All posts by SIMPLE TRUTHS DEVOTIONAL

Rev. Dr. Samuel Somuah Asante is an ordained minister of the gospel, who is commissioned to project the Lord Jesus Christ. His ministry emphasis is on th divine elevation of the believer in Christ. He believes strongly that all who are in Christ have the privilege to live above sin and failure, walk in righteousness and the resurrected life of Christ. He encourages Christians, especially pastors, to live a life that manifests the glory of God through them. Rev. Somuah is a graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST), Ghana and holds a Masters degree in Theology from International Theological Seminary (Ghana Campus), and a PhD in Biblical Studies from ZOE Theological Seminar (USA). He is the Chief Servant of Jesus Witness Ministry, based in Taifa-Burkina, Accra. He is married to Rev. (Mrs.) Doris Somuah Asante and are blessed with two sons, Samuel and Arnold. They make their home in Accra, Ghana.

Discouragement is a choice.

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Pro 13:12 KJV” Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.”

In our last study, we learnt that Jacob was deceived and disappointed by his uncle Laban, yet he did not get discouraged. At the end of the day, he got what he wanted. Please ask yourself what you would have done in that situation? Certain individuals have left their place of employment because the boss said something bad to them. These individuals may still be searching for a new job, yet things may not be going well for them. The insult from their boss could have been bad, yet did he have to be so discouraged that he stopped working? Is your mistreatment more than Jacob’s situation? Others might have had worse treatments, yet they chose not to be offended and so were not discouraged. A visit to the mental hospital has both men and women who have become social wrecks because they chose to be discouraged by their wife’s actions, a husband’s actions, or some other fellow. They chose to allow the condition to eat so deeply into them that they could not handle their thought pattern.

From the above, we see that to be discouraged is your choice. Now, what kind of individuals are prone to such negative responses?

  1. People who have been pampered throughout their upbringing do not see that they are responsible for what happens to them. There are some students who feel they are in school for their parents. Such people are deeply hurt when the people they have been looking up to fail them.
  2. The next set of people who easily get discouraged are some Christians who have not developed a personal knowledge and a relationship with God. When things go bad, they don’t have any solid grounds to stand on. An example is King Saul. He knew the prophet Samuel but did not know God for himself, so he was so full of himself that discouragement gave way to the spirit of depression that needed a psalmist to play and relieve him of the depression.
  3. The third group is those who normally consider the negative aspect of what happens. They keep asking why things should go badly. They complain about the mistreatment of others. They are filled with themselves and have no love or true reverence for God. Such people can even get offended with God for making or allowing certain events to happen to them. They are never thankful to God. There is no time when such people are joyful to express gratitude to God. Sadly, such people are depressed most of the time.

What is the way out? As we have seen, such a person’s challenge is their own attitude to God. They must repent from their selfish tendencies and begin relating to the Lord on a more personal level. Please understand that any strong person of character has developed these three abiding virtues. Faith, hope and love. If you relate more with God and His word, you would gradually develop them, and you would not yield to discouragement, no matter how bad things may go.

THOUGHT: BUILD A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE NEGATIVE ISSUES OF LIFE

FURTHER STUDIES

1Co 13:13 ISV “Right now, three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

2Ti 3:2 ISV” People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,”

A disappointment can bring Discouragement.

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Pro 13:12 KJV Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

Please read Genesis 29,37, 40

Our key scripture states clearly that a deferred hope or an unfulfilled expectation can make the heart sick. A sick heart is a disappointed person. The Lord calls it a broken heart( Luke 4:18,19). Disappointed from our perspective abounds so much, although in the mind of God, it is not a disappointment. As children of God, we must not allow human failures to break our hearts because they will surely come. The bible is filled with countless cases of failed expectations, but most of them turned the supposed evil treatment into positive responses that became a blessing to themselves and many others.

