Daily Devotionals

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - NIV

God never asks us to do what He doesn’t do. He asks us to give because He Himself is a giver. The greatest gift He gave humanity is His Son Jesus out of great love for man. Jesus in turn gave His life, laying it down for us all. He said there is no greater love than for one to lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). Having fully paid the price for our eternal redemption and salvation, anyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

Every giving in whichever form should be motivated by love. By responding in love and compassion to give, we become an extension of God to those we give; to the poor and needy, towards just causes and with our time to those who need comfort and strength. By so doing, your hands become God’s giving hand, your resources become His and your life becomes a true reflection of a compassionate generous God towards others.

To become a giver like God, we should have His kind of heart, driven by His principles and passions, and see things as He sees them. He is just, righteous, generous and loving. Those are some of the qualities we should reflect as we give. It is then that our giving will align with His will and glorify His name. This brings untold joy and pleasure to God’s heart as His resources entrusted to us are used to promote His kingdom. Will you be an extension of His heart?

Romans 8:32 "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Mark 12:42-44 "But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” - NIV

Jesus was sitting at the temple watching people give their offertory. Out of all who gave, His attention was drawn to the widow’s offering. She gave all she had to live on. It was the smallest amount, but Jesus said she gave more than all. How could the least amount given be the biggest gift? Jesus explained that the others gave out of their abundance, but she gave out of her poverty. This is not to denounce giving out of abundance, but the attitude with which they gave.

Giving of time and substance is part of worship. The things people give and the attitude with which they give are all important in worship. The widow, out of gratitude to God, gave all she had. It was from a willing, grateful, worshipping heart. And that is what caught Jesus heart. Beyond the amounts that people give, is the attitude of the giver. That’s what God considers.

Whether we give little or much, out of abundance or poverty, the key to worshiping God with our substance that catches His attention is the attitude with which we give. Some give to show off, to win favor with God and people. Others give out of manipulation. But our giving should primarily be to worship with grateful hearts, the God who gave us life and all these things. In that way, what we give from the heart will please God regardless of the amounts.

Matthew 6:2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - NIV

We all wish to live stress free lives, with everything we desire available and moving as expected. Yet the reality is not so. It’s difficult sometimes to see the good out of life’s challenging moments, some of which go on for terribly long with more questions than answers, as one challenge follows another. Even after prayer with faith and doing our best, these challenges go on. Some teach that certain occurrences indicate low faith, or a sign we aren’t living right with God. Not necessarily so.

Paul had a fair share of such dilemmas(2 Corinthians 12). He pleaded with God to take away a troubling thorn in his flesh (whatever it was). But God just assured him of sufficient grace while the thorn persisted. All the great men and women of God, tremendously used of God, had (and still have) tough challenging times. But pray and seek God as they may, these challenges allowed by God for His purpose persist. These things are part of the making of great servants of God worth the name. 

Paul out of such experiences wrote in the scripture above, about suffering, that God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. All things include the nice and nasty, the straight and unclear, what’s going right or when things seem to fall apart, in joy and pain. When we pray that He removes those ugly situations, He instead gives the grace to go through them as He works behind the scenes, using these experiences, to mold and shape us into what He purposed us to be. This requires patient endurance. The situations will not crush, but make us better. We shouldn’t therefore be perplexed. Let’s not give up.

James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Shalom children of God. 

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 16:10-12 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?" - NIV

We live in a world in which faithfulness is becoming so scarce, even among professing Christian believers on whom such a virtue is expected to be the norm!  One of God’s key characteristics is faithfulness. God is faithfully true to His promises. He never falls short of what He commited to do. He is moulding us into His character and expects us to be like Him. But He starts by entrusting us with little.

Life and all that we have is a trust. God gave it to us so that we use it to bless others. We don’t only live for ourselves. One way or another, some people’s lives depend on ours and we too depend on them. That means whatever we have is NOT entirely our own. We hold it in trust for others by God’s design. But because of corrupted mindsets, people selfishly focus more on themselves.

Jesus taught that our faithfulness is tested by the little things of life. How we handle that determines whether we can be trusted with bigger things. Some think, ‘it’s just a small amount I diverted, just alittle this or that I misused.’ They even laugh it off as a minor thing. God’s principle is that if you were unfaithful in that little, you can as well be unfaithful in much. No one steals colossal sums of money, for example, from nowhere. It began with little ‘stealings’ here and there. This applies to all aspects of lifes’ trust. Learn to be faithful even in the little and you will be trusted with much. It takes a deliberate effort to do so.  God is willing to help us all be faithful.

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

Isaiah 44:6 "This is what the LORD says---- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God." - NIV

Every time we hear words, we want to know who spoke them. This is important because behind the words is authority of the speaker, and thus the power and authenticity of the word. A word spoken by an ordinary person carries very little or no weight. Few will bother about them. He has no capacity or power to effect them. But a similar word spoken by one in authority, like a head of state, is not taken lightly because of the authority and power they hold and the ability to effect them.  

Whenever we read the Bible, we are recieving words from the Almighty, all powerful, all knowing God. There is no other god or world authority greater or more powerful than Him, including the most powerful armies in the world today. He is the first and last, the Most High. He created everything we see or don’t see. In a moment He can snap out the most powerful forces of human might. Ask the powerful king Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh or Herod.

And He declares that He is our God, our Redeemer, Savior, Protector, an ever present help in times of trouble,  and a loving Father! He is far stronger than all our enemies combined, greater than all our challenges and problems put together. All He asks of us is to simply trust Him. This is too wonderful to be true, and yet it is! Think about it for a moment. And trust Him with all your problems, dilemmas or impossibilities. He alone is God and there is no other!

