February 7
We are grateful unto You, Father for all? You have done for us, it is not about us but about Who You are. No one can be compared with Thee, Lord. You are to High to be comprehend by mere mortals. Therefore, we bow before your throne and we bow before You.
Thank You Father for Faithfully bring us again to the end of this week. We say Thank You again and again and again. It is only the living that can praise God. Beloved, when last did you scream P-R-A-I-S-E G-O-D? Is good to do that from time to time my dear, or what else can God take from you aside praising His Holy Name. So now, can we do it together “P-R-A-I-S-E G-O-D”. I feel good inside of me; hope you can testify same.
Yesterday, we re-echoed that is difficult to receive from God “without faith” the faith that can work for you, is in what you believe and not what you despises. I Tim 6:12 says “fight the good fight of faith” it means that if weren’t any hindrances to faith, there wouldn’t be a good fight. Most people are willing to do that in the natural things why slack in the spiritual things, why roll over and play dead?
If God’s Word says something belongs to you, then it belongs to you! So put up a fight by standing on God’s Word. If God didn’t intend for you to have what He promised you, He wouldn’t have promised it to you. It’s up to you, to fight the good fight of faith with the Word and receive your promised blessing and all that God has promised you by asking Him in prayer through the Lord Jesus Christ.
For God had not given us the Spirit of “Fear” but of “Power”. Child of God, you cannot experience this level of power outside Your Maker. How? Come with me to be endue with power from above.
For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.—2 Timothy 1:7
The only fear that God encourages in a Christian’s life is the fear of God (2 Cor. 5:10–11; Heb. 10:31). Fear of people does not come from God. The problem is that many Christians fear people more than they fear God. Their fear hinders them from pleasing God because they waste their efforts appeasing other people.
Timothy was a young man, timid by nature, and probably not strong physically (1 Tim. 5:23). He knew of Paul’s frequent trials and persecutions. He knew that he, too, might suffer those same persecutions. Paul reminded his young colleague that fear of others does not come from God.
Fear causes us to stop and question what God has clearly told us to do. Perhaps we were confident in our obedience until persecution came; now we doubt whether we heard God correctly. Most fear is fear of the unknown. We do not know what lies ahead of us, so we become apprehensive. Our imaginations can magnify problems until they seem insurmountable. We need a sound mind to see things in proper perspective. That is why God gave us His Holy Spirit, to enable us to see things as God sees them.
Fear is no excuse to disobey God. There is no reason to live in fear when you have the mighty presence of the Holy Spirit within you. Fear will enslave you, but Christ has come to set you free. Ask God to free you from any fear you are experiencing and to open your eyes. As He reveals the reality of your situation, He will enable you to continue in obedience.
Beloved, an overview of the limitation sets by fear cannot be over emphasizes. It cuts across all ages and tribes, it does not recognize colour nor consider height. Once it grips an individual such a person becomes a shadow of self. However, we are going to consider further that individual who had received power from God and thereby become diligent in all he does.
DILIGENCE – A basic quality of any person worth his salt in business or the professions!
Definition-wise it has the idea of:
- “Persistent application to one’s work or duty”
- “To pursue with persevering, painstaking effort”
My guess is that anyone around your operation who lacks these qualities has been handed his W-2 form and ushered toward the exit.
So why is it that in the spiritual realm we often allow ourselves the luxury of a lackadaisical approach to our faith?
The Scriptures grant us no such slack:
“Above all that you guard, watch over your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the sources of life.“ (Proverbs 4:23 – Berkeley Translation)
“Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life… “ (Deuteronomy 4:9)
“Be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.“ (2 Peter 3:14 – kjv)
It was through Christ’s death on the cross that our salvation was won.
It is through our DILIGENT pursuit to know God that the doors are opened for us to experience all the riches in Christ Jesus now available to us.
My challenge to you is to bring the same DILIGENCE into your spiritual life that you exercise in your professional life!
Beloved, do you also know that “diligence is opposite of fear”. Let us ask God to endue us with power and help us to be diligent in the work, family, career, ministry He has committed in our hands. Proverb 22:29 said that “a diligent man stand before Kings and not mean man”. Diligent is another ladder to greatness; so watch out.
Remain blessed in the Lord.
Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu
