TODAY’S SCRIPTURE When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and…said, “What are those feeble Jews doing?…Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?” Nehemiah 4:1–2, NIV
STAY ON THE WALLS Nehemiah was courageously leading the effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and restore safety to its inhabitants when two men, Sanballat and Tobiah, opposed him. They started stirring up trouble, spreading rumors about Nehemiah’s motives, making false accusations, and gathering other enemies to stop the work. But however much Nehemiah was tempted to straighten them out, he refused to be baited into conflict and kept working, completing the walls in record time. He put his reputation and purpose in God’s hands and focused on what he was called to do.
It’s no different today. Anytime you step up to do the right thing, don’t be surprised if someone finds fault, questions your motives, and says things that are not true. If you were sitting around being mediocre, no one would care. The fact that people are trying to discredit you, trying to make you look bad, that’s a sign that you’re doing something right, you’re making a difference, you’re leaving your mark. You keep doing the right thing, and God will take care of Sanballat and Tobiah.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY “Father, thank You that You have given me walls to rebuild and a purpose to fulfill. Give me wisdom to know when what is coming against me is simply a distraction that will get me off course. I believe that You are my defender and will fight those.
The Bible tells us that the heart is where the issues of life spring forth. What we allow to enter our hearts will affect our thoughts, actions, and even our bodies. In other words, the condition of one’s heart determines the course of one’s life!
SECTION TWO
That is why Jesus, who bequeathed to us His peace, tells us, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). So if we want to walk in His peace and rest, we need to guard our hearts and not let them spiral into negative thoughts, worry, and fear. The Book of Wisdom also tells us that a peaceful and cheerful heart promotes health (Prov. 17:22 NIV).
Beloved, there may be many things in our lives that we want to “guard,” such as our health or careers, but God wants us to guard our hearts above all else, and He will guard the rest!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE Despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. Luke 5:15–16, NLT
DARE TO SAY NO. When Jesus was on earth, everywhere He went people would come up and say, “Will You heal my child? Please come to my town. Teach us about Your kingdom. Show us a sign.” As the Son of God, He was anointed with power and went about doing good and healing, yet He knew His limits. He knew when He had to take time to get replenished, so He often withdrew to pray and be refreshed in His Father’s presence.
The Bible tells us that blessings crown the head of the righteous (Prov. 10:6). So the larger the revelation of your righteousness in Christ and the more you are established in it, the more you will see God’s blessings manifest in your life.
We should know our limits as well. Are you burning out, wearing yourself down, taking time and energy from the main things you need to do? You make your own schedule. Don’t make commitments that you know are not wise for your health. You can’t just keep adding to your schedule without depleting yourself. You have to be selectiveo about what you commit to and perhaps even eliminate some good things in order to stay healthy. It’s not about living selfishly; it’s all about living in balance. Are there some things you need to say no to?
A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You that Jesus constantly went about doing good and healing, yet He knew His limits. I want to have His heart and to always be ready to give and help others, but help me to know my limits. Give me the courage to say no to commitments that cause me to live out of balance. In Jesus’ Name, Amen I really want you to reign in all areas of life by receiving a robust revelation of your righteousness in Christ. You grow in this revelation the more you hear about what Jesus has accomplished for you at the cross
.
Let me put it another way: See the robe of righteousness that God has already clothed you with having pockets labeled “favor,” “healing,” “deliverance,” “provision,” “wisdom,” “family blessings,” and so on. The more conscious you are of this robe on you, the more you will experience the good gifts that come with it and live a purposeful and fulfilling life—a life where you have more than enough to bless others as well!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “MY SHEEP LISTEN TO MY VOICE; I KNOW THEM, AND THEY FOLLOW ME.” John 10:27, NIV
GIVE EAR TO. How many times is God speaking to us throughout the day but we’re not sensitive to it? Perhaps it’s just a whisper, “Slow down on the freeway. Be kinder to your spouse. Call your friend and give her some encouragement. Turn off the computer and get some more sleep. Take care of yourself.” Gentle whispers. They’re not loud. God is not going to force you to do it. It’s just an impression. The word “obey” in the original language means “give ear to.” To be obedient, you have to give your ear to what God is saying. You have to be a listener. Be sensitive to the whisper. What are you feeling in your spirit? It may not be words, just a knowing deep down of what you’re supposed to do. Other voices, thoughts, reasonings, and people’s opinions will be much louder, but you have to learn to give the whispers the most attention. When you let the still small voice be the voice you follow, you’ll make the best decisions.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY “Father, thank You that You speak to me throughout my day in gentle whispers in my spirit. Help me to give ear to what You are saying rather than push it down or ignore it. I will listen to Your still small voice and obey. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
You are destined to reign in life! You are called by the Lord to be a , to enjoy provision, to enjoy health, and to enjoy a life of victory.