The first to consider is Jacob, the secondborn of Isaac and Rebecca. He went to stay with Laban, his uncle. He fell in love with Laban’s pretty daughter Rachel, but was promised by Laban to work seven years, after which he could marry her. After these seven years of diligent service, which looked like seven days, Laban deceived him and gave him Leah, explaining that the younger does not marry before the senior. Jacob could have felt disappointed and brokenhearted. He could have put up a fight with Laban. He could also have refused to marry Leah and might have left as a worried, defeated and dejected man, yet according to the scriptures 29:28 KJV” And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.” He went through the ordeal, yet he had what he wanted, his wife, Rachel. Dear brother, life may not give you what you want, but life can not deny you what you patiently strive for. Great achievers became who they are because they overcame great hurdles or trials in life.

The second person who turned his disappointment into victory was Joseph, the first son of Rebeccah. He went to seek the welfare of his own brothers, yet they violently took him, stripped him of his coat, threw him into a pit and later sold him as a slave to some Ishmaelites. Dear brothers, what is more disheartening than this? He was sent to Egypt, sold as a slave to Portipher and finally, Portipher’s wife made sensual advances which he refused. This woman concocted a lie against him, and so he was thrown in the prison dungeon. In the prison, he interpreted a dream to a man who was to be reinstated as the King’s cupbearer. He requested this young man to speak to the king about him, yet he forgot and never made mention until the king had a dream which no one could truly interpret. All these events were a series of disappointments, yet God’s hand was guiding all that was happening. Romans 8:28. Joseph did not allow himself to be discouraged but looked at the bigger picture, God’s hand working with all that was happening. From the prison, he became the second in command of the whole of Egypt, which was the greatest nation in the world then. What would have happened if he had chosen to be sick or broken in his heart? REFUSE to be discouraged and keep fighting for your dreams, for God honours all those who trust and stick to His path of faith, hope, and love

THOUGHT: DISCOURAGEMENT OR NOT TO BE DISCOURAGED IS A CHOICE AND NOT BY CHANCE.

FURTHER STUDIES

Rom 8:28 KJV “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

1Sa 30:6 KJV “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”

A lack of focus can result in discouragement.

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Deut 2:3 KJV “Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward”.

When the children of Israel left Egypt for the promised land, they got to Mount Seir and went around it a number of times. They kept going round this mountain till the Lord spoke to Moses that they had compassed the mountain long enough. These people were getting away from their focus on the journey and kept staying at one location for a long time. On many occasions, people, out of neglect, begin to lose their enthusiasm about going forward or getting on with whatever they are doing, only to give up.

In John 21:3, Simon Peter, after the death of our Lord Jesus, said to the rest of the disciples that he was going fishing. There were people whom the Lord himself weaned from fishing when he was with them. Just a short while after the death of the master, although he had revealed himself to them after His resurrection, they still went back to fishing. This further establishes the fact that, out of neglect or focus on a thing, one can easily lose the zest for doing what one has been doing. If you do not concentrate on the importance of praying, studying, or even a commitment to giving to charity, the interest will die gradually till you no longer do it at all. The picture of this is when a ship that has not been anchored drifts off over time. As the waves billow, they move off gradually till one can’t see them at all. Backsliding as a Christian normally happens out of neglect and a lack of focus.

In Hebrews 2:1, the Bible cautions us as follows, ” Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip”.We need to take an earnest heed to whatever good thing we are doing less. We lose our zeal and get discouraged. Commitment to Marriages over time can lose the fire of love, and certain important habits may be left over time. Keep convincing yourself each day about the need to keep at whatever good thing you have been doing. You may write it out clearly so you will be constantly challenged when you read it. Habakkuk 2:2

CONFESSION

I keep myself inspired daily to be doing all the right things that I am supposed to do. I do not allow other matters that are not so important to get my attention in any way. This makes me a high achiever in all I do.

FURTHER STUDIES

Habakkuk 2:2 KJV” And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it” For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry”KEY SCRIPTURE: Deut 2:3 KJV “Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward”.

