Ecclesiastes 7:8 NKJV
“The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”
INSIGHT
–The beginning of a thing, good or evil is not well known at the inception but wait for its end. The evil path may seem pleasant at first but in the end lead to destruction. The beginning of a good matter may seem difficult initially, but the end discovered glorious. The spirit of patience that only come from our precious Holy Spirit offers us guidance and direction from the beginning to the end. As we come to the close of the year, we visualize the end as more worthy of thanksgiving to God for all He has done to us.
PRAYER
Dear God we thank You and honor You for You are our Good God. You work all these things together for good, that our end of all things may become perfect in Your eyes for we love You and have called us according to Your divine purposes. May You always conform us according to Your image and likeness. May You restore our love and divine relationship back to You according to design from the beginning. May You protect us and our loved ones during this season that no evil May come near us. May You cleanse us from all iniquity and sin, and wash us with Your precious blood. All glory and honor belong to You dear Lord Jesus, now and forever. Amen
Further reading: Psalm 16:5, Romans 8:28
Genesis 40:5-8 NKJV
“Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation. And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his Lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?” And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.” So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”
INSIGHT
-This chapter advances a powerful disposition of the value of dreams, their interpretations and outcomes. The chief baker gathered trust through the interpretation by Joseph of the butlers dream. Joseph disclosed that both dreams had a similar interpretation at the inception, given the outcomes in three days. The chief baker was not restored to previous position but it was over for him, he was assassinated by hanging. The chief butler knew the vine and made a living from it. John 15:5 Jesus reveals sayings, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” By our knowledge of the Vine who is Christ, we receive our restoration. Even though the beginning might be turbulent, may our end be a blessing to us and our generations.
PRAYER
Dear Lord Jesus, You are the Beginning and the End, and You know our beginning and our end. We thank You for everything that You have done unto us and all that You will do. We thank You for our families, businesses, work, ministries, communities, churches and nation. Thank You for You are a perfect God, and everything about You is perfect. May You dear Lord Jesus make our end great even though our beginning was not pleasant. May You help us to close the year pleasantly and open every closed door unto us. May You make a way even where there seems to be no way. May Your name be exulted and magnified. May Your purposes come to pass in our lives. We worship You and give You praise. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forever more. Amen
Further reading: Philippians 2:13
Psalms 129:1-4 NKJV
“Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,” Let Israel now say— “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth; Yet they have not prevailed against me. The plowers plowed on my back; They made their furrows long.” The Lord is righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.”
INSIGHT
-One’s youth might be faced with many temptations. Peer pressure influences many into many evil vices unless the Lord offers help. 1 Corinthians 7:9 reveals that if one cannot exercise self-control, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. God is causing a shift in the lives of those who are unmarried, and others who had graduated from this stage continually depend on God for guidance. Youth may also refer to as the early beginning in history as a nation. A nation like Israel faced colossal challenges in the hands of Pharaoh. The enemies of God’s people have very barbarously endeavored to wear out the saints of the Most High. But the church has been always graciously delivered. Christ has built his church upon a rock. And the Lord has many ways of disabling wicked men from doing the mischief they design against his church. The Lord is righteous in not suffering Israel to be ruined; He has promised to preserve us His people to Himself. We have hope of a better nation given the historical evidence that we have passed through worse times and leaderships.
PRAYER
Lord You have put a new song in our mouths, a hymn of praise to You our God. We will see and fear You our God and Lord for we put our trust in You. At Your name dearest Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. We seek Your presence in our lives always. We seek Your help against all our oppressors. May You heal all those who are sick and suffering in hospital and at home. May You help all the street families and deliver them from their troubles. May You hear us and answer all our hearts desires. All glory, honor, power and praise belongs to You dear Lord Jesus now and forever. Amen
Further reading: Lamentations 3:22-23, 2 Thessalonians 3:1-4
Habakkuk 2:2-3 NKJV
“Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.”
