Luke 15:17-24
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”
INSIGHT
-August is generally the month of new beginnings symbolized by the number eight. For instance; we know that God saved eight people from destruction by the flood in the Ark; that is, Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives (Genesis 7:7). After a season of completion, new beginnings take place. The Parable of the prodigal son is characterized with a concoction of failures, regret, lessons, emotions, forgiveness, mercy and love; as we read from Luke 15:11-32. The prodigal son asked for the portion of his inheritance and used it in a far country with prodigal living. He wasted it all and when famine struck, he was in want. But if he had chosen the Lord as his Shepherd, he would not be in want (Psalm 23:1). The prodigal son then worked in the pig sty’s for a time and when he came to his senses, he decided to go back home and be reconciled with the father. This is a time that we are called to come back to our Father, and to leave behind all forms of wickedness and prodigal living. A season to abandon all bad decisions, habits and embrace God’s will with sincere hearts. Like the prodigal son who remembered that his father was a king and he would have a better life back home, we too should realize that we are children of a King and should live like Him through faith. When he got home he was clothed with the best robe, sandals, a signet ring which were worn by kings and a fatted calf was slaughtered for him. When we come to our Father in true repentance, we perfect our relationship with Him and are treated like kings/queens. Jesus tells us “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). God calls us to cast our burdens and cares unto Him for He cares for us. The father also reflected with his elder son who was not willing to forgive his brother saying, “It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found” (Luke 15:32). We are also reminded to forgive one another because if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven our trespasses too and we deny ourselves God’s blessings. As children of God we are entitled to an inheritance; especially an eternal inheritance. Let us then approach His throne of grace with repentant hearts and we will always find mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.
PRAYER
Thank You Lord for making this new season possible. Forgive us all our sins and reconcile us to the Father like You did to the prodigal son; Jesus for because of this reason You died on the cross. Deliver us Jesus from all wickedness and prodigal living and teach us Your way of truth. Deliver us Jesus from all unforgiveness, covetousness, hatred, jealousy, bitterness, anger, disobedience, lust, lying, all forms of waywardness and fill our hearts with Your wisdom and grace. Cover us Jesus with Your precious blood and cover us with Your hedge of fire. Like You made everything new during the time of Noah, wipe away the COVID-19 pandemic from the face of world we humbly implore You. Heal our land and the whole world Jesus. Remember with mercy Lord all the children living in the street who have been reunited with their families; that You may give them rest. Be with all those who are separated or divorced; that they may be reunited with their families. We humbly come to Your throne of grace asking for mercy and grace to help us during times of need. Help us Holy Spirit our Comforter and intercede for us with groaning that cannot be uttered. Refresh us Holy Spirit, renew our minds. This is a new beginning, we are expectant and hopeful to receive Your promises in our lives, families, churches, nation and the entire world; merciful Father. Help us to see Your face in all our going out and coming in. Lord You are my Shepherd I shall not want. You make me to lie down in green pastures. You lead me beside the still waters. You restore my soul. You lead me in the paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. 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, 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 Your house LORD; Forever. Our Father who at in heaven; hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory; forever and ever. Amen
Nehemiah 2:4-5
“Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”
INSIGHT
-When Nehemiah heard that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and the gates burned with fire, he wept for many days; and fasted and prayed. The Lord placed the assignment in his heart that he should rebuild the walls and the gates of Jerusalem. Nehemiah was king Artaxerxes cup bearer and he was able to influence his decision to go accomplish this task through God’s grace. The King also provided timber for construction of the temple, city walls and Nehemiah’s house from his forest. Nehemiah did not hesitate but obeyed the voice of the Lord. During this season; we are called to accomplish our assignments as the Lord has called each one of us. One of the main function of a wall is to protect whoever and whatever is inside it, against any form of threat or danger. Jerusalem was exposed and the Israelites cried to the Lord in distress. Nehemiah rebuilt the physical temple and it’s walls giving us an impression that each one of us needs to rebuild his/her spiritual wall, through prayer, fasting and thanksgiving to God. We should also preserve our bodies holy; since our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit. We notice that the construction works did not go on smoothly, as Nehemiah and his team faced by opposition from Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, who conspired together to attack Jerusalem, create confusion and kill Nehemiah and his people. Having notice of this, Nehemiah prayed day and night, and the Lord granted them success. Like Nehemiah, we should take time to pray day and night, with the knowledge that the devil brings many distractions and causes opposition in the process so that we may not succeed in the mission that God has called us to achieve. But if we resist the devil, he flees from us. Nehemiah also rebuilt the gates of the temple which were passages with different functions. Gates are also used as access and for protection against danger. Gates can be personified to our bodies. For instance our eyes are gates and what we see influences our thoughts. Jesus said in Matthew 6:22-23 that, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” We should then focus our eyes on the things that yield light, for instance read the word of God, watch Christian channels and movies and everything that yields light to the body, but not what is destructive. The mouth is another gate and we are called to bridle our tongues. James 3:2 discloses that, “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” The tongue can yield poison venom by cursing men and at the same time bless God. We should then take heed what how we speak. The ear is another gate and what we hear determines what our hearts conceive. If we feed our spirits with the word of God, we are renewed each day in the image of Christ, but if we hear what is evil, we are set the path of destruction. In James 1:19 we read that, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;” We are called to meditate on the word of God day and night and harbor what is pleasing to God in our hearts. In this new season, let us then preserve our walls and gates, and rebuilt them in Christ, like Nehemiah, that we may also be a reflection of Christ and the Holy Spirit will always dwell within us.