I want you to know that it is not the Lord’s desire that you live a life of defeat, poverty, and failure. He has called you to be the head and not the tail.
What this means is that if you are a businessman, God wants you to have a thriving business. If you are a homemaker, you are anointed to bring up wonderful children in the Lord. If you are a student, God wants you to excel in your studies and examinations.
And if you are trusting the Lord for a new career, He doesn’t just want you to have a job, He wants you to have a position of influence, so you can be a blessing and an asset to your organization!
My friend, when you reign in life, you reign over sin, you reign over the powers of darkness, and you reign over depression, over perpetual lack, over every curse, and over every sickness and disease. You reign over the devil and all his devices!
So how do we reign in life? The power to reign does not depend on your family background, your educational qualifications, how you look, or how much savings you have in your bank account.
Look at Romans 5:17, today’s Scripture, again. The power to reign is based entirely on Jesus and on Him alone: “much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
My friend, if you are living a life of defeat—if you are defeated by sin, by constant guilt and condemnation, by sicknesses, by anxiety attacks, by financial lack, and by broken relationships—you are not living the life that God intended for you.
Based on the authority of God’s Word, you are destined to reign in life, to have dominion over all your challenges and circumstances! You are called to be above them all and not be trampled by them.
The time has come for you to lay hold of your right to reign over every area of defeat in your life. And through Christ Jesus, through the abundance of His grace and the gift of righteousness, you can.
Believe today that God is for you and wants you to experience breakthroughs and divine success. Your days of defeat are coming to an end. Days of joy, peace, and victory are headed your way!
Today’s Scripture When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:4, NIV
BE A NEHEMIAH When Nehemiah heard that the walls of Jerusalem, his home city, had been torn down and burned, and that the people who survived were in great danger, he wept. He was heartbroken. For days he mourned. He asked God to do something. Even though he was a thousand miles away from Jerusalem and had no means to do anything himself, God put a dream in his heart to go back home and rebuild those walls. And amazingly, he did.
It’s significant that Nehemiah was weeping over what he wanted to make better. His heart was broken over the wrongs that he saw. This wasn’t about having a big position, being well known, acquiring more. His dream was tied to building the kingdom, helping people rise higher, seeing his family reach their potential. When your heart is to make a difference, when your motives are right, when you’re moved over people you want to help, moved over loved ones who are struggling, you will see God do miracles. God is looking for Nehemiahs, for people He can entrust with influence, with favor, with resources.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY “Father, thank You for the burdens that You put in my heart for others and for the work of Your kingdom. Thank You that my heart can break and I can weep over what I know breaks Your heart. I believe that You are going to help me make a difference in others’ lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
SECTION TWO My friend, God wants you to live each day knowing that you are His beloved child, in whom He is well pleased. That is your daily nourishment from Him—to know, believe, and confess that you are His beloved and that you are well-pleasing to Him all the time.
Some years ago, I was taking a cab in New York and I took the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with the driver. Her response was quite typical. She said flippantly, “Yeah man! God loves everybody!”
It is absolutely true that God loves everybody, but to experience His love firsthand in your life, you have to personalize His love for you. Jesus died for you and do you know that even if you were the only person on earth, God would still have sent His Son to die on the cross for you? That is how precious YOU are to Him!
