-all/

Bobby was getting cold sitting out in his backyard in the snow. Bobby didn’t wear boots; he didn’t own any and he didn’t like them anyway. The thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them and they did a poor job of keeping out the cold. Bobby had been in his backyard for about an hour already. And, try as he might, he could not come up with an idea for his mother’s Christmas gift.

He shook his head as he thought, “This is useless, even if I do come up with an idea, I don’t have any money to spend.”

Ever since his father had passed away three years ago, the family of five had struggled. It wasn’t because his mother didn’t care, or try, there just never seemed to be enough. She worked nights at the hospital, but the small wage that she was earning could only be stretched so far. What the family lacked in money and material things, they more than made up for in love and family unity. Bobby had two older sisters and one younger sister, who ran the household in their mother’s absence. All three of his sisters had already made beautiful gifts for their mother.

Somehow it just wasn’t fair. Here it was Christmas Eve already, and he had nothing. Wiping a tear from his eye, Bobby kicked the snow and started to walk down to the street where the shops and stores were. It wasn’t easy being six without a father, especially when he needed a man to talk to.

Bobby walked from shop to shop, looking into each decorated window. Everything seemed so beautiful and so out of reach. It was starting to get dark and Bobby reluctantly turned to walk home when suddenly his eyes caught the glimmer of the setting sun’s rays reflecting off of something along the curb. He reached down and discovered a shiny dime. Never before has anyone felt so wealthy as Bobby felt at that moment.

As he held his newfound treasure, a warmth spread throughout his entire body and he walked into the first store he saw. His excitement quickly turned cold when the salesperson told him that he couldn’t buy anything with only a dime.

He saw a flower shop and went inside to wait in line. When the shop owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime and asked if he could buy one flower for his mother’s Christmas gift.

The shop owner looked at Bobby and his ten cent offering. Then he put his hand on Bobby’s shoulder and said to him, “You just wait here and I’ll see what I can do for you.”

As Bobby waited he looked at the beautiful flowers and even though he was a boy, he could see why mothers and girls liked flowers.

The sound of the door closing as the last customer left jolted Bobby back to reality. All alone in the shop, Bobby began to feel alone and afraid. Suddenly the shop owner came out and moved to the counter. There, before Bobby’s eyes, lay twelve long stem, red roses, with leaves of green and tiny white flowers all tied together with a big silver bow. Bobby’s heart sank as the owner picked them up and placed them gently into a long white box.

“That will be ten cents young man,” the shop owner said reaching out his hand for the dime.

Slowly, Bobby moved his hand to give the man his dime. Could this be true? No one else would give him a thing for his dime!

Sensing the boy’s reluctance, the shop owner added, “I just happened to have some roses on sale for ten cents a dozen. Would you like them?”

This time Bobby did not hesitate, and when the man placed the long box into his hands, he knew it was true. Walking out the door that the owner was holding for Bobby, he heard the shop keeper say, “Merry Christmas, son,”

As he returned inside, the shop keeper’s wife walked out. “Who were you talking to back there and where are the roses you were fixing?”

Staring out the window, and blinking the tears from his own eyes, he replied, “A strange thing happened to me this morning. While I was setting up things to open the shop, I thought I heard a voice telling me to set aside a dozen of my best roses for a special gift. I wasn’t sure at the time whether I had lost my mind or what, but I set them aside anyway. Then just a few minutes ago, a little boy came into the shop and wanted to buy a flower for his mother with one small dime.

“When I looked at him, I saw myself, many years ago. I too, was a poor boy with nothing to buy my mother a Christmas gift. A bearded man, whom I never knew, stopped me on the street and told me that he wanted to give me ten dollars.

“When I saw that little boy tonight, I knew who that voice was, and I put together a dozen of my very best roses.” The shop owner and his wife hugged each other tightly, and as they stepped out into the bitter cold air, they somehow didn’t feel cold at all.

Author Unknown

Meditation: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” – Luke 2:14

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/christmas-love/
https://daily-dew.com/the-christmas-gift/
https://daily-dew.com/the-doll-and-a-white-rose/

Many of us want people around us to change their behaviours and attitudes in dealing with us. Often times, we are frustrated by their worsening mannerisms and their presence steals our own peace away. Well, maybe you can’t change anyone but you can determine how people around you affect your inner peace.

The foundation of a beneficial relationship is acceptance, and that goes without you pretending everyone is an angel. People are more likely to stay with you when they realize their personalities are safe with you without you having to crush them at the slightest provocation from them.

Most times when we admit others into our circle, we do so in our own terms. The toughest field of discrimination is right in our hearts. We write people off before we give them chance to prove they are worthy of our trust and friendship. Ironically, the way to improve yourself is to improve others. To improve others, you must deal with them in the light of their uniqueness.

