MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - 11/03/2024

MONDAY - 11TH MARCH, 2024

MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Olusola ADEJUMO

HUMANITY IN ALL OF US

Acts 28:2, KJV

"And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold."

The word "barbarous" has been variously explained in the dictionary as, "uncivilized, uncultured;

mercilessly impudently violent; cruel or savage." One thing is observable, because this island is very much far from the civilization of people, its people could have remained very much unchanged or refined. If this is not, they could have refused change all together like the Piraha of the Amazon jungle in Brazil. They might have made of none effect the contacts of people with them. Though uncivilized, they however acted contrarily to that. They showed civility and humanity to Paul and all others who escaped the peril of the sea. They kindled fire for them and housed them.

Humanity is in everyone of us including any dubbed uncivilized or aggressive among us. It is God who puts it there. He is love (I John 4:16) and we are products of His love. Because we are, we are to model after God, the ultimate Love. As such, no matter how hard, violent or unapproachable someone may be, yet we know there's bowels of compassion (I John 3:7) in him that can be triggered or called to act humanly. This barbarous people could have acted otherwise and lived up to the label put on them but they seemed to have proven everyone wrong about their being barbarous. Who knows what myths have been formed round them? Who knows whether it was once noised that they were cannibals and should be avoided? However, we see their heart in such timely help they gave to those shipwrecked on the sea.

While there are those whose bowels of compassion might have been perverted, yet we ought know that all humans inherit the capacity to love and be loved from God. He's counting on us to give love and show a heart of compassion to many that'll come our way in our capacity and at our levels. 

I John 3:17, KJV

"But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?"

This way, we'll be bringing down his kingdom as we model it to men. Love and kindness are languages that any hears or sees. As you speak it by acting it, you may win some wars without fighting and win people without preaching. Yes, just by observing you.

Humanity is in all of us. We are bound together by that rope and we pray that we'll be more human to each other even as the day are hard. Humanity brings tolerance and a strive for peace in our society. It could make two factions even live peacefully as one. May I continually see you as my brother and neighbor. May I do unto you just like I'll like you do unto me. May we all find acceptance in strange lands and with strange people. Irrespective of where you'll arrive at, no matter the strangeness of the land, you can trust God who delivered Paul out of the mouth of the lion to redeem you from violence and make people favourably disposed to you (II Tim.4:17). They'll see you and be tempered. They'll see you and come as friends. 

PRAYER: Teach me more matters of civility, kindness and exercise of human compassion to others.

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Numbers 11:24-13:33, Mark 14:22-52, Psalm 52:1-9, Proverbs 11:1-3

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MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - 10/03/2024

SUNDAY - 10TH MARCH, 2024

MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Olusola ADEJUMO

LIGHT SO SHINE!

Read I Kings 18:36-40

I Kings 18:39, KJV

"And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God."

We are ambassadors of Light and our duty is to reveal His light. We have confessed for long that, "His kingdom come, His will be done on earth" (Matt.6:10). If our true desire is that the righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost of God (Rom.14:17) should be felt, being established in every sphere of life we find ourselves, then we have to be light bearers; we have to live for a testimony. It is this testimony well lived for and this representation of Christ well done where we are placed that will reveal God's standard, lifestyle and converting principles that'll make "people give glory to our Father who's in heaven (Matt.5:16) or say, "the Lord, he is the God." Through how we live, we can convict the world of sin and even righteousness!

The kind of honour, admiration, esteem and worship we are to draw to God by our accomplishments - which God will wrought through us is what we have exemplify in today's passage. All of us are very much aware of the Mount Carmel Challenge. The prophets of Baal are to prepare a sacrifice and call down fire to consume it. There was culture shift that day because Elijah advocated for fire being called down instead of being lit by any man. Herein we shall prove whose God shall answer by fire (I Kings 18:24). It is such that would be GOD uncontestingly. Despite the effort of the prophets of Baal to call unto Baal for fire, they all failed however. Even when they cut themselves until blood gush out, Baal still didn't give ears. They wanted to attract its sympathy but all was to no avail for them. For Elijah rather, fire immediately come down the moment he prays. As he tells the people to draw near to him, the Lord descends fire and what a sight to behold. With this accomplishment that shocks the citizenry watching, they all confess in unison, "the Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God." That is, "the God of Elijah is the true God." Look at how through Elijah's accomplishment, honour, glory and worship was brought to God. 