You need to personalize John 3:16 by declaring, “For God so loved ___ (insert your name), He sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for ___ (insert your name).” Be like the disciple John, who personalized the Lord’s love for him by calling himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”
The sun shines on every blade of grass in a field. But if you put a magnifying glass over one particular blade of grass, it will center the heat from the sun over that blade, and that blade of grass will burn.
That is what you must do with God’s love. Put a magnifying glass over your life and imagine God’s love being focused and concentrated on YOU!
When you personalize God’s love for YOU, when you live each day knowing that God loves YOU, you will be blazing with a supernatural ability to overcome every challenge in life!
In a continued effort to combat maternal mortality, the Lagos State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Saving One Million Lives Programme for Results (SOMLPforR), organised a three-day training for healthcare workers on the active management of the third stage of labour. Held between September 11th and 13th at the LCCI Conference Centre in Alausa-Ikeja, the training sought to equip healthcare workers with the necessary skills to manage childbirth and postpartum complications, with a particular focus on preventing excessive bleeding, which remains a leading cause of maternal deaths in Nigeria.
The training, which brought together about 40 healthcare workers from primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare facilities, was a blend of theoretical and practical sessions. Participants were exposed to clinical demonstrations using mannequins and hands-on practice with anti-shock garments and uterotonic drugs. The training is part of a larger initiative to strengthen maternal and child health services in Lagos State.
Speaking on the importance of the training, the Director of Family Health and Nutrition at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Folasade Oludara noted that the training aimed to bridge the knowledge gap among newly recruited healthcare workers and update the skills of existing staff.
According to her, the training addressed one of the primary causes of maternal mortality—postpartum hemorrhage, or excessive bleeding after delivery. “This training is critical for reducing maternal mortality in the state. It will equip our healthcare workers with the skills to manage postpartum hemorrhage effectively and ensure safe delivery,” Dr. Oludara said.
She explained that Postpartum hemorrhage is responsible for a significant portion of maternal deaths, both globally and in Nigeria, adding that the training focused on teaching participants the proper use of uterotonic drugs such as oxytocin and misoprostol, which help the uterus contract after childbirth to prevent excessive bleeding.
The Director said that participants were also introduced to new techniques like delayed cord clamping, which allows blood from the placenta to flow back into the newborn, reducing the risk of neonatal anaemia.
“In addition to medical interventions, the training also emphasised the use of innovative devices like the non-pneumatic anti-shock garment (NASG), which can stabilise a woman experiencing hemorrhage while awaiting further medical care”, she said.
Dr. Oludara noted that these devices are crucial in emergency situations, particularly in low-resource settings where access to blood and blood products might be delayed. “The anti-shock garment buys time for women until blood transfusions or other definitive interventions can be arranged,” she explained.
Dr. Oludara disclosed that the training also addressed the proper use of the partograph, a simple yet critical tool used to monitor labour and predict potential complications. “Many healthcare workers were familiar with the partograph but had not been using it effectively. The participants were re-trained on how to utilise it properly to improve maternal outcomes. The partograph is a life-saving tool. If used correctly, it can help prevent complications during labour,” Dr. Oludara stressed.
She added that the training also prioritised the interpersonal skills of healthcare workers noting that the training focused on improving communication and empathy between healthcare workers and patients to enhance the overall birthing experience.
Concluding, Dr. Oludara expressed optimism that the new skills acquired by healthcare workers would lead to a significant reduction in maternal mortality across the state. “We are hopeful that this training will change the narrative for us. Skilled healthcare workers are the key to reducing maternal deaths and ensuring safe deliveries,” she concluded.
One of the facilitators at the training, Professor Yusuf Oshodi, a renowned obstetrician and gynaecologist from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), highlighted that the training was designed to reduce Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate, which has remained unchanged for decades. He noted that excessive bleeding and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are the two leading causes of maternal deaths, and addressing these issues could reduce maternal mortality by 40%. “Our goal is to face these two monsters—postpartum hemorrhage and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy—which account for a large portion of maternal deaths,” Professor Oshodi stated.
During the event, the Director and Reproductive Health Coordinator of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Victoria Omoera delivered a comprehensive presentation titled “Proposal to Improve Maternal Care, Reduce Maternal Mortality, and Strengthen Systems for Safer Childbirth.” In her address, Dr. Omoera highlighted the need for improved maternal healthcare services in low-resource settings like Lagos, where healthcare workers often lack the tools, capacity, and training needed to provide high-quality services.