Not even you want to change before being admitted into other people’s circles; why make such demand on others? Jesus illustrated this lesson with The Good Samaritan parable. Through his ministry, we find all sorts of people in his circle. Remember, the sinful Peter, the Gentile Woman, the Roman Captain, the Samaritan Woman, Zacchaeus the extortioner, the sanctimonious Nicodemus, and Geneserenean Lunatic, the list goes on. He admitted all of these people into His circle without making any demand on them.

» Opening the room for other people’s peculiarities paves a way for us to add various colours to ours and that takes care of boredom largely.
» Admitting people into our spheres, focusing on their peculiarities, switches on the knowledge portal to us. This is the route to an increasing quality of life.
» Acclimatizing to other people’s environment makes you less of a conflict person and more of a peace person.

These do not suggest that keeping personal principles in relationship is undesirable, as a matter of fact, it advocates it. However, there is a great need to learn the value of opening up your world for people to learn from it and vice versa. The fact is people are like climatic conditions, you don’t expect weathers to change for you, and you acclimatize to them. Otherwise, you would be denying yourself a well of peace.

To help people improve, you must see them in the light of their own uniqueness. Effective leadership is largely about listening.

Meditation: You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. – Matthew 5:43-44

Author Unknown

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/does-god-still-speak-to-people/
https://daily-dew.com/people-the-buzzard-the-bat-the-bumblebee/
https://daily-dew.com/beatitudes-for-those-who-work-with-special-people/

Saul called David’s attention to the natural things. David called Saul’s attention to the supernatural things [paraphrased].
– 1 Samuel 17:33-37

What we do not see are naturally bigger and more powerful than what we see. An oceanographer would tell you that the most populated part of the earth is the ocean. We don’t see this fact until we dive into the bottom of the sea. Do you know the buried part of an iceberg on the water is usually a hundred times bigger than the head we see above water?

Ask a structural engineer and he would tell you that the foundation of a building is stronger than the whole bricks piled on it. We do not see the foundation while we usually admire the obvious building. We are often attracted by the unimportant.

You cannot afford to be too conscious of your physical development at the expense of inner growth. How much of the money you spend goes into investing in your inner person? Those things you do not see about you are what defines you. In other words, they are what determine your realities. Those people who succeed paid greater attention to what is going on inside them than what is happening around them.

Inner growth is a choice. John C. Maxwell says, “Growth is optional. You can choose to grow or fight it. But know this: people unwilling to grow will never reach their potential.” Investing attention in inner growth is a decision that can really make a difference in a person’s life. Taking a step towards inner growth would include consistently doing the following:

* Commit to healthy thinking for at least 30 minutes daily
* Daily study of the Bible and meditation on its insights
* Regular reading of useful magazines, dailies, books, and literature in your career field.
* Improve the quality of your inner circle.
* Invest and attend meetings or conferences that focus on the kind of development you seek.
* Participate in social responsibility efforts (this helps you to contribute positively and it is a very vital nutrient to growing on the inside).
* Pray for divine help in your inner growth ambition.

This list may not be exhaustive, but they adequately represent a good starting point. They would not matter if you are not craving for quality inner life. No man ever feels successful by amassing only external successes. His fulfilment is in maturity, strength, and the wealth of his inner man.

Author Unknown.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/a-call-to-prayer/
https://daily-dew.com/leadership-lessons-from-a-janitor-part-2/
https://daily-dew.com/what-to-do-when-confused-and-perplexed-2/

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all[b] the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 2

1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

4 This is the history[a] of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; 6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.

7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.

Genesis 1:1-Genesis 2:7

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/what-the-bible-means/
https://daily-dew.com/the-process-of-creation/
https://daily-dew.com/things-you-should-always-remember/

Today we will conclude our devotional on how to make your sayings and utterances sure, backed with the seal of heaven.

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.
– 1 Kings 18:41-42

The second way to make your decree effective is to immediately and continually back such utterance with fervent prayer. In fact, this is the major reason prophecies are not fulfilled, as God actually wishes us well and desires that good fortune happens to us. So, oftentimes, the first reason may not be the cause of unfulfilled prophecies. The difference between an effective decree and a lame word is the prayer life of the person talking.

In the passage above, we are presented with a model of effective prophecy. Elijah had earlier decreed that there would be drought in the land for a length of time, which lasted for three and half years, and the situation will only be reversed until he decreed otherwise. And it was so.

And when he finally had a leading to end the drought and call rain upon the land, he announced to the king. But, what he did immediately afterward was the secret to making your prophecy sure, and the focus of our meditation today, he took a praying posture!

Once the word was out of his mouth, he immediately entered a praying mode and did not get up from that position, despite initial discouragements, until he got a physical evidence that his decree would come to pass. He told the king to go eat and drink, and that was exactly what Ahab went to do, but he (Elijah) could not afford that luxury yet; he proceeded to the top of the mountain in earnest prayer until his decree had come to pass.