PRAYER
Thank You God for this beautiful day that You have given us, this far that You have brought us and the far that You are taking us. We humbly ask You to guide through out this week and help us to follow Your will always and accomplish the assignments that You have called us to do. Lord as You said to Your servant Moses, If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name. We come to You Lord with humbly adoration asking You for mercy Lord. Forgive our sins Jesus and cover us with Your precious blood. Be with all those who are lost through idolatry, drug abuse, pre-marital sex, pornography and masturbation, infidelity, sexual immorality, disobedience and all forms of evil. Forgive us our sins Jesus and wash us with Your precious blood. We all have sinned and fallen short of Your glory Lord, have mercy on us Jesus. Help us to keep our bodies clean through the cleansing by Your precious blood. Wash our minds and hearts by Your word that the meditation of our minds, hearts and lips, may always be pleasing to You. Help us Holy Spirit to take heed of Your commandments that Your light may remove all forms of darkness from our bodies. Our bodies are Your temple Holy Spirit, always dwell in us and with us. Help us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling that our light may not not have any darkness in it. Nothing can separate us from Your love Lord, defend us from all evil and preserve us in Your grace. Cover us, our families, businesses, churches, communities, nation and the entire world with Your hedge of fire, and protect us from the snares of the evil one; including corona virus. Help us to praise You in spirit and in truth always and teach us Your word. Let all our plans succeed Lord according to the riches of Your glory. All glory, honor, praise and salvation belongs to You Lord, now and forever. Amen
Psalms 98:1-2
“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.”
INSIGHT
-The Lord put a new song on David’s mouth when he slay Goliath the Philistine giant. He sang to the Lord a new song for His salvation upon his life and the nations. He also obtained victory twice when Saul pursued him fiercely with the intention of killing him. He sang to God saying, “I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.” (Psalm 34:1-6). Samson also sang a new song when he killed the lion with bare hands. Ruth sang a new song when she was redeemed by Boaz. Esther sang a new song when she became queen. Apostle Paul sang a new song when he finished his course. Elijah sang a new song when he was taken by a chariot to heaven. The thief sang a new song when Jesus told him “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Abraham and Sarah sang a new song when they bore Isaac. Mary sang a new song when she bore the Jesus the Messiah. The four living creatures and twenty four elders in the book of Revelation 5:9 sing a new song saying, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” We all sing a new song for the Messiah has died for our sins and we shall live forever with Him. We sing a new song for the Lord has been gracious to us and He is making everything new during this season. We sing a new song for the Lord has taken the COVID-19 pandemic from the face of the earth, by faith. We sing a new song to the Lord for His mercies are new every morning and His loving kindness upon us never fades.
PRAYER
Lord You are good and Your mercies endures forever. We sing a new song to You Lord for Your mercies are new every morning. Thank You for Your loving kindness upon our lives Lord. Thank You for Your favor and blessings upon our lives. We have never lacked any good thing we bless You and praise Your holy name. Your have comforted us, provided for us, sustained us, blessed us, protected us, healed our wounds, directed us, revived us, restored us, given us the gift of salvation, all for the glory of Your name. You are the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the King of glory, the Almighty Father, all praise and adoration belongs to You. You have put a new song on our lips, a song of victory and glory. We humbly ask You to heal all those who are sick and suffering in hospitals. Bless all those who live in the streets and lack their basic needs. Be with all those who are unmarried that You may settle them in divine ordained marriages. Be with all those who are separated or divorced that Your will may be done in their lives. Bless those who are married that You may cement them together with codes of love that cannot be broken. Be with our president and all our leaders that they may always harken to Your voice and do Your will. Be with our church that You make it stronger and draw many people to Yourself. You are worthy Lord to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe, language, people and nation. Heal all the Lebanese who have been injured and grant peace to all those who have lost their loved ones. If our beginnings are humble in You Lord, how prosperous will our future be, we trust in You Lord. We praise You and glorify Your holy name, now and forever. Amen
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
INSIGHT
-We all have visions and aspirations in life and sometimes we let them fade away day by day as things take a different turn. Some of us desire to have started an education program/ course or completed the one we started through more intent focus. Others would have wanted to be CEO’s in multinational corporations if only they would have implemented their business ideas earlier. Many believe they could be managing bigger businesses or be ranking highly in their organisations. Some would have wanted to become great sportsmen and women recognized worldwide for their achievements. A number believe they would be married with children by now had they chosen a different path. Some feel that they would not have separated or divorced had they been more discerning, sensitive and emotionally intelligent. We all have different paths in life and each one has a unique purpose and time to accomplish our dreams and vision. We find in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that, God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. God knew us before we were formed in our mother’s wombs and has set eternity into our hearts. Unfortunately, sometimes we fail to wait on His purposes to come to fruition in our lives and other times we doubt and procrastinate too much. In other occurrences, we dwell in willful sin which delays our focus. If then we have faith in Christ, we are a new creation and all things have become new through His grace. We can look back at God’s promises to Biblical patriarchs like Abraham and compare their scenario’s with ours. The same way God answered their prayers, is the same way He will answer us only if we put our trust in Him. If we have hope in Him and hold fast the visions and dreams He has given, we will not perish but have life in abundance. The Lord says, where there is no vision My people perish (Proverbs 29:18). We are also reminded to focus on our vision, start working on it, pray about it and let Christ order our steps. Let us not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayers and petitions with thanksgiving present our requests to God, and His peace that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. His promises will not tarry, for one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day to Him (2 Peter 3:8).
