SLOW TO ANGER! Click and read.

 

 The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked; the Lord hath his way in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust him. (Nahum 1:3, 7)

The Lord our God is truly mighty. None can match his majesty. Today He continues to tell us more about himself. 

“The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power.” What a combination of attributes. The Lord is slow to anger yet He is also great in power. Our God is a matured personality. He is the epitome of what the standard for measuring self-control is.  With all the power that He has, it is not in His nature to wield power at every provocation by man who is a mere mortal. This brings me to ask the question to us all. How much self-control do you exhibit when handling issues of provocation? If you are truly the true sons and daughters of the Lord then your self – control reading must be high.

“The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked;” God has so much power yet does not consume immediately because he is slow to anger. However the fact that he is slow to anger does not mean he will condone wickedness. Clearly he makes it known that he does not acquit the wicked. He has a great sense of timing in handling issues. Another question then is how adequate is our sense of timing in life’s issues? God will help us in Jesus name. If he does not acquit the wicked then it is safe to say that he equally ensures reward to them that are not wicked. The Lord is truly just.                                         

“The Lord hath his way in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” Hallelujah! Hallelujah!! Hallelujah!!! He is great in power to the extent that he has his way in the storm. The demonstration of God’s power is evident even in the storm. WE need to note that the storm is not a palatable place to be situated because the environment where storms take place is usually very hostile. However that is the favourable situation the Lord sees to manifest His power.  God is truly amazing. This declaration is a major confidence booster. The fact that you may have found yourself in a storm-like situation should not in any way discourage you rather the Lord is drawing our attention to the fact that it is in the storm that His greatness is manifested.

  
Remember in the beginning of the book of Genesis it was in the midst of the time that the earth was without form and void that the Lord manifested His attribute as Elohim. The clouds are the dust of his feet. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust him. God is indeed good. When you are in trouble he takes the position of stronghold to ensure that we do not breakdown or lose our footing while going through trouble. Somebody give a shout of praise. Jehovah has the final say.

SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS! Click and read.

 

 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 4: 2-3)

Our God is a God of principles and has never compromised His standards at any time. He is consistently consistent. He is very clear on His stand concerning anyone that does not show any regard for Him. His judgement is reserved for such acts of disobedience. However our focus today is on the benefits that accrue to them that regard and fear the Lord. Clearly the Lord has stated in Hebrews 11 verse 6 that he that comes to God must first believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. It is not enough to arrive at the door of the Lord but you have to believe that where you have arrived at his true location. You need to know that every time you knock at his door he is always willing to open unto you.

“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings.” The Lord’s response to the ungodly is not to be second guessed. The attitude of God towards them that fear His name is that He immediately takes up the attribute of Sun of righteousness and also in his arising there is healing in his wings. Take a while and look at that expression of such an awesome attribute. “Sun of righteousness” is the personality of our God that acts as the empowerment for His children to manifest righteousness with ease. It is the privilege enjoyed by those that fear the Lord.

The sun is the strongest and most effective source of light. It surpasses all other lights in intensity. Our God is Omnipotent- All Powerful. He is the inherent power that allows you walk in righteousness. If God is righteousness personified then it is clear to state that God will arise with the illumination of righteousness on your path through life. When there is a life source, nourishment follows and healing is inevitable. The benefits of reverently fearing God cannot be exhausted. Where there is healing, there is strength to accomplish.

It is obvious that these verses of scriptures gladden the heart. Clearly it is stated that the condition for the Sun of righteousness to arise with healing in His wings is stirred up by the fact that God’s children fear Him. The bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. God is excited when we show reverent fear toward him. It is that fear that stirs our heart to worship Him and truly God’s majesty is truly breathtaking. He promises that we tread down the wicked. So your challenges should not be enough to allow you to lose focus. Hang in there and bask in God’s awesomeness in Jesus name.

BRING YE ALL! Click and read.

