₦airaland Forum

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. - Revelation 4:11

Generally, purpose can be explained in a threefold sense, namely the universal purpose, situational mission and individual assignment.

The universal purpose is that which is applicable to every human, irrespective of race, colour, societal status, exposure, education, vocation and so forth. The universal purpose of all humans is to worship and honour God. That is non-negotiable; it is the general duty of man, atheist or non-atheist. There is no differentiation in this particular mandate, although the way each individual goes about doing it could be different from person to person.

God created humans firstly for fellowship. Whilst the word fellowship may be considered in a loose term as a relationship between equals; however, in the equation of God and man, there is no equal. God is greater than the biggest, the richest, and the most powerful of men, since He created every one. And He created all for His own pleasure. By configuration, there is a void in every human that can only be filled by the Supernatural. People who don’t know the true God seek to fill theirs by worshipping non-God elements.

Discovering the universal purpose of worship is not far-fetched either, and does not require elaborate self-examination. It is inborn. Man will essentially worship something. Now, in the right context, worship is beyond what is done in church or other spiritual gatherings, although that is an important part of it. Worship is all-encompassing and covers all aspects of life, including the way you live, the way you work, the way you do things, and the way you conduct yourself generally. That is why the Bible says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Glorifying God is the first purpose of humankind.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things… - Ecclesiastes 7:25

Still in continuation of our meditation on purpose, let us further consider some sublime thoughts on purpose and related matters from James Allen’s classic, As A Man Thinketh:

- Only by much searching and mining are gold and diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being, if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul.

- Man is buffeted by circumstances as long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions, but when he realizes that he is a creative power, and that he may command the hidden soil and seeds of his being; he then becomes the rightful master of himself.

- Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.

- Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent achievement.

- Aimlessness is a vice.

- They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, and self-pityings…which lead…to failure, unhappiness, and loss.

- To put away aimlessness and weakness and to begin to think with purpose is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment. Who make all conditions serve them, and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully.

- Purpose, energy, power to do, and all strong thoughts cease when doubt and fear creep in.

- He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure.

- Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes a creative force. He who knows this is ready to become something higher and stronger…He who does this has become the conscious and intelligent wielder of his mental powers.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things… - Ecclesiastes 7:25

We are still considering some pertinent factors about purpose:

8. It takes an accountability system to live and fulfil it: purpose blossoms when anchored on an accountability system. Having someone in your life who holds you accountable for your daily activities and pursuits would help you to stay on course in the fulfilment of your assignment.

9. It will give you a sense of fulfilment: the greatest fulfilment you can get is in knowing that you are making a difference as well as fulfilling your life purpose.

10. It helps you to identify your destiny partners: purpose is the best metric through which you can ascertain whom to marry, whom to be friendly with, whom to go into business with, whom to hire as workers, whom to submit to, and so on. As the Bible says, two persons cannot walk together except they agree. Knowing your purpose helps you to identify who is compatible with you, and who is not.

11. It is in the Word of God: your purpose is not far-fetched. It can be found in the Holy Bible, God’s manual for life. Any proclaimed purpose that has no root in the Bible is mere personal agenda.

12. It takes God and His resources to fulfil it: there is no fulfilling your purpose outside the help and provision of God. Any purpose that you can conveniently afford to execute with your own resources is probably not big enough.

13. Your success is hinged on fulfilling it: to God, the fulfilment of your purpose is the real indicator of your success, not your bank account, asset, or networks.

14. It guides you to make the right choices and decisions in life: purpose is the best benchmark by which you could make choices and decisions.

15. It has been in you all along: your purpose is already wired into your DNA, merely awaiting discovery. It is not something you have to travel anywhere to discover. It is within you and it is crystallised in the Bible for your identification.

16. You might have been fulfilling it without knowing: you might have been fulfilling your purpose one way or the other, but without giving a name to it or knowing that is what you are doing.

17. You can make a career out of it: happy is the man or woman whose purpose synchs with his/her professional career or business. Your purpose can be the core of your professional pursuits, business or other commercial endeavours.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things… - Ecclesiastes 7:25

In continuation of our meditation on Purpose, here are additional facts about purpose:

2. It is always people-centred: God-given purpose is usually focused on people. A purpose that is worth its name is premised on service to others in various ways, rather than pursuing own interest. In the equation of purpose, the self is usually non-existent. It is all about people; what you can do to serve them, help them, better them, encourage them, etc.

