“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
– Psalms 23:4 NKJV
Welcome to the 48th week of our devotional recap. This is where we remind ourselves of all we learnt during the week. This week, we learnt about the believers’ authority, perseverance in prayer, that Jesus is worth more than gold, and that we are secure in Him.
On Monday, we learnt that we must be willing to give up everything in pursuit of righteousness, and ultimately, Christ. He is worth more than gold and material possessions. One of the things that can compete with God for the heart of man is riches, so you must choose (Matthew 6: 24). Jesus said to be perfect and fit to follow Him, the rich man would need to give away his possessions (Matthew 19: 21). For the rich man, it was his wealth, but for you, it could be your past hurt or certain relationships. Let it go!
Tuesday’s devotional reminded us of what a faithful father God is. We were saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2: 8-9), and God himself initiated the idea of salvation (Ephesians 1: 1-7), so we can rest assured that He will never abandon us. He also gave us His Holy Spirit as an identification to show that we belong to Him and when He returns on the last day, He is coming to take us back with Him (John 14:16, Ephesians 1: 13).
Wednesday’s topic, ‘Secure’ painted a picture of what we have in Christ – complete security (Psalms 91: 1-2). Even the most secure establishments in today’s world can be penetrated, but there is security that surpasses all of the world’s systems. That is the security in God, which comes from knowing that He is your shelter. God is always with you. Carry that assurance with you every day of your life. You have God, therefore, you are completely secure!
On Thursday, we learnt about the believers’ authority that even the devil knows about. The authority is a packaged deal that came with receiving the life of Christ. Though, some of us are unaware of what we carry, this authority can be activated (Mark 16:18). All you need to do is believe and be conscious of it. It is the consciousness of who you are in Christ and all you can do that leads you to do exploits in Jesus’ name. Remember that you are a victor, more than a conqueror (1 John 5:4, Romans 8:37), and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). Act accordingly!
We concluded the week with a lesson on praying always. Prayer can be learned, and the proof is seen in both John and Jesus teaching their disciples to pray (Luke 11:1). Perseverance is one of the first lessons on prayer Jesus taught (Luke 11:5-9). Men of God, both past and present had reasons not to pray, just like you do. Still, they persevere(d) in prayer. An example of such a man is Elijah who prayed that there would be no rain and there was none (James 5: 17). If praying is difficult for you, set up routines that help you stay consistent. If Elijah did it, you can too!
Our anchor scripture should be our mood every single day; that no matter what we go through or where we find ourselves, God is always with us as our complete security. So, we can certainly do all things through Him, including persevering in prayers. Today, let’s strive to turn our gaze to the only one that matters – Jesus.
Happy weekend!
Bible Reading Plan:
John 17:6-19, Revelation 8, Job 33:1-11, Amos 7-9