Month: February 2024

Respect The Sovereign God !!

After Gideon’s death, one of his
sons Abimelech has such strong
aspirations for his father’s position
that he attempts to murder his 69
brothers. His rush actions are a
prelude to 3 stormy years in power
-a reign cut short by a divinely
guided millstone. By contrast,
Jephthah, the illegitimate son
of a harlot, zealously leads Israel
in the ways of God – though his
zeal also gets him into trouble!

Lord, we acknowledge that You
are the Sovereign God and has
a perfect plan for Your people.
Grant us the grace to respect
and honour You in every way.
Help us to Submit to Your Timing
while trusting You for deliverance.
Help us to Serve You only and to
repent of idols and get rid of them.
Help us be mindful and respectful
when making promises to You. And
we look forward that Yr purposes
for Your people be fulfilled. Amen.

Lord, we Submit to Your Timing:
Gideon’ son Abimelech went to
his father’s home and killed all 70
of his half brothers… Then the
citizens of Shechem & Bethmillo
made Abimelech their king (J9:5-6)
After Abimelech reigned Israel
three years, God sent a spirit                            of ill will between Abimelech
and men of Shechem that the crime
done to the 70 might be settled.
And when the men of Israel saw
that Abimelech was dead, they
departed. Thus God repaid the
wickedness of Abimelech (v55-56).
Lord, sometimes we wonder why
evil seems to prevail and God did
not punish evil and restore justice.
But we realise God often spares
immediate punishment and allows
people time to turn from their sins.
And trusting God for justice also
means waiting for His timing. Amen.

Lord, we purpose to Serve You:
But the Israelites said to the Lord:
We have sinned. Do with us
whatever you think best, but
please rescue us now. Then they
got rid of the foreign gods among
them and served the Lord. And
he could bear Israel’s misery
no longer (Jdgs 10:15-16).
Lord, I don’t want anything to
separate me from You. Nothing
is worth that. I want to confess
to You anything I’ve done wrong
and anything that is not pleasing
in Your eyes. Wherever I have
worshiped other gods or an idol,
reveal it to me and I will confess
it, repent of it and get rid of it.
For I want to serve only You. Amen

Lord, we Mindfully Respect You:
Jephthah made a vow to the Lord.
He said: If you give me victory
over the Ammonites, I will give
to the Lord the first thing coming
out of my house to greet me when
I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it
as a burnt offering (Jdgs 11:29-30)
When Jephthah returned home
to Mispah, his daughter – his
only child – ran out to meet him…
When he saw her, he tore his
clothes in anguish (v34-35).
Lord, we learnt from this episode
of the need to be respectfully
mindful when making vows to You
even as an expression of gratitude.
For what we solemnly vow to God,
we must perform, if it be lawful,
though so difficult to us. Amen.

 

 

 

God Loves to Do the Impossible

Gideon, Israel’s fifth judge, receives
 God’s call while hiding in a wine-
press secretly  threshing wheat.
Midian’s oppression is indeed
 severe and Gideon is God’s man 
to lead the people in throwing
 off that yoke of bondage – a task
 that Gideon is not keen to accept!
 But once convinced of his calling
through two miraculous signs,
Gideon leads a humble army of 300
men, equipped only with torches
 and trumpets, in a stunning victory
against the mighty Midianite forces.
 Israel’s weapons and rather unusual
 battle plan leave no room for doubt:
 The victory is the Lord’s.

Lord, You Love Impossible Odds:
The Lord said to Gideon: You
have too many warriors with you.
If I let you fight the Midianites,
the Israelites will boast to me
 that they saved themselves by
 their own strength. Therefore,
tell the people: Whoever is timid
or afraid may leave and go home.
22,000 of them went home,
leaving only 10,000 who were
willing to fight (Jdgs 7:2-3).
But the Lord told Gideon:
There are still too many!
Bring them down to the spring 
and I will sort out who will go
with you and who will not (v4).
Then the Lord said: By the 300 men
who lapped I will save you & deliver
the Midianites into your hand (v7).