Perhaps, we can learn from the example of Elijah; it is not just enough to say sweet things to ourselves and others. We must also back our professions with fervent prayer for them to come to pass. We must do more than talking. Your prayer life is the difference between an empty talk and an effective utterance.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/how-to-make-your-sayings-sure-1/

We shall devote the next two devotionals to exploring a topic on how to make your sayings and utterances sure, backed with the seal of heaven.

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.
– 1 Kings 18:41-42

The test of a prophecy is its accomplishment. Talk is cheap; anyone can say “thus sayeth the Lord” or mouth any such sweet-to-hear words to his or her listeners and receive a chorus of “Amen!” without anything to show for it afterward. When prophecies are released without commensurable performance, the prophet’s credibility is called to question and with each unfulfilled prophecy goes his/her popularity and, possibly, following.

Meanwhile, every individual, particularly someone in Christ, has the power to decree what he/she wants to be into his/her own life or that of another and expect a performance. After all, the tongue has the power of life and death, as well as the power to create and to destroy.

There are two ways to ensure that your professions and decrees are not just empty words that fall into thin air with no effect, but are words of substance which accomplish the objective for which they are sent forth. The first way to make your profession effective is to ensure that such affirmations are in line with the will or counsel of God concerning you or the person you are saying them to. Nothing makes one a liar faster than mouthing things that are contrary to the will of God. In the same vein, your words are as watery to the extent that they express your whims, and not the counsel of God. If God doesn’t will it, it won’t come to pass. And if it is not His counsel, it will have no effect.

ALSO READ Some Good Advice

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Plant four rows of peas:

Prayer
Penitence
Patience
Preparation

Plant four rows of squash:

Squash gossip
Squash indifference
Squash criticism
Squash negative thinking

Plant four rows of turnips:

Turn up for Church
Turn up whenever needed
Turn up with a friendly smile
Turn up with determination to be a better person

Plant four rows of lettuce:

Let us soar to new heights
Let us come together in harmony
Let us share God’s love, and
Let us practice forgiveness

Enjoy the harvest!

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:14

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. – Ephesians 5:8-10

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 2 Peter 1:5-8

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

ALSO READ Easy - Difficult

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/what-attitude-does/
https://daily-dew.com/watch-your-attitude/
https://daily-dew.com/developing-the-right-attitude/

Ten little Christians standing in a line,

One disliked the pastor, then there were nine.

Nine little Christians stayed up very late,

One slept in on Sunday, then there were eight.

Eight little Christians on their way to heaven,

One took the low road, then there were seven.

Seven little Christians chirping like chicks,

One disliked the music, then there were six.

Six little Christians seemed very much alive,

But one lost his interest, then there were five.

Five little Christians pulling for Heaven’s shore,

But one stopped to rest, then there were four.

Four little Christians, each busy as a bee,

One got her feelings hurt, then there were three.

Three little Christians knew what to do,

One joined the sports crowd, then there were two.

Two little Christians, our rhyme is nearly done,

Differed with each other, then there was one.

One little Christian can’t do much ’tis true;

Brought his friend to Bible study, then there were two.

Two earnest Christians, each won one more,

That doubled their number, then there were four.

Four sincere Christians worked early and late,

Each won another, then there were eight.

Eight little Christians, if they doubled as before,

In just a few short weeks, we’d have 1,024.

ALSO READ Benefits of Wisdom (4): Prestige
In this little jingle, there’s a lesson true,

You belong to the building, or the wrecking crew.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works – Hebrews 10:24

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. – Hebrews 6:11

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. – Proverbs 4:23

he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. – Romans 12:8

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/faith-like-a-child/
https://daily-dew.com/faith-giving-healing/
https://daily-dew.com/faith-is-the-ability-to-not-panic/

Our meditation today shall centre on how to become influential, such that you control things and events.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
– James 5:17-18

There is one secret to possessing the power to influence people, circumstances and events; it is the power of prayer. Prayer is a communication from human to God. It is the greatest source of power available to man when backed by the name of Jesus.

Prayer offers us the leverage to control the attitude and disposition of fellow humans as well as dictate the direction of events and circumstances. With prayer, we can court the favour of God and man, we can institute what we want to be or nullify what don’t want. Prayer is the inroad to the supernatural. It gives you access to divine help and abilities.

A vibrant prayer life sets one apart from those who only pray occasionally or do not pray at all. Oftentimes, those who can pray soar while those who do not pray struggle; those who pray win while those who don’t pray are known to whine; prayer makes one prevail over all situations, while prayerlessness makes one a ready prey.

ALSO READ Time and Friends....

The passage above talks about Elijah, who decreed that there would be no rain in the land of Israel for a number of years, except he decreed otherwise, and it was so. And when he was ready to release rain upon the land, he also prayed fervently and rain fell after a period of drought. That is a testimony to the power of prayer. It makes you a dictator of a sort.