When the children of Israel left Egypt for the promised land, they got to Mount Seir and went around it a number of times. They kept going round this mountain till the Lord spoke to Moses that they had compassed the mountain long enough. These people were getting away from their focus on the journey and kept staying at one location for a long time. On many occasions, people, out of neglect, begin to lose their enthusiasm about going forward or getting on with whatever they are doing, only to give up.

In John 21:3, Simon Peter, after the death of our Lord Jesus, said to the rest of the disciples that he was going fishing. There were people whom the Lord himself weaned from fishing when he was with them. Just a short while after the death of the master, although he had revealed himself to them after His resurrection, they still went back to fishing. This further establishes the fact that, out of neglect or focus on a thing, one can easily lose the zest for doing what one has been doing. If you do not concentrate on the importance of praying, studying, or even a commitment to giving to charity, the interest will die gradually till you no longer do it at all. The picture of this is when a ship that has not been anchored drifts off over time. As the waves billow, they move off gradually till one can’t see them at all. Backsliding as a Christian normally happens out of neglect and a lack of focus.

In Hebrews 2:1, the Bible cautions us as follows, ” Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip”.We need to take an earnest heed to whatever good thing we are doing less. We lose our zeal and get discouraged. Commitment to Marriages over time can lose the fire of love, and certain important habits may be left over time. Keep convincing yourself each day about the need to keep at whatever good thing you have been doing. You may write it out clearly so you will be constantly challenged when you read it. Habakkuk 2:2

CONFESSION

I keep myself inspired daily to be doing all the right things that I am supposed to do. I do not allow other matters that are not so important to get my attention in any way. This makes me a high achiever in all I do.

FURTHER STUDIES

Habakkuk 2:2 KJV” And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it” For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry”

UNBELIEF, A MAJOR CAUSE OF DISCOURAGEMENT

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Judges 1:19 KJV And the LORD was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel inquired from the Lord about who should lead them. The Lord said Judah shall go up against the Canaanites. Judges 1:2. Judah indeed took the lead and started conquering.

In verse 19 of Judges 1, the Bible said, “And the LORD was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.” They drove out the Canaanites in the mountain, but could not drive out those in the valley. The Lord was with them all the same. Why did they turn back when they met the people in the valley? They met a stronger opposition and so doubted the word of God, which he had given.

Doubting or unbelief in the word of God is one of the major causes of discouragement. Reading through the accounts of the expedition of the Israelites to annexe the promised lands, we realise they left quite a large area not annexed because of unbelief. In numbers 13 and 14, the report of the ten spies was a statement of unbelief, which created a great sense of discouragement among the Israelites. Num 14:1 KJV “And all the congregation lifted their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night”.

Unbelief would rob a person of any superior source of strength to keep moving on. In cases when the opposition appears greater than your perception can, unbelief in the Lord will make you very helpless.

Take time to feed your faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Rom 10:17. Put your faith into work by acting on the word. This will strengthen your faith so that in difficult and challenging times, you will not doubt God but rather trust him.

CONFESSION

I thank you, Father, for your word. I constantly feed my faith, and so I am ever ready for any opposition. I do not give in or give up. I am more than a conqueror.

FURTHER STUDIES

Hebrews 10:35 KJV “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward”

Hebrews 11:33 KJV” Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Pro 4:23 KJV” Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

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Pls read Prov 4:20-26

In our previous study, we considered the seriousness of discouragement. We concluded that one’s discouragement takes over one’s heart, then one’s path with the Lord is seriously affected. IF this is so, then we must learn how to stop it or deal with it when it begins showing its ugly head.

Our chapter of study, that is Prov 4:20-26, gives a step-by-step approach to handling it.
Verses 20 to 22 teach about preparing the heart. It says give attention to the word of God. This involves making time to read, meditate or reflect on the word. In doing this, you must incline your ear to the word. To incline means to submit or approach God’s word with an attitude to obey whatever it says. It also says Let your eyes look at the scriptures. Looking at the words makes it printed in the mind. The last is to keep the word deeply in your heart. Please note that one is discouraged when the word is overthrown from the heart, or it does not hold any significant influence over you.