3. It has nothing to do with family background or standing in the society: everyone, old and young, noble and lowly born, clergy and laity are released on earth with specific mandate. Purpose is not only for the rich, nor is it the sole prerogative of the poor or the idle.

4. It helps you to set your priorities in life: knowing your purpose will help you to determine what is really important, as against what is not. This will therefore help you to know the degree of importance you accord various activities based on their value returns in relation to your purpose.

5. It is your destiny: purpose is what is popularly called destiny. It is your assignment on earth. It is your mission. It is your essence. The extent of your fulfilling it is how much you have fulfilled destiny.

6. It helps you to make use of time: knowing your purpose in life is a major factor in helping you to manage your time more productively. A conscious acceptance and pursuit of your purpose will help you know what to spend more time on and, in contrast, what will constitute a waste or less productive use of your time.

7. God will require an account of stewardship from you on it: because nobody created or apportioned life assignment for him/herself, but God; He naturally would expect an account of how you fulfil the mandate He commissioned you to execute, which is your purpose. The extent of your success at it will determine how many crowns you are given.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things… - Ecclesiastes 7:25

So many things have been said and written about Purpose, and this is justifiable because it is at the centre of everything in life. Most of the lives that are celebrated on account of their contributions to humanity are so renowned because the individuals involved have probably found purpose and lived, or are living, it.

Purpose is the reason for the existence of anything, and that applies to every human. Everything around are here because they are performing one function or the other, without such function, there would be no need for such thing. And the more function an item is able to perform, the greater its value in the eyes of its owner. The same principle applies to humans, we are all here for different reasons, and there are specific functions each of us is made to perform on earth.

God created us to execute certain assignments; hence, our existence. He did not create anyone merely for the fun of it, or just for the person to loaf around – to eat, work, play, sleep and eventually die. Each one of us was created with specific mandate to fulfil. That is our purpose. The sad thing is that only few individuals get to discover their purpose in life, and yet fewer people fulfil their own purpose before passing on.

Here are some facts about Purpose:

1. It is the key to greatness: most great figures in classical and contemporary history were individuals who consciously discovered their purpose, or stumbled on it, and then went ahead to pursue it. However, there are many more individuals who also discovered and lived their purpose, but whose life or activities are not recorded in history. And this does not make them any less great than those whose stories are recorded. To people who knew the individuals in this second category, they would unanimously agree that they indeed lived a significant life, even if they are not universally known.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines… - Song of Solomon 2:15

8. SINS
The final reason for unanswered prayers is sin. Oftentimes we rob ourselves of divine privileges by our sinful indulgence in thoughts, in words and deeds. The Bible informs us that ‘God is angry with the wicked everyday’ (Psalm 7:11), how then can we hope to get anything from Him if we are always rubbing Him on the wrong side? Little disobediences here and there: an evil or lustful thought you allowed to roam in your heart, a wrong word you said to or about someone, a harmful scheme you planned or did to someone, or your disregard for the injunctions of the Bible; these are ‘the little foxes that spoil our vine’. But we often do not know.

Another way that sin robs us of our miracles is through little compromises we allow from time to time. You see, God tests us now and then to see the disposition of our hearts in relation to Him. He tests our faithfulness, our commitment, our loyalty, our maturity, our patience, and our preparation before committing certain things to us. How we fare during and after the trial determines whether or not we are ready for the blessing.

God does not use or commit resources to an untested hand. Examples of this truth abound in the Bible. Just as we have to write exams to pass from one class to a higher one, so does God test us from time to time with circumstances and real life situations. If you fail, the blessing is delayed; but if you overcome, it is delivered to you. However, because of God’s infinite mercy, we are usually presented with multiple opportunities to prove ourselves worthy. Therefore, with God, once failed is not forever failed.

At this point, it is essential to examine ourselves and ascertain that we are not falling short in any of these reasons, so that we can be able to say that we have indeed ‘done all to stand’ toward obtaining our blessing.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines… - Song of Solomon 2:15

7. THE LAW OF SEED AND HARVEST
Another way we unwittingly delay or even truncate our miracle is by violating the ageless law of seed and harvest. God Himself decrees in Genesis 8:22 that “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest not cease.”