She identified the main causes of these deaths as obstetric hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, unsafe abortions, obstructed labor, and infections, noting that two-thirds of these cases involve women with no identifiable risk factors. “These deaths are preventable if we take the right steps,” she stated, urging for increased investment in maternal health interventions.
One of the solutions, Dr. Omoera advocated for was the adoption of low-cost, high-impact interventions such as the Active Management of the Third Stage of Labour (AMTSL), which the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced in 2012. She pointed out that AMTSL, along with the use of non-pneumatic anti-shock garments (NASG) and newer drugs like Carbetocin and Tranexamic Acid, could reduce maternal mortality by up to 60%. She stated that these measures have already been piloted in Lagos State, with significant improvements in maternal outcomes.
In closing, Dr. Omoera emphasised the need for continued capacity building for healthcare workers. She noted that the Lagos State Ministry of Health had trained 160 healthcare workers between 2019 and 2020, which contributed to a slight reduction in the state’s maternal mortality ratio. However, she acknowledged that more work needed to be done to meet key targets for intrapartum care. “Our goal is to ensure that every healthcare facility in Lagos is fully equipped and that all healthcare workers have the necessary skills to prevent maternal deaths,” she concluded.
Participants expressed their appreciation for the training, noting its practical approach and potential to save lives. Dr. Fakoya Elijah, a medical doctor from General Hospital Agbowa, described the training as “impactful” and emphasised the importance of continuous learning for healthcare professionals. “This training has equipped us with new knowledge that will help us act promptly when emergencies arise. It will make a difference in our ability to save lives,” Dr. Fakoya remarked.
Edna Adinkuye, a nurse from General Hospital Ajeromi, shared similar sentiments, stating that the training had provided her with a better understanding of key tools like the partograph. “I’ve learned how to use the partograph effectively and understand when it’s necessary. This training is an eye-opener, and I will step down the knowledge to my colleagues when I return to my facility,” she said.
Lagos State is committed to reducing its maternal mortality rate, which has been gradually improving due to targeted interventions like this. The government, with support from international partners like UNFPA and SOMLPforR, continues to focus on capacity-building programs to ensure that healthcare workers are well-equipped to handle maternal emergencies.
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Gates Foundation Report Calls for Targeted Global Health Spending to Save Millions of Children from Malnutrition and Disease
With New modeling showing that 40 million more children will suffer from hunger’s worst effects by 2050 due to climate change, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has Called On world leaders to increase global health spending where it is needed most in order to boost children’s health and nutrition.
In its Eighth Annual Goalkeepers report released 17th September 2024,the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation noted that action could instead boost health, spur economic growth .
Also in The Goalkeepers report, “A Race to Nourish a Warming World,notes that projects without immediate global action, climate change will condemn an additional 40 million children to stunting and 28 million more to wasting between 2024 and 2050 which Scaling up solutions now can avoid , while also building resilience to climate change and spurring much-needed economic growth.
In 2023, the World Health Organization estimated that 148 million children experienced stunting, a condition where children don’t grow to their full potential mentally or physically, and 45 million children experienced wasting, a condition where children become weak and emaciated, leaving them at much greater risk of developmental delays and death. These are the most severe and irreversible forms of chronic and acute malnutrition.
At the same time, as global challenges intensify, the total share of foreign aid going to Africa has decreased. In 2010, 40% of foreign aid went to African countries. But that number is now down to just 25%—the lowest percentage in 20 years—despite more than half of all child deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. This trend leaves hundreds of millions of children at serious risk of dying or suffering from preventable diseases and threatens the unprecedented progress the world made in global health across Africa between 2000 and 2020.
“Today, the world is contending with more challenges than at any point in my adult life: inflation, debt, new wars. Unfortunately, aid isn’t keeping pace with these needs, particularly in the places that need it the most,” writes report author Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “I think we can give global health a second act—even in a world where competing challenges require governments to stretch their budgets.”
