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Here are five compelling reasons why you should help a wounded Christian:

(1) You show your value for their lives

Irrespective of tribe, race, nationality, socio-economic status, or accomplishment, all humans intrinsically dance to a kind of music. There is a cord that binds us together – the cord of a shared humanity.

All humans have built-in cravings for love, care, respect, dignity, connectedness, and belonging. When you help a wounded Christian, you demonstrate your belief in our shared humanity and your high value for human life.

I think the humanity of those who deliberately wound people who are already wounded, or who pass-up people who are wounded, should be re-examined; they may not be humans. They may be outright robots or robots in human casing!

(2) You believe their wounds shall heal

When you help a wounded Christian, your act of love makes a loud, epochal statement. The gesture says: “You shall battle back, bounce back, and get back to form.” Your magnanimity screams, “We all fall, but we get back up. A winner is a failure who got up.”

That’s the greatest painkiller that soothes their pain. That’s the most effective antiseptic that prevents their wound from getting worse. That’s the most potent medicine that speedily clots the blood. And that’s the most protective bandage that covers their wounds.

ALSO READ The Drowners

I have read about athletes who came back from severe injuries to win medals because their coaches, teammates, or families defiantly believed their wounds shall heal and went further to help them recuperate. What a comfort! What a blessed assurance!

(3) You store up healing for your wounds

None of us is omniscience. We don’t know what will befall us in the future. I don’t pray it rains on your parade. But doesn’t the Bible speak about ‘the evil day’ and warns those who think they stand to be careful lest they fall?

When you help a wounded Christian, you store up healing for wounds you’ve not yet sustained, which could come either from the enemy’s gunfire or from the cruel weapons of life. You pre-secure balm for yourself at a time in the future when you would need it the most. You accrue good deeds into an invisible trust fund. You make tangible deposits of goodwill into a tangible but unseen account. None of those good deeds is put in a row marked ‘Wasted.’ The Trustee – the shrewdest businessman – guards and secures these investments, and posts every act of kindness to an invisible account you would draw from at a needy time in the future. I pray you understand.

To continue…

— By Bryce Edem

ALSO READ Directions to His House

Meditation: A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench… – Matthew 12:20

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

5 Reasons You Should Help A Fallen Christian
On A Cold Christmas Eve (2)
Purpose: Sent to Absorb the Consequences of Sin
https://daily-dew.com/5-reasons-you-should-help-a-fallen-christian-2/

Early on the morning of the 2012 Armed Forces Day, I took a virtual tour of the National Arboretum – a 150-acre wooded parkland in Staffordshire, England. It is artistically and beautifully designed with memorials that remember UK servicemen, past and present.

Few days before then, I had basked in the euphoria of witnessing the Olympic Torch pass through our city. London had been agog with unbridled excitement. All of the UK was wrapped in frenzy – buzzing and getting ready to host perhaps the greatest sporting activity on earth.

But the electric ecstasy of those days decelerated into humdrum sombre on that Armed Forces Day. As I pondered, my mind raced down memory lane. Then I came by something even more sobering. It was Prince Harry’s speech three months earlier while receiving the award for distinguished humanitarian leadership:

“So many of our Servicemen and women have made the ultimate sacrifice; so many lives have been lost and so many changed forever by the wounds that they have suffered in the course of their duties. For these selfless people, it is after the guns have fallen silent, the din of battle quietened, that the real fight begins – a fight that may last for the rest of their lives.”

ALSO READ The Choice You Make (2)

Life is a fight – a long, unending fight

We enlist for that fight at birth. We only lay down our weapons at death. Every breath we take is a call to arms. Every move we make is an invasion of the enemy’s camp. We are susceptible to attacks. We are bound to be wounded. We are prone to become a casualty. Prince Harry’s words struck me real hard: In life’s battles, wounds are inevitable.

Esprit de corps!

That’s a core philosophy in the military which describes such values as honour and commitment in the service. It epitomizes pride for – devotion and loyalty to – other members of the service with which the soldiers fight and serve. That is why it is a grave offence in the military to attack, or to pass up, a wounded colleague.