In verse 23, the scripture admonishes us to guard our hearts with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. You must be very alert to throw out any contrary idea, image, or impression. Do not argue or reflect over anything that opposes the word of God. Our hearts are the soil in us that various living or dead seeds are sown.

The next set of verses teaches us how to guard our hearts.

Verse 24 says, “Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.”
The very first door to our hearts is words from our mouths. Your words create a similar image in your heart. This point is very significant. Words from your lips have impacts in the spiritual dimension as well as the natural. If you add your voice to a negative thought, that word is established. Remember that whatever you believe in your heart and confess makes it a reality. Let every word that proceeds from your mouth rather affirm what the word says. The seed of discouragement can not take root if it does not have a corresponding agreement from your mouth.

Verse 25 instructs us to let our eyes look straight ahead. This means focus your attention on what the scriptures say, irrespective of what you feel, think, or what others may say..This aspect requires a great sense of discipline. Your ability to. Being very successful depends on how much you feed your heart with the right words, as well as your decision to stay committed to that course.

The last but not least says ponder the path of your feet and let it be established. Your actions go a long way to affect the strength of your will. The sensual man cannot stick to the way of the spirit and so can easily become discouraged.
If you stay with these truths, you can’t become easily discouraged

THOUGHT: TO BE DISCOURAGED IS A CHOICE AND TO BE ENCOURAGED IS YOUR CHOICE, SO CHOOSE THE LATTER

FURTHER STUDIES

Jos 1:9 KJV Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be $thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

1Sa 30:6 KJV” And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Pro 4:23 KJV” Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

Pls read Prov 4:20-26

In our previous study, we considered the seriousness of discouragement. We concluded that one’s discouragement takes over one’s heart, then one’s path with the Lord is seriously affected. IF this is so, then we must learn how to stop it or deal with it when it begins showing its ugly head.

Our chapter of study, that is Prov 4:20-26, gives a step-by-step approach to handling it.
Verses 20 to 22 teach about preparing the heart. It says give attention to the word of God. This involves making time to read, meditate or reflect on the word. In doing this, you must incline your ear to the word. To incline means to submit or approach God’s word with an attitude to obey whatever it says. It also says Let your eyes look at the scriptures. Looking at the words makes it printed in the mind. The last is to keep the word deeply in your heart. Please note that one is discouraged when the word is overthrown from the heart, or it does not hold any significant influence over you.

In verse 23, the scripture admonishes us to guard our hearts with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. You must be very alert to throw out any contrary idea, image, or impression. Do not argue or reflect over anything that opposes the word of God. Our hearts are the soil in us that various living or dead seeds are sown.

The next set of verses teaches us how to guard our hearts.

Verse 24 says, “Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.”
The very first door to our hearts is words from our mouths. Your words create a similar image in your heart. This point is very significant. Words from your lips have impacts in the spiritual dimension as well as the natural. If you add your voice to a negative thought, that word is established. Remember that whatever you believe in your heart and confess makes it a reality. Let every word that proceeds from your mouth rather affirm what the word says. The seed of discouragement can not take root if it does not have a corresponding agreement from your mouth.

Verse 25 instructs us to let our eyes look straight ahead. This means focus your attention on what the scriptures say, irrespective of what you feel, think, or what others may say..This aspect requires a great sense of discipline. Your ability to. Being very successful depends on how much you feed your heart with the right words, as well as your decision to stay committed to that course.