 

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:10)

The verse starts with an instruction from the Lord himself. IT instructs that we bring in the tithes into the storehouse. There is a store house that the Lord has set aside. Let me ask you which storehouse would you prefer to store your presentations in? I am sure the answer is rather obvious. The storehouse of God is secure and has no room for losses. Every content of His storehouse is accounted for and if he wants to reward the givers He can effectively and easily access His records for due rewards.

The obvious reason for God’s demand for the tithes to be brought in is plainly stated. “That there may be meat in my house.” The tithes we bring into our Father’s house ensure that there is meat in the house. It is not physical meat for we know that God does not eat meat but inhabits praise. The instruction of the Almighty is very clear and one of the best ways to ensure His blessing is simply by obeying Him completely. He is all knowing so we need not question His judgment.

“And prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts.” The choice of words in the King James Version of the bible always excites me. Pause awhile a think about it. God Almighty says that the premise on which you are allowed to prove Him the Lord of Host is based on the fact that we pay tithe. It is amazing that the Lord will tell a mere mortal to prove Him now herewith. Friends He is the Lord of hosts. Why on earth would I doubt Him to the point of wanting to prove His awesomeness? But it is clearly an indication that of how seriously God takes the issue.

And prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” The Lord says obey my instruction and see the pleasant surprises I have in store for you my children. God is a good God. Clearly He gives an idea of the nature of the blessing that will be released. It is one that the room will be too small to contain the blessing He has for you and I.

We all know Genesis 8:22 sys that as long as the earth remains seedtime and harvest shall never cease. What you sow is what you reap. If you are not sowing anything then stop expecting a bountiful harvest. Out of every ten parts the Lord gives he requires that you return one tenth back to Him. The one part given to God is your compulsory seed that guarantees continuous harvest. It is not the size of the seed that ensures harvest rather is it is the obedience and compliance with the principle of sowing and reaping. It is God that gives bread to the eater and also seed to the sower. Please do not eat your seed. Bless you!

IF YOU FAINT! Click and read.

 If thou in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. (Proverbs 24:10)

I have known this scripture for a very long time and so many of us quote it with ease but the import of this verse will hit you once you find yourself faced real adversity that challenges you. As short as this verse looks it clearly points in an interesting way that adversity is a sure thing that will surface at some point or points in our life. Notice the “if” in the verse; if you and I faint in the day of adversity then our strength is small. This should also suggest that before the adversity era of your life appears it is expected that you should have built strength over time. I dare say that that is rarely the case.

Nobody wants to consciously prepare for adversity after all; the bible clearly assures us that surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives (Psalm 23). The truth is that as we all go through life there are experiences that stare us in the face waiting for how we will respond to them. Some of us stand up and respond rightly while others miss the mark. There is a popular saying that no knowledge is wasted. The reason is that the fact that you do not fully understand why you are going through a hard time does not negate the fact that there exist lessons to be learned in that hard time.

I have known this scripture for many years and in recent years when my mother fell seriously ill; this was the first scripture that jumped at me. At first it was a shock because we all expect a more encouraging scripture to pull us through our challenges but for some reason the Lord sent me this one. Friend I tell you this, if you have never had some tough times you would not appreciate certain things. Adversity in life is one of the ways that God allows the strength in you to be formed on the outside. It is God that works in us to do of His good pleasure but we will also work out our salvation with fear and trembling sometimes.

If you never see a situation that pushes you beyond your usual comfort zone you may never know your endurance threshold. Everybody likes it when things run smoothly but even a little toddler will experience falls while learning to walk.  When you are in the enjoyment zone of life it is easy to declare your trust in God very easily but when you are in a state of lack or major tension that spans for months and even years; that is when the Lord can affirm your trust in Him. If you can praise the Lord in your major pain then you are truly one that trusts the Lord and can declare that you love God and that His is a just God. 

God boasted with Job and is still interested in boasting with you because He knows what He has put in you. God believes in you so do not disappoint Him or yourself. Rise up and prove God right. In everything give thanks, yes in the good and bad times. It is your attitude that determines how long you will be able to pull through. Our unwavering trust in those harsh times will eventually draw God’s attention.