Category: Daily Devotionals

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Genesis 32:6-7 "When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well…" - NIV

He had taken the birthright from Esau. Esau wanted to kill him. He fled to his uncle Laban. After twenty years, he was returning home. God also told him to go back home. The problem with Laban was over. Now facing Esau, coming with 400 men presumably ready to attack, created untold fear and distress to Jacob. There was no other way out, but to face what he feared most!

Jacob’s approach to fear was twofold: divide his animals and prepare a gift to appease his brother. The other was to bring his fear to God in prayer. One was a human solution as he thought best. The other was seeking divine intervention, acknowledging his human limitations and expressing his fears to God as it was. The later prevailed and God supernaturally took over the matter. It was an unbelievable victory!

Friends, fear can be so real and paralyzing. We all fear in life. But how we handle fear makes the whole difference. One challenge upon another will come. Sometimes we do not know what to do or where to start in addressing our fears. Out of panic, we try one thing upon another in reaction. Some of these make things worse. If only we could learn to always first bring our fears as they are to God and seek His intervention, He would guide our further actions to victory. It’s alright to say, ‘God, I am scared. Help me.’

Genesis 32:11 "Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Hebrews 12:2-3 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." - NIV

The constant battles and challenges we are engaged in eventually drain strength and can wear us out. As a result, fatigue and burn out set in and people give up or surrender to negative situations despite knowing the right things to do. Jesus endured the horribly painful cross, its shame and fierce opposition from evil men because of the joy that lay ahead of Him. We are encouraged to fix our eyes on Him so that we do not grow weary and lose heart.

Jesus was tried and tempted in every way we are, but never gave in. The great heroes of faith too went through very terrifying trials but never lost heart. Let their example and testimony encourage us in our faith. They overcame. We too shall overcome. Sufficient grace was upon them to endure. We too have sufficient grace to go through.
It’s the devil’s intention to bombard us with so much from every side and throw thoughts of quiting. Do not quit!

Looking to Jesus, learning from the examples of those who went ahead of us, focusing on the prize and reward ahead will strength our commitment and perseverance to go on. You are not alone going through it. Victory is promised to us, if we don’t grow weary. As we trust God daily, He renews our strength. We shall overcome because we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Galatians 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Isaiah 40:29 - 31 "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Shalom.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

James 3:14-16 "But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."

James was comparing godly and earthly wisdom, their qualities and characteristics. Among the signs of evil wisdom is strife envy, selfish ambition, confusion and every other evil practices. These give room to the devil to promote all kinds of evil. Some practice these things and pride in thinking it is wisdom as they enjoy tearing others down as they go into unhealthy competition.

Jealousy and envy are very poisonous to any attitude. They never allow their victims to see things objectively. Every time you feel hurt about the successes of others, and think it should have been yours, envy, jealousy, strife and all sorts of evil attitudes follow. You will only see the negatives. Destructive criticism follows with intention to pull the other down. Such attitude makes you desire and celebrate the down fall of others.

If we are to maintain a clear attitude towards others, let’s purposefully resist envy and jealousy. Deliberately celebrate those doing better while you may be struggling. Thank God for them as you believe God for your own victories. God’s seasons and times are different for different people. Yours will come, in it’s own way and time. There is enough for each one in God’s kingdom. Don’t be envious. Love others genuinely.

Galatians 5:26 "Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
Romans 13:13 "Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

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." - NIV

What a soothing all time call from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, to weary, wounded and burdened souls of men! He had just denounced the cities which refused to repent, despite seeing His miracles. So many were struggling to do good and please God but failed on their own. Jesus invited them to find rest by trusting in Him and ceasing from their futile attempts. And this is true today.

There is so much not going right in this broken world. There is hurt and pain everywhere, caused by the selfishness, greed and oppression of men. The evils of men against fellow men has never been this bad! There is violence, oppression, injustice and uncertainty everywhere. The wars, natural disasters, hunger, poverty and disease are taking their toll on millions of people. All these challenges wear and burden our hearts, taking away peace as we wonder what could happen next.

These things are a result of men rejecting God and following their evil ways. The Lord’s call to us to come to Him, casting our worries and burdens, remains. He promises to carry them for us and give peaceful rest that nothing and no one can give to our troubled hearts. Let’s bring our cares, fears and burdens to Him. He sees our tears, feels our pain and wants to carry them for us. He cares.

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

2Timothy 2:2 "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." - KJV

Paul, an old man, would soon be gone. Much of this letter to his son Timothy are final pastoral instructions. He was passing on the mantle to an upcoming minister as he phased out. For the work of ministry to continue beyond Paul to Timothy and beyond, certain teachings had to be committed to next generations. It was not to end with Timothy. He was duty bound to commit the same to faithful men who would pass them to others and so on.

We are not here forever. Neither are we strong forever. We get tired, grow old and naturally phase out. And one day, we shall be gone. But we must ensure continuity of the work entrusted to us by passing it on to those coming after us. Abraham passed it on to Isaac. Moses passed it on to Joshua. Jesus passed it on to the apostles, and that’s how the gospel has progressed todate. This principle is true for all aspects of societal leadership and management at all levels whatever your role or placement maybe now.

Every leader would do well to think about the question of succession early enough if they truly care about what happens after they are gone. The button shouldn’t end with us. We have a role in setting the stage for the next generation. We owe them a firm foundation on which they can continue building and improving. Don’t let them start from scratch as if we did nothing, or to rebuild from our wastes and destructions. Pass on values, teachings, positive examples and developments, etc to make their lives easier.

