DCLM Daily Manna 1 February 2022 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Finishing Against Odds

TOPIC: The Weapon Of Fear

TEXT: Nehemiah 6:15-19 (KJV)

15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.

18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

KEY VERSE: “And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of God.” – (Nehemiah 6:16)

MESSAGE:

There is an abundance of unfinished and abandoned projects in every sphere of life. For each of these projects, there is at least a reason for the abandonment. One frequent reason is opposition from other people who do not want the project to see the light of day.

One historic civil project that was bound to be an abandoned project was the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem after Judah’s protracted Babylonian captivity. This project spearheaded and supervised by Nehemiah, suffered incredible oppositions from the enemies of Judah at that time, notably, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem. These men and their cohorts deployed ridicule, intimidation, confrontation, false accusation and insidiousness to halt the project. They failed. This is because Nehemiah and his team relied on divine support. They displayed uncommon commitment, unity, focus and consecration.

Many noble projects have either been scuttled at conception stage or abandoned midway because of the fear of enemies or opposers. In some cases, it is the crippling fear of failure that has kept some people from executing their God-given project. In the case of Nehemiah, he had every excuse not to actualise the God-given vision. But his vision trumped all his fears.

It may well be that God has laid something in your heart for you to execute – evangelism, Christian service, humanitarian project, career vision or other personal project – that has been stalled by fear. Take a cue from Nehemiah and his team. Prayerfully get started. In no time and to the glory of God, it shall be completed.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Abandoned project is not a good Christian testimony.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Deuteronomy 1-3

DCLM 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 31 January 2022 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — The Weapon Of Fear

TOPIC: The Weapon Of Fear

TEXT: Isaiah 7:1-9 (KJV)

1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

2 And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.

3 Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field;

4 And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,

6 Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:

7 Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.

8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.

9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.

KEY VERSE: “And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.” – (Isaiah 7:4)

MESSAGE:

Fear is one of the most potent weapons often used by the devil and his cohorts. Terrorists use it to weaken their targets’ confidence and create cracks in their walls of defence. In war situations, enemies use it to intimidate and weaken their opponents. Those who succumb to fear become easy targets and eventual victims.

King Ahaz of Judah, together with his royal family, was thrown into panic when news got to them that there was a plot to invade Judah by the alliance of the kings of Syria and Israel. Unlike his father, Jotham and grandfather, Uzziah, Ahaz had forsaken God and resorted to wickedness and gross idolatry. He could not obtain His help in the time of trouble. Sin has a weakening effect on sinners and makes them vulnerable. However, for the present danger confronting Jerusalem, God, for the sake of His promise to David and his house, sent Prophet Isaiah to Ahaz to advise and assure him that the plot against Judah would not stand.

“Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted” the Lord said to Ahaz. God referred to the threats of the two enemy nations as “tails of smoking firebrands”. This implies that they were empty and short-lived threats that would soon fizzle away. All that God required of Ahaz and his people was to “believe in the LORD” and “his prophets”. Doing this was the way to be established and prosper (2 Chronicles 20:20).

God’s “fear not” message particularly applies to the saints of God who are often the targets of Satan’s threats. We must not give in to the torment of fear, whatever the situation.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Counter every fearful threat with the written Word.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Romans 13-16

DCLM 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.