KEY SCRIPTURE: Psalms 23:6 KJV “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

Favour is always the result of faithfulness unto the Lord. Favour does not just come on  any one, rather, it responds to a particular life. A life of obedience to God. The scripture said surely goodness and mercies shall follow me, all the days of my life. It is good to claim that good and mercy will follow you, yet make sure also that you are living in submission to the word, and you are staying faithful to the Lord. Please understand that the favour of God simply means God is with you, causing you to excel and sailing through all difficult issues of life. Gen 39:2 KJV” And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.” Joseph became a very established man in Egypt.

The Lord Jesus said in John 8:29 reads ” And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” The presence of the Father never left Jesus because He continually did that which pleased the Father. To be established in life is to have the presence of the Father continually with you.

King David was a really established man during his days. It was only in his time that Israel   took over all the lands God had allotted for them. He was the only king who enthroned his successor before he died. David left so much wealth for his successor. He humbled and trusted God to go through all the facts to become established. He finally said he would forever dwell in the house of God. Your ultimate sign of establishment is your commitment to staying with the people of God and serving in the house of God.  Your life is truly meaningful if your life brings pleasure to God.

Dear brother, after going through these series of studies, you can set up your life, to be very established in this life. Make your life a meaningful and an exciting one.

CONFESSION

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the truth of your word. I diligently follow through all that you have revealed, that gives me a very stable and meaningful life, in this world of sin and misery. My life is made glorious and also appreciative.

THOUGHT: ALL WHO FOLLOW GOD’S APPROVED PATH, STAY ON TOP.

FURTHER STUDIES

Deut 28:1 KJV And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

Jas 4:10 KJV. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Psalms 23:5 KJV Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Rewards and promotion always proceed victories or conquering a challenge. After the psalmist declared that, he is not moved by trials or difficulties, but rather by the Lord he goes through and comes out victorious.

The next level for one to be established is an overflow of blessings. Rev 2:7 KJV” He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. ” God is a rewarder. He rewards good deeds and success. His rewards begin on this earth.

When the Lord’s disciples told, Him that they had left all things to follow Him, He said the following, Mark 10:30 KJV” But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” Set up your mind to overcome whatever challenge temptation or trial may come your way. Many people just yield to temptations forgetting that, every stage in life provides a test of some kind, expecting you to pass. If you fail, there will be no promotion or any rewards for you. The psalmist received a table before his enemies, and honour, by the anointing on his head. That was not enough, his cup overflowed. All these did not come out of the blue. It was a result of staying true to the Lord in challenging moments.

Daniel kept his faithfulness unto the Lord. They threatened him of being thrown to the lions, if he prayed to any other God, except the king, for the next thirty days. Daniel would not break faith in his God. He threw caution to the wind and prayed three times a day facing Jerusalem. He was thrown into the lion’s den but God delivered him. After this he was rewarded. His cup indeed overflowed.

ÇONFESSIION

The Lord is the strength of my life. I live to please Him in all I do. I do not yield to temptations, for God is a rewarder of all who diligently seek Him. As I overcome, He rewards me by setting a table before my enemies making my cup over flow.

THOUGHT: STAY FAITHFUL TO GOD, FOR HIS APPROVAL

FURTHER STUDIES

Heb 6:10 KJV” For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”

Heb 11:6 KJV” But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Psalms 23:4 KJV” Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Our discussions about the six facts that one has to go through to become established in life have so far taken us through

1. Acknowledging the Lord for who He is.

2. Submitting to divine guidance

3. Strength in your inner man.

The above three facts lead us to the fourth point, Assurance to face all Challenges.

Death is the highest threat that anyone could face, the psalmist said, though he passes through the shadow of death, he would not be afraid because the Lord was with him. David had to go through all three stages of being established in life to acquire the ability to say that, thou he walks through the shadow of death, he would not be afraid of any evil.

David faced a lion, a bear, and Goliath, yet He conquered all of them. All these are life-threatening situations yet He was not afraid. He knew the Lord was with him, and so He had to overcome them. Dan 11:32 KJV” And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” David, out of that strong relationship with the Lord was becoming very established in life.

A truly liberated man is one who has been set free from the fear of all kinds of things. Fear leads men to tell lies and hide from challenges. One can’t become the one God wants him to be if he is bound by fear. Daniel lived a liberated life in a foreign land because he had come to a strong knowledge of his Lord. Get to know Jesus, and then, stay fearless in life.

CONFESSION

The Lord is my shepherd, I submit my life to every instruction he gives me. I am strengthened in my inner man.  I am therefore very bold in the face of all difficulties and challenges.

