Verbs of Victory: COMMIT

COMMIT

1 Timothy 6:20 New Living Translation (NLT)

“Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you…”

It is amazing that God in His infinite wisdom would entrust such a treasure to man. The treasure He entrusted was the Gospel. Timothy being in the form of an earthen vessel was cautioned to guard what was entrusted to him. God was telling Timothy to keep it pure and undefiled. He was also saying to be faithful and diligent to preserve it and dispense it. His charge also included his gifts, for the ministration of it, which were to be kept in use, and stirred up. They were not to be neglected, but cultivated and improved to the advantage of the church, and in the interest of Christ. God has also entrusted us with these great responsibilities.

Like Timothy, He expects us to commit to being bearers of the Gospel and administrators executing proper ministration of the gifts entrusted to us for the building up of the Kingdom. There is action required from the one to whom the charge is being committed to. Our needful response is that we must commit to being faithful with what has been entrusted to us.

So, we see that to commit is twofold. Firstly, it communicates the entrusting of something valuable to another person; meaning to devote, commend, assign or to give over. Secondly, it includes the responsibility to practice specific activities; meaning to do, to carry out or to perform.

God has committed a valuable deposit unto each believer. It must be guarded and protected, faithfully used and exercised in His service and the service of our brethren. Each believer is responsible to respond to God’s call by committing their lives to serve Him, to share the Gospel, and to be His ambassadors in this world. God also gives the grace to be faithful to accomplish the task He has committed to us. Therefore, be at peace today with what the Lord has asked you to perform. He is faithful and He will help you to complete what He has entrusted to you. Commit yourself to Him afresh today and keep calm as you commit to do what has been committed to you.

Prayer: Father in the name of Jesus, today I am thankful for what You have committed to me to do in service of You and my fellow brethren. Thank You for the grace to complete the task, the wisdom to guard it and the ability to remain focused and faithful on the journey. I commit myself to You today, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Verbs of Victory: CULTIVATE

CULTIVATE

II Peter 3:18 New International Version (NIV)

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Yes, what hopeful words, “grow in grace.” The potential for growth is exciting. The realization of being progressively developed into something potentially better is rewarding to the mind. One of the secrets of that progressive growth is the soil. Soil is important to the growth and health of any harvest. The soil must be properly cultivated to ensure healthy produce. Let’s draw an obvious parallel. How well is your soil cultivated? Cultivation takes time and work and one must cultivate in alignment with what one wants to produce.

To cultivate is to grow, to raise, to prepare or to develop. It means to bestow attention and care and devote time and thought to achieve a desired result.

So today, picture the harvest you would like to bring forth in your life and then cultivate the habits and discipline that affords you the opportunity to attain the results. After reading the parable of the sower, I was compelled to analyze how the same Seed fell into four different places, but in three out of the four places, the Seed was unable to produce what it should have. The Seed sown was the Word of God. God sends His Word and once that Word has been sent, we then have the responsibility to receive, cultivate and nurture that Seed to enable it to produce the right fruit in our lives.

Furthermore, what is the purpose of cultivating the Word of God in us? The goal or the expected harvest is that Christ would be inwrought in believers. We must grow in spiritual stature as Christ is formed in us. It is not for us to just say things with our mouths and not become them. Instead, we have a responsibility to cultivate our soil so that we would grow into a specific kind of man. When we commit to the daily work of cultivating the soil, we will continue to grow and yield healthy harvest. 

As we continue to grow and mature, we are better able to serve and help others to become better cultivated themselves. However, we must be committed to being cultivated before we seek to cultivate another. It is then that we can share from our experience what helped our soil to be healthy and thereby bring forth good harvest or what was unhealthy for our soil and threatened the healthy harvest. Therefore, strive daily to cultivate good thoughts and healthy attitudes that will add value to your life and the life of others around you.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the ground of my heart. Today I cultivate the soil of my heart that I may grow in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Let me bring forth good fruit. I apply the word of God to my heart that it may be cultivated so the fruit and harvest produced will be beneficial to me and those around me, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Verbs of Victory: CAPTURE

CAPTURE

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

The words of that hymn encapsulate the testimony of a grateful heart. It demonstrates a heart that has been captured by the goodness of a loving God. It is the expression of one who has been the recipient of God’s amazing Grace and goodness and one who is seizing the moment to exhale the love of God that has so captured his heart.