I find the absence of esprit de corps in ‘The Army of the Lord’ appalling. Only in this army, it seems, is it commonplace to see soldiers fighting one another. Only in this army is it commonplace to see soldiers who don’t care for their bleeding and dying colleagues. Many times we see battle-weary Christians stagger – and fall; courage almost gone, or actually gone.

Some of their wounds are a direct onslaught from the enemy. Some are self-inflicted. But whatever the cause, it is your sacred duty as a fellow soldier to bear the stretcher. It is your sacred duty to bandage their wounds; to nurse them back to health and recovery.

ALSO READ Puzzles

It is against esprit de corps to break a bruised reed or to put out a flickering candle. The demand on you is to tend it, trim it, give it fresh oil, and cause it to burn more brightly again. When you do so, you practice the service philosophy of esprit de corps.

To continue…

— By Bryce Edem

Meditation: Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. – Isaiah 35:3

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

A Lesson on Handling Discouragement
Keeping on Target: The Critical Path
On A Cold Christmas Eve
https://daily-dew.com/5-reasons-you-should-help-a-fallen-christian/

Mom got up early Sunday morning and got the kids ready for church. Dad sat in the living room, reading his newspaper and looking out at the snow.

They’d had the conversation before, but nothing had changed. “Why don’t you go with us this week?” she asked. He didn’t look up from his paper.

“You know why,” he said aloud and then in his own mind finished the answer with “A truly great God wouldn’t care about puny humans anyway.”

The man replayed the argument in his mind: “If God is so perfect and great, why would he care about helping us? If God is so powerful, why would he make his son become a human being? Why would he stoop so low to help us… if God is really so great.”

The house was silent except for the sound of the logs crackling in the fireplace. From the other end of the house came a strange thump.

The man put down his paper and walked down the hall. Outside the window huddled a group of birds. In confusion and fear, they had flown into the windowpane and fallen to the ground. They huddled together in the snow trying to figure out what to do next. The man felt sorry for the birds. He thought to himself, “The birds could go in our barn and they’d be warm there.” So he went outside and opened the door to the barn. Then he waited in the cold. The birds didn’t move.

ALSO READ Purpose: Anointed to Enrich the Poor
“I know, I’ll shoo them over to the barn door,” the man thought. But as he tried to herd the birds to the barn they simply scattered. Only after he left them alone did they come back to their spot in the snow.

The man had one last plan. He went back in the house and got a loaf of bread. Carefully, he tore off pieces of bread and made a path to the barn door. But the birds just huddled closer together, ignoring the gift of life which the man was offering.

Stumped, the man stood looking at the birds, wondering just what it would take to get them to safety. He thought to himself, “If only I could become a bird and lead them to safety, then they wouldn’t have to die.

He stopped and thought about it again. And he finally understood.

…God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: – Romans 8:3

— Author Unknown

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

The Story of Soul
The Resume of Jesus Christ
The Bird Cage – A Redemption Story
https://daily-dew.com/a-birds-eye-view/

Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury...” Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. – 2 Kings 1:2,16-17

Not everybody dies from the disease that apparently kills them. Some die from the places they go to seeking relief from that disease.

What killed King Ahaziah? Was it the fall from his upper balcony and the complications arising therefrom? Or was it because he went consulting after the god of Ekron? According to our passage, he died from where he went seeking a solution to what he thought was about to kill him. He died from a where, not a what.

Of course, everybody would say that the king died from his accidental fall, but our passage tells us that his death was actually a divine sentence for seeking help in the places he sent to consult from.

Not everybody dies from their deadly disease. Some die from the deadly places they go to, seeking help. Mind the places you go to when trouble comes. God may pardon ignorant Ekronites who visit their Baalzebub, who might even come out with fantastic lies of Baalzebub’s miraculous powers; but Israelites who should know better, risk death when they play the same game.

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help… (Isaiah 31:1).

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:5).

Beelzebub might be allowed to lie to his Ekronites, who often come away with fantastic tales of his miraculous feats, but Israelites who walk that path risk disaster.

Not everybody dies from the deadly disease that apparently kills them. Some die from the places they visit, seeking help. Mind the places you go to seek help in the days of your troubles. When some king crashes to death from his high places, let ignorant newspapers say what they may. The prophet knows why.

-- The Preacher’s Diary

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Holding Pattern
Benefits of Wisdom (19)
Believe there is a Solution
https://daily-dew.com/what-killed-the-king/

Below are my credentials to validate my suitability for a life partnership.