The last but not least says ponder the path of your feet and let it be established. Your actions go a long way to affect the strength of your will. The sensual man cannot stick to the way of the spirit and so can easily become discouraged.
If you stay with these truths, you can’t become easily discouraged

THOUGHT: TO BE DISCOURAGED IS A CHOICE AND TO BE ENCOURAGED IS YOUR CHOICE, SO CHOOSE THE LATTER

FURTHER STUDIES

Jos 1:9 KJV Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be $thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

1Sa 30:6 KJV” And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”

DISCOURAGEMENT IS A LUXURY YOU CAN NOT AFFORD

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 3:14
So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away [in the vision], and I went in bitterness [of discouragement] in the heat of my spirit; and the hand of the Lord was strong upon me.

There is a parable from an unknown source that says a gentle man visited the devil while he worked at his workshop. There were countless tools.
He had various sicknesses, lust, envy, quarrels, idol worshipping, and what have you? He had one tool that he kept safely in a special security safe. Once in a while, he goes for it to polish, and then he would calmly place it in that safe. The brother asked him Why do you love this particular tool so much. He asked, What is its name ?. Satan answered him, saying this tool is called ‘discouragement’
I trust and appreciate it so much that, no matter the failure of any of my tools, when I have tried them on people, this one never fails each time I have the opportunity to apply it. It is so powerful. So long as it starts working, I am one hundred per cent sure of victory in the life of that individual. This was the devil’s testimony about discouragement. To be discouraged is to accept failure. It is a decision not to go ahead with God any longer. The moment a man accepts discouragement, he has decided to throw in the towel.

God does not work in our lives without our input. This input is called faith. Hebrews 4:2
“For indeed we have had the glad tidings [Gospel of God] proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith (with the leaning of the entire personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) by those who heard it; neither were they united in faith with the ones [Joshua and Caleb] who heard (did believe).”
The scriptures said the glad tidings, that is the gospel, did not profit them, or better still, it did not yield any results because they did not mix the good news they heard with their faith. They could not possess the blessing God had for them. This is exactly what happens when discouragement sets in. The moment one gets discouraged, it becomes very difficult to get himself fighting to obtain what he decided to get from the Lord. Discouragement starts very subtly in the heart of the individual. It begins as a very insignificant or harmless thought, like, What if God does not answer? If this supposedly harmless thought is not refuted with all the anger in your heart. The enemy would keep repeating or showing you pictures of how bad things would turn out.

Discouragement finally sets in when the negative thoughts and images are finally accepted. At this instant, the individual has concluded that it is not worth sticking to the course he was pursuing. The only logical conclusion is to give up. At this stage, nothing will inspire the person to try again. Discouragement has totally derailed him. The bible warns us to guard our hearts with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life (Prov 4:23. The scriptures further counsel us to give attention to the scriptures, inclining the ear, staying the eye on it and keeping it in the midst of the heart. In this way, the word would become life and even medicine to all your flesh( Prov 4:20-22). Discouragement is a complete poison to your soul and would paralyse your system from pursuing the righteous course. Give no place to it. Your ability to stay faithful is dependent on your discipline in not giving way to discouragement from setting in.

THOUGHT: TO STAY FOCUSED, DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO BE FOCUSED.

FURTHER STUDIES

Pro 4:20-21 KJV “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

Pro 4:23 24 KJV “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.”

THE WORD, OUR SOURCE OF JOY

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KEY SCRIPTURE: John 17:13 KJV “And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

The Lord, in His prayer for the disciples, declared that the words He said about them had stirred up joy in their hearts. Joy is not happiness. Happiness is dependent on a happy event. A happy event would make people happy. Joy is based on the word of God; it is not a function of what happens around us. Joy comes when the heart relies on the word of God. The scripture always admonishes us to rejoice in the Lord. To rejoice in the Lord is to count on the finished work of Jesus as yours. Jesus’ victory is our victory. His power is our power, and His authority has become our authority. This is one of the areas that we have to rejoice in always.

The word of God is the seed that generates Joy in the heart of a child of God. A Christian without joy is in a very pitiful state. It is a sign that he or she is moved by the senses and not by the word of God. Having the word in you will not necessarily produce joy; rather, it is the word you submit to which produces faith, and that results in joy in the heart.