As God has also captured your hearts with His amazing Grace and love, declare that today is that kind of day. A day to consider the faithfulness of God and all He has been to you and all He has brought you through. It is a perfect day to seize the moment and to give thanks and praise to God for who He is.

Capture the moment. Do not let it pass you by. Seize the opportunity to give thanks and be grateful to God. Share the truth of His faithfulness to someone else today. Open your mouth and let them hear your acknowledgement of God’s kindness and tender mercies.

Many times, we do not lay hold of opportunities to be a living testimony for God to others or a testimony that shows forth the essence of who our God is.  Do not let this moment pass you by today.

To capture is to seize, to take, to grasp, to handle or to lay hold of.

What an awesome opportunity and responsibility! Let the truth that has captured your heart, mind, attention and affections be evident in your life. As you seize the moment to be a thankful testimony today, also be vigilant to capture the many opportunities He will provide along the way so that you can step even higher and greater into your destiny. Do not waste time. Instead, today purpose in your heart to capture every opportunity to be a testimony and to walk in the path of greatness He has ordained for you.

Pay attention to the scripture in Luke 9:62: “Jesus said, ‘No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.’” Let that be your action today. Capture the moment, now.

Prayer: Father I thank You for the opportunities to capture every moment of this day. I thank You for the lessons this day will teach. I thank You for the ability to be a testimony in this day and I thank You for the opportunities to walk in Your ordained destiny. I waste no time but instead I capture each moment and delight in walking in Your way today, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Verbs of Victory: BELIEVE

BELIEVE

Mankind, without exception spends much of their life searching for a place to invest their faith or a reason to believe in something they perceive as worthy. So, let me ask you this question, what do you believe? Have you taken an inventory of what you believe? If you have identified what you believe, have you asked yourself the question, why do I believe, what I believe? What is the constant truth in what you believe? What or who stabilizes your belief? Can who or what you believe in sustain you throughout your life’s journey? The process of your belief may change as your journey transitions. However, the essence and centrality of your belief must be constant.

For throughout life’s journey what you believe will be tested again and again. What do you believe is the foundation on which you stand in this ever-changing journey called life? Your belief plays a major role in your behavior and in shaping your character. What you believe advises you to aspire or acquiesce, to rejoice or retreat, to worship or worry, to stand or settle. For every leg in the race that you must run, what you believe is the advisor that influences your action or inaction. However, every day brings a new opportunity to believe something different or build upon what you already believe.

To believe is the ability to be made firm, to be sure, to be lasting.

What do you believe today? What do you believe about your life, your future, your dreams and your destiny? What do you believe about you? After you have considered that, then consider the other dimension of the question, which is the source of what you believe? It is fine to believe in something but what is the source of the belief? Who fuels what you believe? Who keeps what you believe consistent? To whose charge do you place what you believe? In whom do you believe and does this person have the power, ability and capacity to hold what you believe and bring it to pass?

Today consider in whom and what you believe. Know that Jehovah is constant and never changing.  You can rest assured today that you can depend on Him and put your trust and belief in Him. The scripture in Hebrews 11:6 says it like this, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Invest your faith and believe in Him for all aspects of your life today.

Prayer: Father, today I believe in You. I believe in Your constant power as God and in Your love as my Father. I commit my life into Your hands today. As I walk through this day in faith believing in You, may my thoughts, words and life please you in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Verbs of Victory: BECOME

“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’” Job 37:5-6 (NIV)

What a liberating scripture! Nature makes for fascinating life lessons. Looking at the commitment with which the Lion commands his domain or the remarkable discipline of birds flying in distinct intentional formations to get to their destination and all the other wonders of nature, always fascinates the student. It’s amazing that the spider never tries to swim nor does the fish try to weave a web. A web is as foreign to a fish as swimming is to a spider. Looking at this kingdom, one will quickly learn that there is no struggle for identity. There is no struggle to become. Their identity is built in and they become what they were born to be.

The scripture in Job is a soothing sound of the voice of God speaking to His creation to be what He created it to be. What about you? Have you ever thought of who you are and who you will progressively become? Life’s journey leads you to discoveries including those of the identity in you. So many times, who you are may be covered under layers of expectations and masks that have so distorted the true you.  Who would you find if you were to peel back the many layers and versions of you? Are you a fish trying to build a web or a spider trying to swim? Are you trying to fit into a mold that looks like it may fit you better? Ask the spider and the fish, they will tell you that the secret to become is to be. God will never ask you to become what He didn’t create you to be.