Lord, when we face overwhelming
circumstances, it is a perfect
 position for You God to intervene.
For it is in those times that we
like Gideon can learn to trust You.
Many times we have felt there
was no way out in the circumstance;
only to discover later that You Lord
 was actually making a way for us.
    In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Lord, facing overwhelming odds
 can be frightening as Gideon felt.
 You God understood his fear but 
didn’t excuse Gideon from his task.
Instead You led Gideon to slip into
 the enemy camp and overhear a
chat that would give him courage.
You God indeed can give us the
 strength we need for any situation.
Help us Lord to listen to You and
be ready to take the first step;
for after we begin to obey will we
 find the courage to move on. Amen.

Lord, Your Word alone is sufficient
 Promise of the ultimate victory.
 We just need to simply trust You
and carry out Your instructions.
Thank You for being our warrior.
Thank You, when I am in a battle,
You’ll shine in midst of that battle.
 Thank You for giving us victory
 when it seems just impossible.
 In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

The Lord of Peace Is With You

Gideon, Israel’s fifth judge, receives
          God’s call while hiding in winepress.
Midian’s oppression is indeed severe
 and Gideon is God’s man to lead
 the people in throwing off that
 yoke of bondage – an assignment
Gideon is not keen to accept!
 But once convinced of his calling
 thru two miraculous signs, Gideon
 leads a humble army of 300 men,
 equipped only with pitches, torches 
 and trumpets, in a stunning victory 
against the mighty Midianite forces!
 Israel’s unconventional weapons and
 unusual battle plan leave no room 
for doubt: The victory is the Lord’s!

Praise Jehovah Shalom With Us:
The angel of the Lord appeared
to Gideon and said: The Lord
Is With You (Jehovah Immeka)…
Gideon replied: if the Lord is with us,
why has all this happened to us?…
The Lord has abandoned us and
handed us over to the Midianites.
Then the Lord said: Go with
the strength you have and
rescue Israel from the Midianites.
I am sending you (Jdgs 6:12-14).
Then the angel of the Lord touched
the meat and bread with the staff
in his hand, and fire flamed up from
the rock and consumed all he had
brought… Gideon (then) cried out:
Sovereign Lord, I have seen the
angel of the Lord face to face!
Then the Lord said to him:
Peace be with you; do not fear…
So, Gideon built an altar there to the
Lord and named it The Lord Is Peace
Jehovah Shalom (Jdgs 6:21-24).

Lord Jehovah Immeka, we see that
Your very presence alone is enough
to defeat an army. When the angel
told Gideon You Lord were with him
that truth bring Gideon to a new
level of courage. Praise You Lord
for Your presence which empowers
us to overcome obstacles & secure
victory in our life. And thank You for
the kindness of Yr presence. Amen

Lord Jehovah Shalom, in You
is fullness of peace and You
bring us peace in Your name.
For You still the storm within us
when we call on Your name. And
You bring peace to our heart & soul
when we abide in Your presence.
Thank You for making Your peace
available to us. And Thank You for
You Are My Peace and hope. Amen.

Lord Jehovah Shalom, I speak
shalom into my body and health.
I speak shalom into my mind,
my thoughts and my heart.
Let there be shalom in my plans,
in my future and in my relationships.
Lord, reveal to me the choices
I need to make to enter into an
even greater level of Your Peace.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Answered Prayer in Perilous times

Despite God’s persistent commands,
the Israelites chose to accommodate
rather than annihilate the Canaanites
thereby surrounding themselves
with godless influence. So, they
began series of cycles of sinning,
worshipping idols, being punished,
crying for help, being rescued by a
judge, obeying God for a while, then
falling back into idolatry. They were
conquered by Syria, Moab, Canaan,
Midian, Ammon and Philistia.

Lord, we’ll Seek You for Help:
These people were left to test the
Israelites – to see whether they
would obey the commands the
Lord had given… So Israel lived
among the Canaanites, Hittites,
Amorites… and they intermarried
with them…. And the Israelites
worshiped their gods (Jdgs3:4-6)
The anger of the Lord burned agst
Israel and He handed them to king
Aram for 8 years. But when they
cried out to the Lord, he raised up a
deliverer Otheniel who saved them.
Once again the Israelites did evil
and the Lord gave Moab control
over Israel for 18 years. Again the
Israelites cried out to the Lord,
and he gave them Ehud (v9, 15).
Then Deborah sang on that day:
When leaders lead in Israel,
when the people willingly offer
themselves, bless the Lord!…
I will sing praise to the Lord…
They shall recount the righteous
acts of the Lord (Jdgs 5:1-3, 11).

