Category: Daily Devotionals

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 17:15-19 "One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” - NIV

They were ten lepers. They all cried out to Jesus to heal them as He passed between Samaria and Galilee. As they went to the priests to show themselves, they were all healed. The foreigner, a Samaritan who felt he didn’t deserve the healing from a Jewish Messiah, was so grateful. He returned to give thanks. Those who probably felt it was their ‘right’ to be healed by their fellow Jewish teacher simply continued their way.

When people feel entitled to certain things, they cease to be humble, and grateful. They will place demands, fight and arrogantly push their way. This was probably the attitude of the nine healed lepers. Their pride made them think returning thanks was stooping too low. Moses reminded the Israelites that the privileges they would enjoy in Canaan land was not that they were more righteous or favoured than the nations they displaced. Rather, it was entirely by God’s grace.

Nothing we could ever do makes us deserve God’s blessings because we were all sinners. Whatever He does for us is out of His grace and not an entitlement. We should ever be grateful. Even with privileged positions and possessions, let’s cease from arrogance and learn to appreciate God and those at our service. It’s all by God’s mercy and grace!

Deuteronomy 9:6-7 "Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. Remember this and never forget how you aroused the anger of the Lord your God in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the Lord."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." - NIV

Worship involves sacrifice which demonstrates ones covenant commitment to what or whom they worship. There is no true worship without sacrifice. In the old covenant, animals were slaughtered and their blood sprinkled, and other material items were offered. But when Jesus died as the sacrificial Lamb of God for our sins, we no longer offer animals in worship of God.

We now offer our bodies and readily use them for God’s service. We also offer praises, declaring His wonderful works. We do all these using our time, energy, material resources, and our thoughts, words and actions. In other words, we use all that we are and have to honour, praise and worship God. Our whole lives therefore, are for worship of God. When offered in holiness, Paul calls it true and proper worship.

The primary purpose of our giving is to worship God using our substance. Moses told Pharaoh that they had to go with all their animals and belongings to use them to worship God. Material possessions are for worship and God’s service, and never for a show of power and might. And so are our bodies, the temples of God.

Romans 6:13 "Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness."

Proverbs 3:9 "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops"

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Ecclesiastes 2:11 "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." - NIV

Every human being seeks to find meaning, significance, satisfaction, peace and happiness in life. This is expected from the relationships, the imaterial and material things we acquire in life. Because of this, people strive to achieve and attain these things. There is excitement initially upon getting them, but soon or later, the happiness fades away. The tendency is to do or acquire more. And the cycle is repeated.

Solomon got it all as he listed in this chapter. Whatever he desired, he got; fame, riches, wisdom, servants, gardens, women, pleasure, name it. He denied himself nothing his mind conceived and his body desired. He was seeking for meaning in things, but didnt get it. The statements he made over and over in his writings show that it is not external things that give us meaning, good and necessary as they are.

Only God gives true meaning and purpose to life. Without God, whatever our acquisitions, labours, or great achievements, it will leave us empty and like chasing after the wind. It can never satisfy. Down the millennia since the fall of man, men have attempted to find alternatives to true joy in life outside God such as false religion, inventions, and now science and technology. But these are all futile attempts without God. Remember your Creator! Only in Him can we find true meaning to life.

Matthew 11:28-29 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 28:20 "… and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus was physically leaving earth. He had empowered and commissioned His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations in the ends of the earth.There were fears in the disciples how they would do it. He now assures them of His continued presence upto the end of this present age.

We learn from His words that there will be an end to present age. There is work to be done, bringing people to God. There are enemy forces to be resisted. But all these are covered by the presence of the One Who commissioned us to His service. His presence means protection, provision of all needs in His service and guidance. With Him, we can progress despite the odds.

The promise of His presence covers us to date. He is surely present to make us safe and secure, enable us serve His purposes, meet our needs, allay all our fears and guide us in the path of life. This is the blessed assurance we can hold on to in the journey of life, through mountain and valleys. He who promised is faithful. He will do it. Walk with your head high. Praise God!

Hebrews 13:5-6 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

1 Thessalonians 5:24 "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction,  a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace,  but with humility comes wisdom." - NIV

Throughout the Bible, it is clear God hates pride. Pride originated from the devil. Solomon severally compared the downside of pride with the upside of humility. He observes that the sure way to a fall in any endeavour, destruction and disgrace in life, is through pride.