There are innumerable examples in the Bible and contemporary times of people who have prevailed over unfavourable circumstances by praying. Majority of the frustrations and failures we see around can be traced to prayerlessness. A popular maxim says, ‘Those who kneel before God can stand up to anything.’

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/it-is-all-in-the-resume/
https://daily-dew.com/the-most-the-easiest-the-greatest/
https://daily-dew.com/become-affiliated-with-the-greatest-part-2/

Today we will conclude the meditation we started yesterday on achieving greatness.

Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty man on the earth.
– 1 Chronicles 1:10

Nimrod had even more excuses to blend with the crowd because in his days there was nothing like electricity, no vehicular transportation, all movements were done on barefoot, all the tools they had then were crude and probably made from stone. But Nimrod ignored all these restricting environmental factors and began to do what he set his mind to do. He did not settle for less. He began to do, and when the people around him saw that he was doing, they joined him and this afforded him the leverage to do more.

Many people are waiting for encouragement from others before they could start something, it may never come. When you encourage yourself to start, then others may team up with you or support you one way or another. But you have to first start.

Another reason people never start is due to procrastination; they are waiting for a perfect time. A wise man once said, “instead of waiting for a perfect time, make the time perfect;” there is no better time to do what you desire to do than now (2 Corinthians 6:2). Nimrod defied all the odds against him to start and he became great in his time. The same way most of the great people in our times had to discipline themselves to start what we celebrate them for today. If they hadn’t started, there won’t have been anything to anchor their renown on.

ALSO READ Achieving Greatness (1)

If you too must make a name for yourself, you have to exercise the discipline of making the right choices and then starting what you have set to do without delay. And when you start, don’t stop or look back.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/achieving-greatness-1/?swcfpc=1

Our meditation today shall be on what to do to achieve greatness in life.

Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty man on the earth.
– 1 Chronicles 1:10

Before this passage, all the preceding verses are mere genealogy, stating who gave birth to who and in what order. But, in verse 10, there is a break from the routine of “A” gave birth to “B”; in this verse, we read about Nimrod, who was not just given birth to, but went ahead to do what most of his forbears did not do; he began to exert and work on himself until he became a mighty man and left his footprints on the sands of time. This is how to achieve greatness.

From Nimrod’s story, we can deduce two disciplines that set one on the path of greatness: choices and self-application. He definitely did some things differently from the other people whom we read about in verses 1-9 and 11-54. Apart from the fact that he must have made certain painful choices and decisions; how he managed his time, what he would do and not do, when he would sleep and wake, what and when he would eat, where he would go and not go, and so forth – his decisions and choices must have been very unpopular as those things that make for greatness are rarely done by most people.

ALSO READ Purpose: Anointed to Enrich the Poor
And having made a choice about what he wanted to do or be, the Bible records that “he began” to do it. That is the second discipline to greatness – beginning. Many people have brilliant ideas of what they want to do. But most of those ideas never see the light of day, as the conceivers never get to execute them for various reasons, including procrastination, over-analysing the idea, or trumping up excuses as to why they cannot start. Nimrod had, even more, excuses to blend with the crowd, because in his days there was nothing like electricity, no vehicular transportation, all movements were done on barefoot, all the tools they had then were crude and probably made from stone.

To continue tomorrow…

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also rehttps://daily-dew.com/what-to-do-when-confused-and-perplexed/
https://daily-dew.com/benefits-of-wisdom-11-greatness-and-honour/
https://daily-dew.com/the-sure-route-to-personal-development-and-enhancement-part-1/ad:

O You who hear prayer, To You all flesh will come.
– Psalm 65:2

In life, business and other pursuits, the value you bring to the table is proportionate to the patronage you enjoy, which in turn determines your greatness as an individual, or profitability as an organisation. No one exists for him/herself alone; we are all made for each other. The same way no company is set up to cater to its own needs alone. Each firm has the consumers in mind, and most of its activities are geared toward soliciting or retaining the customers.

The greatness of an individual is determined by the number of persons he is able to influence, the same way a corporate institution derives its relevance from the number of clientele it is able to serve satisfactorily.

Now let’s bring this home by considering God, the Creator of the universe and everything therein. As of today, the world’s population is estimated to be over seven billion people. And considering that a large percentage of that population acknowledges the supremacy of God and professes allegiance to Him, that means God must be big!

But, mind you, God is not sought for His own sake alone. If anything, most of us seek God because of what we can get from Him, as against what we can give to Him. The Psalmist lends credence to this verity by saying that all flesh comes to God because He hears prayers. We seek God because He is able to meet our expectations. That is why He is much sought after by the seconds all over.

ALSO READ Why You Should Pray for People in Authority (2): Political Leaders

This is a lesson for us. You have to add value to people for them to seek you. The more people you are able to create value for, the more patronage you will get, the more your spheres of influence will increase, and the more prosperous you will become.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/something-better/?swcfpc=1
https://daily-dew.com/the-colors-of-friendship/?swcfpc=1
https://daily-dew.com/every-day-youre-alive-is-a-special-occasion/?swcfpc=1

Here is a conclusion of our meditation on understanding God, particular with regards to how He sees, perceives, analyses and judges a matter.