Lord, You allowed pagans in the
land to test Your people whether
they will obey Your commands.
We will not bond with heathens
and we will abstain from idols.
And we will advise our children to
heed Your warning that marriage
between believers & unbelievers
will create countless problems.
Help us in our endeavours. Amen.

Merciful Lord, thank You that
whenever we cried out to You,
You will deliver us from misery.
We confess often trying to control
our own lives without God’s help.
Remind us that You God should
be the first place we turn to for
help when we’re facing struggles
and not as a last resort. Amen.

Lord, we note the Song of Deborah
was a prayer of gratitude to You.
We are grateful for the faithful
workers who offer their services
for the wellbeing and support
of others. We ask Lord for Your
special blessing for these workers.
Provide their needs, guide them
and protect them from evil. Amen.

God of Grace Gives Courage

Harry Emerson Fosdick, one of
the leaders of the liberal Protestant
movt in the 1920s and 1930s, was
denounced by many conservatives,
some of whom now sing the hymn
he wrote. In 1930, when the new
building for the Riverside Church
in New York City was dedicated,
this hymn was sung as dedication.
It is a prayer of dedication that can
be uttered any day. And the prayer
of our hearts should constantly
be “Grant us wisdom, grant us
courage for the facing of this hour.”

Lord, we will Be Courageous:
After the death of Moses…
the Lord spoke to Joshua…
Be Strong and Courageous,
because You will lead the people to Inherit the land I Swore to
their forefathers (Joshua 1:1,6).
Be Strong and Very Courageous.
Be Careful To Obey all the law
my servant Moses gave you;
do not turn to the right
or to the left, that you may be
successful wherever you go (v7).
Have I not commanded you?
Be Strong and Courageous.
Do not be terrified; do not
be discouraged, for the Lord
your God Will Be With You
wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).

Lord, I pray that every time I read
Your Word, You will teach me all
I need to know. Help me understand
Your truth & speak to me specifically
about how each passage relates
to my life and the lives of others.
Help me to meditate on Your Word
and take steps of obedience so that
I can live in Your perfect will and
prosper as You’ve promised. Amen.

Lord, I can feel overwhelmed often
But I know a glimpse of You radically
change my perspective. Thank You
for Your promise of being with me
no matter what happens. Please
overshadow my fears and worries
with Your strength. Help me be
strong and courageous in every
challenge that I may face. Amen.

God of grace and God of glory,
On Thy people pour Thy power
Crown Thine ancient Church’s story
Bring her bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage,
For the facing of this hour (2)
Cure Thy children warring madness
Bend our pride to Thy control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom goal.
Amen and amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of the book of Joshua
is to give the history of Israel’s
conquest of the promised land.
The first half of the book (chap 1-12)
recounts three military campaigns
spanning seven years, in which
Joshua meets and defeats
more than 30 enemy armies.
The second half (chapters 13-24)
relates the settlement of Canaan,
the fulfillment of God’s age-old
promise to Abraham.

On Monday, we learn from Josh 1
that God of Grace Gives Courage.
On Tuesday, we learn fr Josh 2/3
to Praise the Living God In Control.
On Wed, we learn from Josh 6
that Following God Brings Success.
On Thursday, we learn from Josh 10
that God Answers Prayer for Miracle.
On Friday, we learn from Josh 13/21
to Praise God for Keeping Promises.
On Saturday, we learn from Josh 24
that God Is For & Backs His People.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For You as Living God Is In Control
& as God of Grace Gives Courage;
For You are worthy of our Thanks
as God Answers Prayer for Miracle
and Following You Brings Success;
For You are worthy of our Praise
being the God who Keeps Promises
and You’re For & Back Your People.
In Jesus’ mighty name we pray,
Amen and amen!!