Do you see people pretending to be above everyone, arrogant because of their position and possessions? Are they despising and under looking others, full of themselves thinking they know it all as they praise and exalt themselves? They are surely on their way to disgrace and destruction.

Pride is a very deceptive weapon of the devil. It promises or assumes greatness. It places you up without a firm foundation beneath. It makes one feel independent of God or others. That is a lie. That’s why God hates pride, because it competes for His position. It is a question of time, and pride will surely disappoint and bring you down. Choose the way of humility as you honour God, love and respect others. Therein is glory.

DJames 4:6-7 "But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Matthew 11:29 "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 15:7-9 "You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips,  but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain;  their teachings are merely human rules.’ ”" - NIV

They travelled from Jerusalem to ask Jesus why His disciples were breaking the law and tradition of the forefathers by eating with unwashed hands. They didn’t even honour their parents and diverted whatever help they should have given them to God. Jesus rebuked them for their hypocrisy manifested by appearing very committed to the traditions of men more than God’s word and right worship of God.

Quoting from Isaiah, Jesus tells them why their worship was in vain. They were more committed to their traditions than the word of God. They focused more on external practices and lip service, but their hearts were far from true commitment to God. Their religious zeal was about laws and regulations, not out of love for God. Their religious practices involved more of routine rituals passed on as worship traditions, but disconnected from the God they claimed to worship.

Such was vain worship. To God, it meant nothing. He didnt recognise it despite their activities. Doesn’t this sound familiar in our times as well? Jesus taught that acceptable worship to God should be in truth and Spirit. It should come from a love and passion for God with all our hearts, souls, strength. The state of our hearts matters most in worship! When man made rules and traditions outside God’s word dictates how we worship God, it becomes vain worship. May your whole being love and live for God. May your worship be acceptable and pleasing to Him.

Mark 12:29-30 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’"

John 4:23-24 "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”"

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Mark 8:35-37 "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" - NIV

In all we do, gains are expected materially, socially, financially, spiritually or otherwise. No one does anything for nothing. Investments are made with returns in mind. This encourages sacrifice, risks and patience. It was the same principle Jesus taught as He challenged His disciples to put their lives on the line for His sake. He said, ‘whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.’

Some risks are not certain to yield good results. Gaining all the glory of this world, and paying no attention the eternal state of your soul is a big gamble. It’s an eternal lose! Giving ones life to Christ and committing to serve Him, is a sure deal in the kingdom of God and for eternity. There will be a reward. As we count the cost of where our faith and hope is for now and more so into eternity, Jesus is the solid rock we can rely on.

The disciples asked Jesus what they could expect since they had left everything to follow Him. Jesus took this as a valid concern and told them they would recieve a hundred fold what they forsook, eternal life together with persecutions. Friends, investing your life and resources in God and His kingdom is no gamble. In Him, you can put all your eggs in the same basket, and be sure they are safe. It is worthwhile.

Matthew 19:27-29 "Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 12:15, 19-20 "Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” … And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’" - NIV

A rich parable it was that Jesus gave. This followed a warning against all kinds of greed for material possessions. The rich man’s yield was good. To store his goods, he would break the small stores and build bigger ones. Then he would tell his soul to relax, make merry and enjoy. He trusted his wealth to solve all his problems. But God called him a fool for trusting his wealth. Jesus concluded that our lives are not defined by material wealth, but by a rich relationship with God.

Wealth is good, but can be deceptive. It creates false security, promises a good comfortable life and anything else one could ever need. With this, a person will think they don’t even need God. Those who are under its control find it hard to enter God’s kingdom. There are things wealth cannot do except God Who remains the only One who can fulfill man’s greatest need for a Savior.

We need wealth for several good reasons. But we are cautioned not to put our trust in it. It has potential to influence people away from trusting their Creator. But rightly acquired and used, wealth is a great blessing in every way. Be alert against all forms of greed, deception of riches and ungodly means of wealth acquisition. Commit to make wealth and enjoy it in ways that honor God.

Matthew 13:22 "The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful."

Psalm 62:10 "Do not trust in extortion  or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them."

Shalom children of God.