Receive Strength

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

There are different types of strengths – physical strength, spiritual strength, mental strength, economic strength and many others that you can come up with.  

The Bible recorded instances of people receiving physical strength after taking food. Some cases include the case of Elijah who received strength after eating (`1^st Kings Chapter 19 verses 1 to 21, the Apostle Paul in Acts Chapter 9 verse 9, the Egyptian servant of the one of the Amalekites who raided and burnt down Ziklag in 1^st Samuel Chapter 30 verses 11 to 16. If the young man had not received strength from the food he ate, he would not have been physically strengthened to lead David and his men to the Amalekites. Significantly, the Bible cautions against feasting for the sake of feasting as feasting is designed to strengthen one physically. Please read Ecclesiastes Chapter 10 verses 17.

The Apostle Peter was instructed by Jesus Christ to strengthen his brethren after his temptation. Please read Luke Chapter 22 verses 31 to 34.

The Apostle Paul also spoke of being strengthened with all might. Please read Colossians Chapter 1 verses 10 to 11.

Significantly, divine strength comes from God to His own people. He strengthened the prophet Jeremiah. Please read Jeremiah Chapter 16 verse 19. The prophet Jeremiah also referred to God as His strength and fortress as well as his refuge in the day of affliction. A study of the life and ministry of Prophet Jeremiah throws up several challenges and afflictions experienced by the Prophet who is sometimes referred to as the weeping prophet. In some of these emotionally challenging, physically traumatizing and battering situations which almost had a negative impact on the spiritual life (albeit giving up on speaking on the word of God) of Jeremiah, Jeremiah learnt over time to draw strength from God and could therefore confidently refer to God as his strength and fortress and refuge.

Blessed

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Blessed to reign

Blessed to shine

Blessed to be a blessing

Blessed to save

Blessed to share

Blessed to give hope

Blessed to redirect the lost

Blessed to soothe troubled minds

Blessed to encourage and help

Blessed to be who God created you to be

And not what you think people want you to be.

You are blessed.

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Stretch Out 2

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

An eagle which fraternizes with chickens all the time loses its ability to soar and will at best fly, an extremely difficult task for the eagle whose wings are designed to soar and not fly. Beloved, you have been standing very tall but unfortunately you did not know it and made the mistake of attempting to stoop. Quickly undo the mistake and keep standing very tall as you are not holding your ground, defending your territory but you are also actually sending out word that there is no room for competition because you have actually grown beyond competition.

You are already an institution, an intimidating force to be reckoned with, respected, valued, significant and relevant to humanity. It is therefore time to move on in life so that you can be more beneficial to humanity and be truly celebrated.

You have had the luxury of interacting with quality people and institutions and when you have the luxury of interacting with quality players in any endeavor of life, you develop as a player in that area of life. Not only do you work from an intelligence perspective, you also develop an uncanny instinct, the ability to smell opportunities and utilize the opportunities to great advantage. Doing this as often as possible can make you an expression of family, institutional, community, national and global pride. Significantly, this can be achieved through deliberate and measured diligent growth in about every area of life which is why you must make the effort to interact with quality players. Therefore, hone your gifts so that you can excel and stand before kings. While it is true that low gifts and great anointing produce results, the truth is that the results are not permanent. This is because there is usually no organization, no systems, and no institutionalization that will give permanent results. This is also true of great gifts and low anointing as they also produce results that are not permanent. But great gifts and great anointing equals great results and permanence. Significantly, both have to be developed.

Stretch Out

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

The parable of talents is illustrative of what people who recognize the worth of their talents or divine gifts can do to multiply and compound their talents or divine gifts to bless humanity and themselves. The man who was given five talents multiplied the talents. So also did the man who got two talents. But the wicked servant who received one talent chose not to work his talent.  Rather, he buried the talent. He was therefore unproductive and not a blessing to himself, family, humanity or even His master. Beloved, a one talent person is already disadvantaged and therefore has no business burying the gift. Rather, s/he should hone the gift and move on to other gifts. Yet the most dangerous thing most one talent people do is to bury their gifts when in reality they should develop five talent efforts so that they can match up with the people who have five talents.

Five talent people and five talents efforts is God’s preference. This because five talent people always make five talent efforts to serve divine purpose and bless humanity. They are selfless people who live for the common good. David was a five talent person. Mary the mother of Jesus Christ was a five talent person. The prophetess Deborah was a five talent person. She accompanied Barak to war and God gave Israel victory. She did what she did for the common good. It was not about her. It was for Israel, the people of God. Nehemiah was a five talent person. That explains why he rose from the position of butler to governor of Jerusalem who blessed the people with his personal resources. The little boy who brought lunch to the crusade, five loaves of bread and two fishes was a five talent child. He blessed humanity with his lunch pack. Jesus is a five talent person and I dare to say that you are a five talent person.

The Biblical Joseph for instance was born a five talent person but unfortunately was living with a one talent family and probably attending a one talent school and taught by a one talent teacher; that is if there were schools then. But somehow, God intervened in the affairs of Joseph and organized him out of the one talent family and environment. Though Joseph also ended up in a one talent family in Egypt, Potiphar’s wife’s sinful advances to Joseph moved him out of a one talent house to prison, a two talent world until Joseph’s eventual move to a five talent world, the palace.

The Leverage of Favor 3

 Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land. I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. Leviticus Chapter 26 verses 3 to 5, 9 to 10, NIV, Women's Devotional Bible.

Mary the mother of Jesus Christ was highly favored. That is to say she had tons of favor from God. Please see Luke Chapter 1 verses 26 to 37. The Bible records that Mary found favor with God and received grace to become the mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Mary was an unknown young woman from the linage of Aaron (Luke Chapter 1 verses, 5, 36) who was betrothed to Joseph, a descendant of David. But Mary achieved global fame, honor and eternal security in Christ Jesus because she was highly favored by God. Please read Luke Chapter 1 verses 26 to 30 to birth the Lord Jesus Christ. The favor of God upon Mary elevated Mary above her peers.

Beloved, you can be suddenly elevated above your peers by the favor of God upon your life if only you will allow God take charge of your life. Mary was a chaste young woman; she was engaged to be married but was suddenly found to be with child – pregnant outside of wedlock. Joseph considered putting her away but rescinded his decision after God spoke with him through His angel. Please read Matthew Chapter 1 verses 18 to 25. Beloved, the circumstances were not pleasant for Mary, a young unmarried woman pregnant; not even by her fiancé. But God intervened and Joseph did the right thing.