PRAYER
Jesus You are the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, there is none like You. You knew us and formed us before the foundations of this world, all glory and blessings belongs to You. We present our prayers, supplications and petitions to You Lord, answer us and grant us peace in all things. Bless us indeed and expand our territories Lord according to Your will. You have said in Your word that, You will repay us for the years the locusts have eaten, help us to recover the lost time and prosper us in all good things according to the riches of Your glory. One day is like a thousand years to You and a thousand years like one day, guide us in our visions according to Your will. You formed us and knew us before the foundations of this world Holy Spirit, grant us favor and help us to accomplish all that has been written in our destiny books in heaven. Fill us with Your wisdom, understanding, knowledge, faith and the gifts and fruit we need to accomplish our purposes here on earth. Make all our plans succeed according to Your perfect timing and always cover us with Your precious blood, we humbly implore You Lord. We are the seed of Abraham according to the promise, bless us indeed together with all our descendants with the gift of salvation. We are a new creation in You Christ and the old things have passed away and all things have become new, all our hope and trust is in You. Thank You for redeeming us by You precious blood and making us new. Abide in us Holy Spirit as we in You, and fulfill Your promises in our lives, families and nation, for the glory of Your name Lord. You are great and everything we know about You is great. Grant us victory in our purposes for victory belongs to You. All glory, honor, salvation and wisdom belongs to You Lord now and forever. 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
Isaiah 43:18-19
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
INSIGHT
-Most often than not we learn from our past experiences. We judge some experiences as pleasant and others as painful, disappointing and difficult. Instead of always looking at our rear view mirror, we should focus our eyes on what new God has in store for us. Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:12 focused the future saying that, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” We are called to always trust in the Lord and believe that He is doing a new thing in our lives, families, nation and world, and hope in Him. Hope that God has brought to an end our troubles, fears, adversities including COVID-19 and has given us a new beginning. Given the fact that God is Sovereign, nothing is impossible with Him, let us press on our faith in Him so that we may lay hold of what He has in store for us. His will is perfect and He has good plans for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. Despite our trials, we are called to put our faith in Christ and trust in Him, for He is making a way for us in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. We shall keep in perfect peace for our minds are steadfast and we trust in the Lord (Isaiah 26:3).
SUMMARY
God cautioned the Israelites from dwelling on their past experiences including; their captive experiences in Egypt and Babylon, but to focus on the blessings that will follow them. He gave them signs of the coming Messiah and spoke to them through prophets, for they were destined to obtain an eternal blessing. These signs include; the instructions to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, Nehemiah rebuilding the temple and its walls which symbolized salvation and the indwelling on the Holy Spirit and many others. Through Nehemiah’s experience, we are called to rebuild our temples where the Holy Spirit dwells which are our bodies through following His will, reading, watching and listening to the things that only yield a good report. Praying, fasting, praising and giving thanks to God through faith, that He hears us and He will answer us according to His will. Like the prodigal son, we are called to evaluate our lives and come back to God with repentant hearts, and we will receive His mercy and grace to help us in times of need. Christ has made us a new creation through His redemption and the old has passes away and the new has come. We should then sing a new song to the Lord for we have obtained victory in Him and nothing can separate us from His love. Let us then forget the old and focus on the new, for God is making a way for us where there seems to be no way. God deserves all the glory and praise for He has been good to us and has made all things new according to His gracious blessings.
PRAYER
You are our God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness and have not forsaken us, have mercy on us Lord, forgive us our trespasses and cover us with Your precious blood. Thank You for assuring us that Your love for us is everlasting. We love You Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds, and our neighbors as ourselves. Thank You for taking the tide of COVID-19 away from the face of the earth, all glory and power belongs to You Lord. Thank You for Your merciful love upon us and for granting us the gift of salvation. Increase our faith in You and grant us wisdom so that we may not look back like Lot’s wife who turned into a pillar of salt but to look to You, Who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. You Jesus Christ are sited at the right hand of the throne of God in glory and only You deserve all glory and salvation, we put all our trust in You. Bless us Lord and keep us, make Your face shine upon us and be gracious to us. Lift up Your countenance upon us Lord and give us peace. Amen