This is what should be the duty of every Christian. To live distinctly and outstandingly that the heathen - their lives, products, services etc wouldn't be able to compare with ours, so much more that people would be able to say of us, "the chin-chin she makes is the best. It's the Lord and God of all chin-chin. No chin-chin is comparable to hers." If people have not been talking of the works of your hands this way, it's either you're living way too shalow - not giving attention and refusing to impact quality into what you make or do. In the Mount Carmel Competition, Elijah didn't force himself on anyone. It was what they saw that they repeated. No partiality of any sort. The prophets of Baal had their chance. As a matter of fact, they spent more time trying to bring down fire from Baal than Elijah spent with God. Yet, no accomplishment for them. However, just at a kickstarting, there was a sound from heaven for Elijah. And so, he became distinct, far away from being a fraud or scam like the prophets of Baal who couldn't produce or have their god send down fire. On this note, the people confess who to them has carry the trophy after careful observation on who has delivered the expected result. They said, "the Lord, He is the God." Another way round, "the Lord of Elijah is the God." My concern is that Elijah brought honour to God by his life and act. Is it honour you've been bringing to God as a Christian or shame? Just by how you've been living, has Jesus been winning or losing amidst other gods and religions? Or is it the Hinduists, Confucists, Buddhists, Muslims etc that have been having the glory and praise in business, media, entertainment, politics, sports, social/spiritual etc worlds where you are as God's representative? May we be the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time). May our God be the GOAT. That's what God became that day as Elijah sanctifies Him before the people and as He Himself answers by fire. He became the GOAT, the genius, the awe, the commander and winner of the admiration and souls of all present. Everybody immediately believed in God. Doubt was eradicated immediately. 

If God's kingdom will be known and felt amidst all people, it's the responsibility of each of us to bring it down by revealing Jesus, the Kingdom and its principles to people.  Such testimony and incomparable result that people will see come from us is what will set God high so much more that they'll say, "our God, He is the Lord" or "the Lord, He is God." In your day and my day, may other gods not be the God. By how we live, what we do or become with our lives, may we flag Christ very high until men see our good works and undeniably give glory to our Father who's in heaven (Matthew 5:16). 

PRAYER: Lord, I seek to bring you honour, glorify me when I need to make prove of you even as I give diligence to work and become outstanding in my profession or field. 

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Numbers 11:24-13:33, Mark 14:22-52, Psalm 52:1-9, Proverbs 11:1-3

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MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - 09/03/2024

SATURDAY - 9TH MARCH, 2024

MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Olusola ADEJUMO

HE EVEN CONSUMES IMPEDIMENTS

Read I Kings 18:1-40

I Kings 18:38, KJV

"Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench."

May God glory over all impossibilities in your life. The Lord is set to minister to someone in power and help you overcome some certain impediments that has stopped, hindered, frustrated you, refusing remedy till now. We can explain or teach but the demonstration of power is what lays a seal on such teaching or explanation. And today, the Spirit of power - the Spirit divine will attend to your needs. God will visit your home, business, career, education etcetera.

In today's reading, there's revival in Israel. If journalists were to create an headline to capture this event of the day, they'd say, "Contest on Mount Carmel: Who Goes Home With the Citizenry?" Elijah poses a challenge to the prophets of Baal and the grooves. Nothing worked however for them. For Elijah however, God met his prayer with fire which according to biblical account not only consumed the burnt sacrifice, wood and dust but consumed the stones and licked up the water - flowing water in the trench. When the fire of the Lord fell, it not only consumed the conceivable to human imagination and consumables like flesh or wood but it as well consumed the impossibles and the inconsumables i.e stones and water. For instance, stone is part of the inconsumable that should have been spared. Also, the amount of water that is present in the trench is so much that it should have quenched the fire itself. That should have hindered the quick consuming power of the fire; thereby constituting itself as an impediment. However, this same fire leaks it up. What a thing! What a victory! Look at how God glorifies Himself over all the impediments and impossibilities on Elijah's prayer being totally answered that day. Same way, God shall glory over all impediments in your life. 