FURTHER STUDIES

Isa 43:2 KJV When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Psalms 16:8 KJV ” I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Psalms 23:3 KJV “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

In our previous discussions, the Lord taught us that it is in submitting to him, that gives us the ability to receive the best from Him. Remember that in making us lie down, it is from the best pastures, greener pastures. He also leads us beside still waters. It is not the fast-flowing turbulent ones. This leads us to our next Fact to be established in this life. STRENGTHENING OF OUR INNER MAN.

A strong man is not just a man who has achieved a lot, but the many difficulties or struggles that he has conquered. Your ability to conquer depends on how strong you are within your heart and mind. Prov 24:10 KJV” If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” We are strengthened in our souls when we have received His instructions and obeyed them. God’s word when received builds us up. Acts 20:32 KJV “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” The man who feeds continually on the word would end up as very tough and rugged for God. He would not be easily moved. Isaiah 7:15 KJV Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. Honey and butter are all symbols of the glorious word of God. It says, as He partakes of them, He would know how to choose right from wrong. The biggest challenge is having the ability to choose or act rightly all the time.

The same verse 3 of Psalm 23, says He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Remember that, the path of the Just, is as a shinning light, that shines, brighter and brighter, unto the perfect day, Prov 4:18.  The way of the wicked are as darkness, they do not know when they stumble. It is always the enlightened who walk upright and as a result, are established. The soul of a man is the self-conscious part of him. It forms a man’s personality. It is a combination of the mind or intellect, emotions, and will or volition. A person who is not privileged to feed on the right words, or refuses truth but feeds on lies would not have a strong mind. This word distorts his emotions, making him, fearful jittery or easily worried. His actions or will, will be very wrong. He would surely lead a very difficult life. This should not be your portion.

CONFESSIONS

Doing the word of God strengthens my inner man. I am able to stand against the storms of life because I am a doer of the word of God. The engraved word saves my soul.

THOUGHT: THE DEPTH OF YOUR ROOTS IN GOD, DETERMINES YOUR STRENGTH AGAINST DIFFICULTIES.

FURTHER STUDIES

Mat 7:24, 25 KJV Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Jas 1:21 KJV” Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Psalms 23:2 KJV He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

We continue with our study from Psalm 23, in considering the six facts for establishment in life. We now look at the second fact. That is SUBMIT TO DIVINE GUIDANCE.

Guidance is like walking in the light, you don’t stumble. Jesus said the following in John 11 :9 ‘Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.” The sun remains a guide in the day time. In the abundance of the sun’ s light anyone who decides to shut his eyes would walk in darkness. The psalmist used the phrase, “He maketh me to lie downstairs means he allows himself to be controlled. In proverbs 4:20, the scriptures said, attend to my words, incline thine ear unto my sayings. It means submit your will to my instructions. That is the only means for one to be guided in this world of sin and evil.

When a man follows his own path, he would end in shame and failure. Prov 14: 12 reads ” There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death”. Man’s thought potentially disagrees with God’s thoughts and ways Isaiah, 55:7, but God’s ways are always the best. Submit to his way. Prov 3:6-7 admonishes us to “trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him. And He shall direct your path.” You cannot fail following diligently after Him. The writer of our daily bread once wrote that Hod would lead you sound, but He would lead you aright.

Your power to overcome the enemy is to submit to God’s counsel. James 4:7 says, ” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Satan is extremely helpless before the man who has submitted to God. Remember the Centurion in Matt 8:7 -10, who said I am a man under authority, and I say to my servant go and he goes. Why does he have authority to command a servant? Because he has submitted to the authority of the emperor who is in Rome. Submit to God’s authority, and Satan can’t touch you. Satan would be at our command. The problems in life, although are human causes, mostly are initiated by devils. You can cast these devils out if you would listen to what God is saying and do it. Never be stubborn towards the voice of God. You would be breaking the second fact, that leads to an established life. Take this last scripture Prov. 29:1 NET “The one who stiffens his neck after numerous rebukes will suddenly be destroyed without remedy.”

CONFESSION

The Lord is my shepherd, I follow after Him. My own ways are death and destruction. I listen attentively to His instruction, and do as He say. He leads me rightly everything. Thank you Jesus.

THOUGHT: FOLLOWING GOD IS OBEYING GOD.

FURTHER STUDIES

Psalms 119:130 NET” Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines. They give insight to the untrained.”

John 1:4 NET” In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Psalms 23:1 KJV “A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

The twenty-third Psalm is one of the most popular of all the psalms. The Psalm gives us certain six facts for one to be established in this life. Each verse gives one of the points. These facts or points are as follows

1. ACKNOWLEDGING GOD, FOR WHO HE IS TO YOU. VRS 1

2. SUBMIT TO DIVINE GUIDANCE. VRS 2

3. RECEIVE STRENGTH IN YOUR INNER MAN. VRS 3

4. ASSURANCE TO FACE ALL SITUATIONS. VRS 4

5. BLESSINGS OVERFLOW. VRS 5

6. SURE FAVOR AND ESTABLISMENT.

These are six facts that the twenty-third Psalm teaches us.