Satan would always seek the sorrow and anxiety of the children of God. He should never succeed in making the child of God sorrowful or worried. Remember that Satan is eternally defeated, and no matter what he may seem to do, he remains defeated. The power of the enemy is when the child of God yields to the suggestion of the devil. Remember that you are a servant to what you yield to. Rom 6:16Tefuse to accept any suggestion of the enemy. Remember the scriptural admonition. It says rejoice always, and again I say rejoice. This is only possible as you keep the word in your heart, submitting to it, in all you do. Always sing praises unto God. Be consistently thankful unto the Lord. All these are acts of faith that would certainly keep you joyful.

THOUGHT: JOY IN YOUR HEART MEANS SATAN IS UNDER YOUR FEET

FURTHER STUDIES

Phi 4:4 KJV” Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice”.

Gal 5:22 KJV “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,”

Refuse to be troubled

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KEY SCRIPTURE: John 14:27” Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”.

In the last part of our key scripture, the Lord said, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. The Lord knew very well that there would be a lot of situations and moments that could cause many to be troubled or even afraid.

In John 16:33, the Lord explained that, “these things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace, In the world ye shall have tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”.
In the world, there would always be tribulations. Satan, the archenemy of God, and his children raise all kinds of attacks against the people of God. The Lord tells us not to be troubled or to be afraid. A good look at the Lord’s statement in John 16:33 reveals something very powerful: He says in Him we shall have peace, but in the world, we shall have tribulation. This statement would literally be interpreted as the Lord will always give peace to us, while the world comes with its tribulations and antagonism.

When do the children of God become troubled and even afraid? When the child of God loses awareness of the presence of God, it is because he or she fails to keep the promises of God at heart. One such promise is Hebrews 13:5-6: “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee

  1. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me”.

The Lord is forever with us. He has promised never to leave us. The word used in Hebrews 13:5b is an emphasis. The real wording reads, “I will not in any way fail you nor give up, nor leave you without support, I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless, nor forsake, nor let you down (relax my hold on you) (Amp Bible). This is a very strong message of assurance, and every child of God must meditate on these words. This would make your heart ready to stand with the Lord, no matter the challenge that comes against you.

The other thing to do at that time of trial is to confess the promises that the Lord has given us. Hebrews 13:6 says,” ……he has said so that we may boldly say….” Say what the Lord has said boldly.

Do not be worried about whatever comes your way. The presence of the Lord will see you through.

CONFESSION

I am in Christ, in the world, trouble and challenges may abound, but none of these things move me, for I am well secured in the Lord.

FURTHER STUDIES.

Daniel 3:16-17 ” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.”

Proverbs 3:5” Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding”.

Suicide is not an option.

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Exo 20:13 KJV “Thou shalt not kill.”

Our topic for today may appear abstract to many of us, yet it is a very practical issue to look at. In the bible, we have a particular case of Judas taking his own life. This was not any worldly person or a gentile, but one of the very close associates of the Lord Jesus. Suicidal thoughts keep flooding the minds of certain individuals who think they can not face the current tidal waves blowing in their lives. This occurrence( suicide) actually goes on and often brings so much pain and even shame to the loved ones of the person who chose that path. Dear one, listen attentively, suicide is never an option to choose or take. Suicide is a direct breaking of the commandment of the Lord. It says thou shalt not kill. To take your life is to kill yourself. Any man who does that has committed a capital offence against God and his very life, as well as his loved ones and finally against the state. The man who does that has offended four categories of persons. The highest being God Almighty. ANY MAN WHO KILLS HIMSELF WILL SUFFER ETERNAL HELL FIRE.1Jn 3:15 KJV Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him..

Just as hating the second person makes you a murderer, killing oneself amounts to hating yourself, and for that matter, killing yourself means you do not have eternal life in you.

