Be Repositioned

 1 Peter 5:10  And the God of all grace, who called you  to His eternal glory  in Christ, after you have suffered a little while,  will Himself restore you and make you strong,  firm and steadfast. Storms can be raging on every side, doubt may creep in if God can see you but rest assured that He does and He is with you in the storm. Instead, the bible says we must rejoice when we encounter trials and tribulations (Matthew 5:11-13) for great is the reward that awaits us. So, 1 Peter 5:10 encourages us that after we have suffered a little while, God will restore us, strengthen us, make us firm and steadfast, immovable. No matter how rough it may be, remember, that's part of the suffering for a little while, from there on, comes strength and restoration.  I learned that when God allows us to go through difficulties, He is preparing us, equipping  us with the characters that we need. Or He is teaching us something or He is allowing us an opportunity t...

Revelations 3:20  Here I am! I stand at the door  and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,  I will come in  and eat with that person, and they with me. An invitation from God, to have a personal relationship with us. God created man to have a relationship with, to fellowship with. However, sin came and created distance between man and God. But it doesn't end there... then Jesus came and died for our sin, so we may have life, eternal and abundant life. Through this act, the veil was torn and man could go directly to His throne.  We are now priviledged to have such access to God, that whenever we need Him, we just call on Him directly, without a 3rd party intervening on our behalf. Eventhough  for us to have such a relationship, we need to answer His call. He's standing waiting for us to call Him into our hearts, into our lives, so that He may dwell in us and have that close relationship with us.  So, will you answer the call???

Genesis 22:14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” The Lord is Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. God gave us this promise as the descendants of Abraham, that He  will provide for our needs. Needs that He already know of and has provision to meet them. We are reminded that He is the source, with access and ability to use any resource to get to us. For us, it is to seek Him, trust Him and He will provide for all our needs (Matthew 6:33).

1 Peter 5:7-9  Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you.   Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.   Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. It is a loaded verse, with a lot of truth in it. We are called to cast all our burdens unto Him, as God cares for us. God doesn't expect  us to carry a heavy load in our hearts and mind, worrying about this and that. He already knows how that can negatively impact us. I heard that doctors say the most sicknesses that the patients encounter, is somewhat related to stress. Stress is as a result of worry of something, in any area of our lives; which is why God already knew that, and made a call to us, to release everything unto Him. You can do this by prayer, by being honest and acknowledging  your weakn...

Jeremiah 29:13-24 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.   I will be found by you,” declares the  Lord , “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the  Lord , “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Our desire should be to seek the Lord, seek His will and plans for our lives. Seek what He expects of us, in our daily lives. Basically wanting to know more about Him and the desire to build a solid relationship with Him. In Him we find life, eternal life that is. In Him we find freedom, Jesus died so we can be free, free to live the life that God has in store for us, not in bondage, not making ends meet but a life in abundance (John 10:10); one that brings honour and glory to Him, by also being a blessing to others. In Him we find provision- God shows us how much we mean to Him, that we mean more than the sparrows...

 Isaiah 44:1-3  But now listen, Jacob, my servant,  Israel, whom I have chosen.  This is what the   Lord   says— H e who made   you, who formed you in the womb,  and who will help   you:  Do not be afraid ,   Jacob, my servant,  Jeshurun (Israel),  whom I have chosen.  For I will pour water   on the thirsty land,  and streams on the dry ground;  I will pour out my Spirit   on your offspring,  and my blessing   on your descendants. The Lord is gracious and merciful. He knew us whilst we were in our mother's womb. Jeremiah 1:5 says that He called us, thus, He gave us our identity and gave us a purpose to fulfill. He formed us for His will and purposes.  His call to you now is not to be afraid nor to remain dry ground. He wants us to be evergreen (Psalm 1:3). Where there's dry ground, the Lord will pour out His water and make it fruitful again. Lastly, He will pour out His Spirit on yo...

