Daily Devotionals

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

1 Chronicles 29:14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand…" - NIV

King David led Israel into a resource mobilisation drive to build the temple towards the end of kingship. He gave very generously from personal wealth towards this work. He acknowledged that all that he had: greatness and power, glory and majesty, wealth and honour, everything, come from Him. In their generosity towards this work, whatever they gave was simply giving back to God what came from Him.

Many people behave like what they have is their own. This explains the pride and boasting of what one has. We are all stewards of whatever we have, including life itself. It was given to us. God asks us to voluntarily give back what came from Him as an act of worship and gratitude recognising that it all came from Him and is all His. That’s what David realized and freely, cheerfully and heartily released it back to God the Giver. This should form another foundational basis for any giving.

God cautioned Israel not to think that their hardwork, intellect and abilities gave them the blessings they had. Instead they were to ever remember that it’s God who gives power to make wealth and acquire the possessions they would get (Deut 8:18). The earth and its fulness, including all people, belong to God, whether people acknowledge it or not. He gave usife and these things to glorify Him and for our enjoyment. It’s all His and we are His! Why withhold from the Owner?

Psalm 24:1 "The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it"

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psalm 34:19 "Many [are] the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." - KJV

The Psalmist in the previous verses of this chapter noted many blessings that come upon the righteous in comparison with the wicked. The several promises for good doesn’t mean everything will flow smoothly all the time for the righteous. He now observes that there will be many troubles for them, but God commits to deliver the righteous out of them all.

Some believe that afflictions in their lives are a sign of something gone wrong, a sin committed or God displeased with them. This could be true in certain circumstances. But to the righteous, it’s part of the package of walking with God. Jesus said in this world we will have tribulations, but encouraged us to cheer up because He overcame (John 16:33). Troubles come because there is an enemy, the devil, whose intention is to draw us away from the faith through painful experiences. On the other hand, God allows afflictions to strengthen our faith, among other reasons.

Dont be disoriented or discouraged by the many troubles you face. Neither give room to deception of the enemy. Instead, look upto God Who promised to rescue us from all kinds of troubles. They will not destroy us. The waters will not drown us, nor the fire of these trials consume us. We shall emerge victorious, stronger, refined and better out of them all. Keep your faith and hope alive, and walk with your head high. You are an overcomer in the Lord.

Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you;  your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burnt; the hard trials that come will not hurt you." GNB

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psalm 27:13 "[I had fainted], unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." KJV

Life’s journey is not straight. It can be tough. One time you are at the mountain top and everything is alright. Another time you are at the valley and things seem to be falling apart. One time there are friends all around. And in another no one seems to care. You seem to be all alone. What keeps one going is hope that things will be better.

God operates in seasons and times. There is day time and night time. That’s how things are. David acknowledged that if he had not believed, in hope, for better times ahead, he would have given up on living. This happens to us many times when the storms of life beat, situations are so tough and unforgiving, and thoughts of quiting or even dying cross one’s mind.  

It’s so encouraging that amidst all the ups and downs and uncertainities of life, God, in Whom we trust and hope, doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6). He is God in the good and bad times. He remains a good God and faithful in the mountain top and in the dark valleys. Our faith and hope should rest in Him. Men may fail. Our businesses, investments, treasures and all the other things we rely on can fail. But God doesn’t.

Hope in God doesn’t disappoint. It will be well at the end. Tomorrow will be better, however bad today is. Do not quit your endeavors. Hold on to faith in an unchanging, faithful God. There is light at the end of dark tunnel, even into eternity.

Psalm 30:5 "For his anger [endureth but] a moment; in his favour [is] life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy [cometh] in the morning."

Romans 8:25 "But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

From everlasting to everlasting
He is God and ever lives
Above all other gods
All creation bows in worship
How great is our God

He fills the entire vast universe
All billions of the stary host
Each in its course
He calls them by name
How great is our God

All the people who ever lived
And the billions alive today
By name He knows
Each He specially made
How great is our God

My God, the great King, Savior
I find meaning only in you
Nothing else satisfies
In you is my life complete
How great is our God

Psalm 8:3-4 "When I consider your heavens,  the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?"

Shalom children of God

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psalm 33:10-11 "The Lord foils the plans of the nations;  he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." - NIV

The psalmist pondered over the greatness of God in His creation, how nothing that men do escapes His attention and His intervention in the affairs of men. He now makes a comparison between people’s plans and His purposes. What God has established stands whatever people may do in attempt to thwart it. But people’s plans against God will not stand.

In our human understanding, God may seem to have failed, and evil appears to have triumphed over righteousness when we see what is happening in the world. And some may ask, ‘where is God as gross evil is committed under His watch.’ God is forever true, just and righteous. Some of what happens is people’s outright rebellion to God despite His warnings. God in His mercy and grace gives them time to change their ways. But a time of judgement comes for those who reject His ways and insist on evil.

God has plans for individuals and groups of people. They will be fulfilled in their time. The enemy will attempt to sway them using human evil plans, but in the end, God’s purpose prevails. No one fights Him and succeeds. Those who insist on their ways against God will crush. The Lord remains God alone. Be wise and turn to Him early. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Align your ways to His, and they will be established.

Proverbs 3:5-7 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart  and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Mark 10:28-30 "Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life." - NIV

Change can be very costly. To Jesus’ disciples, it cost everything; careers, families, personal comfort, and property to follow Jesus. This was very drastic change. And Peter raises it with Jesus who acknowledged and promised they would be rewarded, in this life and in the one to come. The point of forsaking all was that their primary allegiance was now to Jesus who would help them live life in honour of God in careers, family, personal life and managing wealth and property.