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
– 1 Samuel 16:7

Here are the applications of this knowledge about the perception of God to people and things:

In your relationship with God, and in your service to Him, knowing that He is more particular about why you are doing what you do will liberate you from falling into the trap of becoming impressionistic by putting on a show or playing up to people’s expectations of you, as against God’s requirements.

Therefore, when you find yourself in church or other gatherings of believers, the way you dance, the way you worship, what you say, and your general conducts will have a deeper meaning to you, since you are aware that while some people may be impressed by your spirituality or displeased by the lack of it, what they think or say has little effect in the eyes of God who knows the motive behind your actions. And, in your service, knowing that what you do may have no particular impression on God, if it is not done from a sincere heart, can be a liberating factor for you; not minding that people are hailing you for it.

ALSO READ The Collard Greens
Having a working knowledge of this insight can also help you in the way you live and do things. Knowing that God is never deceived will help you to be true to yourself in whatever you do or say. Even if such does not make you popular among people, you would have derived greater satisfaction from the fact that you are on the same page with God motive-wise. And even if you are misunderstood and vilified initially, staying true to yourself will eventually make you come across as a sincere person.

In your relationship with others, a knowledge of this perception of God will help to put a rein on your saying and deeds toward others, no matter the degree of your intimacy with them. Since you know that God is not particularly thrilled by what you say or do to people, but He is conscious of why and how you say/do it.

If you take God’s perspective into cognisance in all your dealings with fellow humans, you will find that you are less impulsive, less abrasive, more restrained, more thoughtful, and more sincere in your relationships and interactions. And there are no surer routes to maturity than those.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

ALSO READ Opportunities for Kindness

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/what-god-wants/
https://daily-dew.com/here-is-gods-take-whats-yours/
https://daily-dew.com/understanding-god-how-does-god-see-1

There once was a man named Soul who was walking in a garden. He was whistling a real sweet tune for he was saved and had the joy of the Lord, but he was a baby Christian. As he was walking, a beautiful and seductive woman came out from behind a tree.

Startled, he said, “Hello, I’m Soul, what is your name?”

She replied, “I am Temptation, I have what you want.”

“What do I want?”

“You want to do all things which are of the flesh,” said Temptation.

Soul replied, “O.K., lead me.”

So he and Temptation went off and fulfilled the desires of the flesh. When Soul returned to the garden, he met a man named Condemnation. Condemnation said, “Hey, I see you have met my friend, Temptation.”

He said, “Yes, who are you?”

“I am Condemnation, I come after Temptation. We work hand-in-hand.” Then Condemnation jumped on Soul’s back and began to beat him. He hit him in the face and kicked him when he was down. This went on for several days.

On about the third day, a man named Mercy came running and said, “I command you, Condemnation, to stop beating Soul.”

Condemnation snickered, “Make me.”

So Mercy unsheathed his sword and cut Condemnation in two.

As Soul watched in astonished pain, he was overtaken by the power of Mercy. Mercy walked up to him and said, “I have dealt with Condemnation before. He should not show up around you anymore.”

ALSO READ Jesus in the House
Soul replied, “How can I ever thank you?”

“Well,” replied Mercy, “I was sent here by God and He told me to introduce you to a dear friend of mine. His name is Redemption.”

Redemption walked up and said, “Hello Soul, I see that you are not doing well.”

Soul replied, “Not until Mercy came along. It is a pleasure to meet you Redemption.”

“Well”, said Redemption,” I am glad to meet you. Are you ready to accept me?”

“What do you mean?” asked Soul.

Redemption said, “Well, when you accepted Jesus and decided to walk with Him, then you chose to accept the things of Him and His love. I am a part of Jesus’ love. I help you feel forgiven. You will never have to deal with Condemnation again. Temptation may come around, but I have someone I would like for you to meet who can help you with that. His name is Grace.”

Grace walked up to Soul and said, “Hello Soul, I have been waiting for you. In fact, all three of us have been waiting to meet you. I will help you take the way out of Temptation that God gives you as it comes up. The last person we want you to meet is Faith.”

“Hi Soul, I am Faith, and I will help you stay strong and keep your beliefs strong,” said Faith.

ALSO READ The Turtle Picnic
Soul began to cry. When he began to cry Redemption said, “This is what we were here for. Jesus redeemed you, saved you by Grace through Faith and gives you His Mercy. Jesus loves you Soul.”

Soul said, “I love you, Jesus.”

— Author Unknown

Meditation: But Israel shall be saved by the Lord With an everlasting salvation; You shall not be ashamed or disgraced Forever and ever. – Isaiah 45:17

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/a-story-about-christs-love/
https://daily-dew.com/when-you-are-going-through-affliction/
https://daily-dew.com/the-cab-ride-a-story-about-human-kindness/

Our meditation today shall be a line-by-line exposition of Psalm 23.