RESUME OF GOD

NAME: GOD

ADDRESS: Everywhere (Omnipresent)

PHONE: P-R-A-Y

EXPERIENCE:

– From the beginning of time. Before the beginning of time.

– From everlasting to everlasting. I made time.

ABILITY:

– All-Powerful! (Omnipotent)

PRIOR EMPLOYMENT:

– Created the universe, put the Galaxies in place, formed man.

– Established Heaven and earth by My spoken Word and am currently holding the world and universe together by My sole power.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

– I AM – I AM all Knowledge

– I AM Truth

– I AM Light

– I AM Understanding

– I AM Life

– I AM Love

– I AM The Way – I Am the Good Shepherd – I and the Father ‘AM’ One, “Omniscient”

CHARACTER REFERENCE:

Love, light and life (1 John 4:16, 1 John 1:5, John 14:6).

A representative – but by no means conclusive – lists of other character traits are as follows:

– Wisdom – James 1:5

– Comfort – 2 Corinthians 1:3

– Truth – John 8:32

– Healer – 1 Peter 2:24

– Strength – Phil. 4:13

– Forgiveness – 1 John 1:9

– Provider – Phil. 4:19

– Mercy – Ephesians 2:24

– Good – Matt. 19:17

– Peace – Romans 14:17

AVAILABILITY:

– Willing and ready to take over your life at a moment notice.

– Able to provide you with salvation and everlasting life.

– Will bring all of who I AM into your life. Can start IMMEDIATELY.

– Available for 24 hours a day companionship, counselling, guidance, comfort and consolation to strengthen you and stand with you against all attacks from the enemy. To renew your mind and spirit, and to transform you into a creature if you let Me. I will become your life and you will become My body.

SALARY REQUIREMENT:

Payment for all work that has and will be accomplished in your life has already been paid for through the blood of My Son. Your only responsibility is to Believe and commit, to have Faith and trust and obey what Jesus has done and wants to do in your life. I look forward to meeting with you personally.

OTHER REFERENCES:

– The Holy Bible (Available Upon Request).

Now, wouldn’t you rather contract Him?

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. – Revelation 3:20

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also Read:

Remove the Stone
The Marriage Beatitudes
Application for Life Partnership (1)
https://daily-dew.com/application-for-life-partnership-2/

To Whom It May Concern:

I heard you are considering a new manager in your life. I would like to apply for the job. I desire a life partnership with you. I believe I am the qualified candidate.

I created the heavens and the earth. I AM. I am the only one that has ever done this job successfully. I was the first manager of human beings. In fact, I made them. So, naturally, I know how humanity works, and what is best to get people back into proper working condition. It will be like having the manufacturer as your personal mechanic. If this is your first time considering Me, I would like to point out that the blood of My Son, Jesus, on the cross of Calvary has already paid my salary. What I need from you is the acknowledgement that the price is sufficient to pay for all of your sins, and then your independence from Me.

I need you to believe this in your heart and to tell somebody else about your decision with your mouth. The next thing I ask is the right to change and fix your life, so you can learn how to stay close to Me. I will make some major changes and revisions. They are not for you to worry about.

I need your permission to execute these changes:

– My way and in My time.

– I will change your desires and give you the strength to make the changes.

– Please keep YOUR hands out of the way. I won’t require assistance.

Don’t try to help me and don’t resist me. I really do need your full commitment and cooperation. If you give me those, the process can go smoothly, without delays.

My resume is included below.

Sincerely Yours,

~God~

(To continue tomorrow with the awesome resume of God)

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. – Revelation 3:20

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Time to Fly from the Nest
5 Relationships That Could Make or Break You
How to Get Out of Entrapment and Desperate Situations
https://daily-dew.com/application-for-life-partnership/

There was a nature show on television about a black bear that gave birth to two cubs. One cub died right away. Three weeks later the mother died and the remaining cub was left to fend for itself. An orphaned cub in that condition is like a walking buffet for predators. And, of course, the camera immediately showed a hungry-looking mountain lion.

