Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JULY 03, 2026.

SUBJECT : GET YOUR PRIORITIES RIGHT!

Memory verse: "But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6 vs 33.)

READ: First Kings 17 vs 10 - 16:

17:10: So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, Indeed a widow was there gathering of sticks. And he called to her, and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.”

17:11: And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”

17:12: So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”

17:13: And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me, and afterward make some for yourself and for your son.

17:14: For thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’”

17:15: So she went and did according to the word of Elijah: and she, and he, and her household, ate for many days.

17:16: The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by Elijah.

INTIMATION:

Priority is the state of being first in time, place, or rank; having a preference; something that ought to be considered or dealt with in the earliest stage of proceedings. And to “get one’s priorities right” is to give things appropriate attention in appropriate order.

Getting our priorities right is the first step and solid foundation for a life of exploits and fulfillment of purpose in our journey of life. In our memory verse, Jesus spoke about priorities. He said that when we put God first, everything we really need will be given to us as well. This means that when we put God first, the wisdom He gives will enable us to have richly rewarding lives. When we have a purpose for living and learn to be content with what we have, we have greater wealth than we could ever imagine. 

To “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” means to put God first in your life, to fill your thoughts with His desires, to take His character for your pattern, and to serve and obey Him in everything. The pressures of everyday living; people, objects, goals, and other desires all compete for priority. Any of these can quickly become most important to you if you don’t actively choose to give God first place in every area of your life.

In the passage we read today, the widow of Zarephath put her priorities right by putting God and His kingdom first, even before her life and that of her son. When she met Elijah, she thought she was preparing her last meal. She recognized him as a prophet of God, and put everything about him first because he was a servant of God. She trusted God and His servant Elijah and gave all she had to eat to him first. 

That simple act of faith produced a miracle. Not only was she fed, the prophet and her son were also fed for many days. Also, that act of faith and obedience, and getting her priorities right further brought about the miracle of raising the dead; Elijah revived the widow’s dead son. (First Kings 17 vs 17 - 22.)

King Solomon also, got his priorities right; he put the need of his people first and asked for wisdom rather than riches. He realized that wisdom would be the most valuable asset he could have as a king. Later he wrote; "wisdom is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her” (Proverbs 3 vs 15). In his profound request, he said to God, “Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?” (Second Chronicles 1 vs 10).

Then God said to Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches, or wealth, or honor, or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people, over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.” (Second Chronicles 1 vs 11 - 12). His priorities he got right did not only got him wisdom but brought along riches, honor, and wealth such that never been seen and will ever be seen with any king!

Again, the people of Judah at one time got their priorities wrong and paid dearly for it. God said to them, “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the LORD of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to your own house.” (Haggai 1 vs 9). God called for drought on the land and mountains and all the labor of their hands were ruined. 

Judah’s problem was confused priorities. They left what should be first in their lives, neglecting God by not caring for His house, and God was angry with them. Like Judah, our priorities involving occupation, family, and God’s work are often confused. Jobs, homes, vacations, and leisure activities may rank higher on our list of importance than God hence our poor attitude towards His work and His kingdom. 

Are you getting your priorities right? What is first in your life? Can God say to you, “My child come into My rest, you have done well.” My prayer is that none of us should miss getting our priorities right, in Jesus’ name.

Many people claim to know God. We will not know for certain in this life, but a glance at their lifestyles will quickly tell us if they are getting their priorities right; what they value and whether they have ordered their lives around kingdom priorities. Our conduct speaks volume about what we believe (See First John 2 vs 4 - 6) What do people know about God and about your faith by watching your life?

Jesus gave us the summary of living our lives with our priorities right. He said that if we truly love God and our neighbor, we will naturally keep the commandments (Matthew 22 vs 37 - 40). This is looking at God’s law positively and putting it first in our lives. Rather than worrying about all we should not do, we should concentrate on all we can do to show our love for God and others. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of wisdom and understanding that I will get my priorities right, putting You and Your kingdom first in my life, and consequently, lead a life of exploits in Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

Good News: God Is Happy

 Good News: God Is Happy

. . . the gospel of the glory of the blessed God . . . (1 Timothy 1:11)

This is a beautiful phrase in 1 Timothy, buried beneath the too-familiar surface of Bible buzzwords. But after you dig it up, it sounds like this: “the good news of the glory of the happy God.” The word “blessed” is not the one that means “praised,” but the one that means “happy.”