 Deuteronomy 28:8  The  Lord  will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The  Lord  your God will bless  you in the land He is giving you. How awesome is that? The Lord wants to bless your barns and everything you put your hand to. The barns refers to the agricultural building that is a storehouse of grain (or other) that has been harvested. Meaning, what you have sowed, you will reap a good harvest, so much that some will go to the storehouse. Talk about abundance...God wants to bless the works of your hands. In everything that you do, God wants to bless it! Hence, whatever you plan to do, take it to the Lord, He will direct your paths and bless your plans if they are within His will, there will be fruits. It is God's desire for His children to be fruitful; therefore, let everything start with Him. The second part of the verse refers to the land that God is giving. This could be in any way or form, but something of valu...

 Psalm 91:4-7  He will cover you with His feathers,  and under His wings you will find refuge; H is faithfulness will be your shield   and rampart.  You will not fear   the terror of night,   nor the arrow that flies by day,  nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,  nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side,   ten thousand at your right hand,   but it will not come near you. Psalm 91 reminds us of God's protection. Like a protective bird, of its young ones, covering them with its feathers and wings, God will do likewise for His own. As a result of the protection, we shall not fear any misfortunes, for He is with us. No plague will come near you. Declare what the Lord says over your life. God makes promises, it is up to us to receive , believe and declare it upon our lives. Declare it  upon  our households, upon our loved ones, always. The Lord is full of mercy, ready to be recei...

 Hebrews 11:1-3   Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.   This is what the ancients were commended for.  By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command,   so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Do you believe? The book of Hebrews 11 is based on faith and how some of the well-known characters in the bible had faith. This chapter starts by describing what faith is, which is not an easy thing, but linking to trust and what has been before, makes it easy to have faith. For example, we might not have seen God face-to-face, but through the bible which gives us a glimpse of who God is and what He says, plus former experiences of others and ours, we can believe and trust what we know about Him. The accounts of others who were in  sticky  situations and found deliverance through God, that gives us hope.  The bible shares different scenarios and stories that when we...

 John 14:29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. This verse is all about trust. The relationship we have with God, is purely based on faith. We have never seen Him, though we are fully convinced that He lives, as a result of His works in our lives.  The bible is full of many promises from the Lord, ones we inherited through father Abraham and later Jesus. We are joint heir with Him as the children of the Most High. Thus, when He tells us something, we already know that it shall be. Numbers 23:19 says: " God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?" The answer is NO! What He spoke, shall be.  What discourages people in most cases, is the timing. God works with order. The bible says to Him, a day is like a 1000 years and vice versa. Which is why at times we lose hope, and start doubting if we heard r...

 Psalm 37:3-7  Trust in the  Lord   and do good;   dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Take delight   in the   Lord ,  and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the   Lord ;  trust in him   and he will do this:  He will make your righteous reward   shine like the dawn,  your vindication like the noonday sun.  Be still   before the   Lord  and wait patiently   for him;  do not fret when people succeed in their ways,  when they carry out their wicked schemes. The Lord has commanded us to do good and never get tired of doing so (Galatians 6:9) and commit everything to Him. We are called to trust in Him . This leads to His reward of Him  fulfilling  the desires of our hearts. This aligning with the command in Matthew 6:33 of seeking His will and that all the things that we need in life, will be added unto us.  The other ...

 Psalm 119:105  Your word is a lamp  for my feet,    a light on my path. Ever walked in the dark, say during loadshedding? When the lights just switches off just like that, and you all of a sudden find yourself in the dark, it is a rather frightening and disturbing thing. You can easily stumble on something and hurt yourself. It is the same with the word of the Lord, it is the light on our path. It provides guidance and direction. It is something that we totally rely on as it is critical, as you can stumble and fall. This verse shares 2 aspects that are important, guidance for the feet-direction and light for clarity. For a safe and aligned journey, keep to the word.

 Jeremiah 31:1-4  “At that time,” declares the   Lord , “I will be the God   of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”  This is what the   Lord   says:  “The people who survive the sword  will find favor in the wilderness;  I will come to give rest to Israel.”  The  Lord  appeared to us in the past,  saying:  “ I have loved you with an everlasting love ;  I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.  I will build you up again,  and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.  Again you will take up your timbrels  and go out to dance with the joyful. God is declaring His affection for His children, where He says He will be our God and we will be His children. The picture painted here, reminds me of the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), where one of the two sons asked for his inheritance from his father and after receiving what was due to him,...