One day the orphan cub encountered a giant male black bear. The little cub cowered at the bear’s sheer mass. The larger bear peered around and seemed to realize that the mother bear wasn’t anywhere to be found. He gave the little cub a friendly nudge. The camera then showed the little bear happily trailing along after the larger one. The adoption papers were signed, sealed and registered at the county seat in that nudge. Papa bear proceeded to show the cub how to grub for insects and how to catch fish and how to scratch his back against a tree.

One day, the two bears became separated. The cub began to cry and looked frantically for his new father, but couldn’t find him anywhere. The cub approached a stream where he’d learned to fish and something caught his attention. He looked up to see a mountain lion ready to pounce. That same mountain lion had stalked the cub for the entire show. There was no way that mountain lion would’ve gone for that cub with Papa bear around, but now….

The camera zoomed in on the cub. He automatically mimicked the posture of his adopted father when threatened. He stood on his hind legs and bared his teeth. Then, in the exactly the same way his new father would have done, this cub let loose a mighty growl that should have reverberated throughout the forest. But, only a tiny bear cub’s squeak came out.

Well, you know what was coming. But, to everybody’s astonishment, the mountain lion lowered his head and ran off in the opposite direction.

The camera panned back to the proud little cub still standing tall on his hind legs. And then all the viewers saw what that little cub could not: a few yards behind him, at full, ferocious height, his sharp, white teeth bared in a snarl, stood Daddy bear. He may not have made a sound, but he was there.

And even though the cub couldn’t see his father, his father stood guard, protecting his young. The little cub had power available greater than anything he could produce on his own. There was a greater power watching over him.

It is the same thing for us children of God. Even though we may not see Him or feel Him; God is nevertheless jealously watching over us and is ever up to the task whenever there is a threat to our lives or wellbeing from any corner; signalling at the enemies to stay away from us.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. – 1 John 4:4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Angels in the Classroom
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Prayer For Guidance And Protection To Those I Love
https://daily-dew.com/a-greater-power-watching/

It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments, the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of the solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race.

The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours, I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose:

I CHOOSE LOVE…

– No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness.

– I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY…

– I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE…

– I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE…

– I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I will invite him to do so. Rather than complaining that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, – I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS…

– I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid.

– And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS…

– I will go without money before I take a dishonest one.

– I will be overlooked before I will boast.

– I will confess before I will accuse.

– I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS. ..

– Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust.

– My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love.

– And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS….

– Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.

– If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL…

– I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.

– I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal.

– I choose self-control.

– I will be drunk only by joy.

– I will be impassioned only by my faith.

– I will be influenced only by God.

– I will be taught only by Christ.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; to these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek God’s face. And then when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live. – Deuteronomy 30:19

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

The Farmer and His Corn
How to Build A Winning Workforce
Benefits of Wisdom: Preservation of Life
https://daily-dew.com/i-choose/

Remember to take your vitamins every day.

Anxious? Take Vitamin A. “All things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Blue? Take Vitamin B. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)

Crushed? Take Vitamin C. “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

Depressed? Take Vitamin D. “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:

Empty? Take Vitamin E. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.” (Psalm 100:4)

Fearful? Take Vitamin F. “Fear not, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God.” (Isaiah 41:10)

Greedy? Take Vitamin G. “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put unto your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” (Luke 6:38)

Hesitant? Take Vitamin H. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.'” (Isaiah 52:7)

Insecure? Take Vitamin I. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Jittery? Take Vitamin J. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:

Know nothing? Take Vitamin K. “Know this that the Lord is God, it is He that made us and not we ourselves. (Psalm 100:3)

Lonely? Take Vitamin L. “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

Mortgaged? Take Vitamin M. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Nervous? Take Vitamin N. “Never, no never will I leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Overwhelmed? Take Vitamin O. “Overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

Perplexed or puzzled? Take Vitamin P. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Quitting? Take Vitamin Q. “Quit you like men and women, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Restless? Take Vitamin R. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him.” (Psalm 37:7)

Scared? Take Vitamin S. “Stay with me, and do not be afraid; for the one who seeks my life seeks your life; you will be safe with me.” (1 Samuel 22:23)

Tired? Take Vitamin T. “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Uncertain? Take Vitamin U. “Understand that I am (the Lord). Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.” (Isaiah 43:10)

Vain? Take Vitamin V. “Vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. (Acts 5:16)