A great part of God’s glory is his happiness. 

It was inconceivable to the apostle Paul that God could be denied infinite joy and still be all-glorious. To be infinitely glorious was to be infinitely happy. He used the phrase, “the glory of the happy God,” because it is a glorious thing for God to be happy the way he is. 

God’s glory consists much in the fact that he is happy beyond our wildest imagination. As the great eighteenth-century preacher, Jonathan Edwards, said, “Part of God’s fullness which he communicates is his happiness. This happiness consists in enjoying and rejoicing in himself; so does also the creature’s happiness.” 

And this is a key part of the gospel, Paul says: “the gospel of the glory of the happy God.” It is good news that God is gloriously happy. No one would want to spend eternity with a gloomy, unhappy God. 

If God is unhappy, then the goal of the gospel — to be with God forever — is not a happy goal, and that means it would be no gospel at all. But, in fact, Jesus invites us to spend eternity with a happy God when he says, “Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23). 

Jesus said in John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Jesus spoke, and lived, and died that his joy — God’s joy — might be in us and our joy might be full. Therefore, the gospel is “the gospel of the glory of the happy God.”

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JULY 01, 2026.

SUBJECT: THE HOLY SPIRIT—OUR HELPER!

Memory verse: “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of Me.” (John 15 vs 26.) 

READ: John 16 vs 12 - 15:

16:12: I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

16:13: However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak of His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak: and He will tell you things to come.

16:14: He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine, and declare it to you.

16:15: All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of mine and declare it to you.

INTIMATION:

The Holy Spirit is a distinct Personality in the Godhead, the Third Person in the Godhead—God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit. The Three Personalities are united as One, and they work together. When you become a Christian, you gain all the privileges and responsibilities of a child in God’s family. One of these outstanding privileges is being led by the Spirit (See Galatians 4 vs 4 - 6). We may not always feel as though we belong to God, but the Holy Spirit is our witness. His inward presence reminds us of who we are and encourages us with God’s love (Romans 5 vs 5). He is a very gentle Person, and allows us to take our choices in all things. However, a leading of the Spirit if demanddd by one engenders perfection in walking in consonance with God’s commandments, and one are assured of exploits in your life’s endeavors.

The Holy Spirit is very active in His operations in the world. He is in the church, haven been sent at Pentecost by the Father and by Jesus Christ (Acts 2). He is the Enabler of the personalities involved in the production of Holy Scriptures. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would tell His disciples “things to come”; the nature of their mission, the opposition they would face, and the final outcome of their efforts. They did not fully understand these promises until the Holy Spirit came after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Then the Holy Spirit revealed the truths to the disciples which they wrote down in the books that now form the New Testament.

To the believer, the Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of truth.” The truth into which the Spirit guides us is the truth about Jesus Christ and His mission on earth. The Spirit also helps us through patient practice to discern right from wrong. The Holy Spirit is the agent of change in people when they believe the gospel. When we tell others about Christ, we must depend on the Holy Spirit to open their eyes and convince them that they need salvation. God’s power—not our cleverness or persuasion—changes people. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, our words are meaningless. The Holy Spirit not only convicts people of sin but also assures them of the truth of the gospel. 

The Holy Spirit is a powerful person on our side, working for, and with us. He will never leave us. Though the world at large cannot receive Him, but He lives with, and in the believers. He teaches us; reminds us of Jesus’ words (John 14 vs 26; 15 vs 26), convinces us of sin, shows us God’s righteousness, and announces God’s judgement on evil (John 16 vs 8); He guides us into truth and gives insight into future events (John 16 vs 13); He brings glory to Christ (John 16 vs 14). The Holy Spirit has been active among people from the beginning of time, but after Pentecost (Acts 2) He came to live in all believers. Many people are unaware of the Holy Spirit’s activities, but to those who hear Christ’s words and understand the Spirit’s power, the Spirit gives a whole new way to look at life.