You yourself may be of the opinion that some things are possible in your life while some are not. "The meat is consumable but what about the stones", you ask? Our own God is not only the God of the valley but also of the mountain. He is instant in and out seasons. Darkness is as light to Him; so, He is not confused, discouraged or overwhelmed by what naturally puzzles or troubles the human mind. Are there stones and water, much water around your own trenches today? Let it alone, the Lord shall glory over them all. God is not only a specialist over the humanly possible things in our lives. That someone is God is that He rules supreme even over all impossibilities and unnaturalness in human lives. On this note, you can be assured that your defiant sickness, disease, addiction, spiritual affliction in dreams transcending into reality etc shall all be dealt with and wiped clean from your life. He consumed the stones and licked the water. Now, the Lord is scanning through your life, family and all things that pertain to you. He's doing a running for information now and wherever He encounters what the doctor or any specialist has called impossible, He's taken over them now. Now! He'll consume them. None shall be spared. Impediments to specialists doesn't puzzle Him. 

The Bible says, "who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain..." (Zechariah 4:7, KJV).

As the Lord work this works, all mountains (impossibilities as they're classified by human discovery, wisdom and specialist) shall all become plain. It is Jesus of Nazareth moving on to thresh them down for you. It is what God threshes down for you that is simplified, humbled and possible to glory over. All your impediments shall so much be threshed down to the earth that you'll gain absolute victory over them all. What did David do to Goliath? When the giant was threshed down, David ran and stood over him in absolute victory (I Sam. 17:49-51). Also, when the five kings were taken, Joshua asked men of Israel and the captains to stand putting their feet on their necks in absolute victory (Joshua 10:24). Nothing shows the defeat and triumph of another other than that. Today, you're having that absolute victory. Everything that is above you is beneath God. Now that He's threshing them down for you, they shall come under you too, under your dominion as totally disarmed. It is so! He has consumed your stones and licked your water. He spares no challenge, impediment or difficulty in your life. It's all Yahweh has taken out. Glory!

PRAYER: Place your hands wherever you're sick or diseased. Thank God for His healing there. [Go for check-up, you'll meet it so. Then, send us your testimony]. Also, note down any life's challenge of yours and praise God for settling it already. 

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Numbers 10:1-11:23, Mark 14:1-21, Psalm 51:1-19, Proverbs 10:31-32

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MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - 08/03/2024

FRIDAY - 8TH MARCH, 2024

MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Olusola ADEJUMO

THE JOURNEY AND PASSAGE OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT

Read Ecclesiastes 12

Ecclesiastes 12:7, KJV

"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."

One time, I was meditating on death and how life quickly folds to wrap up. A portrayal was brought me of an elderly minister in my country who couldn't stand to minister any longer. This image portrays the potency of "night" and how it folds we humans up. No matter how agile or good looking you are now, just by the outworking of time, you'll succumb to depreciation before you're made ready for your "long home" (Eccl.12:5). 

There's no wise man or wealthy who can break this process. As long as he's birthed and has a beginning of days; he must sure have an end of days. To this, the law of depreciation which will eventually culminates in a sleep for Christians will begin. The moment a child is birthed, his or her race begins. I'll like you see it as a race. Once the shot is released into the air, the count down to the finishing line begins. Time begins to wind down. This is even best portrayed in sports and activities where the stop watch is put to use. Only God knows when the clock of each will stop and our time will reach.

Today's verse talks about the human spirit going back to God. I'll like to tell you that this spirit that eventually found release and departure out of the human body has been on a journey to the grave since birth. At birth, our race against time starts. As each day is spent and shoveled behind, we actually near death. That's why anyone who's younger than you will be credited with having more time than you do. A fourteen year old has more time to spend on the earth than his dad who's forty two all other things being equal. 

So, the culmination that you read in that verse of the 'dust returning to the earth and the spirit returning to who gave it' began long time ago. It's a journey before destination and set down is made at the grave. However, it ends when "the silver cord of life snaps" (Eccl.12: 6). Look, we shall return. The human spirit will be given up, set free from the body to sail back to Who gave it - God. But before then, the night will first of all dawn on us individually. The night will collapse us and restrict us from ever being useful like we've been. That's why Jesus, knowing the disadvantage that the night brings echoes His strategy for triumphing over it by saying, "I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day, for night comes when no man can work" (John 9:4). 

You can't say you don't want to die or refuse to take things slowly as you age. Of necessity, you must slow down. Jesus recognizes that. He talks of a time of importunity when by old age or death amidst other reasons you may not be able to do the tasks of living beings again. As I write now, my maternal grandmother does nothing much but to walk to and fro in the house and lie down to rest. She's glued and restricted. Night has caught up with her. Dreaming now would be a waste at this time. There's no strength, health and time for it to materialize. She can't even go for any religious activity or business like her former days. She may not like that; she may still want to explore the world and see here and there; however she has been forcefully restricted and must be contented. That's the meaning of "night coming when no man can work anylonger." It's a law. You can't violate it. Man must obey. 