 Happy Valentine's Day!!! Let us reflect on some of the bible verses where God shows us His love for us and also teaches us about love. A beautiful collection from Ps Paula White-Cain: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  John 15:13 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”  1 Peter 4:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:8 “But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”  Psalm 86:15 “Let all that you do be done in love.”  1 Corinthians 16:14 “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to th...

 Matthew 5:14-16   “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.   Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.   In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." The Lord says shine your light wherever you are. Be authentic. God created us unique, with special purpose for each and every one of us, to touch the world in a special way. God never made copies of people, but each with their own fingerprints that are meant to contribute to His kingdom . The verse above indicates that whatever God deposited within you, as a talent or special capability  of some sort, it is meant to be brought forth, not hidden. You are not just a face in the crowd, you are unique, show that special talent and allow people to be blessed through you, so that God may get the glor...

 Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart plans his way,  But the  Lord  directs his steps. Sometimes what we don't realize, is that God's will always prevail. In life we may have wishes and plans, things we want to do and achieve, or even to be, but in the end, we will be or will achieve what is within God's will and plans for us. This can be in any area of our lives; in the end, God's will prevail.  This is because God knows our past, He sees our present and the future. We are only limited only to what we know of the past and the present, as for the future, that remains a mystery for us. This is where the trust comes in, if God has come through for you in the past, saved you from some situations and continues to do so, then you are at ease putting your faith in Him, as you know that what He was able to do for you in the past, He can do for you in the future. However, this doesn't mean you don't need to plan for the future, in fact, the bible tells us to plan, have a vision...

 Obadiah 1:17  But on Mount Zion there  shall be deliverance,   And there shall be holiness;   The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. The Lord will deliver His people and they shall possess their possessions, their inheritance. Remember Father Abraham, when God made a promise to him, that He will bless him and his descendants. His descendants includes you and I (by faith). This inheritance is also confirmed through Christ, in Romans 8:17 that says: " Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." The blood of Jesus secured our inheritance, now God says we are joint heir with Him. This verse indicates that there could be suffering that we endure at times, as we are not of the world and are despised because of Him. However, we not only share in the suffering that Christ endured, we will share the glory of Christ as well. Remember the v...

 Psalm 33:1-4   Sing joyfully  to the   Lord , you righteous;   it is fitting for the upright to praise Him.  Praise the  Lord  with the harp;  make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.  Sing to Him a new song;  play skillfully, and shout for joy.  For the word of the  Lord  is right and true;  H e is faithful in all he does. It is fitting to sing to the King of kings, the Mighty One, the One and Only God. He deserves all the honour and glory. We sing not because the promises have manifested, but we sing because we trust His word, that whatever He promised, shall come to pass (no matter what!). He's not man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19). We sing to give praise for what He's already done for us, for waking us up and providing for us. For being a rock that we can stand on, for being the lifter of our heads. We sing because of who He is, not that we've seen Him physically, but because...

 Isaiah 10:27   In that day the LORD will end the bondage of his people. He will break the yoke of slavery and lift it from their shoulders. God wants to see His children free from all sorts of bondages. A classical bible example, that paints a good picture of this, is the release of the children of Israel from Egypt. After over 400 years, God decided it was enough and that's when He sent His servant Moses to go to Pharaoh and ask for them to be released. They had been subjected to all sorts of slavery that they were bound and conditioned them to living conditions that were not alright. In the end, God defeated Pharaoh and took the Israelites to the land of milk and honey. In the same way, God desires for us to live free of slavery and oppression, to have life in abundance (John 10:10). The blood of Jesus sealed our freedom, He said it is done! It is for us to realize this truth and align our lives accordingly. He will break the yoke, as He is merciful towards us.

 Jeremiah 33:3  ‘Call  to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable  things you do not know.’ God truly wants to have a relationship with us, He wants us to trust Him, depend on Him and to love Him. When this happens, He's willing to open up to us, show us great things, reveal things to us! When we are in Christ, God gifts us with His Holy Spirit, it is the Holy Spirit that helps us, guide us, lead us and interpret things for us. Reading a bible is not the same when you do it with and through the Holy Spirit, the words starts making sense and start speaking to you directly, to your own unique situation. Revelation takes place. That's what this bible verse refers to. Indeed, call on Him and give Him a chance, He's willing and ready to embrace you, more than the world does.