Now the first fact.

1. ACKNOWLEDGING GOD, FOR WHO HE IS.

Misery or fulfillment is a result of who God is to you.

It reads God or the Lord is my shepherd. Every disturbed, worried, or sorrowful person is either the shepherd of his own life or a creature he calls his shepherd. Rom 1:23,” And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”

You cannot truly relate with God until you acknowledge Him for who He is in your life.

The shepherd does not exist because of the sheep, but the sheep exist because of the shepherd. You and I are the sheep and must be fully submissive to the shepherd in every way. The shepherd gives his best, to sustain the sheep.

Now your shepherd is the Monarch of the universe.

• He is all-powerful Gen 28:3,
• He is the faithful God Deut 7:9,
• He is all-knowing Ps 139:4

The knowledge of all the above means you would not want. No good shepherd keeps any good thing from his sheep. With God as your shepherd, you can confidently say, you would not want any good thing. Rom 8:32

Note: Your ability to receive from Him, depends on how restful you are in the light of the knowledge of who He is. If God is your shepherd, then every fretting must stop.

CONFESSION

God, the Almighty, all-knowing, all-wise, and loving creator of all things is my shepherd. I am not concerned about needs of any kind. As my shepherd, He is the most important person in my life. My life is His. I am alive for Him, and my life is meaningful to me

THOUGHT: LET GOD BE GOD, AND CHALLENGES WOULD BE NOTHING TO YOU.

FURTHER STUDIES

Rom 1:21 KJV “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

1 Kings 18:24 KJV” And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well-spoken.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Prov. 3:5 KJV” Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Worrying can be very destructive. It can isolate you from everyone and everything that goes on around you. Worrying is always a severer problem than the problem that initiated it. Worrying attacks the two vital organs that make living possible. These are your heart and (brain)mind. This is the reason God said when you do not worry but present your issue to God in prayer, the peace of God that passes understanding, would guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus Phil 4:6, 7. The preceding verse, says, Do not be anxious. That is a command. Decide to obey it.

We must trust the Lord at all times. The scriptures is full of assuring statements that should comfort our hearts and encourage us to leave all matters in His mighty hands. Worry seriously robs us of God’s help. God our Father is not a man. The only means for us to receive anything He wishes to give us is by faith. Faith is the sixth sense that relates to God and can receive from Him.

The heart of God’s love and care toward us is stronger than that of our earthly fathers. Please consider the following scriptures: Luke 11:11-13 KJV If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he asks a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Our earthly parents are men, and so have the potential for evil, yet they would do everything to provide for us, how much God, the one who is perfectly good?

Please consider the following verse too, Rom 8:32 KJV “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” If God gave Jesus to us, what can’t he do for us. The truth is HE HAS ALREADY DONE OR GIVEN ALL THINGS TO US. Stop worrying and start thanking Him.

CONFESSION.

Thank you, heavenly father, for your eternal goodness towards all men, and me in particular. I have no need or want that is beyond your ability to provide. Your Word says all things are mine and all your promises are yes in Christ. I would not be worried about anything. Thank you Lord for your peace which passes all understanding.

FURTHER STUDIES

2Co 1:20 KJV “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”

Jas 4:17 KJV” Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

 KEY SCRIPTURE: Matt 6:31 KJV” Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

Thank God for His mercies and kindness that has seen us throughout the year to the very last month. Many at this time are rather filled with lots of questions. Their rent would be expiring and they would need money to sort themselves out. Others had prayed with certain expectations which seem to be far fetched. Is that desire going to elude them, this year too? There are many who would be worried about the Christmas festivities as well as what the new year may have in store for them. There may be something making your mind uncertain and worried. The mind of Christ concerning you is,’ be not anxious for any thing’. The Lord spoke at length from Matt 6:25-34, advising men, not to worry about any of these things.

In that passage the Lord had earlier explained what deceives men into this life of worrying or being anxious about all kinds of things. Matt 6:24 KJV “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Many claim to be serving God, yet their true master is themselves, that is ruled by mammon, which is a Syriac god of riches. The truth is such people are just helpless at controlling themselves against the negative emotions of worry or anxiety. The Lord rightly analysed that when one serves mammon he or she is controlled by the forces and conditions that prevail around. According to the Lord such a person has little faith.

The answer to this dilemma is not just reading the word, to build your faith, but to first of all obey the Lord’s basic criterion for following Him. He said if any one will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and then follow me Matt 16:24. Self denial is the true bases for truly relating with the Lord, and having the ability to trust Him, without any reservations. So long as one has not fulfilled this instruction of the master, He or she would only struggle to trust the Lord in difficult challenging times. If you find yourself unable to cast your cares on the Lord, then definitely your master is yourself who is also ruled by mammon.

