Faith against Storms

Monday 5 January
Text: Mark 4:35 – 41
MORE LESSON: Luke 8:22 – 25

A storm is a strong prevailing wind that sweeps off anything on its pathway. It is often contrary and dangerous, carrying away anything on its path destroying lives and property. As long as we are in this world, man is bound to experience storms. Even believers may be faced with storms at one time or the other, such storms could include contrary situations and circumstances in business, finance, home, carrier and spiritual life.

What should we do as Christians when we encounter storms of life? There are two major approaches to handling stormy situations – you either act or react. Our Lord Jesus acted while His disciples reacted as we read in our text. Actions bring results of victory while reactions yield panic, fear and near destruction. Despite the turbulence in the sea, Jesus was calm, resting and refreshing with the cool wind of the boisterous storm. This is a great lesson for us – your faith will only work when you are at peace. Y our steady faith in God is your anchor in stormy times, If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small: Prov. 24:10. Reaction and inaction in stormy times make a man a victim. As seen in the life of the disciples, they were restless, afraid and even accuse the Master .And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? Mark 4:38. When a man lacks faith to confront the storm, he may become a victim of situation. God’s divine will is for you to stand in the face of the storm and win. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock Matt. 7:25.

The provisions of God's Word are sufficient to build faith in us to enable us triumph over storms. God makes a storm calm (Psa. 107:29) and protects His own from storms (Isa. 4:6). He is our refuge and strength in storms (Isa. 25:4), and He is mightier than any storm (Isa. 28:2). Storms will not last forever, so have faith in God. Every storm will bow before you, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Rebuke the wind and storm confronting your life.
* Declare boldly that no storm will prevail over your life.
* Declare that your faith will not fail in the face of any storm.

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Thanksgiving

January 1st, 2015
Text: Psa. 90:1-2
MORE LESSON: Psa. 145:1-21

It is by the help of God that you are alive today. No matter what you have or do not have, irrespective of what you prayed for and didn't receive, the fact that you are alive is a testimony of God's help. However, it is important for you to know that the help of God that you need for this year is hidden in thanking Him for the help in the past years.

You have to thank God for yesterday no matter how bad you think it was because without yesterday, there wouldn't be a today. You also have to thank God for previous years, being fully assured that this year is a God-given opportunity for you to achieve what you couldn't achieve last year . God could have made life on earth a long continuum of time and space without days, nights, weeks, months or years and seasons. But this is not so, so that each new season can serve as an opportunity to re-strategise, re-launch and re-fire in order to achieve what you couldn't achieve in the old season.
When you thank God for the help He has given you in ages past, you receive the inner strength to achieve all that you couldn't achieve in the past years. As you give God praises today, the anointing of strength will come upon your spirit and the distance that you have not been able to cover in the last one decade, you will surpass in this one year, in Jesus’ name.
When the hand of God came upon Elijah, he outran the chariots of King Ahab (I Kings 18:46). So as you thank God for His help today, His hand will come upon you and you will run with the strength of the Spirit.

The Psalmist wrote, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting, thou art God: Ps. 90:1-2. The famous hymn writer, Isaac Watts also testified: Oh God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home. Under the shadow of Thy throne, Thy saints have dwelt secure; sufficient is Thine arm alone, and our defence is sure.
The last line in the extract from the hymn says that your defence is sure. I want you to know that as you give God praise today for all He has done in ages past, your defence, help, prosperity, advancement and success are sure.

Prayer/Action
* Begin to give God praise for all the help that He has given you and your family in ages past.
* Sing a song or hymn to the Ancient of Days, your dwelling place for all generations.
* Thank God in advance for all the help that He has in store for you this year.

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Thanksgiving

January 1st, 2015
Text: Psa. 90:1-2
MORE LESSON: Psa. 145:1-21

It is by the help of God that you are alive today. No matter what you have or do not have, irrespective of what you prayed for and didn't receive, the fact that you are alive is a testimony of God's help. However, it is important for you to know that the help of God that you need for this year is hidden in thanking Him for the help in the past years.

You have to thank God for yesterday no matter how bad you think it was because without yesterday, there wouldn't be a today. You also have to thank God for previous years, being fully assured that this year is a God-given opportunity for you to achieve what you couldn't achieve last year . God could have made life on earth a long continuum of time and space without days, nights, weeks, months or years and seasons. But this is not so, so that each new season can serve as an opportunity to re-strategise, re-launch and re-fire in order to achieve what you couldn't achieve in the old season.
When you thank God for the help He has given you in ages past, you receive the inner strength to achieve all that you couldn't achieve in the past years. As you give God praises today, the anointing of strength will come upon your spirit and the distance that you have not been able to cover in the last one decade, you will surpass in this one year, in Jesus’ name.
When the hand of God came upon Elijah, he outran the chariots of King Ahab (I Kings 18:46). So as you thank God for His help today, His hand will come upon you and you will run with the strength of the Spirit.

The Psalmist wrote, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting, thou art God: Ps. 90:1-2. The famous hymn writer, Isaac Watts also testified: Oh God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home. Under the shadow of Thy throne, Thy saints have dwelt secure; sufficient is Thine arm alone, and our defence is sure.
The last line in the extract from the hymn says that your defence is sure. I want you to know that as you give God praise today for all He has done in ages past, your defence, help, prosperity, advancement and success are sure.

Prayer/Action
* Begin to give God praise for all the help that He has given you and your family in ages past.
* Sing a song or hymn to the Ancient of Days, your dwelling place for all generations.
* Thank God in advance for all the help that He has in store for you this year.

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Underneath is the Everlasting Hand

Saturday January 3rd, 2015
Text: Deut. 33:26-29 MORE LESSON: Psa.91:11-13

Christians worship the God who is close to them. That is why they are always very excited and lively during worship. Some folks wonder why Christians shout, dance and play all kinds of instruments each time they gather. One very strong reason for such excitement is because each time Christians gather, their God comes into their midst. Moreover, the individual Christian feels the close and warm embrace of God because God lives in him. God is not only living in Heaven, He lives in all those that believe in Him through Jesus Christ. God lives in us by the presence of His Spirit in our lives. Every true believer knows this, and the Spirit of God also bears witness with our spirit that we belong to God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: Rom. 8:15-16.

The believer is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Just as it was in the Old Testament when the Spirit of God dwelled in the tabernacle in the wilderness and later on the temple in Jerusalem, in the New Testament era, God's Spirit not only dwells in places of worship, He dwells in each person who believes in God through Jesus Christ. This is one of the mysteries in Christ Jesus. Those who have not yet given their lives to Jesus cannot comprehend this. Anyone that fails to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God cannot fathom it because it takes experiencing it to understand and appreciate this mystery. Jesus Himself says: ...If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him: John 14:23. Take note of the word, “We”, which means the fullness of the Godhead. If you believe in Jesus and submit to His Lordship, then, the fullness of God comes to abide in you.

It is this unique presence of God that made David to say, The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident Psa. 27-1-3.

Although, the physical eyes cannot see God, He lives in us and we are in Him. His everlasting arms are underneath us. He goes before us as our righteousness, and His glory is our rear guard. Happy is that man who knows God through Jesus Christ, The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them Deut. 33:27.

Prayer/Action
* Thank the Lord for placing His everlasting arms underneath you.
* Ask Him to hide you in His pavilion throughout the day.

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