God Is For & Backs His People

After being commended for their
faithful service in conquering the
land of Canaan, the warriors of the
tribes east of Jordan are sent home.
They recognise the Jordan River
(which forms a natural barrier
between the tribes) may one day
form a spiritual barrier as well.
To prevent this, a memorial altar
is built on the riverbank. The book
closes with Joshua’s farewell
address where he gives the people
an ultimatum. Choose You this day
whom you will serve… as for me and
my house, we will serve the Lord.

Lord, we’ll choose to Serve You:
And Joshua said to all the people:
Thus says the Lord God of Israel:
…I took your father Abraham
from the other side of the River,
led him thru Canaan & multiplied
his descendants (Joshua 24:2-3).
And I brought you into the land of
the Amorites on the other side of
Jordan, and they fought with you.
But I gave them into your hands, that
you might possessed their land (v8).
(Joshua said): So honour the Lord
and serve Him wholeheartedly.
Put away forever the idols
your ancestors worshipped…
Serve the Lord alone. But if you
are unwilling to serve the Lord,
then choose today whom you
will serve…But As For Me and
my family, we will serve the Lord.
The people replied: We would
never forsake the Lord & worship
other gods (Joshua 24:14-16).

Lord, we remember the times that
You guided, helped and backed us.
Just as Joshua pointed the way
to You God, each of us also has
the same opportunity to do so.
Thank You Lord for allowing us
to join You at work at various
ministries, including small groups.
Pray that those who look to us
for leadership will be drawn to You.
Lead them to choose to serve You
Lord only and no other. Amen.

Holy Lord, thank You for allowing
us into Your presence thru Christ.
You dwell in holy place, yet You
also dwell with those who are
contrite and of a humble heart.
Make my heart like Yours even as
I strive to be more reflective of You.
Speak to me before I think of wrong
thoughts or make wrong choices.
Enable me Lord to live humbly
and purpose to serve You. Amen.

Lord, let me not be useless, but
purpose to be Your faithful servant.
I hand over to Your care Lord my
prayers & yet to be fulfilled hopes.
I give my mind for You to think in me;
& I give my eyes to see as You see.
I give my tongue to speak Yr words;
& I give my hands to do Your work.
Above all I give You my heart that
You Lord will love thru me. Amen.

Praise God for Keeping Promises

Israel under Joshua leadership
has already conquered Canaan by
destroying key cities & their kings;
yet there remain much land to be
possessed. To complete the task,
Joshua assigns territories to each
individual tribe with instructions
to clear out the remaining pagan
influence and possess the land
completely. And God helped
them to do so as promised.

Lord, thanks for Keeping Promises:
When Joshua was an old man,
the Lord said to him: Much land
remains to be conquered…
All the regions of the Philistines
and the Geshurites. Northward
includes the territory of the
five Philistine rulers of Gaza…
all the land of the Canaanites…
and the Lebanon area to the east.
I myself will drive these people
out of the land… So be sure
to give this land to Israel as a
special possession (Jos 13:1-6).
The Lord gave to Israel all the land
of which He had promised to give
to their fathers, and they took
possession of it… And not a man
of all their enemies stood against
them; the Lord delivered all
their enemies into their hand.
Not a word failed of any good
thing which the Lord had spoken
to the house of Israel. All came
to pass (Josh 21:43-45). Amen.

Lord, just as the Israelites, we
still face the trials and fight the
battles of unconquered land.
Reveal the promised land You
have given us to conquer which
can include undone good works,
unmet needs as well as
unused talents and resources.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, I realise I could cling to Your
promise for years and then made
a momentary decision that could
forfeit everything like Moses did.
Help me be like Joshua believing
God does not withdraw promises.
For You mean what you say and
will do all that You have promised.
Give me Lord the faith to believe
You will fulfill everything that You
have ever spoken to me. Amen.

Lord, our hearts tend to become
so fixated with the here and now.
Lift our eyes to our promised
land and promised inheritance.
Fill our hearts with anticipation
of all we stand to inherit when
we enter into Your Holy Land.
And Lord, let the fulfilment of the
promise in Joshua 21:43-45 be
repeated in the present day. Amen

God Answers Prayer for Miracle

The Israelites went out a 2nd time
to Ai. This time they succeeded.
In working for the Lord there’s value
of human reason, but strategy
without obedience is worth nothing.
The kings of Canaan formed a
league against the oncoming hosts.
But we read of the treaty with
the Gibeonites who played a trick
on the Israelites. Joshua prayed.
Then Joshua routed the allied army.
The hail storm and the prolonged
daylight which God sent helped
His warrior. The sun stand still
upon Gibeon when God’s work is on.

