Category: Daily Devotionals

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psalm 103:1 "Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

My soul, my spirit, my very life, it’s your duty to praise the Lord your Maker. His holy name deserves our praise. True praise arises from within, from a thankful heart, manifesting on the outside.

Psalm 103:2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—

As my soul praises the Lord, it will remember and not forget what He has done. Forgetfulness lessens praise and increases complaints and disgrutlement. Praise keeps the great things Godhas done in constant view and focus.

Psalm 103:3 who forgives all your sins  and heals all your diseases,

The Lord forgives all our sins and frees us from guilt and condemnation before Him. He has committed to heal all our diseases. For these promises, we can lay claim as our portion from Him.

Psalm 103:4 who redeems your life from the pit  and crowns you with love and compassion,

Without God, we are dead in sin. But God redeems us to Himself from death to life. This He does out of His deep love and compassion. I am loved and redeemed of the Lord. His I am! What a joy to know this!

Psalm 103:5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

I have desires and longings. Some may not glorify His name. God is committed to fulfill my desires, but only with good things. When my desires are satisfied with good, my health is renewed like the eagle’s.

For these and many others, praise the Lord o my soul! He has done, and will continue to do great things. He deserves all the praise.

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

John 4:27 "Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking to a woman. But no one asked, " What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?" - NIV

Cultures strongly influence people. Jesus was going from Judea to Galilee and had to pass Samaria. Jews and Samaritans had nothing in common. They wouldn’t even talk. The disciples returned and were shocked to find Him talking to a woman, and a Samaritan at that. This was culturally very wrong. But Jesus was demonstrating that He came to break ethnic barriers that separated Jews from gentiles, men and women to show that all people are His. He came to reconcile all humanity to God.

So much of this happens today. Different ethnicities of people have strong animosity against others, sometimes describing them very harshly. This unfortunately happens in churches as well where we are to see and treat people as Jesus did. All people of all races and tribal groups belong to God. All are sinners and all need salvation in Jesus.

In Christ, all people are equal and the same. Jesus broke those barriers so that those in Him can overcome them too. In him, we belong to one body, have the same Savior, all members of His kingdom and will have the same inheritance into eternity. Cultural ethnic divisions have been used by the devil to cause much harm world over. Instead, we should celebrate our God given differences and use them to enjoy God’s blessings.

Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

1 Samuel 1:14-16 "… and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine." "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief." - NIV

The woman Hannah had had no children. Her cowife Penninah, took advantage and tormented her every year. Even the consolation of her husband Elkana could not help. After yet another bout of provocation by Penninah while in Shiloh, she couldn’t bear it any more. In bitterness and heaviness of heart, she went to the temple to pour out her heart to God. The priest Eli, seated at the temple watched this woman silently pray with only her lips moving and no words coming out. He mistook her to be drunk.

In life we meet and see people who, according to us, behave weird, appear uncultured and many times quickly pass judgment over them. Yet if we took time to understand why they behave so, we would be seeking to help them instead. There are many troubled wounded hearts around us, pushed to the extremes of life by the circumstances they face. Many are rejected, wounded, hopeless and challenged in ways we could provide a listening ear, prayer or material support or give godly counsel. Even the priest Eli was too quick and mistaken to judge a troubled Hannah, thinking she was drunk. But on listening and understanding her, he blessed her.

We misjudge others many times because we dont seek to first understand why they behave the way they do. It’s appropriate to first understand before we conclude. It’s until we put ourselves in their shoes that we respond appropriately, to coreect, rebuke or to be compassionate and helpful to them.

Galatians 6:2 "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

Shalom children of God. 

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 10:22-23 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see." - NIV

As Jesus celebrated the successful mission of the seventy two He sent out, He stated that knowledge of God only comes through revelation. By revelation, we see things differently and better, from God’s perspective. What had been revealed to the disciples had not been seen even by the prophets and kings before, much as they longed to see the coming of the Messiah. But even with the Messiah around, many still couldn’t see! They were blind.

Some of the things we get to understand as revealed are not obvious to those not in Christ. They are revealed by the Holy Spirit to those who have submitted to the Lordship of Jesus. They are spiritual things, discerned by the spiritually alive and sensitive. How beautiful it is to see things from God’s view point. It makes the whole world of difference and gives much clarity to life. I pray you never get contended until you get there!

Some are still blinded in their minds by the god of this world, the devil. They have eyes but dont see what God is doing. Some of those in Christ are still blind to the deeper things God is doing, one reason for their superficial relationship with God. To those who have eyes that see, blessed are you! To those who lack spiritual sight, you can ask God, like blind Bartimaues cried to Jesus to see, and as Paul prayed for the Ephesians to have the eyes of their hearts opened. There is a vast world of great spiritual riches and treasures only known to those who can see!

Mark 10:51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

Ephesians 1:18 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people…"

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Daniel 2:26-28 "The king asked Daniel  (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?" Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries…" - NIV

The powerful king Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream and he was restless. He asked his wise men to tell the dream and interpret it for him. They all failed. In desperation, he wanted to execute them all, being the absolute monarch he was. Then word came to him that there was one of the Hebrew men who had ability to interpret dreams and unveil mysteries. Thus was Daniel sent for and he appeared before the king.

Perfect time to busk in the limelight and take pride for his exceptional gifting and recognition by the king? Not Daniel! In reply to the king’s question, he quickly made a disclaimer that no man (including himself) could interpret the mystery and referred him to a God in heaven who could do it. In essence, he was telling the king that except for this God working through him, he was as helpless as any other. And therefore for whatever Daniel would do, all glory goes back to God.

