Category: Daily Devotionals

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Romans 13:11-13 “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.”

Sleep is a picture of rest, inactivity, passiveness or not being alert. It is associated with night or a period when evil is common and has overtaken many. Paul urged the believers to wake up from insensitivity so that they understand the times. He associates sleep with deeds of darkness. So if anyone who is a believer is still involved in deeds of darkness, he is in slumber.

We are children of the day, of light and not of darkness. Those who sleep do so at night. The believer’s meddling with the works of the flesh as mentioned in verse 13 are in slumber. But putting on the Lord Jesus Christ and not gratifying the acts of the flesh, is being awake and walking in the light.

God asks those called by His name to awake by doing away with works of darkness. When in slumber, one cannot discern the times, especially how near the coming of the Lord is. Paul said we are not of the night so that that day will take us unawares. But we are children of the day; sober and alert, and that His coming will not be a surprise. Let’s heed God’s warning call and awake if any has gotten to slumber.

Romans 13:14 “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”
1 Thessalonians 5:4-5 “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.”

Shalom children of God. Blessed week

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

1 Corinthians 1:18-19 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” – NIV

Through prophet Isaiah, God declared that His ways are not our ways, neither His thoughts our thoughts. The difference is as far as heaven is from earth. This is the reason we may not know God with our limited human understanding. It’s like explaining some complicated happenings to a little child just begining to understand things. It doesn’t mean God is illogical.

When we try to put human logic and conceptualization to the things of God, we get lost. This is because God’s knowledge and wisdom is so incomparably vast, that even the most intelligent human mind can’t catch up with the foolishness of God. Because of this, the human mind will take God’s incomprehensible ways as foolishness. And because they reject it, they perish. They can’t picture how Jesus’ shed blood and death on a cross saves someone thousands of years later.

But what is foolishness to those using human intellect to understand, is life to those who recieve this truth in simple child like faith and submit to the Lordship of Jesus. God reveals to them, by the Holy Spirit, the riches of His grace and mercy. It becomes so precious that it can’t be exchanged with any treasures of this life! Paul tasted both sides, and he had this to say after this truth was revealed to him;

Philippians 3:7-8 “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ…”

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psalm 103:1-2 “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—…”

This is a psalm of gratitude. An attitude of praise and thanksgiving makes us look at the good things God has done. Honestly, there is much God has done and continues to do in everyone’s life. This is to those who believe in Him or not. The reason many are not thankful is that they have their own expectations of what they want God to do. When it doesn’t happen as they wish, it appears as if God has failed them.

A thankful attitude should be deliberate. You choose to tell your soul to praise. As you do, you remember what He has done, the benefits of salvation out of His goodness. God expects praise and worship out of us. After healing ten lepers, Jesus was surprised that only one came back to give thanks. Like them, God does for all of us many good things, but few come back to Him to give thanks. Instead, most people are looking out for what is not going right and shout about it, but are silent on the good.

Thanksgiving glorifies God, makes us not forget what He does, encourages our faith, creates hope, establishes us in the faith and enables us find peace and rest for our souls only in God. It keeps fear, uncertainty, anger and all sorts of distractions away. It gives assurance to our souls, that it is well, despite any present challenges. Purposefully be thankful to God. Bless the Lord O my soul!

Luke 17:17-18 “Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psalm 139:4,15-16 “Before a word is on my tongue   you, Lord, know it completely… My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book  before one of them came to be.” NIV

Psalm 139 is a wonderful meditation on the greatness of God and His omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence. He fills the entire vast universe He created. There is no part of creation that He is not present. He knows us to the most minute detail, including our thoughts before we even think about them. He knows the words we are going to say before we say them! There is no where one can hide from Him.

He also knows every step when we were made and designed the way He designed us individually. We are all different because He Himself was involved in every detail of our making. Isn’t it a wonder that every human being that has ever existed since creation or will exist is never the same as another? Besides that, God already ordained specific days for each person to live even before we were conceived or born. The psalmist said such knowledge was too wonderful for him, and to us too.

God’s foreknowledge of us is an encouragement that our lives are not, and should not be a gamble. It’s only man’s rebellion that takes him away from a path already well planned by his Creator into all the messes we end up in. If only we seek after him, to know and walk in the ways He already set for us, our lives would be truly peaceful and enjoyable despite any upheavals. Whatever He does in and through us is in line with His good plans to bring us to an expected end for our joy and His glory. Submit to Him.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Shalom children of God

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psalm 36:2 “For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.” – KJV
Psalm 78:36-37 “But then they would flatter him with their mouths,  lying to him with their tongues; their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant.” – NIV
Proverbs 29:5 “Those who flatter their neighbors are spreading nets for their feet.” – NIV

To flatter is to give excessive, insincere praise to someone usually to impress them win some favour. Flattery is deception. It portrays a nice picture from the words they speak and facial expressions, but inwardly they are selfish and deadly. Those who believe these flatteries get very disappointed when reality comes out at the end and they discover they were deceived. It hurts deeply.

The above scriptures show that people can flatter themselves, God and others. Self flattery is praise of oneself out of pride of status or achievement. Flattering God is lying to Him with praise in your lips yet your heart is far away and not loyal to Him. Flattering others is insincere exaggerated praise of others even when in your heart you know the truth. We are urged to speak the truth in love, not cover up and flatter.

Either of all that is deception. God looks into the heart, beyond what people speak with their mouth and act out. He calls us to live in sincerity of heart, word and deed. Be yourself, speak the truth in love and respect. Seek favour from God. By flattering, you lie. Flattery is destructive and betrays friendships and relationship with God. It’s not sustainable.

Ephesians 4:15 “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Isaiah 30:18 “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” NIV

This statement comes amidst a sharp rebuke by God on His people seeking human help rather than divine help in their troubles. Israel planned to flee on horses and hide in Egypt from their enemies. He told them their confidence in Egypt was worthless. He was angry at them for only thinking of human solutions before consulting Him, being their God. Even in their stubbornness, God’s heart longed to show them grace, compassion and justice.

The fallen human nature tends towards independence from God and will first think about what they can do to remedy their challenges and find solutions. Most people will think about God as the last resort when all else has failed. When everything is fine, little attention is given to Him. When challenges come, they first think of their possessions, abilities and connections to bail them out. This is not bad per se, but becomes a problem when they alienate people from God.

God’s heart longs to be gracious to us. His compassion and justice is experienced by those who wait on Him, having placed their faith in Him. Blessed are those who trust in Him. Even though it doesn’t apparently appear that all is running well with them, the sure foundation of faith in God will truly sustain them through life and its challenges. In the end, they will be happy. God never fails those who look to Him.

Psalm 145:8 “The LORD [is] gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.”

Shalom children of God