Lord, we Boldly Seek in Faith:
Then Joshua spoke to the Lord
in the day when the Lord delivered
up the Amorites before the
children of Israel and he said:
Sun, stand still over Gibeon;
and Moon in the Valley of Aijalon.
So the sun stood still and the moon
stopped, till the nation of Israel had
defeated its enemies… And there
has been no day like that before it
or after it, that the Lord heeded
the voice of a man; for the Lord
fought for Israel (Josh 10:12-14)

Lord, we see in Joshua 10 that
You God honors bold prayers.
Just as Joshua asked for a miracle
beyond anything He could perform,
we are drawn into a similar
faith relationship with You Lord.
Realize that in asking, You God are
still looking for action on our part.
For we still have to put “bold shoes
of faith” on our feet, walking out and
believing that God is able. Amen.

Lord God Almighty, You have proven
You make the impossible, possible.
The sun stopped middle of the sky
& delayed setting almost a full day.
The cancerous lump seemingly
disappears leaving doctor shocked.
And other impossible things that
You do in response to our prayers. 
We realise sometimes we will have
to take the leap of faith that says,
God can and will do the impossible.
So, we go before You seeking You
God to move somehow, someway.
And when You do, it proves that
You’re still a God of miracles. Amen.

Lord, we note You fought for Israel
in the battle & You will fight for us.
Joshua remembered what the Lord
had done for Israel. He’s seen Red
Sea deliverance; he’s crossed the
Jordan River on dry ground; and he’s
seen the walls of Jericho crumbled.
Because of these, Joshua was able
to pray a bold and audacious prayer
and God gave Israel the victory.
Help us Lord to ask  boldly for You
are willing to fight on our behalf.
Help us to follow You & stay with
You thru the fight; & we  know that
You will fight for Your people. Amen.

Following God Brings Success

Joshua employs a textbook
strategy for military victory:
Divide and conquer. He attacks
the middle of the country first,
dividing the enemy forces in half,
before mopping up resistance
among the isolated troops in the
south and north. His stunning
victory at Jericho shows the
importance of following God’s
direction down to the smallest
detail, no matter how trivial
they seem to be, proving
Obedience Brings Victory.

Lord, we’ll Obey Your Instructions:
The Lord said to Joshua:
I have given You Jericho, its
king and all its strong warriors.
Your entire army is to march around
the city once a day for six days.
Seven priests will walk ahead of
the Ark each carrying a ram’s horn.
On the seventh day you are to
march around the city seven times,
with the priests blowing the horns.
When you hear the priests give
one long blast on the horns, have
all the people give a mighty shout.
Then the walls of the city will
collapse & the people can charge
straight into the city (Josh 6:2-5).
When the people heard the sound
of the trumpet, and the people
shouted with a great shout, that
the wall fell down flat. Then the
people went up into the city…
and they took the city (v20).

Lord, when You told Joshua:
“I Have Given You Jericho”; it
indicated that it was a done deal.
It’s Finished work; just waiting for
the people’s obedience to bring
that promise to their experience.
The author of Hebrews writes: It
was by faith that the people of Israel
 marched around Jericho for 7 days,
and the walls came crashing down.
Lord grant us the faith to obey Your
instructions to march around our
Jericho to see the walls fall. Amen.

Lord, according to scripture, when
Your promise comes into contact
with our faith-filled obedience,
walls fall and obstacles disappear.
The only way our Jericho will
stand is if we believe our limited
perception instead of God’s Word.
Grant us the grace to simply trust
God’s Word & not miss opportunity
to see Your power in action. Amen.

Lord, help us to remember
when You God calls us to battle,
You have already won the victory.
Teach us O Lord to walk by faith
and not by sight. We choose to
believe You rather than our own
     perceptions and interpretations.
And we receive by faith Your
given victory in our situation.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.