Wondering what to do? Take Vitamin W. “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:

eXhausted? Take Vitamin X. “Exercise thyself rather unto godliness.” (1 Timothy 4:7)

Yearning for hope? Take Vitamin Y. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you art with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

Zapped? Take Vitamin Z. “Zealous for good deeds.” (Titus 2:14)

— Author Unknown

Meditation: It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. – John 6:63

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Soul’s Vitamins
The Gestation of Faith (1)
The Colors of Friendship
https://daily-dew.com/spiritual-vitamins-a-to-z/

For the end of those things is death. – Romans 6:21b

In conclusion of our series on understanding the nature and workings of the body, soul and spirit, let us consider the final destination of each of these entities at death.

Spirits don’t die. So whenever someone dies it is the soul that really dies. And, once death has happened, the body which was formed out of sand starts to decompose until it finally returns to its primordial state (Genesis 3:19); while the spirit, which is the engine of the body (this is different from the Holy Spirit), departs from the dead body and reports back to God. ‘Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it’ (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

On the other hand, the soul, which is the real person clothed in physical flesh and powered to life by the spirit (breath of God), is the one that dies (Matthew 10:28). It is the soul that will stand in judgement and be released to enjoy everlasting life among other saints or be condemned to the second death. “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4, 20).

It is the soul that is either redeemed to live a new life in Christ Jesus from the earth to eternity; “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). It is also the soul that will be sentenced to hell. “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

So, while the destinations of the flesh and spirit are constant, where the soul will end depends on whether the soul in question accepts Jesus’ invitation to all souls to come to Him (Matthew 11:28-29, Luke 12:20, Jeremiah 38:20). The question is, where will your own soul end?

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Understanding Spirit, Soul and Body (1)
Understanding Spirit, Soul And Body (2)
Understanding Spirit, Soul And Body (3)
https://daily-dew.com/understanding-the-spirit-soul-and-body-7/

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. – John 6:63

Even as the body relies on food for sustenance and the soul feeds on information, so does the spirit require word to thrive, the best diet for it being the word of God.

The spirit, the third part of a human, responds to words. As much as it is invisible, it can be quickened to tangible activity by the spoken words. That is why you see strange things happen either to an animate or an inanimate as a result of incantations or exchange of words. That is because some spirits must have been invoked there.

However, the spirit, the engine that powers life, comes from God. So the best nutrition it can get to function optimally and effectively to play its guiding role as the big brother of soul and body is the word of God. God Himself is Spirit (John 4:24); therefore, His word is the best diet for any spirit to feed on. His word revives the dead by infusing spirit back into it; spirits don’t die. His word energises a fainting spirit (Psalm 119:25); His word stabilises the spirit and keeps it attuned to divine wavelength such that man is able to easily connect to and commune with his Creator about any matter of interest. God Himself so desires such fellowship or spiritual connection (John 4:23-24).

If you desire a refined and attuned spirit, then you need to constantly expose yourself to the implanted word of God. You can start today.

[This series will be concluded tomorrow].

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Understanding Spirit, Soul and Body (1)
Understanding Spirit, Soul And Body (2)
Understanding Spirit, Soul And Body (3)
https://daily-dew.com/understanding-spirit-soul-and-body-6/

Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival. – Acts 27:34

In continuation of our series on the differences between the spirit, the soul and the body, with particular reference to the intake of each for nourishment, today, we will look at the human body.

Food is the primary source of nourishment for the body. The body must be well fed to flourish and perform at its optimal best. For its frame to maintain a strong outlook, it must be nurtured through constant physical activities or exercise. The extent to which the body is nourished in balanced diet and nurtured in physical activities is the extent it will last and serve its owner (1 Corinthians 6:13, 1 Timothy 4:.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Understanding Spirit, Soul and Body (1)
Understanding Spirit, Soul And Body (2)
Understanding Spirit, Soul And Body (3)
https://daily-dew.com/understanding-spirit-soul-and-body-5/

And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge – Colossians 3:10

In continuation of our series on the differences between the spirit, soul and body, today we shall dwell on how to cultivate these three aspects of human for optimal performance.

Growth is a natural process for most living beings; and by virtue of being a living, the body, the spirit and the soul of human are susceptible to a growth process from a smaller state to a higher or bigger one.