That means the law of seed and harvest is as immutable as God Himself; it does not change. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). Oftentimes we tend to despise the effect (result) of something whilst nurturing its cause.

Have you denied someone in the past when you shouldn’t have? You can be rest assured that you will also be denied too, if you are not being denied already. Have you wronged, robbed, cheated, condemned, judged, short-changed, or done something untoward to someone in the past? You will reap the harvest of your (in)actions in due time, if you are not reaping it already. And we all know that the harvest is usually bigger than the seed!

Violating the principle of seed and harvest is one major area we usually fall short and thus shoot ourselves in the leg. Granted, God is merciful, but He is a just God. He is not fair; He is only just. Now that may sound unreasonable, but it is the truth. Most times, God does not interfere with the course of justice. Therefore, we suffer the natural consequences of our shortcomings, even after we have sought forgiveness and have indeed been forgiven their eternal consequences.

We get to reap the harvest of the seeds we have sown in the past or are sowing presently, good or bad. That is why it always pays to be good. Even when you are the one that is wronged, you are not expected to wrong your offender in return because by so doing you would have planted a negative seed which will produce its own harvest in time. Little wonder God repeatedly admonishes us not to repay evil with evil.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines… - Song of Solomon 2:15

6. NOT TAKING A STEP OF FAITH
Even after we have done all we possibly could, some of us still short-change ourselves by not taking the necessary steps required to get our desire. Rather than take sustained action, we procrastinate by crying, whining, and bemoaning our lot to whoever cares to listen, lamenting all we had done in the past without any result.

God is not impressed by tears and complaints. He doesn’t dig pity party either. He is only moved by faith. The Bible says ‘without faith, it is impossible to please God’. Because we are yet to grasp the import of Bible’s definition of faith as “the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen” (Heb 11:1 NLT), we wait (you call it tarry?) for the time when it is going to look like it before we take a step, and by so doing languish in abjection for as long as that may be.

Listen brethren, the best time to do anything is NOW. Don’t wait until it looks like it before you act, otherwise it may be too late by then. The Bible says “He who observes the wind will not sow. And he who regards the clouds will not reap” (Ecclesiastes 11:4). The New Living Translation (NLT) puts it simpler, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done!”

So take a step of faith now; cast your net into the deep right away; do that thing you have been putting off for so long TODAY! You will be amazed to see that YOU are the one who has been delaying God from releasing His blessing to you all along, not that He doesn’t care nor is slow in hearing, as you probably thought.

When you do the possible, God will do the impossible. Nothing moves until you move. A tortoise cannot make progress unless it puts out its head and legs out of its shell. So get out of your own shell and break through into your blessing.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines… - Song of Solomon 2:15

5. MOTIVE
Another reason we often do not get our heart’s desire – regardless of our fervent prayers or sacrificial service – is because of our motive for seeking such things. In James 4:3, God says, “You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” That tells us God does not honour prayers asked amiss or those that are meant to satisfy selfish whims. And though we may present our requests to Him as if we are striving for the benefit of others, we should also reckon with the fact that He is all-knowing and sees into the inner recesses of our hearts.

One of the most liberating scriptures I came across in the few years I have been studying the Bible is 1 Samuel 16:7b. It says, “For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” That means humans consider the action, the appearance, the outlook, the tangible, and the ‘what’; but God only examines the motive and the whys.

Some of us pray to God to bless us so that we can spite or “show” someone who has offended or denied us in the past. God does not answer that kind of prayer. Whatever He blesses you with, He wants it used for your benefit and the benefit of those around you, not to oppress them.

So if you want a speedy answer to your prayers, or a quick reward for your service, check your motive to ascertain WHY you desire that thing. If your motive is genuine enough, God will be more than willing to grant it to you. But, if your intention is not pure, then the answer may yet be long in coming.

You really need to settle this issue of motive first before making your plea, because God cannot be deceived; He is fully aware of those things you are not saying with your mouth. Our innermost thoughts are laid bare before Him. I once read a book in which the author claims an angel told him that they hear our thoughts louder in heaven than what we say with our mouths on earth. Can you beat that?