In following God, we shall have to make some changes from our old ways of life. Every change God initiates in us is for our good. There is always something new and better than what we already know or have. We benefit from it now or later in this life, and some on to the other side of eternity.

When all has been said and done, and you have come to the goal of the change process you or God wanted you to attain, you will discover it was worth it. It was worth the pain, discomfort, the things you forsook or endured, the despise and rejection. Then you can enjoy the fruit of your obedience to Him and enter the rest He has prepared for you.

Revelation 2:7 "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."

Shalom children of God

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo (1/5/2022)

Hebrews 11:4 "By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead." - NIV

The offerings of Abel by faith and in honour of God lives on and still speaks to us even in his death. It serves as a good example of the nature and attitude of our offerings to God to date. Great and heroic men and women in the Bible and in the contemporary world who made significant achievements in history remain speaking through their achievements long after they are gone. Some were good, others were terrible. Their impact lives on. So will yours.

We are not here forever. We shall move on at some point to another level or out of this life. Everyone of us in the path of life leaves behind footprints that those who come after will either choose to follow or ignore, depending on how we impacted them. What footprints do you leave behind wherever you have been? Are they inspiring others for the better or would they wish to forget and move on? How will you leave the world, better or worse? Will generations that follow be glad you lived or will they wish you never existed?

One doesn’t need to be a prominent public figure to leave a legacy. Each one of us in our small areas and small ways can make a difference. The best impact we can make is to live life in honour of God, see and treat people as God would, inspire and help them become the best they were created to be. That is investment in people first, using things. May you purposefully live your life in such a way that it positively impacts others long after you transitioned from your current position to another, or from this life into the next as Paul did.

1 Corinthians 11:1 "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

2 Timothy 4:6-8 "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." - NIV

Apostle Paul, now an old man, a prisoner  in Rome, writes to his son Timothy his last letter. He knew his life was ending, and more pleasantly that he had accomplished his God given task. He was ready to depart from this life. He had lived his later life entirely for the gospel. He went through much suffering and huge risks,  to do what he was called to do. The statement above is one of a satisfied spent out man, who fully released himself, reserving nothing to do his Master’s bidding. What a way to end one’s life! It’s more fulfilling than acquiring all the treasures of this life, and dying empty!

Friends, we have only one life with  plenty of options on how to live it. One could seek fame, wealth, to conquer the world, rewrite history and enter the list of heroes and halls of fame. These ambitions are not bad per se. But the greatest of it all is to do what we were created to do. Each one of us was created with a specific role to play in the world that no one else can fill except YOU. You are the only you in the world. And you have only one life to make your mark in shaping the world, however small or big. Life is too precious and brief to waste gambling in futilities!  And the years are fast fading away… Deeply think about this as you go about your daily routines.

 Nothing can be more  fulfilling than to come to the end of your life, well knowing you did what you were made to do. With such confidence, you can gladly look forward to a grand reception to your heavenly home and a victor’s crown as Paul did. Do not spend your short life on things you were never meant to do, driven by peer pressure, public opinion and to only gain the pleasures of this life. Some will one day wake up to the reality of wasted lives when it’s too late to mend ways and reverse time! I pray you will not be one of them!

Acts 20.24 "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."

Shalom children of God. 

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 25:15,19 "To one he gave five talents, and to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to  his ability. Then he went on his journey…  After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them." - NIV

It was one of Jesus’ last parables about accountability. God has endowed each one of us with talents and gifts according to our abolities. We are all gifted differently. Some of us can do much more than others. Some are more prominent than others. But all are important. Whatever we are or have, was given to us by our Creator. We are expected to use them to serve others and God, that is, to trade with our talents.

The Master is coming back and will ask for accountability on how we used them. We need to live with the reality that we shall account for our lives one day to our Maker. It will be a thorough life audit, how we used what God endowed us with, either to serve our selfish motives or to glorify Him. Some live as if they are in charge of their lives, talents, skills and abilities and they can use them whichever way they please. Whatever we have was given to us and we shall account for it one day.

Accountability is not usually easy, especially if things are not right. We may manipulate men, or cover up certain things on earthly accountability. But to the God to Whom we shall account, nothing escapes notice. He knows and sees every detail of all we do, including thoughts and hidden intentions. All that will be subject to judgement. Do self examination and if there be any ammends you need to make with your life, it had better be now while there is room to do so. Then turn to God in repentance and live for Him.

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."

Remember the day of accountability!

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Joshua 22:22-23 "The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows! And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the LORD, do not spare us this day. If we have built our own altar to turn away from the LORD and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the LORD himself call us to account."_ - NIV 

Joshua had settled all the tribes in their respective allotments of the land. The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh had their part east of Jordan. But they had been asked to help the rest of their brothers settle. This was accomplished and they were returning home. At a place called Geliloth near Jordan River, they set up a huge altar. Their purpose was that in the years to come, it would remind their brothers that they belong to each other and that they serve the same God.

When the rest heard of it, they thought they had already departed from God and had set up an altar to worship idols so soon. They were angry and set out to go and attack them. On enquiring from them, the scriptures above record part of their answer. It turned out they had such a noble idea, but their brothers mistook it for an evil intention. They were happy to learn that they meant well. And a large scale war nearly broke out!

Such occurrences happen often as we relate with people. We do certain things with a very clear and honest attitude and with best intentions, but those who hear about, or watch us do it, interpret it in the opposite and develop negative thoughts about us. Unless clarity is sought in good faith, these thoughts may graduate into rumours, fights, wrong decisions, destroyed relationships and a build up of many other evils. May God help us avoid judging and concluding before seeking clarity. Its important to always seek to understand why people do things the way they do before drawing conclusions. _

1 Corinthians 4:5 "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God."_

Shalom children of God