Whilst the body develops through a biological or natural process; the same cannot be said of the other entities making a human. The spirit and soul do not grow or develop through a detached biological process. On the contrary, they have to be consciously cultivated before they can develop.

Even the human body needs more than the workings of biology to blossom and remain fit; as it needs constant attention to be at its best and serve its owner optimally. The same way the spirit and soul require dedicated attention to develop.

For the soul, which has a bearing on the mind and thoughts, it derives its nourishment from knowledge. The best way to develop the human soul is to expose it to learning. The extent that one is exposed to information is the extent his soul will be able. For the soul, the saying, ‘information is power’ is most apposite, as a soul derives its ability to process information and arrives at a course of action based on the exposure it has to knowledge on the matter in hand.

A soul that is not informed will be prone to make bad decisions; while the enlightened soul will most likely make wise choices. Information is the nourishment of the soul. That is why our reference passage above says that the new man within is “renewed in knowledge.” Meanwhile, the depth of bearing of the soul is usually determined by the level of exposure it has to knowledge.

To be continued…

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Understanding Spirit, Soul and Body (1)
Understanding Spirit, Soul And Body (2)
Understanding Spirit, Soul And Body (3)
https://daily-dew.com/understanding-spirit-soul-and-body-4/

AntiChristian:
Can we have a Bible verse that defines Soul and Spirit in separate ways?

Please read Part 1 of the series.

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

Of all the three entities that make a man, the most complex to explain or understand is the soul. Perhaps, that is why it is often confused for the spirit, or its activities misrepresented as that of the flesh.

The soul is the part of man that constitutes his real personality. It is what is otherwise called the inner man. The inner man is not the spirit; it is the soul. The soul is the summation of the personality of man, with direct bearing on the mind, and dictating the pattern and kind of thoughts, desires, feelings, choices, impulses, preferences, peeves, decision making, and other such complex inner workings and processes of man.

The soul is the real person that is powered by the spirit to operate through a body form. Simply put, the soul is the nature of the spirit projected through the flesh. It is what is referred to as the “nature” of man. It is the one that influences individual behaviours and peculiar ways of doing things. The soul is the real person; the expression of the spirit inside through the form of flesh.

Perhaps, this analogy will help us to understand the three entities better: imagine a car; on its own, a car cannot do much without an engine. Even when it has an engine, it cannot drive itself unless there is someone to drive and control its courses. The human spirit is the engine that powers the car; the human body is the built of the vehicle; whilst the human soul is the driver that steers the vehicle in whatever direction he chooses. These three are interdependent and cannot function adequately without one another.

To be continued…

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Understanding Spirit, Soul and Body (1)
Understanding Spirit, Soul And Body (2)
Is Your Good Idea God’s Idea?
https://daily-dew.com/understanding-spirit-soul-and-body-3/

“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.” – Matthew 12:43

The spirit is the entity that animates the body and supplies it the energy to live. Spirit gives life (read John 6:63 and 2 Corinthians 3:6). Blood is the tangible representation of the spirit. That is why the Bible says ‘the life of every creature is in its blood’ (Leviticus 17:11, 14). Once a creature is drained of blood, the spirit departs from such being and he/she/it becomes a lifeless body.

However, even while the spirit is emblemised by blood, it is nonetheless an invisible entity. It takes more than the physical eyes to see a spirit. It is not a tangible thing, and it can do little on its own except through a physical form. That explains why it is accommodated in a body, through which it lives and operates.

The body is the physical container that houses the spirit, and it is the power source that gives life to the body, without a spirit in a body, the body will be lifeless, the same way a spirit without a body may just be a nuisance all over the place and may not realise its full potential because a spirit is at its best when it is inside a tangible form. That is why the legion of unclean spirits that Jesus cast out of the man at the country of the Gadarenes earnestly begged Him not to render them homeless, but to allow them to enter a herd of swine nearby (Mark 5:1-13, Luke 8:36-33). If Jesus hadn’t given them permission to go into the swine, they would have been floating frantically in the air looking for a willing or unguarded vessel to enter.

Such is the extent to which spirits depend on a physical form to function.

To be continued...