 Luke 15:1-7 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.   But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”   Then Jesus told them this parable:   “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?   And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders   and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’   I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Jesus is our greatest Teacher. God sent Him to show us the way, to lead the way. In this passage, Jesus was teaching about the principle of losing something valuable. In this case, He was referring to a lost shee...

 Isaiah 60:16 Powerful kings and mighty nations will satisfy your every need, as though you were a child nursing at the breast of a queen. You will know at last that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel. Help is on the way, for God's righteousness . He is aware of every need and will provide. He is the Source and He can use any resource to provide for those needs. Philippians  4:19 confirms that " And my God will meet all your needs  according to the riches of his glory  in Christ Jesus." We need only trust that He will do what He promised for He is faithful. Hold on to His word.

 Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. One of the well known bible verse that encourages us to put our trust in God. Trusting God is sometimes not easy, because in the physical, a situation could be dire, with no way out whilst God asks us to trust Him. Temptations are high to take matters into our own hands, and lose faith altogether. But the bible tells us that we must not rely on our understanding. Facts can say one thing but with God, ALL things are possible. An example I can make on this is about sickness. Someone who's health has taken a different turn and doctors have tried everything they can no longer help, where they declare there's nothing they can do, God asks us to trust Him. In the natural, it might seem like it is over, but with God, healing can still manifest. In this case, we need not have to rely on our own understanding, of what the d...

Ezekiel 37:4-6  Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the  Lord !   This is what the Sovereign  Lord  says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.   I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the  Lord .’” God's will for humanity is to have life (more abundantly that is- John 10:10); so the scripture tells us that God wants to breathe life into us again. Resuscitate  us back to life. Life's circumstances can leave us empty, with no drive or passion for life. The problem is, in that state, the will of God is not fulfilled, no glory and uplifting of the name of the Most High. Which is why God has keen interest to re-awaken the gifts, the passion and fire for life in us. He wants to put flesh on the dry bones and breathe life into us once ag...

 Mark 10:27  Jesus looked at them and said,  “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God .” ALL things are possible with God. Indeed it is. God has proven to humanity over and over again, that He is able to do all things. Look at all His creation, from mountains, the sea, the sky, the living creatures even human beings. How diverse we all are and quite detailed. I believe there's nothing as complex as a human body, that too, was created by God Himself. How loved we are that God took His time to create humans. The bible in Genesis tells us that God created everything in five days by just a word. He spoke a word and things fell into place. But on the sixth day, He decided to make man with His own hands. Crafted him to perfection, into His own image. Placed all the critical organs, protected and perfected them to it's own function. How wonderful is that! How then can we believe  less that some things are too difficult for God? He ha...

 Psalm 118:16-18  The   Lord ’s right hand is lifted high;  the   Lord ’s right hand has done mighty things!”  I will not die   but live,   and will proclaim what the  Lord  has done.  The   Lord   has chastened   me severely,   but He has not given me over to death. Life has turned out to be so fragile, reminding us that we are not in control of our own lives, that there is a hand upon us, guarding and guiding us through life. We can either live in fear, or we can live the life God ordained for us to live, one that surrenders all control to Christ. For we are told that we are not given the spirit of fear but of love, power and a sound mind (1 Timothy 1:7). They say fear and faith do not co-exist. Faith is recognizing that no matter the circumstance, God is on our side. It is realizing that no matter how dark the storm is, He promised never to leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8). This gives the courag...

 Ephesians 3:17-21   "...And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,   may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ ,   and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.   Now to Him who is able  to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us ,   to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." This is just a reminder, as we begin the month of love on how much God loves you. This verse seeks to describe how much you are loved, like truly loved. We are urged to grasp this concept of how deep God's love is for us. It is so wide, so high and so deep we cannot even attempt to measure it. We know this because He already sent His one and only beloved Son, to die for...