Jesus uses two names for the Holy Spirit—“Helper” and “Spirit of truth.” The Word “Helper” conveys the helping, encouraging, and strengthening work of the Spirit. “Spirit of truth” points to the teaching, illuminating, and reminding work of the Holy Spirit. He ministers to both the head and the heart, and both dimensions are important. Jesus promised the disciples that the Spirit would help them remember what He had been teaching them. This promise ensures the validity of the New Testament. The disciples were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life and teachings, and the Spirit helped them remember without taking away their individual perspectives. We can be confident that the Gospels are accurate records of what Jesus taught and did. And the Spirit helps all believers in the same manner. As we study the Bible, we can trust Him to plant truth in our minds, convince us of God’s Will, and remind us when we stray from it. 

In witnessing for Christ, the Holy Spirit would give us the appropriate words in our time of need. As His followers, our testimony might not make us look impressive, but it would still point out God’s work in the world through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. We need to pray for opportunities to witness for Christ, and then trust Him to help us with our words. This promise of Spirit’s help, however, does not compensate for lack of preparation. Scripture teaches that we are to make careful preparations, and thoughtful statements (Colossians 4 vs 6). We need to study God’s Word, then the Holy Spirit will bring the truths to mind when we most need them, and help us present them in the most effective way. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You very much for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I call Him my ‘Senior Partner’ because He is my Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Comforter, Counselor, Standby, Strengthener, Encourager, and Empowerer. O Lord, give me the grace never to miss, or quench the leading of the Holy Spirit in my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

How Well Do You Know God?

How Well Do You Know God?

“Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable.” (Job 36:26)

It is impossible to know God too well. 

He is the most important person who exists. And this is because he made all others, and any importance they have is owing to him. 

Any strength or intelligence or skill or beauty that other beings have comes from him. On every scale of excellence, he is infinitely greater than the best person you ever knew or ever heard of. 

Being infinite, he is inexhaustibly interesting. It is impossible, therefore, that God be boring. His continual demonstration of the most intelligent and interesting actions is volcanic. 

As the source of every good pleasure, he himself pleases fully and finally. If that’s not how we experience him, we are either dead, or blind, or sleepwalking. 

It is therefore astonishing how little effort in this world is put into knowing God. 

It’s as though the President of the United States came to live with you for a month, and you only said hello in passing every day or so. Or as if you were flown at the speed of light for a couple of hours around the sun and the solar system, and instead of looking out the window, you played a computer game. Or as if you were invited to watch the best actors, singers, athletes, inventors, and scholars perform their best, but you declined to go, so you could watch the TV season’s final soap.

Let us pray together that our infinitely great God would incline our hearts, and open our eyes to see him as fully as we can and seek to know him more.

God’s Pleasure to Do You Good

 God’s Pleasure to Do You Good

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

Jesus will not sit by and let us disbelieve without a fight. He takes up the weapon of the word and speaks it with power for all who struggle to believe.

His aim is to defeat the fear that God is not the kind of God who really wants to be good to us — that he is not really generous and helpful and kind and tender, but is basically irked with us — ill-disposed and angry. 

Sometimes, even if we believe in our heads that God is good to us, we may feel in our hearts that his goodness is somehow forced or constrained, perhaps like a judge who has been maneuvered by a clever attorney into a corner on some technicality of court proceeding, so he has to dismiss the charges against the prisoner whom he really would rather send to jail. 

But Jesus is at pains to help us not feel that way about God. He is striving in Luke 12:32 to describe for us the indescribable worth and excellency of God’s soul by showing the unbridled pleasure he takes in giving us the kingdom. 

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Every little word of this stunning sentence is intended to help take away the fear that Jesus knows we struggle with; namely, that God begrudges his benefits; that he is constrained and out of character when he does nice things; that at bottom he is angry and loves to vent his anger. 

Luke 12:32 is a sentence about the nature of God. It’s about the kind of heart God has. It’s a verse about what makes God glad — not merely about what God will do or what he has to do, but what he delights to do, what he loves to do and takes pleasure in doing. Every word counts. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JUNE 30, 2026.

SUBJECT : WEALTH AND RICHES ARE BY-PRODUCT OF GOD’S FAVOR!

MEMORY VERSE: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (James 1 vs 17.)

READ: Deuteronomy 8 vs 17 - 18:

8:17: Then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.