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Understanding Spirit, Soul and Body (1)
Focus on the Most Important Part of You
Psalm 23: A Line-by-Line Exposition
https://daily-dew.com/understanding-the-spirit-soul-and-body-2/

Understanding the Spirit, Soul and Body (1)

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Thessalonians 5:23

In the following days, we shall meditate on the much confusing issue of the spirit, soul and body of man. We will explore the differences between these entities, their individual operations and functions, how each can be enhanced and cultivated, as well as the final destination for each of them.

In Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” The Bible later introduced God to us as a tripartite Being: “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one” (1 John 5:7). Therefore, when God set out to create humans in His image and likeness, He also made a tripartite creature, just like Himself. He created a spirit being who has a soul and lives in or operates through a body.

Some scholars usually interpret the spirit and soul to mean the same thing or perform the same functions. No, they are not the same, nor do they do the same thing. As our reference scripture above states, the spirit, soul and body are separate entities, and they perform distinct functions unique to each of them.

The spirit is the entity that animates the body and supplies it with the energy to live. It gives life (read John 6:63 and 2 Corinthians 3:6). Blood is the tangible representation of the spirit. That is why the Bible says ‘the life of every creature is in its blood’ (Leviticus 17:11, 14). Once a creature is drained of blood, the spirit departs from such being and he/she/it becomes a lifeless body.

To be continued...

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Spiritual Housekeeping
Love People And Use Things
You Are Amazing! (And I Can Prove It)
https://daily-dew.com/understanding-the-spirit-soul-and-body-1/

Many times God will allow a painful situation or a painful circumstance in our life to “swallow us up.” This season in our spiritual growth is a holding pattern. We can’t move to the left or the right. All we can do is sit, like Jonah sat in the belly of that great fish, so God can have our undivided attention and speak to us.

God put Jonah in a holding pattern because He needed to speak to his heart. Jonah was all alone. There were no friends to call, no colleagues to drop by, no books to read, no food to eat, no interference, and no interruptions. He had plenty of time to sit, think, meditate, and pray.

When we’re deep down in the midst of a difficult situation, God can talk to us. When He has our undivided attention, He can show us things about ourselves that we might not otherwise have seen.

Here are few of God’s holding patterns:

1. When you are sick in your physical body and you have prayed but God has not healed you yet, you are in a holding pattern

2. When you are having problems with your children and you have put them on the altar, but God has not delivered them yet, you are in a holding pattern.

3. When you have been praying for the salvation of a loved one and they have not been saved yet, you are in a holding pattern.

4. When you are in a broken relationship and you have given it over to God, but it has not been restored yet, you are in a holding pattern.

5. When the doors slam shut before you can knock on them, you are in a holding pattern.

When we are deep in the belly of a difficult situation, there are no interruptions. God has our undivided attention. All we can do is sit, think, meditate, and pray. We cannot run from God because there are no mountains high enough, valleys low enough, rooms that are dark enough, or places that are hidden enough from Him. We must remember to praise Him while we’re waiting and remember three things:

1. The pattern has a purpose.

2. The pattern has a plan.

3. The pattern has a process.

So stop struggling and start listening, praying and trusting. He’ll keep you right where you are until you can clearly hear Him say, “I love you.”

Prayer: Father, forgive my unbelief. I know You Love me and will turn anything around to benefit me. You have planned nothing for me but victories and I am ready to receive them regardless of how difficult the path. Amen

The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Lessons on Life
The Balancing Act
Benefits of Wisdom (13): Effective Leadership
https://daily-dew.com/holding-pattern/

This is a true story that teaches us a lesson about how to handle discouragement.

There are many times when we begin a certain task that God lays on our hearts and because we think our efforts are minimal or, perhaps, we are not making a difference, we quit the assignment that God told us to pursue.

The enemy loves to plant seeds of doubt in our mind and lure us into thinking that we are not capable of making a difference in this world. But with God’s help, we can overcome and fulfil our destiny.

If you are going through a situation of doubting the relevance of your efforts unto the Lord, perhaps this story will encourage you to never quit what God has laid on your heart because you may never know the lives you are touching.

There was a man who was involved in a tragic accident. He lost both legs and his left arm and only a finger and thumb remained on the right hand. But he still possessed a brilliant mind, enriched with good education and broadened with world travel.