INSIGHT
-Prophet Habakkuk saw a vision and was instructed to document it lest it is forgotten. The revelation to Habakkuk was not only delivered to him for his own edification, but for the strengthening of others. Some among us write expectations and goals as the year begins. Did you write any vision as this year began and among what you wrote, what have you accomplished? It is a critical question even to ask yourself even as you run through your own personal desires, the theme provided by the church you attend or this ministry (https://christ.co.ke/16248-2). What account can you make and declare that the Lord has done for you, your family, community, nation etc. It only leads us to thanksgiving and praise to God for what He has done for us and what He is yet to do. I’m sure that there are many accomplishments that we can thank God for, and on the other hand, there is the temptation or complaining, murmuring and accusing God. Remember Job when calamity befell him, his wife told him to curse God and die (Job 2:9). Some among us want to curse God and die, and cannot see any reason to thank our Maker. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reminds us to rejoice always, to pray without ceasing and in every situation give thanks for this is God’s will in Christ Jesus. We are called to give thanks always in every circumstances having faith that our God is a miracle working God and can change any situation within a second or even a day. God only calls us to trust in Him. We are also encouraged to write our vision for the coming year and the Lord will bring it pass at His appointed time.
PRAYER
Dear Lord Jesus we thank You for You are Good and Your mercies endures forever. Lord You are the same yesterday, today and forever. You never change and Your promises are yes and amen. You are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, You are our God and we belong to You. You are Sovereign and times and seasons belong to You. Dear Lord Jesus You know us better than we know ourselves. You know our future more than we do, we exult and praise Your holy name. We are sorry for the times we have complained and murmured about any challenges, delays, our situations, leadership, president, economy and nation, may You forgive us. May You place a coal of fire from Your holy altar on our lips which are unclean and we dwell among people with unclean lips. May You cleanse us with Your precious blood and wash us throughly. We have sinned as a people and a nation may You forgive us and revive us. May You enlighten our hearts and make us people of gratitude. May You change every adverse situation is our lives and nation and cause a restoration and transformation for the glory and honor of Your name. Amen.
Further reading: Isaiah 6:5-10, Proverbs 3:5-7
Psalms 23:1-6 NKJV
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”
INSIGHT
-David meditated on God and his relationship with Him. He describes the analogy of a Shepherd and his sheep, where God is a Shepherd to us, and we are His sheep. Jesus is our good Shepherd; He knows us and gives life to us His sheep (John 10:11-14). Jesus is our Great Shepherd and overseer of our affairs (Hebrews 13:20). Jesus is our Chief Shepherd and gives us access to eternal life (1 Peter 5:4). We find comfort in Jesus even through His birth in our hearts, for His goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in His House forever.
SUMMARY
Jesus calls us to appreciate patience and humility which makes things better in the end (Ecclesiastes 7:8). The tale of the chief baker and chief butler delivers the value of having a relationship with Christ the Vine. The chief butler having known the vine and that is pressed to produce wine, and serving in the kings palace was restored to his original profession, but the chief baker was killed (Genesis 40:5-23). Jesus is the answer and calls us to be faithful to Him and He will forever take charge of our lives. As we progress into Christmas we proclaim God’s goodness and love, for He came so that we may live and live forever. His birth has been marred by diverse theories challenging the day of His birth but the main point is that He came and died for our sins so that we may be set free from eternal condemnation and live forever with Him. Jesus assures us that our beginnings may seem humble, but our future shall be prosperous (Job 8:7).
PRAYER
Lord Jesus You are our wonderful Counselor, Prince of peace and Lord of lords. We worship You dear Lord for You are God and none can be likened to You. Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. You are our eternal God who gives us everlasting life. Thank You for this far that You have brought us and the far that You are taking us. Thank You for Your mercy and grace upon our lives. We exult Your holy name. May Your goodness and love follow us all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in Your house forever. May You continually bless us abundantly so that in all things at all times having all that we need, we may abound in every good work. May You bless us and keep us dear Jesus. May You shine Your face towards us and be gracious unto us even as we go into the Christmas festivities. May You show Your countenance unto us and give us peace. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forevermore. Amen.
Further reading: Isaiah 9:6-7