DCLM Daily Manna 13 April 2024 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Peace Be Still

TOPIC: Peace Be Still (DCLM Daily Manna 13 April 2024)

KEY VERSE: “And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39).

TEXT: Mark 4:35-49 (KJV)

35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

MESSAGE:

Charles Wesley penned the following profound words of confidence titled “Almighty Shade” that must remind the disciples of Christ about His superintending oversight on His own as they face the stormy sea: “I rest beneath the Almighty’s shade, My griefs expire, my troubles cease; Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed, Wilt keep me still in perfect peace.” Wesley, himself, having faced different vicissitudes of life came to that realisation that it was only the assurance of God’s abiding presence that helped him sail through those stormy and windy days.

In today’s passage, the disciples faced a massive storm that shook the very foundation of their faith though they had been with their Master for some time and had witnessed several miracles performed by Him. It was a powerful, boisterous storm, so intense that they feared for their lives. While the Master lay asleep in the rear, the storm arose. The disciples had to call upon Him when the situation went out of their control. Jesus stood, rebuked the wind and there was a great calm.

Life on this side of eternity is fraught with life-threatening experiences. We often encounter storms in our life journeys from time to time. These storms could come in the form of unexpected turn of events, persistent unpleasant experiences, challenges with our children or partners and besetting sin, which may lead to devastating outcomes if not quickly brought under control.

Whatever is the nature of the storm you are facing now, the Master over the storms can bring calmness if, like the disciples, you call His attention. But you need to bring Him on board by accepting His love and surrendering your life to Him as your personal Lord and Saviour.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Jesus is the Master over every storm of life.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 78-79

Deeper Life Daily Manna For Today 2024 was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

DCLM Daily Manna 12 April 2024 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — A Wholesome Consecration

TOPIC: A Wholesome Consecration (DCLM Daily Manna 12 April 2024)

KEY VERSE: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).

TEXT: Joshua 24:14-25 (KJV)

14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods;

17 For the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:

18 And the Lord drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the Lord; for he is our God.

19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

20 If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.

21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the Lord.

22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.

23 Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.

24 And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.

25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

MESSAGE:

At 16, environmental activist Jadav “Molai” Payeng saw hundreds of dead snakes, the victims of a major drought occurring on Majuli Reserve – the world’s largest river island located in the Brahmaputra River in India. Even at such a young age, he knew that someone had to do something. So, in 1979, at 16-years old, he started planting a tree sapling a day in the barren soil. Now over 40 years later, his forest covers 1,390 acres—approximately the size of 15 football stadiums. Jadav left behind his formal education to give all his attention to the forest. His consecration “I’ll plant till my last breath” saw it all.

That kind of exemplary consecration to a worthy cause, which will always make a difference in life and ministry is what we find in the life of Joshua. In this passage, the children of Israel were excited at this time, having defeated all their enemies and settled in the Promised Land. But it was also a tempting time for them, given the possibility of forgetting God and adopting the idolatrous lifestyles of their Canaan neighbours. Hence, Joshua called them to ponder on God’s faithfulness right from the Patriarchs’ time and confronted them to either choose to serve God exclusively or the gods of the Amorites while declaring his own personal resolve to serve the Lord with his household. Their promise to cleave unto the Lord made Joshua to make a covenant with the people that day.

It is often very easy for people to make promises to serve God, only to renege and return to their old ways due to challenges. Are you fully persuaded about your decision to follow the Lord to the end? Our commitment to serve God should be for our lifetime, with no strings attached.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A wholesome consecration is one that can stand the test of time.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 72-77

Deeper Life Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

DCLM Daily Manna 11 April 2024 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — The Rash Vow

TOPIC: The Rash Vow (DCLM Daily Manna 11 April 2024)

KEY VERSE: “And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering” (Judges 11:30,31).

TEXT: Judges 11:29-40 (KJV)

29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hands.

33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.

36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.

38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,

40 That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

MESSAGE:

As the wealthy oil tycoon lay on his deathbed, his pastor talked of God’s healing power. “Pastor,” he gasped, “if God heals me, I’ll give the church a million dollars.” Miraculously, the man revived and within few weeks was out of the hospital. One day, several months later, he and the pastor chatted on the sidewalk in front of a hardware store. “You know,” the pastor said, “when you were in the hospital dying, you promised to give the church a million dollars if you got well. We haven’t got it yet.” “Did I say that?” the tycoon asked. “I guess that goes to show how sick I really was!”

In our passage, we are confronted with the story of Jephthah, who vowed that if he defeated the Ammonites, he would sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house to God when he returned home. His daughter, who was his only child, was the one who greeted him on his return. This was highly regrettable to Jephthah, as his only daughter remained unmarried and knew no man till her death.

Today, there are many people who in the heat of emotion or personal challenges have made hasty promises to God, which they later found difficult to fulfil. However, once they get what they want, they forget or pile up excuses why they would not be able to keep their vows.

It is instructive to note that though the vow was difficult for Jephthah, but as a man of integrity, he fulfilled his vow. God is not pleased with us when we make promises and do not keep them. We must not make vows we find difficult to keep (Deuteronomy 23:21; Ecclesiastics 5:4). Always be thoughtful and patient before you open your mouth before the Lord. Avoid making rash vows based on emotions.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Avoid making vows you cannot fulfil.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 68-71

Deeper Life Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.