According to Gates, malnutrition is “the world’s worst child health crisis,” and climate change is only making it worse. Amidst this crisis, Gates calls for maintaining global health funding; immediately addressing the growing threat of child malnutrition by supporting the Child Nutrition Fund, a new platform that coordinates donor financing for nutrition; and governments fully funding the established institutions that have proven effective at protecting millions of lives
each year. These institutions include Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which is due to hold its next funding replenishment in 2025; and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which is expected to also hold its replenishment next year.
“If we do these three things, we won’t just usher in a new global health boom and save millions of lives—we’ll also prove that humanity can still rise to meet our greatest challenges,” Gates writes.
The report also shines a light on the catastrophic economic costs of malnutrition and highlights solutions that can help mitigate them. According to the World Bank, the cost of undernutrition is US$3 trillion in productivity loss every year, because malnutrition stunts people’s physical and cognitive abilities. In low-income countries, that loss ranges from 3% to 16% (or more) of GDP, which amounts to a permanent 2008-level global recession every year.
Proven Tools Exist Today
“The best way to fight the impacts of climate change is by investing in nutrition…Malnutrition makes every forward step our species wants to take heavier and harder,” Gates writes. “But the inverse is also true. If we solve malnutrition, we make it easier to solve every other problem. We solve extreme poverty. Vaccines are more effective. And deadly diseases like malaria and pneumonia become far less fatal.”
The report highlights proven tools that are helping solve malnutrition, building people’s resilience to the worst impacts of climate change, and further driving down childhood deaths. They include:
New agricultural technologies that are producing up to two to three times more milk and safer milk, which can prevent millions of cases of child stunting by 2050.
Modeling shows that in India, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania, these technologies can prevent 109 million cases of child stunting by 2050.
Efforts to scale up new ways of fortifying pantry staples, such as salt and bouillon cubes, can reduce millions of cases of anemia and prevent deaths due to neural tube defects.
In Ethiopia, a new process to fortify salt with iodine and folic acid could lead to a 4% reduction in anemia and could eliminate up to 75% of all deaths and stillbirths due to neural tube defects.
In Nigeria, fortifying bouillon cubes with iron, folic acid, zinc, and vitamin B12 could avert up to 16.6 million cases of anemia and up to 11,000 deaths from neural tube defects.
Efforts to provide a high-quality prenatal vitamin for pregnant women could save almost half a million lives and improve birth outcomes for 25 million babies by 2040.
Adopting multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) costs as little as $2.60 for an entire pregnancy in all low- and middle-income countries.
The report also highlights how promising new research into the microbiome can improve people’s health. Studies indicate that better gut health can help children absorb nutrients, develop strong immune systems, and grow as they should to thrive. A deeper understanding of gut health, Gates writes, has the potential to change not just how the world treats malnutrition but also overnutrition, which impacts wealthy countries.
This year’s report also features essays from farmers and experts on the frontlines of the malnutrition crisis, who explain the impacts these tools are making in their communities.
Sushama Das, a dairy farmer in Astaranga, in the Indian state of Odisha, writes about the Livestock Enhancement and Advancement Programme: “Today, we have eight cows, and they are producing 60 liters of milk every day…The subsidies and training schemes have helped our family earn more money—our monthly income is now five times as much as it used to be.”
Coletta Kemboi, a dairy farmer in Maili Nne, Kenya, who participated in a training with MoreMilk, writes, “Before, there were some traces of unclean milk, but since I went through the training, they [inspectors] have come to our shop around three times and their tests are proof that our milk is good…The extra money we are earning goes to the farm…We are able to pay my three children’s school fees.”
Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, director of nutrition at the Nigerian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and leader of a large-scale effort to fortify bouillon cubes, writes, “Without access to the essential nutrients that children under 5 years need to grow, thrive, and lead healthy lives, they are being robbed of their future.”
Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, Rwandan minister of health and leader of efforts to ensure all Rwandan women have access to MMS, writes, “Prenatal vitamins save lives. That’s why you can find them on grocery store shelves in wealthy nations. But for women in low- and middle-income countries, like Rwanda, they are at once more essential and harder to find.” To date, more than 50,000 Rwandan women have received MMS through a program in seven districts with the highest rates of stunted growth.