As a matter of fact, as you age, there's a natural acceptance and tolerance of death that you'll have. You'll come to a believe that it would soon be your turn and so your mind and thoughts would turn to the world beyond. Dylan Thomas in his poem, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" urges his beloved father who was sick to rage (fight), rage (fight) against the dying of the light (light is metaphoric of life). While human resolution or the will to live has been proven to help people survive sicknesses and some life threatening incidents, yet we ought discern that no strong will can prove resistant or stubborn when the Giver of life is saying, "let the dust return to the earth." It is God who gives life and when He makes demand of it, no force could stop Him. Job knows this when  he says, "naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21, KJV). 

People, you'll return. God will have your spirit while your posterity will have your carcass - your body. Before then however, you ought live like Jesus lived. You ought work the works of Him that sent you to the earth. You must see to it that His Kingdom come and His will is done in the sphere of life you are or will be called to. This way, you'll have triumphed over death by fulfilling purpose and discharging your life's assignment. As such, you'll have no fear or regret facing death as a born again. As for the spirit - your spirit, it'll return. And I tell you, it's currently on that voyage to returning as you spend day after day. So, don't be idle but live purposefully. 

PRAYER: O Lord, teach me how to live and maximize each day. Let me see life as a gift and an opportunity that mustn't be squandered. 

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Numbers 8:1-9:23, Mark 13:14-37, Psalm 50:1-23, Proverbs 10:29-30

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YOUR GROUND IS WET

YOUR GROUND IS WET

As I Was Praying, I Heard, "The Ground Is Wet".

For Us, "Our Ground Is Not Dry And So Our Ground Is Not Hard. It Is Wet!

Dear brother, when someone's ground isn't wet, it is dry and when a ground is dry, it is hard to till or open up for cultivation. 

A dry ground; a hard ground are all signifier of a famine! When there's no rain on the surface of the earth, the ground closes up firmly. It folds up and so the earth (the ground) can't yield up. Throw seeds into it and it'll be seen dying. 

But for you, your ground is wet and so you can bring forth. When the ground is dry and hard, men will dig and dig seeking water yet they won't see and if they ever sight water, much effort would have been given. As a matter of fact, their sweat must have become as thick as blood in such process. 

But for you, when you dig, you'll find water. Water will rush and gush up to meet your digging. You won't labour to death before you see what you're looking for. Your digging will sight water and your thirst will be quenched. 

I'm anointed to declare into your life today that your ground is wet. Water is on your ground. Dew is on your floor. Your ground will flourish with vegetations because both the blessings of the deep and heavens will both be given to you. 

See it here:

Genesis 7:11, KJV

"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened."

Two things happened there dear brother. First, all the fountains of the great deep (underground) opened up. 

Through that (from beneath), the ground or better still the earth was watered and wet. 

Secondly, the windows of heaven opened up and it also rained from above or the cloud. 

In this way also, the earth was watered and wet again. 

Bro. XYZ, what am I seeing and praying for you? It's that you'll receive help, blessings and favour from all mediums and places possible. 

Heaven will not only give you rain for your ground to be wet. The springs and the undergrounds will also be opened for you. Bro. XYZ, in every way a man could get blessed, assisted or helped until he becomes strong and reliant, God will go those ways to wet your ground and strengthen you. 

When the ground is wet, things are easy. Ploughing or cultivation just becomes simple. And so, things will be easy for you. Heaven and earth will synergize together to ensure you succeed. In agreement, the laws and rules of heaven and earth will work for your good. Their agreement is for your good. Their supplies are brought into your life. You're made fat from their nutrition and feeding.  

With Love From Me [Olusola ADEJUMO, M'Wings]. 

Say, "My Ground Is Wet"!

@ M'Wings.

MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - 06/03/2024

WEDNESDAY - 6TH MARCH, 2024

MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Olusola ADEJUMO

SINLESS SAINTS: THOSE WHO COULD CAST THE STONE

Read John 8:8 - 11

John 8:7, KJV

"So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

It is indeed true that if you have not received mercy, you may not have learnt to give same. It is usually the cup with which you're measured that you tend to use to measure unto others. If you've enjoyed mercy somewhere, you'll really want to give mercy also as a refund and replenishment to others especially in that same area. An illustration I give. 