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines… - Song of Solomon 2:15

4. NOT QUALIFIED/MATURE YET TO HAVE IT
Sometimes, we behave like little children and ask God for something we are neither mature nor equipped to handle. Imagine a ten-year-old boy asking for a car? That is the picture we present at times in our pursuits and prayer requests. We ask for and aspire after what we are not mentally, spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, financially, or socially equipped to manage. And when God, Who knows better, decides not to release them to us, we whine and complain and doubt if He really cares about us as we are made to believe.

There is a world of difference between a gift and ability to manage it; the possession of the first does not necessarily connote the ownership of the second. A popular saying says, “Anointing (a gift) can launch one to a height where character (ability to manage it) is not able to sustain him.” Such is the case when we ignorantly seek certain things at a time that it may result in our humiliation or public disgrace to the point that we will not have the courage to ever venture out again.

God is omniscient. He knows the appropriate time to give us everything we need. But due to our limited knowledge, we often strive, scheme, and struggle for what we cannot hold on to at a particular time.

Wisdom is required to know the when of everything we desire in life. Imagine if Daniel had prayed for the liberation of the captives in Babylon in their 20th or 40th year in captivity, he would have only been praying into the future because God had already decreed that the captivity would last for 70 years.

It takes Wisdom to know the appointed time you are due for something, while then pursuing and praying for it at the appropriate time, not way before or after then, “Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise in heart will know the proper time and procedure. For THERE IS A PROPER TIME AND PROCEDURE FOR EVERY MATTER, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him” (Ecclesiastes 8: 5-6 NIV).

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines… - Song of Solomon 2:15

2. NOT DOING ENOUGH (praying, giving, sacrificing etc)
Another reason we do not receive what we seek from God is because we do not do enough of what it takes to receive them. The Bible says, “If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree falls to the south or the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie” (Ecclesiastes 11:3).

Oftentimes we settle for the average or even below average performance in our pursuits. We do not pray enough; fast enough, give enough, serve enough, or do enough of what is required to get our miracle. We do not fill our clouds with enough water so that they might burst out and rain upon us in return, nor do we push our tree with enough force that it might fall and create an impact that will speak for us.

3. ASKING FOR THE WRONG THINGS
“You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3). Some of us seek after or ask for the wrong things in prayer.

God is good. And it is because of this His goodness that He does not give us some of those things we frantically seek or pray for. He knows that if we should get them, they might harm us or ultimately deprive us of getting to heaven. And knowing that no earthly pleasure – which is at best for a lifetime – can compare with the everlasting glory He has prepared for us in heaven, He will stop at nothing to ensure that we partake of this glory, even if it means denying or disciplining us at times.

It is therefore important we know that God is not under any obligation to satisfy all our whims, irrespective of how long or earnestly we badger Him in prayer about them; rather, He is only obliged to supply our needs, as a caring Father that He is.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines… - Song of Solomon 2:15

Truly, the Bible says, “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-. However, we all know that this is not always the case. There are many times we might have fervently asked, sought, and knocked at the door of God or man for one thing or the other without being granted.

For the next few days, we will be looking at reasons some of our prayers and services to God are neither answered nor rewarded:

1. IGNORANCE
The first reason some of our prayers are not answered is because of our ignorance. The LORD says in Hosea 4:6a that ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge’. While most of us know this scripture very well and quote it quite often in our discourse, we nonetheless fall victim to its veracity. It is amazing to see the zest with which we go all out to seek something, and then how we truncate our own efforts or chances of getting it by our actions or inactions, done in ignorance. There are two ways ignorance robs us of rewards and answered prayers.

a) Self-sabotage: Oftentimes, we are diligent in our supplications to God about something and even do all we could to ensure that we get our heart’s desire. But little carelessness in a seemingly unrelated or unimportant matter may foil our chances of getting what we have long sought the face of God for. A wrong thought, a wrong statement, a wrong action, or a wrong indulgence entertained when it did not seem to matter can prevent our much sought-after blessing from being delivered to us.

We all know that the earth is spherical in shape. However, what is not general knowledge is the fact that life itself is cyclical. What this means is that even as the earth orbits or goes round and round, so do our thoughts, words and actions revolve around the ultimate entity that is our being. Therefore, there is nothing like “it does not matter”, “it does not affect…”, “it does not relate to…” or “it is not important to…” in the cycle of life. Every single thought, word, and action impacts on our state of being at any point in time.