Dr. Víctor Aguayo, director of child nutrition and development at UNICEF, writes, “The Child Nutrition Fund could be a game changer. It holds the potential to address the child malnutrition crisis and transform philanthropy for maternal and child nutrition.”
Distributed by African Media Agency on behalf of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life.
Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Co-Chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and the board of trustees.
About Goalkeepers
Goalkeepers is the foundation’s campaign to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals). By sharing stories and data behind the Global Goals through an annual report, the Gates Foundation hopes to inspire a new generation of leaders— Goalkeepers who raise awareness of progress, hold their leaders accountable, and drive action to achieve the Global Goals.
About the Global Goals
On September 25, 2015, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 193 world leaders committed to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals). These are a series of ambitious objectives and targets to achieve three extraordinary things by 2030: end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and fix climate change.
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Today’s Scripture …that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Ephesians 4:22–23, NKJV
PUT OFF, PUT ON When you gave your life to Christ and were born again, the Scripture says, “You became a new creation. The old has passed away.” However, that doesn’t mean that you’ll never have any more carnal desires or never want to be jealous, rude, or complain. No, the old man may have died, but sometimes he’ll resurrect. Your old nature will rise from the dead. Even though you’re a new creation, you have to put off the old. Every day that old man is trying to get back up and run your life.
Peter was a faithful, strong, committed disciple who took up his sword when Jesus was arrested, but a few hours later he denied he knew Jesus. As with Peter, we all have these two people inside, the old man and the new man. That’s why we have to put off the old man, put off the pride, the bitterness, the compromise, the temper, and put on the new man. The more you put the old man off, the weaker and weaker he gets.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY “Father, thank You that I am a new creation in Christ Jesus and that the old has passed away. Thank You that I can put off anything of the old man today and start with a fresh new attitude. I’m going to be my best and make the most of this day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
SECTION TWO
The solution to all your problems can be found in the person of Jesus.
My friend, if you are worried about your daily provisions, see Jesus as your provider—the One who multiplied five loaves and two small fish to feed more than 5,000 people with 12 baskets full of leftovers.
If you need wisdom for a particular situation, see Jesus as your wisdom—the One who always has the right answer and response to every challenge. And know that He is in you and with you to guide you in your decision-making.
Beloved, ask the Holy Spirit to give you a personal revelation of Jesus in the area of your need. He Himself is the solution for your every need!
The Hebrew word qarah is often used in the Bible to explain God-ordained happenings. The first time qarah is mentioned is in Genesis 24:12, when Abraham sent his servant to get a bride for his son, Isaac. The servant did not know which girl would be the right one, so he prayed, “O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham” (boldface mine).
The phrase “please give me success” is the word qarah. The servant asked God to give him qarah—right happening. Doesn’t that remind you of pega qarah or “prayed happenings”? If you follow the story, you will see how Abraham’s servant was successful in his task.
What I want you to focus on here is the posture of the servant. He prayed for God’s help, intervention, and leading. He had a posture of humility.
***We all need the Lord in our daily lives. No matter how intelligent we are, we can’t put ourselves at the right place at the right time a hundred percent of the time. Only the Lord can do this for us.
If we stay “low” and lean on the Lord for wisdom, guidance, and understanding, He will guide us and protect us. To pray is to adopt a posture of humility. It is saying to God, “Father, I can’t, but You can.”
A lady who attends our church regularly shared that on one of her overseas trips, she got so engrossed in her quiet time with the Lord that she missed breakfast in the hotel at which she was staying. But while she was in her room, a horrific terror attack took place in the hotel’s restaurant. She was dwelling in the secret place of the Most High and was supernaturally led to linger in His presence that morning.
She humbly prioritized her time with the Lord over the scheduled time for her breakfast. If she had gone down to eat, she would have been at the wrong place at the wrong time.
That is why I like to call Psalm 91 the prayer of protection. When we pray this prayer, we are saying, “Lord Jesus, we can’t protect ourselves, but You can. We humble ourselves before You. Be our refuge, our fortress, and our God. Surely You shall protect us and deliver us from harm in these dangerous times. Lead us to be at the right place at the right time and to be with the right people.”