The Lord is my Shepherd (Who purchased me at a very high price – the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son. As a sheep, I know nothing of myself, nor can take any independent action on my own that will do me much good (Psalm 95:7, 100:3). Therefore, as my Shepherd, He is the One responsible for my feeding, guidance, protection and general well being);

I shall not want (Because my Shepherd, Who is the Owner of the heavens, the earth and all its fullness, ‘supplies all my needs, as they arise from time to time, according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:13)).

He makes me to lie down in green pastures (He locates and establishes me in conducive environments – in my house, my business, my school, my company, my church, my ministry, and my world in general);

He leads me beside the still waters (He gives me restful means of sustenance that are without stress, pain or any trouble to draw from).

He restores my soul (He renews and refreshes my spirit, soul and body with all the good things they need for health and maximum performance).

He leads me in the paths of righteousness ((Psalm 78:52) So that I do not stray from the right course in my exuberance or ignorance, not because I merit it, but)

ALSO READ Where is God?
For His name’s sake (Because He has the reputation of being The Good Shepherd, who can never abscond His responsibilities nor change His nature from good to bad (John 14:1). That is the reason I am assured that I am in a good hand and that…)

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (Even when I find myself in dangerous or life-threatening situations that portend evil or great calamity) I will fear no evil (Why?)

For You are with me (Since I am not leading myself anyway, but I am a protégé of The Good Shepherd).

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Instead of beating and intimidating me, even when I get presumptuous and behave wrongly as I tend to do from time to time, You only use Your shepherd’s rod to gently guide me back to the right course, without any mark of harm or injury on my body).

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies (Without them being able to do anything to stop me from enjoying the delicacies. Why? Because you are right there watching over me to ensure that I’m safe. While my enemies are only confined to a distance, glaring at me morosely without their being able to do anything to harm me. And they dare not move near, otherwise they will have to contend with You, the Mighty Man in battle).

ALSO READ The Cross in My Pocket
You anoint my head with oil (of gladness and ability to do all that you have nurtured me to do),

My cup runs over (Because you simply did not stop pouring on me until I am overflowed with the abundance of your goodness).

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me (Not sorrow, not sadness, not disaster, not mourning, not fear, not evil, not grief, not poverty, not frustration, not failure, nor pain, but goodness and mercy shall be my experience)

All the days of my life (that is all the Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays that I live!),

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord (Since that is where He will always lead me to for rest. For He will never leave me in the house of a stranger. Therefore, I am certain of always being in His pleasurable presence during the day (Psalm 16:11) and the secret place of His fortress in the night (Psalm 31:20))

Forever (and ever. That is as long as I am here on earth, and even when I transit to heaven above. Amen).

The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/a-different-look-at-psalm-23/
https://daily-dew.com/psalm-23-for-the-workplace/
https://daily-dew.com/purpose-sent-to-bear-griefs-and-sorrows-2/

Understanding God – how does He see, reason and analyse matters?

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
– 1 Samuel 16:7

Subsequently, we’ll be devoting several editions of this devotional to exploring God, the Creator of the heavens and earth as well as everything in them; the Supreme of all beings, without a predecessor or contemporary. The aim of this treatise is for us to have a deeper understanding about the nature of God, His ways, His approaches, His manner of thinking and His mode of operation, among other pertinent knowledge.

The first thing we will consider about God is His way of perceiving, considering or analysing people and things, which ultimately informs the conclusion He makes on such. The scripture above tells us that God does not see things the way humans see them. Since what you look at is what you see, this passage tells us that the focus of God is entirely different from humans’. Going further, the scripture says, whilst humans centre on the appearance, God only looks at the heart – the core that influences the appearance.

Due to our physical nature, we are inclined to appreciate the tangibles. But God looks beyond that. While we focus on the overt part of things, God considers the covert. Man dwells on the what, but God asks about the why; man considers the gifts, God looks at the reason behind the giving; man hears the sayings, God listens to the unsaid, man cheers the performance, God lauds the motive; man reacts to the actions, God considers the reason, and so on.

Understanding this particular nature of God can be a liberating factor for you. On the one hand, it will help you to ascertain the WHY of whatever you are doing or about to do. On the other hand, it will help you to exercise a measure of restraint in making a conclusion, either good or bad, about anyone or anything. Since you may not know the reason such a person is doing what they do, and it will be a classic exhibition of human foible to jump to a conclusion about him/her.

To be continued tomorrow…

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/what-god-wants/
https://daily-dew.com/god-answers-prayer/
https://daily-dew.com/here-is-gods-take-whats-yours/

This is the final instalment of our meditation on what to do when confused and perplexed.