I once got to a place where funding my education proved abortive and impossible any longer during my undergraduate days. Only that I enjoyed the mercy of a local scholarship. Due to this, I'm usually moved at every announcement on the inadequacy of students to pay their tuition. I see my having a tertiary education as an act of mercy, having found myself almost becoming a drop out. I found it an obligation of a sort therefore to help people fulfill their dreams by involving or contributing to sponsoring their education. This is how the mercy you have received teaches you to show others mercy. One time, Jesus washes the feet of His disciples. Afterwards, He instructs them to do likewise unto others. For that example, He sets a pattern.

John 13:13-15, KJV

"13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you."

Doing likewise unto others will be proceeding from having received previously such a ministration. You naturally are taught by it to behave yourself. You therefore don't overestimate your service or your ministry to people in your own day because you're a debtor and fruit of some people's ministries also. 

Watch those who are unnecessarily difficult in life however, they might have lacked mercy in their journey. Instead of enjoying mercy, they probably suffered somewhere. Having being abused this way, not learning how best to treat others, they mismanage and maltreat them. That may be because they once met people who made their journey difficult and utmostly stressful. For having not enjoyed kindness, they naturally by default dish same to others. This is where by naturalness, "they do unto others like men have done unto them." I observe the power of modelling there. What you model to people by doing is what they easily pick up to do because they'll find it easier having had an example in front of them. They'll just pick a cue from you. So, if you sow wickedness to people, you may be teaching them callousness to their own after-comers also.

In the verse we began to probe yesterday, Jesus responds to the persistent demand of the scribes and pharisees by saying, "he who has not sinned amidst you, let him cast the first stone." This statement if critically explored means, "permission is only granted to he that has not sinned or can prove so." Only such has the go ahead to cast stones. Now, let us assume there's someone like that in the congregation of those accusers that day who could cast stones because he has not sinned, hope you know his being empowered to cast stones will be coming from the fact that he has never for once sinned let alone receive God's mercy, pardon or forgiveness at a juncture. On that note, same may not be required of him to give or show to others. However, all of them were paralyzed and couldn't prove otherwise because they also at one time or the other had sinned and had enjoyed God's mercy. On that note, they were under obligation to give mercy. That is what Jesus confronts them with. He punctures them where they'll see their human foolishness, see themselves as legalistic men and repent. In that way, they couldn't stone the adulterous woman. They therefore relented and went away from the eldest to the youngest. 

It means those unjust scribes and Pharisees acknowledge being recipients of God's mercy and forgiveness too. Therefore, their conscience prick them and their hearts smother them to give up the case. 

I started by saying, "he who has received mercy will give mercy but he who hasn't may not have been taught to give same." He won't just understand why he should. If somebody needs tuition fee now, how it'll hit or resonate with me if I heard will be different from how it'll hit you. Our differing responses are so because I was once in that condition while you can't testify to what it means to ever desperately need tuition. Meanwhile, you may respond faster somewhere else where giving mercy comes to you as a force of reminder - of how you'd failed if God had not stepped in to rescue you also. 

So, whenever you get to see judgemental people, it might be that they themselves were shown no kindness by anyone. Because they have therefore not been spared, they care less who becomes a scape goat. So, such might seek to cast the first stone because they believe they owe no man no duty or obligation that needs repayment. Today, God wants you to check yourself. Are you a giver of mercy? Are you moved by a bowel of compassion when you see people like sheep without shepherd being harassed by hunger, sickness or a need etc? I tell you, "if you have received mercy, you'll be moved to give mercy." Only those who haven't received mercy [yet none has not because God gives his rain to fall both upon the righteous and the unrighteous] will deny others of it. 

PRAYER: Father, may I learn to do unto others as you have done and role modelled to me. I shall not be a hypocrite. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 4:1-5:31, Mark 12:18-37, Psalm 48:1-14, Proverbs 10:26

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MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - 05/03/2024

TUESDAY - 5TH MARCH, 2024

MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Olusola ADEJUMO

WHY WE SHOULD FORGIVE

Read John 8:1-11

John 8:7, KJV

"So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

You have a reason to forgive. You might have been hurt. This hurt may even be coming from your spouse - as those who mostly and deeply offend us are our integral parts and those closest to us. However, you need to forgive. A just reason will be because Christ commands it (Lk.6:37). Meanwhile, God is set to convince you with yet another reason to forgive. 