1Cor 11:23 "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you…"

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

2 Chronicles 20:12 "O our God, won't you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help." - NLT

Three kings had ganged up to attack Judah. It was such a vast army and they were already marching to fight. King Jehoshaphat was not aware and thus ill prepared. This news caused alot of fear upon him and he mobilised the whole nation into prayer and fasting to call upon their God. In his prayer, he acknowledges the greatness of God, what He has done and what He could do. He expresses their human helplessness to handle this situation which had caused alot of fear. A great victory was won by king Jehoshaphat.

History confirms that even the most brave and courageous people on earth have their weakest points and limitations. This creates fear. Human beings are endowed with alot of potential. But we are still limited in certain things where we need help from others who are stronger or divine intervention in matters beyond human abilities. We all get to points in life where we are stuck not knowing what to do next, and fear becomes so real.

Acknowledging our fears before God at such a time is not weakness. Jehoshaphat did, but expressed his faith in the God is able. It is part of our humanity. It allows God to intervene. It also enables us to seek and get help. None of us is able on our own to do everything we wish to do in life. We need others. Accepting our human limitations in the face of fear is a step in the right direction. And God is more than willing to help us.

Genesis 32:11 "Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - NIV

Suffering is pain from physical, mental or emotional loss, injury or illness. Many things in this world cause suffering. Some think once in Christ there should be no more suffering. Jesus stated that in this world we shall have trouble, but added that in Him we can have peace despite the challenges. True, there are sufferings for sin and its effects that Jesus bore and we should not suffer for them again. But there are pains we can’t escape because of our relationship with God.

Jesus said His followers would be persecuted for His sake. However much good one does, not everyone will like it. Even Jesus, with all the good He did, was crucified like a criminal. The Bible encourages that one would rather suffer for doing good than bad. Peter wrote, “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats ; do not be frightened.” (1 Peter 3:13-14).

Let’s walk this journey, knowing that moments of suffering will be there, but most important is to suffer for doing what is right and pleasing to God. This carries a promised reward and should be faced with joy. The world under the devil’s influence, is hostile to God and His agenda. But a time will come when Satan will be out of the picture and there will be no more suffering. We eagerly look forward to that day!

1 Peter 3:17-18 "For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit."

2 Corinthians 4:16-17 "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."

Shalom children of God

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus." - GNB

The encouragement to be joyful always, pray at all times, and be thankful in all circumstances doesn’t mean everything is alright all the time. It is a recognition that even in the worst of situations, God is greater and has good plans that transcend the evil and tough situations. He turns them around for good. No circumstance, however horrible, should kill our spirit.

The attitude with which we approach life’s challenges makes the whole difference. A thankful heart will make us see the good out of the worst, enabling us bounce back, and use the situation as a step to greater things. A negative attitude will sink us further down, destroying even the little left of devastating occurrences. We have to choose how to respond to all life’s circumstances. It will determine how we move on thereafter, whether we are destroyed or rise up again and move with our heads high and a smile on our faces.

Paul suffered greatly. He wrote from experience. By rejoicing in severe trials, he looked beyond the present pain into the glory ahead, to a God Who works all things for good. If we faced life with this attitude, no mountain would be to high to climb, nor any valley too low to cross. Our minds would be set on victory whatever the present situation. This is the winning attitude. Choose it today with God’s help as Paul wrote from prison to the church at Philipi:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psalm139:14-16  "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 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

While pondering over the things God can do beyond our wildest, yet limited human imagination, David acknowledged that God made him fearfully and wonderfully. This means meticulous detail and attention in our creation process. He saw the entire process through, not leaving anything to chance. God is fully responsible for what He made us to be. And it’s beautiful in His eyes.

Comparison is a big tragedy in life. God made each one of us so special that we are like no other. What and who we are, is by His special design. Some look at others as better, or superior. Certain  adverts seem to insinuate that some body shapes, colours and presentations are better than others. All these make many people despise what God made them to be and spend their precious time and other resources trying to be like others!

You are the only you in the world,  made like no other. You have a special place in the universe and God’s designated purpose that no one else can fill. But to despise that and strife to be like others displeases your Maker and makes you fail in your God given assignment on earth.

God made no mistake to make you what you are. Just discover and take your place. Don’t live an acted life by trying to be like others.  Thank God,  like David, that He fearfully and wonderfully made you that way. Celebrate you and walk with your head high. You are special, unique and a blessing to the world – by being YOU! You are God’s best.

1 Peter 1:18-19 "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."

Shalom children of God

That they may have life! (R)

John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - NIV

Mission is important. It determines and defines what one does. It sets boundaries, avoids distractions and leaves out what is unnecessary, focusing only on what is useful for the mission. Jesus, while teaching on His good Shepherd role, touched on His mission on earth while comparing it with the thief’s mission. He came to give life eternal and in its fullness to those who believe in Him.

Sin had created a barrier between man and God. As a result of sin, death came to the human race (Gen 2:16-17). Spiritual death is separation of fellowship between man and God. Physical death is separation of soul from the body. Eternal death is eternal separation of the human soul from God for eternity in hell. Because God’s original intention for man was not to die, He brought a remedy of death as a result of sin. Thus Jesus came to bring life to a lost dead humanity.

Whatever was needed to deal with sin and death was accomplished in Jesus’ coming, death and resurrection. All He asks us to do is to believe in Him and we recieve eternal life. To all in Him, you have crossed from death to life. Those who have not yet believed are still dead in their sins. Would you heed His soft and tender call to come to Him? You can do so right now through a prayer asking Him forgive and save you. You too can be a partaker of eternal life Jesus brought.

Romans 6:22-23 "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Shalom children of God.