In continuation of our exhortation on the value of having a forward-looking mindset in the midst of challenges and discouragements, rather than capitulating and turning back, let’s consider this interesting story below:

One day a young lady was driving along with her father. They came upon a storm, and the young lady asked her father, “What should I do?”

“Keep driving.” He said.

Cars began to pull over to the side, the storm was getting worse. “What should I do?” The young lady asked?

“Keep driving,” her father replied.

Up a few feet more, she observed that 18 wheelers were also pulling over. She told her dad, “I must pull over, I can barely see ahead. It is terrible, and everyone is pulling over!”

Her father told her, “Don’t give up, just keep driving!”

Now the storm was terrible, but she never stopped driving, and soon she could see a little more clearly. After a couple of miles she was again on dry land, and the sun came out.

Her father said, “Now you can pull over and get out.”

She said, “But why now?”

He said, “When you get out, look back at all the people that gave up and are still in the storm. Because you never gave up your storm is now over.”

ALSO READ What to Do When Confused and Perplexed (1)
Just because everyone else, even the strongest, gives up doesn’t mean that you too have to. If you keep going and do not allow the raging storm to stop you, soon your storm will be over and the Sun will shine upon your face again.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:62

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/a-big-god/
https://daily-dew.com/what-to-do-when-confused-and-perplexed/
https://daily-dew.com/what-to-do-when-confused-and-perplexed-2/

Today, we will continue our meditation on what to do when confused and perplexed.

Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we will die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.
-2 Kings 7:3-4

You may even find yourself in a situation with the prospect of danger looming in all corners. If the potential consequences of all options look alike, with danger ahead or behind, then forward is still the best course to take.

This was the scenario the four lepers cited above found themselves on this fateful day. They were between a famine-ravaged country and the camps of the enemies. Advancing either way meant death, but the possibility of one seemed stronger than the other. So they took a calculated risk by advancing toward the direction whose consequence they can at least control. They went forward because they didn’t know all that was out there for them. They disregarded the saying that the devil known is better than an unknown angel. They went forward.

ALSO READ And They Crucified Him
And those steps of faith they took toward the Syrians’ camps was all God needed to do a great thing. Their wobbly movements were amplified by God such that the Syrians heard the noise of many chariots, horses and of a great army advancing toward them. Fear crept into the Syrians and they fled their camps, leaving behind all their supplies and treasures.

That is a lesson in living. To the lepers, the prospect of going forward wasn’t particularly enthralling, as they smelled danger ahead; but forward they went all the same. Secondly, for them, the movement wasn’t all that fun either, remember they were lepers. But they kept going laboriously, and as they took those painful steps, God used their steps to wreak a great deliverance. The enemies took to their heels, the coast became clear and the lepers got there only to behold a miracle and take the spoil.

It’s your turn to move!

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/carls-garden/
https://daily-dew.com/what-to-do-when-confused-and-perplexed/
https://daily-dew.com/a-heart-to-heart-talk-with-god/

Our meditation today shall be on a biblical prescription as to what to do when confused and perplexed.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. – Exodus 14:15

Sometimes the pursuits of our aspirations land us at unexpected intersections and dead-ends, which leave us wondering what to do, where to go and how to proceed. This was where the Israelites found themselves one fateful day, on their way to the land of freedom after hundreds of years in servitude.

They must have felt elated when Pharaoh eventually granted them freedom. There must have been springs under their feet as they marched to the Promised Land. But, alas, after some hours of journeying, they came face to face with a mass of water, the Red Sea, and there was no skirting it to the right or left.

Immediately their joy turned to gloom. As if that wasn’t enough, they saw Pharaoh and his army advancing ferociously toward them. Their gloom became loud wailing. They were in a big fix: the Red Sea sprawled ominously before them and the Egyptian army closing in on them by the minutes. That seemed to be the end of it all for them.

ALSO READ The Elephant's Rope
They cried out at Moses, who in turn called upon God, and guess what the LORD said? “Go forward!” Moses must have wondered if he heard God correctly, go forward? March into the raging ocean? How? Why? Isn’t that sure death in itself?

But God told him in clear term to look nowhere, but march forward. So, with his rod lifted up, forward they went. Then guess what? The Red Sea parted for them!

That is often the case with some of us. There is always a tendency to want to side-step or turn back when we get stuck or find ourselves in a conundrum in the course of pursuing our goals. But that often do not prove to be a wise move. The best course to take is to go forward, not sideway or backward. Forward you go until you breakthrough; forward you go unto victory. Greatness, success and significance are always ahead, but you have to press onward tirelessly before you can hit them. So, when confusion sets in or you get perplexed with the size of what you have to do, don’t stop and don’t drop it, simply go forward!

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/perfect-mistake/
https://daily-dew.com/purpose-sent-to-execute-gods-will/
https://daily-dew.com/how-to-define-your-purpose-part-2/

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. – 2 Chronicles 20:21-22

For many people, the idea of singing when confronted by challenges or other forms of resistance would seem utterly ridiculous, if not outright insane. But that was exactly what the Israelites of old did when enemies came raging their way. Guess what? It worked. They practically sang their way to victory, without lifting a sword or shield. If it worked then, that means it will work for us too. After all, all incidents in the Bible are written as examples for us.