At first, he thought there was nothing he could do but remain a helpless sufferer. Then a thought came to him. It was always nice to receive letters, but why not write them? He could still use his right hand with some difficulty. But to whom could he write? Was there anyone shut-in and incapacitated like he was who could be encouraged by his letters? He thought of men in prison – they did have some hope of release, whereas he had none – but it was worth a try.

He wrote to a Christian organization concerned with prison ministry. He was told that his letters could not be answered because it was against prison rules, but he still decided to commence this one-sided correspondence. He wrote twice a week, and it taxed his strength to the limit. But he poured his whole soul into the letters – all his experience, all his faith, all his wit, and all his Christian optimism.

Frequently he felt discouraged and was tempted to give it all up. But it was his one remaining activity, and he resolved to continue as long as he could. At last, he got a letter. It was very short and was written on prison stationery by the officer whose duty it was to censor the mail.

All it said was: “Please write on the best paper you can afford. Your letters are passed from cell to cell till they literally fall to pieces.”

No matter what your situation may be like, you still have the ability to encourage someone who is discouraged and lift up someone who is feeling low. Take this story as an encouragement to give your all for someone else and do not worry about the results. No good work will go unseen and only God really knows the impact your life can have on someone else.

Let us not do our good works so that we may be praised, but let us do good works so that others may be lifted up and God be praised because of our intervention. The only thing that we can take with us into eternity is what we have done for the Lord. There are no bank accounts in heaven to show how much your net worth was on the earth, but there will be accounts in heaven of what you did to show your life as an example in leading others to Him.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. – 2 Thessalonians 3:13

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Keeping on Target: The Critical Path
How Do You Respond to Discouragement?
The First 10 Lessons I Learned About Prayer
https://daily-dew.com/unanswered-letters-a-lesson-on-handling-discouragement/

And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! – Matthew 26:63-65

The last set of authorities that require our fervent, sustained prayers and intercession are religious leaders. These people wield so much influence in our lives and they could be key to how we turn out, either well or badly.

Religious leaders exert great influence over their congregation and followers; what they say are often regarded as the counsel of God Himself, with the ability to spur the listeners to immediate action. So it is imperative they are upheld in prayer so that they are not overtaken by the spirit of deception and start to spill out falsehoods to their eager audience who could go to town with or take action based on such information.

In our reference passage, we see how Caiaphas a High Priest – the symbol of spirituality and devotion during his time – missed it big time concerning Jesus Christ. Firstly, he was ignorant of the identity of Jesus. Secondly, he led the whole nation of Israel astray by condemning Jesus, which provoked a violent reaction from the crowd and culminated in His crucifixion.

Perhaps, if he had known who Jesus truly was, things might have been different (1 Corinthians 2:. But he was ignorant of His identity and he led the nation astray by renouncing Him and instigating them to do same. Such is the clout that our leaders have and the more reason we need to always pray for them so that they won’t lead us astray.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Why You Should Pray for People in Authority (1): All Leaders
Why You Should Pray for People in Authority (2): Political Leaders
Why You Should Pray for People in Authority (3): Business Leaders
Why You Should Pray for People in Authority (4): Family Leaders
https://daily-dew.com/why-you-should-pray-for-people-in-authority-5-religious-leaders/

And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done: When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it...” Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. – Joshua 7:20-25

Family leaders are also another set of authorities that we must always uphold in prayer. Just like the other categories of leaders we have considered, the consequences of their decisions and actions may not be limited to them alone but could affect their family members as well.

From the above passage, Achan brought sudden destruction not just upon his own head but the entire members of his household because of greed. And that was even after he had brought calamity upon the nation of Israel who were routed by a minnow settlement.

Achan could not control himself and went to take for personal use what God had explicitly forbidden the Israelites from touching. By the time he was found out, his wife, his children, his animals and all his possessions were destroyed because they had all become abominable through the misdeed of their patriarch.

Our family leaders, fathers and other family heads, deserve our sustained prayers and intercession, as their decisions, actions or inactions could have a significant impact on our own lives and well-being by virtue of our being under their authority. Always remember to pray for the head of your family.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Why You Should Pray for People in Authority (1): All Leaders
Why You Should Pray for People in Authority (2): Political Leaders
Why You Should Pray for People in Authority (3): Business Leaders
https://daily-dew.com/why-you-should-pray-for-people-in-authority-4/