People commit suicide because they come to a point in their life where they feel they can not cope with the challenges they may be facing any longer. There are different causes, and all depend on the individual in question. Dear one, no matter the magnitude of the problem, God assures us there is a way out. Our Lord says in this life we would definitely have tribulations, but we should be of good cheer, for he had overcome the world. John 16:33.He says, cast that issue unto him, for he cares for you. 1st Peter 5:6,7.He says He would always be with you. People may be asking if God is with me; why are things not changing? Please understand how God works. God relates to us through our faith in Him. Faith is not expecting matters to change; rather, faith is believing that God has heard and answered you, and so things have changed. It is in acting this way that actually brings God’s power into your experience. Please understand how God works. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Enough to get Him into your situations. The moment you function in faith, then technically, there is no trouble or problem to be worried about.

After preaching in church one Sunday morning, a sister brought his brother, who she claimed was contemplating suicide. He had used someone’s money that was given to him for a very pressing need. The amount was 25000ghc. How was he going to answer the owner of the money? To escape all these problems, he decided to take his life in order to avoid any responsibilities. In the process of executing the act, he called his sister to tell her he was ending it all. I believe he had some fears, yet he would have done it if the sister had not found a good way of talking him out of it. They came to me narrating the whole situation. I prayed with him, assuring him that God was going to make a way. Beloved brethren, by the next morning, the Lord had miraculously provided the money with some extra amount. Dear readers, God still works miracles..All things are always possible with the one who believes (Our part is to believe, yet even if your case does not happen like this, brother, suicide is still never an option)

PRAYER
Lord, I pray for anyone tormented by thoughts of suicide. I rebuke that demon and command a turning around of that negative condition in Jesus’ name. Thank you, Lord, for your intervention in Jesus’ mighty name.Amen

THOUGHT: ANYONE WHO KILLS HIMSELF OR HERSELF WOULD END UP IN HELL FIRE

FURTHER STUDIES

Mat 27:5 KJV “And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.”

Mat 5:22 KJV But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Loving God is an escape from a worried life.

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KEY SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:30 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

A pastor shared his experience when he was a younger pastor. He had fallen in love with a very pretty lady in one of the universities in Ghana. He used almost all his monthly salary to buy a pair of shoes for this lady. She left Accra to visit her on campus. He went to her room but found her absence. When she returned, she came in the company of another man. After giving her the gift, she quickly left with the boy, leaving him in the room for hours. He sat there weeping until the lady’s roommate asked him to stop being foolish, for it was clear the lady had fallen in love with the other boy. He loved someone who had no love for him. What you love controls you. If you truly love God, He would definitely control you; that would be peace, goodwill and favour.

Love is always an act of commitment. A man is controlled by what he truly loves. You always adore what you love. You will seek to please what you love. You are either a free man or a slave, depending on what you love.

Considering all that is said above, loving God with all your being is indeed the greatest thing a man can do. If this is not done, anything else you love becomes a snare to you. Unfortunately, most men don’t truly love God. They come to Him for what they would get from Him. They love the gifts but do not regard the giver. Romans 1:25 puts it this way, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen”.

The Bible teaches that men would face difficult moments in the last days, because they would love themselves rather than love God.

2 Timothy 3:1-2 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”

Men would produce all those negative natures because they are controlled by their selfish nature.

The Lord instructs all his followers to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him (Matt 16:24). For he that will love himself will lose it. To love God with all your being is the only way to preserve yourself. In Joshua 23:11-13, Joshua tells the Israelites to take heed to love the Lord, yet if they choose to love these nations and marry their women, it would become snares and thorns in their flesh and their eyes till they die.

The sure test that you truly love God is the presence of peace in your heart, even in the face of adversity. Dear child of God, if there is no peace in your heart, then you have other things there; repent, and cast those things out, for your true comfort and peace of mind.

CONFESSION

I love the Lord with all my being. My life is an expression of Himself in me. I live a very fulfilled life because I live for God.

FURTHER STUDIES

Matthew 16:24-25” Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it”.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”