8:18: And You shall remember the Lord Your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

INTIMATION:

God gives us wealth and riches, but these aren't our real assets. It is like the old children's fable about the goose that lays the golden eggs. The golden eggs are not as valuable as the goose that produces them! The goose lays a golden egg every day, and when you have the goose you get all of the golden eggs that come with it. In the same way, wealth and riches aren't your true assets. The real treasure is the blessing and the favor of God that produces them.

God is the source of our prosperity, but notice that the Scriptures doesn't say God gives us wealth. God doesn't send us cheques in the mail; He gives us the power to get wealth. He releases an anointing on whatever you do, and causes it to prosper, and the blessing of God is so powerful that it cannot be reversed (James 1 vs 17). Balaam is the infamous prophet who was hired by a foreign King to curse the children of Israel, but he said, "Behold, I have received commandment to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it" (Numbers 23 vs 20). 

Wealth and riches are just the by-products of God's favor. The Lord told Abraham, "I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing" (Genesis 12 vs 2). It was the spoken favor of God on Abraham's life that caused him to prosper. It was God's favor that allowed him to grow rich from grazing his cattle and sheep in a desert. Most people judge their worth by their savings and assets, but those things are just a physical manifestation of the real assets—God's favor. This is one reason why Scriptures remind us that the power to get wealth comes from God, not our efforts. (Deuteronomy 8 vs 17 - 18.)

God supplies most people with the personal and financial abilities to respond to the needs of others. If we all realized how God has blessed us, and if we all used our resources to do God’s Will, hunger and poverty would be wiped out from the surface of the earth. Wealth and riches are blessings only if we use then in the way God intends. 

A lot of people today are focused on gathering golden eggs, and they are completely overlooking the parent force that creates them. The person who owns the goose is going to end up with a lot of more gold than someone who is running around looking for eggs. Likewise, once you realize that God is the source of prosperity, you understand how pointless it is to chase after riches. 

Once the favor of God is in your life, it cannot be stopped! The only thing that can derail the blessing of God is your own unbelief and negativity. As long as you keep believing, the blessings of God will keep coming. Understanding the true value of God's favor in your life will cause you to have a steward’s attitude toward possessions. You can look at all of the things you possess and say, "It's just stuff." You will know that money is merely a tool that helps you accomplish what God has called you to do; it isn't true prosperity. It’s God who gives us everything we have, and it’s God who asks us to manage it for Him.

Riches and wealth can be stolen and property can be taken away, but no one can rob you of God's favor. Study the rich master in the parable of the unjust steward recorded in Luke 16 vs 1 - 8. The rich man knew where his real treasure was, and that is why he didn't get mad with the unjust steward because he wasn't counting his paper money and assets as his true net worth. Once you get that same mindset, you can become so secure in your relationship with God, and so certain of His favor in your life, that you actually find something to commend a thief about like the master of the steward.

The focus of your life should be your relationship with God, which is what causes wealth and riches to accumulate. Money isn't that significant. On the other hand, God's favor in your life is priceless.

Prayer: Abba Father, You bless us to be a blessing. Give me the power and favor to get wealth, and endue me with the right spirit to serve You, and others with the wealth and riches You put in my care, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Heaven’s Relief in the Coming Wrath

 Heaven’s Relief in the Coming Wrath

God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted . . . when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (2 Thessalonians 1:6–8)

There will come a time when the patience of God is over. When God has seen his people suffer for the allotted time, and the appointed number of martyrs is complete (Revelation 6:11), then a just and holy vengeance will come from heaven. 

Notice that God’s vengeance on those who have afflicted his people is experienced by us as “relief.” “God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted.” In other words, the judgment on “those who afflict” us is a form of grace toward us.

Perhaps the most remarkable picture of judgment as grace is the picture of Babylon’s destruction in Revelation 18. At her destruction, a great voice from heaven cries, “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” (Revelation 18:20). Then a great multitude is heard saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants” (Revelation 19:1–2). 

When God’s patience has run its long-suffering course, and this age is over, and judgment comes on the enemies of God’s people, the saints will not disapprove of God’s justice.

This means that the final destruction of the unrepentant will not be experienced as a misery for God’s people. 

The unwillingness of others to repent will not hold the affections of the saints hostage. Hell will not be able to blackmail heaven into misery. God’s judgment will be approved, and the saints will experience the vindication of truth as a great grace.