The answer is to free yourself from love for yourself and mammon.

CONFESSION

Heavenly father, I yield myself totally to your Spirit as I free myself from the love of myself. I do not choose mammon to have the rule over me. I am able to cast every care or worry upon you, and live without worry. Thank you, Lord.

FURTHER STUDIES

Matt 16:25 KJV “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

Matt 6:30 KJV” Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Phil 2:14 ISV” Do everything without complaining or arguing”

Complaining is a defeatist stand. It profits no one. The man complaining is in a stressed state of being whiles the one being accused is also pressurised. It is also a reproach unto God. Almost all the children of Israel who left Egypt with Moses died in the wilderness except Joshua and Caleb, as well as those young ones who were born during the course of the journey. The bible described the action of the Israelites as follows, Psa 78:19 KJV” Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?” This is the import of murmuring. It is an attack on the integrity as well as the authority of God.

Phil 2:13 says, Phi 2:13 KJV” For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” The child of God is full of the presence and power of God in him or her to execute whatever task he or she has to face. Speaking negative about your inability places a big restriction on the Almighty power at work in you.

In the light of these how do we keep ourselves from complaining or murmuring?

1. Know that you are a vessel full of God, through whom He expresses His power and wisdom. Your language should be, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

2. Know also that, you have been crucified with Jesus, and it is Christ Himself alive in you. Let the reproaches that come against you be borne by Him, and stop bearing wrongs personally. 1Pet 2:23 KJV “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”

3. People are not able to control themselves when feeling hurt, so decide not to talk or give your views in such moments, but, calm down and fully weigh the impact of whatever you wish to say, and how you want to say it.

Always ask yourself how will I feel, if I was at the receiving end of one complaining to me.

4. Instead of complaining, why not suggest solutions?

5. Decide you would never complain under any situation when relating to God and His word.

Complaining when, relating to God, is one of the works of the flesh. It makes you oppose God and as a result lose or fall out on what He can give you or do for you. We’ve got to be very conscious of how we express our grievances or dislike towards our neighbours.  Let all your actions be motivated by love.

CONFESSION

I do not murmur or complain about whatever I do for God. I always trust the Holy Spirit to assist me in facing whatever task given to me.  Indeed, the reproaches of others does not get the best of me, for I cast all such deeds on the Lord. I am always joyful in all situations.

FURTHER STUDIES

Phil 4:13 KJV” I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Heb 13:5 KJV” 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.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Phil 2:14 ISV “Do everything without complaining or arguing”

Our key scripture could be described as a command, and it must be obeyed strictly. The advanced English Dictionary gives the following meaning for the word complaint; express a complaint, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness. The Lord states that in dealing with Him we must not, better still never complain or murmur. Murmuring is the most serious. It is an expression of dislike or unhappiness about a thing, not to any second person in particular, but to your own self, in an undertone voice. Murmuring deeply hurts your peace, and could easily rob you of any motivation to do greater. The call not to murmur or complain in the context of our scripture applies mainly to our dealings with God and His work.

Every deed that relates to God demands strict compliance and trust. Num 14:27 ISV “How long will this wicked assembly keep complaining about me? I’ve heard the complaints of the Israelis that they’ve been murmuring against me. These Israelites in the above verse complained about the threats and dangers  of going into the promise land. There are other areas that the people of God may complain about.

1. Complaints about challenges in doing certain tasks.

2. Complaints about difficulties posed by some persons we have to deal with.

3.  Our personal shortcoming or inconsistencies.

4.  Complaints about delays in certain prayer requests we’ve made unto the Lord.

5. Complaining about our superiors that we relate to.

What would complaining do to us?

1. Complaining in relation to God is a way of expressing our unbelief in God, and that would

seriously hinder His power from working for us. Number 14:27

2. Complaining weakens your desire to go further. Luke 25:28-30

3. Complaining about your superiors may lead to discontentment, and subsequently into other further disloyal actions. 2nd Sam 15:3-6

4. God cannot do much in anyone who complains, Phil 2:15

In our subsequent studies, we would look at what we must do to avoid this wrong actions.

PRAYER

Thank you, father, for the Holy Spirit, our ever-abiding helper. Help us Holy Spirit to avoid complains and murmurings. Grant to us the inner strength to trust the Lord under all conditions. Teach us the better ways to express our grievances, that would not make it a complaint.

 FURTHER STUDIES

Gen 4:5 ISV ” but he did not look favourably upon Cain and his offering. When Cain became very upset and depressed,

Gen 4:8 ISV” Instead, Cain told his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the wilderness.” When they were outside in the fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.”