Nurturing evil thoughts and intentions towards someone, saying the wrong thing to or about someone, or doing wrong to someone may not seem to be connected to what we are seeking the face of God (or man) for, but the truth is they in fact affect it and may be the reason we do not get our desire at times.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

Author Unknown

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. - Isaiah 1:18

One rainy afternoon, I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick.

Suddenly my daughter spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. "Dad, I'm thinking of something."

This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear.

"What are you thinking?" I asked.

"The rain!" she began, "is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away."

After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond. "That's really good."

Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take this revelation? So I asked...

"Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?"

She didn't hesitate one moment with her answer: "We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us."

I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.

The truth is God is more interested in pardoning our sins than in keeping the record of our wrongdoings. He is not judgemental of our actions, neither does He set out to dog our steps until we commit a sin so that He can pounce on us. That is not God.

Even when we reject His counsel and do things our own way, in addition to the agony of our rejection, He is also more pained by the consequences of our sins than we can ever be. That is why He is ever eager to forgive anyone who comes to Him with a sincere and repentant heart.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

UNDERSTANDING GOD: HOW TO BECOME A HOTCAKE

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 come 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.

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!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. - 2 Peter 1:2

Grace is endowed as required to carry out the responsibilities of an office, spiritual or secular. Grace answers to purpose, assignments and calling, as allotted by God. But no two individuals have the same measure of grace, even if they hold the same office and have a similar calling.

The scripture above sheds light on the one reason people have different portions of grace. The apostle, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says grace is multiplied through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, His Son. The Bible does not say that grace is multiplied to anyone based on his office, background, assignments, or any such consideration. While there is grace available to execute them, that grace becomes multiplied only in proportion to one’s knowledge of God. That means the extent you know God is the extent you would increase in grace. And because it is not possible for two or more individuals to know God in the same degree, that is why it may, perhaps, be difficult to see people who share the same measure of grace.

Grace rules in every area of life. That is why your relationship with God will influence your bearing, performance and results in aspects of life such as work, business, career, marriage, ministry, academic, and other such spheres.

It takes grace to be among the high-flyers in whatever setup you find yourself. And, whilst you have enough grace to get by, you need increasing measure of grace to get to the top and to remain there. To receive this, your personal altar must in place; you need a closer walk with God in addicted prayer life, Bible study, and selfless service. The more of these you do, without leaving other important diligence of life undone, the more you will increase in the knowledge of God, and the more aura of grace you will enjoy. Try it and you will testify.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. - 2 Peter 1:2

Grace. That beautiful word. How sweet it sounds in the ear, how melodious it is in the mouth. It does not just sound good in the mouth and the ear, it is also pleasant in meaning. It is pleasing to receive, it is nice to ascribe. Grace.

It is an often used word that never becomes redundant. Almost everyone who is aware and achieving appreciates its essence. Nobody is too big or too good for grace, neither is anyone too small for it or unworthy of it. The apostle needs it, the archbishop needs it; the clergy needs it, the laity needs it; the adult needs it, the young ones needs it; the saint needs it as much as the sinner. Grace.

Often times, it is the distinguishing factor between the achiever and the struggler; it separates the high flyer and the low-performer. Without it, anything will be laborious, with it, things become easy. Grace.

It is commonly described as “unmerited favour.” How true. But its manifestation is not restricted to favour alone. Depending on the peculiar circumstance or need, grace could be strength, capacity, supplies, encouragement, inspiration, deliverance, healing, etc to whoever it is endowed with at a point in time. Grace.

By divine providence, everyone has a measure of grace. But there is a difference in the degree of grace that each individual enjoys. We do not all have the same measure of grace. That is why different individuals with the same training or calling, using the same resources, will not always turn in the same results. One or two of them will achieve greater success than the others. That is grace at work, setting some apart from the rest. Grace.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

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 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 liberation factor for you; not minding the fact that people are hailing you for it.

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 a 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 working 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!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.

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 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 person is doing what they do, and it will be a classic exhibition of human foible to jump to conclusion about him/her.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Concepts. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

Please share this with your loved ones. God bless you.