Today’s Bible Reading
February 25

Old Testament 1
Exodus 16

16:27 Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none.

16:28 And the LORD said to Moses, How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?

Let's learn how to follow instructions

God provides for all the people in the world especially His people in their difficult times. If the journey of the Israelites was only forty days they would have reached their destination before time but at forty five days after their departure from Egypt there was no more food for them which prompted their murmuring. Though God has plans for them as previously discussed but they didn't see that and they murmured against Moses and Aaron for having no food for them. Moses was annoyed because they were there together and if they will ask, it should be by praying to God for provisions, probably God was waiting to see their reaction because He did not hesitate to provide for them. Also He gave some conditions to Moses to tell them because He wanted to test them, this is what the people of God especially the ministers should know that God can use the difficult time to test them to know how faithful they are.

Likewise many people including the Christians failed to keep the instructions on the provisions of God as they keep all to themselves not ready to obey God's leading of giving. God has a plan for our difficult time. He's only waiting that we may ask, because Jesus says ask and you shall be given, seek you shall find, He stretched His hand and He satisfied all creatures, we don't need to murmur in our difficult time as we pray He will answer us for this is the confidence we have in Him, anything we ask according to His will He answers us.


Old Testament 2
Psalm 52, 53 & 54

Some leaders enjoyed the activities of gossipers, such as Saul who entertained the gossipers giving him updates of David's hideout. This made David to pray this prayers read in the passages as he said why are you the mighty man display eye-service and purpose wickedness, and he said the Lord will demote him for ever and the righteous will escape from the hand of the gossipers, for God will deliver the righteous from the hand of the gossipers.

Some gossipers that perform such atrocities usually think God is not seeing them. That's why the Psalmist rated them as foolish because God is omnipresence, He is only waiting for them to repent from their evil ways.

These wicked people are also in the church even among the ministers of God, they gossip and report people to the leaders, they create hatred among the people of God, the major prayer we should be praying is for God to deliver His people from the wickedness of such an act. These people organize their words to the extent that those who hear them will have no doubt, they mix lies and truth together. May the Lord save and deliver us from the wickedness of the gossipers.


New Testament
Acts 9:1-31

When God called Paul, Paul asked who called Him if He’s the Lord?

When God called Ananias, He simply answered, Here I am Lord.

This tells us, God’s disciples know His voice. If God called you today, would you recognize His voice?

You can only recognize God’s voice if you spend more time with Him. By studying the bible, by praying, by having retreats to seek His face. You can only recognize the voice of whom you are familiar with.

By persecuting the Christians, Paul could even tell the voice could be of the Lord because Paul had spent enough time persecuting that it’s starting to rob off him. He just wasn’t sure. Which brings the next question, if you heard God’s voice, can you be absolutely sure it’s God’s like Ananias? And how to be absolutely sure is still the same way we listed earlier.

Furthermore,

The best way to silence the terrorists' unrest is for God to convert them, and this can only be possible by the encounter of Jesus Himself. Saul had an encounter with the Lord Jesus, he became the preacher of the gospel, his encounter brought peace to the early church and God later used him tremendously; the terrorists today can become evangelists if God converts them by His mercy. The Christians need to pray to convert the terrorists all over the world today especially their leaders, there is no one that cannot be saved by God, and they will be useful to God's ministry, may the Lord touch the mind of the terrorists and change them for His use in Jesus name.


Action point

Obey God in all situation

Pray for unsaved souls to receive Jesus Christ in their life, take another step by reaching out with the Gospel


Quote
“The one who obeys God's instruction for today will develop a keen awareness of His direction for tomorrow.”
-Lysa Terkeurst


Prayers

1. Thank God for His provision

2. Ask God for mercy for the times you disobeyed Him

3. Pray for the power of Holy Spirit to speak boldly of the Gospel

4. Pray that those that haven't we encounter God

5. Pray for Spirit of obedience to God's instruction

6. Pray that God save you from evil

7. Pray for Christian missionaries all over the world


#BibleInAYear

Contributions

Pastor M.O Shodipe