From all indications, the battleground is certainly not a place for singing and praising God. It is a place for warfare, of violent exchange and cries of war. But when the Israelites changed the operation mode of their environment through energetic praise, God had little choice but to make it a place of jubilation for them.

How are you handling your own battle? As you begin to praise God concerning those challenges you are facing, watch Him turn impossible situations around to celebration for you. In the place the devil planned to humiliate you, God will make you a celebrity.

When we praise God, He swings into action on our behalf. The devil will do everything in its power to keep you from praising God because it knows the power of praise. The more you praise, the more you are raised.

Perhaps, you think you have nothing to praise God about? Take a cue from the Israelites. Take some time right now, forget about that challenge and begin to praise God for who He is and see Him at work on your behalf.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/two-things-that-have-no-benefit/
https://daily-dew.com/always-be-thankful/
https://daily-dew.com/what-you-should-note-today/

A father was approached by his small son, who told him proudly, “I know what the Bible means!”

His father smiled and replied, “What do you mean, you ‘know’ the Bible?”

The son replied, “I do know!”

“Okay,” said his father. “So, Son, what does the Bible mean?”

“That’s easy, Daddy. It stands for ‘Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.'”

— Author Unknown

Meditation: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12

“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. – Proverbs 30:5

This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. – Luke 8:11

He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” – Luke 11:28

So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. – Acts 6:2

ALSO READ Uses of the Scripture

Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. – 2 Corinthians 4:2

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/the-history-of-creation/
https://daily-dew.com/benefits-of-wisdom-1-organization/
https://daily-dew.com/purpose-sent-to-bear-griefs-and-sorrows/

Two things that have no benefit:
Living a life without God
Running alone in your life race

Two things that entrench love:
Good habits
Honesty

Two things that destroy a man:
Living a life of pretence
Lack of focus

Two things that destroy a woman:
Love for materialism
Imitation or comparison

Two things that destroy friendship:
Lies
Distrust

Two things that enhance charisma:
Trustworthiness
Steadfastness in serving God

Two things that bring about misery:
Disrespect for elders
False accusation

Two things that bring about happiness:
Doing good deeds
Patience

Two things that bring one close to God:
Studying the Bible
Abiding by God’s instructions

Two things that make the devil to keep away from one:
Be God-fearing
Avoiding selfishness

Two things that aid answers to prayers:
Fasting
Thanksgiving

Two things that God loves:
Giving
Winning souls

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): – Proverbs 30:7

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—Psalm 103:2

Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves. – Proverbs 11:17

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/portals-of-destiny-1/
https://daily-dew.com/portals-of-destiny-2/
https://daily-dew.com/portals-of-destiny-3/

Here are some of the things that will happen to you one day:

…You will lock your door, but you will not be the person that will open it.

…You will wash that your best clothes and you will not be able to wear it.

…Your best food will be prepared and you will be unable to eat it.

…You will eat and drink what you will never excrete.

…Your curriculum vitae will expire.

…the person that seems to love you most will not dare to move closer to you.

…You will think of what you can never accomplish.

…You will be isolated in a place called grave.

…that thing you love most will come your way, but you will not be able to accord it any attention.

…You will become a defendant before the Chief Judge, the Almighty God.

…termites will come close to you and you will be unable to chase them.

…You will receive a call that cannot be declined.

…Your name will be called, but no one will answer.

…the assets you cherish most will be taken over by another person.

…Your deeds on earth will be played like a CD.

… the prefix, “Late”, will be added to your name.

… the Great Allocator will allocate you to an appropriate place.

… that your beautiful skin will turn to its original sandy nature.

…Your entire body will cease operation.

…You will be given an infinite apartment, either heavenly palace or hell.

In summary, take things easy and remember life is an episode that will determine your eternity.

Surrender your life to Jesus this day so that one day you will reign with Him.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. – 2 Corinthians 5:10-11

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/understanding-purpose-6/
https://daily-dew.com/purpose-sent-to-be-the-lord/
https://daily-dew.com/purpose-ordained-to-judge-the-living-and-the-dead/

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary,
because it means you’ve made a difference.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfilment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

~~.~~

Words to live by…

You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. – Cicero

Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out. – John Wooden

ALSO READ The Source of All Truth
Be the change you wish to see in the world. – Gandhi

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another. – Charles Dickens

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! – Psalm 150:6

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. – Psalm 9:1

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. – Psalm 100:4

From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained. – Jeremiah 30:19

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

Also read:
https://daily-dew.com/expressing-gratitude/
https://daily-dew.com/the-power-of-gratitude/
https://daily-dew.com/thankfulness-makes-for-peace/