When this woman was caught in the very act of adultery and brought to Jesus, condemnation of a sort was being expected of the scribes and pharisees to be meted to her. Though they came to tempt Jesus as to see if He'll rubbish what Moses had commanded to do as to have a wherewithal to hold Him; Jesus, ever leading his foe in wit answered thus, "he who has not sinned among you, let him cast the first stone."

Except those elders will become hypocrites just then, which offcourse is most difficult for them to do, [for they know they have not been walking in blameless or sinless perfection]; they'd lied. Like any Christian, they have stumbled one way or the other and have erred. Even if they have been forgiven and their sins wiped off, it didn't still cancel the fact that they were once debtors who were forgiven. This thought should be in all of us that we were once debtors - sinners who were forgiven and translated into the kingdom of His beloved Son and then believers who receive pardon whenever they err. Your own error might anyway not have been that public but that doesn't justify your grinning at another because yours was a secret sin. Jesus was saying, "if you once fell or stumbled at sin and were all forgiven, should you be here advocating for the death of another? In essence, He was asking them, "what justifies you over her?You were not killed in your own day and in your own time when you erred but were pardoned and here you are, seeking justification and the hand of judgement against another." I say to you, "any of you who has not sinned should cast the first stone."

Obviously, all of them became paralyzed, immobile, dropping the stones with which they thought they'd execute judgement on this woman and leaving one by one from the eldest to the youngest. The Spirit is saying, "if you have received mercy, you should show mercy." As a matter of fact, you'll be held up in judgement by God if you've been an object of the mercy of God and you're refusing to do likewise to men when you have the power of judgement/pardon over them. When my younger ones erred and I pursued them around to measure to them as they've measured to me, my father would say in those old days, "let it go." If I insisted, he'll say, "but you did just that during your growing up years." At times, he might say," you even did more than that." What was he hinting at? The fact that I should forgive because I've once received mercy.

Christ once related the parable of a man who owes his lord. His Lord commanded that he and his household be sold to clear the debt. However, he pleaded and was forgiven by him. Shockingly, this same man on leaving the king's court sees another servant who owes him and holds tenaciously to him to pay up. Has he forgotten that he himself had just obtained mercy as an object of mercy? Why should he be this chronic, unthinking and unforgiving? It took not long before he was reported for unforgiveness by other servants and so taking in by the king (Matt.18:23-25). That's the judgement and end of all who have once received mercy but who refuse to give to others. Expressly, Jesus says, "blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy" (Matt.5:7). If you've not been receiving mercy, you probably want to check whether you've been sowing seeds of mercy. In the academia, there are lecturers who are not merciful. They behave as if they become all by their effort without mercy having worked for them at some point. They never recall that a mouth once spoke to advocate for their causes also. If that was not done, they might be nowhere today. Now, they are the ones making life difficult for students they should show mercy to without compromising the ethics and set standards of their profession. God will visit you and mete to you like he meted to that forgiven but unforgiven servant. 

Look, God is our model. If He forgives us, we should forgive. Even Christ cries, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" (Lk.23:34). Imagine Jesus still praying for His offenders and persecutors. You might claim your own offender was in his own right senses but that ain't still a justification because you've always received mercy yourself. God is not telling us to do what He has not already done for you. He's not the pharisees who command and won't lift a finger at the burden (Matt. 23:4). We err many times but He keeps forgiving us. As a matter of fact, He made provision for us in the blood of Jesus that we may be cleansed when we err. For the Bible says, "...the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sins (I John 1:7)" and "if any man doth sin [acknowledging the fact that we can err], we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, He's the propitiation for our sins [as believers] and also for the whole world" (I John 2:1-2). Did you see that?

So, if you're reading this, saying you won't forgive him or her, you'll be putting a barrier to God forgiving you also. However, a question God is asking you today is, "if you have not sinned [and ever forgiven before], be the first to cast the first stone [start judging or start the process of judging right away].

PRAYER: Lord, I surrender all at your feet. I let go that I may gain you always. I forgive and I'm cured of whatsoever sickness or affliction unforgiveness has opened me up to.

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Numbers 2:1-3:51, Mark 11:27-12:17, Psalm 47:1-9, Proverbs 10:24-25

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