Isaiah 40:25 "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psalms 46:1-3,6-7 "God is our shelter and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken  and mountains fall into the ocean depths; even if the seas roar and rage, and the hills are shaken by the violence…Nations are terrified, kingdoms are shaken; God thunders, and the earth dissolves. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."-GNB

Tbe psalmist observed that there are moments of trouble, when the foundations of our hope and strength are shaken, and the storms of life rage against us. God initiates and allows some of these shakings as punishment for men’s wickedness and rebellion against Him. Whether initiated by God or Satan, God provides refuge, a shelter of protection and safety, for those who trust in Him.

Life is full of perplexing situations which bring fear, lose of hope and uncertainty. We always want to be sure of what we trust, whether it can sustain us in such times or not. God intervens in our situations by protecting us within the storms. Even when nations and kingdoms are shaken, we have a place of safety to hide in God. We are safe and secure in Him.

This calls for clarification and establishment of our foundations, of hope and trust in God. Some profess God’s name, claim to trust in Him, but times of trials reveal a shallow foundation, on the sand and not on the Rock Christ. God gives peaceful rest to those whose minds are stayed on Him. Tough troublesome times are with us, and will continue. It’s a choice to truly make God one’s refuge.

Psalm 91:1-2 "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High  will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,  my God, in whom I trust.”

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Philippians 3:7-9 "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things…." - NIV

Paul lived a life he considered very successful from human point of view. But when he met Christ in His glory, whatever he thought was great became like rubbish. From then on, he wanted nothing else but Christ. He discovered there was something far greater, a better treasure and more glorious experience in Christ than what he thought was the best until then. He was a zealous religious scholar. His aim now was to know, live for and even die for Him.

Every change has an objective; to leave the less or none useful, what doesn’t work any more, and embrace what is beneficial. We always want to profit from whatever we do. Sticking to a tradition or custom which isn’t beneficial to one’s life, development and progress is counterproductive. People resist change because they think what they have now is good. But there is always something better which we can only benefit from if we are willing and open to change.

One trigger to change is to ask whether this is all there or the best to what you aim for. God always has something better. In Him, there is moving from infancy to adulthood, glory to glory, faith to faith. Every next level is better. The Israelites settled too long in Horeb until God told them to break camp and move. Horeb may be good, but Canaan is better. Horeb isn’t the destination. Canaan is. And God’s aim is to take you to Canaan.

Deuteronomy 1:6-8 "The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites…See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Isaiah 43:18 “Forget the former things;  do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." - NIV

Israel was to go to exile following their rebellion. But God promised to bring them back. In the new season of restoration, they were to forget the former things and watch out for the new. The wilderness would team with life again. Those whose minds stuck to the past, the former things, would not perceive, nor respond to the changes. This speaks of so many today stuck in the past and have resigned to fate.

God created and operates in seasons and times. He expects us to discern and respond to them for our benefit. Under the sun, He set times and seasons for every activity. When Israelites were coming from Egypt, they were to be guided by the cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Ex 13:21-22). Whenever it shifted, they were to shift and move along. When it stopped they were to stop. If we could learn to move along with God in all we do, our lives would be wonderfully productive all the time.

When we move according to the seasons set by God, we move by His will and benefit maximally. In His seasons, everything has been set. But this requires that we accept to forsake the status quo, our comfort zone and sometimes move to unfamiliar ground. Many miss God’s blessings and opportunities because they fear to change, take risks and move along with God. Trust the Lord leading you. He is in charge and never misleads.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything,  and a season for every activity under the heavens…"

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Romans 12:2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." - NIV

Paul’s approach to transformation of the believer who has been part of a worldly evil system, into knowing the good, pleasing and perfect will of God, lies in mindset change. All challenges we have are based on the beliefs inculcated into our minds by the cultures and communities we live in. Any meaningful change must begin by changing the thought patterns.

God and the devil targets our minds through teachings and doctrines. There is tremendous power in a belief system. There is nothing that can stop a person from achieving what they belief and are totally convinced of – however weird! They go against popular opinion, persevere through thick and thin, and are willing to die for it, because they believe it. No progress in life can be made without the right mindset change. Change your mind, change everything.

It is therefore important what you feed your mind with. What do you believe? Some have believed lies and have patterned their lives on deception. The devil knows how the truth of God can liberate us from his lies. That’s why he vehemently resists God’s truth, and diverts people to his lies. The transformation and progress we make in our relationship with God and in life, is determined by how much we have embraced the truth and live it.

2 Timothy 1:12 “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.”

John 8:31-32 "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 18:3-4 "And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." - NIV

The disciples were arguing about rank, position and greatness in God’s kingdom. Contrary to their views and the worldly system of assessing greatness, Jesus brings a little child before them and teaches greatness through change, by becoming like a little child. He made an emphatic statement, that one will never enter the kingdom of God unless they change – in attitude and conduct.

Change is inevitable in life. It recognises imperfection, that we don’t know nor have it all. There is alot we have to learn, unlearn and relearn if we are to make progress in life. To enter God’s kingdom, we first acknowledge that we are sinners, fallen short of God’s holy and righteous standards and can’t save ourselves. While in the journey of faith throughout life, we maintain a posture of continuous learning. And this is true for every endeavour in life we get into. Learning never ends because there is always something new. When we stop learning, we stagnate and die.

Change is best facilitated by an attitude of humility, respect for others and acknowledgement of our limited abilities. No one succeeds and excels in isolation. Jesus said we should take a lowly position of a child: simple, willing, flexible and excited to learn and change. Greatness in God’s kingdom is measured by such childlike humility. Jesus Himself taught and demonstrated it. Shall we?

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.”

John 5:19 "Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does."

Shalom children of God.