The Lord does not want you to simply claim His promises of protection found in Psalm 91. He wants you to come close to Him.
Running to Him and coming under His feathers speak of closeness. It’s not about how many times you have recited Psalm 91; it’s about having an intimate relationship with Him.
As a child, if it was thundering at night and I was afraid, I would run into my parents’ room, jump into their bed, and hide in my mother’s arms. After a while, I would fall into a deep sleep even if the storm was still raging outside.
You see, you don’t have to learn the seven steps of overcoming fear. Having the presence of a loving parent right with you is enough to drive out fear.
Our Lord Jesus who loves you wants you to come close to Him and to take shelter in His love. Will you do that today?
I heard the story of a farmer whose farmhouse got burned down. As he walked around the smoldering wreckage, he saw the burned carcasses of his chickens.
He happened to move the blackened body of one of the hens with his foot, and to his astonishment, little chicks came running out from under the body. What happened? They had taken refuge under the wings of their mother, who had given her life to save her little ones.
That’s a picture of what our Lord Jesus did when He took upon His own body the full punishment for our sins. The fire of God’s judgment fell, not upon the scribes and Pharisees who had rejected the Messiah, and not upon the Roman soldiers who nailed Him to the cross, but upon His own beloved Son—for the nation of Israel, for the Gentile nations, for you, for me, so that whosoever believes in Him would be saved.
But here’s something I want you to see: when Jesus was offered on the cross, He absorbed the judgment of God in His own body, and, as the sacrifice, He was greater than the fires of judgment. The Offering was greater than the judgment because the Offering was not consumed.
On that cross, our Lord declared, “It is finished!” before He gave up His Spirit (John 19:30). The Offering remained after all of God’s judgment was exhausted. Hallelujah! That is why we can come boldly to His throne of grace today!
***TODAY’S SCRIPTURE Then the LORD said to Moses, “Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!” Numbers 11:23, NLT
JUST WATCH When the Israelites were in the desert, they complained bitterly to Moses that they were sick of manna and wanted meat to eat. There were no grocery stores out there, no meat markets, no Uber Eats to feed the two million people. God responded, “Moses, just watch. I’ll give them meat for a whole month.” From a logical perspective, Moses stated that it was way beyond impossible, but God is not limited by what limits us. God shifted the winds and millions of quail flew into their camp, enough for a month in the middle of the desert.
If you take the limits off God, He’ll cause opportunity to find you. Good breaks and the right people will chase you down. Don’t do as Moses did and tell God all the reasons why you can’t be blessed, get well, or accomplish your dream. You’re studying the facts from a human point of view and being limited by your logic. Have a new perspective and say, “God, it seems impossible, but You can do the impossible. Your arm has not lost its power.”
A PRAYER FOR TODAY “Father, thank You that Your arm has never lost any of its power, and You control the winds and bring Your blessings to me. When it looks too big for me, I know that with You all things are possible. I believe that You are not limited by any unfavorable conditions that I face. In Jesus’Name.
It is amazing how many people wake up in the morning, and the first thing they do is read the newspapers, which often brings us bad news about wars, unrest, disasters, financial collapses, violence, unemployment, famines, and new strains of deadly viruses.
Now, please understand that I am not against reading or watching the news, but I want to encourage you to start your day with Jesus instead, practicing His presence, acknowledging Him, committing your plans to Him, and trusting Him for His unmerited favor, wisdom, and strength for the day.
Remember to be like Joseph in the Bible. The Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man!
Your success does not come as a result of you being updated about the latest virus or you being cued in to the latest disaster. No, your success will come as a result of your being tuned in to the presence of Jesus in your life!
There are many people in my church who start the day each morning by partaking of the Holy Communion, not as a ritual, but as a time to remember Jesus and the power of His cross. They look to Jesus for His strength, receiving His divine life for their physical bodies as they partake of the bread. They renew their consciousness of their free gift of righteousness purchased by the blood of Jesus on the cross as they partake of the cup. What a way to start the day!
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