To become is to allow the natural flow of your creator to express itself through you.

Like He said to the rain shower, be a mighty downpour, also He has given that command to you, to be. To become is to give back to this earth the beautiful person whom you feel you were uniquely created to be. To become is to allow whatever God has placed in you the ability to flow naturally out of you. It is the expression of Him in you. It is the expression of you becoming you.  It is to find and reunite with the inner peace, beauty and sense of purpose you feel when you are you.

Take some time today to meditate and connect with you. Then take the bold necessary steps to become. You are a beautiful gift and you have been chosen to share the gift of who you are with this world. Share the gift. The world needs it. Be you and enjoy the journey and processes involved as you continuously become.

Prayer: Father I thank you for in your wisdom you uniquely created me. You are aware of my potential, dreams and desires. You know whom I must become. Father, help me on this journey as I fulfil the purpose and plan you have specially designed for me to become, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Verbs of Victory: BLESS

BLESS

 

Psalm 103: 1-5
 

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
 

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles.

 

Have you ever considered that you can bless The Creator?  So often the focus of blessing is on the one created. However, it’s also very clear in scripture that the creature can bless The Creator.

 

God bestows His blessing to His people in many forms; temporal or spiritual. We can look around or within and experience the goodness of God all around us and in our personal lives. He is a God that blesses. Likewise, He has allowed us the ability to bless.

 

To bless is to declare a person endowed with power for success, prosperity and much more.

 

We can invoke blessings upon ourselves by appropriating His Word in our lives. We can bless others by expressing good wishes or offering prayer to God for prosperity in various areas of their lives. But today also be aware that we can bless the Lord. How enriched our lives will be if daily we exercise our ability to bless the Lord.

 

God said to Abraham in Genesis 12:2; "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” Today, you have the ability to bless. Today you are blessed of God so operate in your ability to be a blessing and bless. Also remember that you can open your mouth and from your heart say like the Psalmist in Psalm 34; “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

 

Prayer: Father, today I bless You for who You are. I bless You today and all the days of my life. With all that is within me, I bless Your holy name. You are good. You have blessed me with loving kindness and tender mercies. Daily You load me with benefits and satisfy my mouth with good things. For all Your goodness, mercies and benefits, I bless You Lord.

Verbs of Victory: ARISE

ARISE

 

As I arose this morning, I saw the beautiful glow of the sun peering over the horizon. What an absolutely breathtaking sight. As I gasped in awe at the splendor of God, the scripture in Ecclesiastes 1:5 came to me; “The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.”
 
The question came to me, how did the sun know it was its time to arise? I then further asked, what happened when the sun arose? The sun actually has a fixed and allotted time to arise and shine. That time is called day. During its allotted time, it fulfils its purpose to contribute light wherever it is called day. Thus, when the sun shows up and assumes its position over the earth whatever is not related to the sun must bow. 

The sun has an awesome wake up routine. It arises and takes its position in splendor, purpose and beauty. How about you? When you physically got up this morning did you arise? What did your wake up routine look like? When you got out of bed, did you arise?  
To arise means to come up from a lower to a higher position; to come above the horizon; to mount; to ascend; to spring up; to come into action or being; to become operative, sensible, or visible.  

To arise is indicative of a change and today is a marvelous opportunity for that change. You can arise today in a higher position than you did yesterday and mount up higher in your thoughts and actions. Arise today with a new mindset, a new motivation, a new attitude and a new outlook. Arise with a new sense of responsibility to shine your light on your allotted areas, for your fixed time. Like the beautiful sunshine, you are full of purpose for which you must arise today. 

Isaiah 60: 1 encourages us like this; “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” 

God has given you a tremendous opportunity today to arise and shine because it is your fixed and allotted time. The agenda of every other thing must bow for the light has come and it is your time to arise. 

Prayer: Father, I am connected to Christ and I arise in Him today. Thank you for this new day and this opportunity to start this day renewed and refreshed. Thank you for your tender mercies, loving kindness and your grace. I wake up and arise today confident in your love and purpose for my life. I spring forth into action today and take every opportunity to let my light shine before men and glorify you my Father, in Jesus’ name. Amen.