How often gospel ministers fall into this trap! When God does His works through us, glorious as they may be, let’s always be  quick to give back the glory to Whom it belongs. Any delays to enjoy that glory may soon graduate to expectation, and soon demand for praise of men. And before you know it, you have created focus on yourself, not the God using you, and soon you create a personality cult of yourself and even fight for it. Therein is your downfall! Remember how king Herod was struck and died instantly for not being quick to return glory to God(Acts 12:23). 

We are but vessels in God’s hand that He uses to do His works. People may appreciate the ministry, some may almost worship you, but it’s upto us to direct them to God and return all the glory to the One we serve and deserves it. Watch out for subtle pride in successful ministry! Again learn from Joseph.

WGenesis 41:15-16 "Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." "I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

John 3:19-21 "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." - NIV

John gives the reasons why men hide from the light, because they are aware of their evil deeds. Evil thrives in darkness. Truth thrives in the light. God is light, and in Him is no lies at all. Whoever comes to God walks in the light and in the truth. Those who refuse to come to God fear to expose their evil deeds because they want to continue in them.

Instead of run away from the light of God, we should come to Him Who has the ability to set us free from the trap of sin. Adam and Eve ran away from God to hide after they sinned. Sin drives away from God. And Satan likes that. But God calls us to come just as we are to Him, repenting and confessing our failures. He is committed to forgive and restore those who come to Himself.

Hiding from is futile because everything is laid bare before God. He sees it all. To Him, secrecy and thick darkness is like broad day light. And it is to Him that we shall account for all we did in this life. Come to Him as you are, in humility and repentance. He is merciful and gracious to set you free from the bondage of sin through Jesus Christ His Son.

Hebrews 4:13 "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Hebrews 4:16 "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."- NIV

In the old covenant, the high priest would access the holy of holies in the temple only once a year to offer sacrifices to atone for the people’s sins, begining with his own. Jesus, the high priest of the new covenant, didn’t enter a physical temple, but the very throne of God Most High in heaven. He shed His own blood to once and forever atone for all human sins. One never needs to offer animal blood or other sacrifices for their sins any more. Jesus blood is forever enough to wash away sin, confessed and repented of. 

The other wonderful news is that it’s  not only the priests who have access to  God’s throne on behalf of others, but anyone can now access God’s holy  throne by the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus, Who takes away our sins. To confirm this, when Jesus died on the cross, the curtain which separated the most holy (where the ark of the old covenant representing God’s presence was), and the holy place in the temple, was torn from top to bottom(Matthew 27:51).

This implied a broken barrier between man and God. Now at any time, we can access the throne of grace and commune with our loving Father,  and to find help for our needs without fear of judgment or rejection, but with confidence of acceptance by God on account of the atoning work of Jesus. Access, moreover to God Almighty, is a great gift! We come to God in Jesus name, not on the basis of any good works. That is grace, to be accepted for what we didn’t even deserve in the first place! Glory to God! So come to God as you are.

Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

2 Thessalonians 3:3 "But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep [you] from evil." - KJV

Faithfulness and it’s related virtues are becoming very uncommon in our society today. Many are unreliable and miserably fail in their commitments. They promise and fail to honour, genuinely or not. This is characteristic of the last days where evil increases more and more to the unprecedented levels that we see today. Paul encouraged the Thessalonians that God, in His faithfulness, was able to establish and keep them strong in the faith amidst so much evil. He still does it.

Unfaithfulness ought not to be named God’s children. We are called to be faithful like God our Father. He has put His nature in us, made possible by the Holy Spirit living in us, one of Whose fruit is faithfulness (Gal 5:22,23). Our part is to corporate with the Holy Spirit in humble obedience. So we can choose to be faithful like our Father God. Dishonesty is characteristic of the devil and his kind.

God never changes. He remains ever true to His promises. He can be fully depended upon because of His nature and character. He is committed to whatever He has said in His word. He never lies. So we can confidently take Him at His word and be sure He will honour it. In Him is no darkness at all. Let’s be found faithful like our Father. For like begets like.

Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change his mind. Does he speak and not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"

Malachi 3:6 "I the Lord do not change… "

Jeremiah 1:12 "The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psalms 90:2,4 "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God…For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night." - NIV

The Psalmist meditates on the greatness of God. The vastness of the universe is still beyond the reach of modern technology in exploration of outer space. The billions of galaxies each with billions of stars, make planet earth appear less than the smallest speck of dust. In comparison, the earth would be less than nothing (Isa 40:17). Yet God holds all these stars in His hand, calls them by name, set them on their course and none defies it and He sustains the universe by His word. So how great is God if the entire universe cannot contain Him and is in His control?

In terms of time, God existed from eternal past before he created time, and will exist into the eternal future beyond time. To Him, a thousand years is like a watch in the night which just passed by. He Himself is beyond time. That’s incomprehensible to our human understanding! Great as He is, God loves and knows you by name, and thinks about you!

Where from is the pride of man, and how does he question God? When men in their folly think they can challenge God, the Almighty just laughs. Whatever God has revealed to us, through His word and the scientific discoveries, is but just a little glimpse into the vastness of His greatness to enable us believe and put our faith in Him. God and His works are past finding out. Where, or mortal man, do you pick guts to challenge your your Maker? Fear and give Him glory. Leave the deception of Satan.

Psalms 147:4-6 "He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground."

Shalom children of God.