IN WHOSE HANDS IS IT?

MEMORY VERSE: Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 25-30

A basket ball is useless in my hands. If i walk into a jam-packed basket court holding one, no one will take notice of me. But, the same basket ball in the hands of Michael Jordan, in his prime, his worth several millions. If he walks into a basket ball court holding a basket ball, within minutes the court will be jam packed with people screaming and shouting ‘Air Jordan’. Not only that, all the major sports channel in the world, SKY, ESPN, EURO-SPORT, etc, will rush there with their cameras to video him doing wonders with basket ball.It all depends on whose hands the basketball is. How about a tennis racket? In my hands it is useless. But in the hands of Roger Federer, when he used to be called ‘FedEx’ (FedEx was his nick name when he was the world number one ) , it is worth millions. It all depends on whose hands the racket is.

A pinch of salt in my hands is worth nothing. At best, it is used to give flavor to food. The same pinch of salt in the hands of Elisha was used to solve a national problem. In 2 Kings 2:19-21 Elisha applied a pinch of salt to the source of water in Jericho and a problem of over 100 years was solved. The bad water was healed! It all depends on whose hand is the salt. A slingshot in my hands is nothing more than a toy. The same slingshot in the hands of David is like a M9 Bazooka Anti-Tank Rocket launcher. In 1 Samuel 17, David brought down Goliath with one. Just one shot, Goliath was down and the battle was over. It all depends on whose hand is the slingshot. Two fishes and 5 loaves of bread in my hand is just enough for a child's breakfast. The best the greatest cook in the world can do with 2 fishes and 5 loaves of bread is a snack not even a meal for an adult. The same 2 fishes and 5 loaves of bread in the hands of my Lord fed 5000 men not counting women and children (Matthew 14:13-21).

Nails in the hands of an individual will cause injury. Nails in the hands of Jesus produced salvation for the whole world. It all depends on whose hand is the nail. As you can see now, it all depends on whose hands things are. As such, i want to encourage you to put your ministry, family,  visions, dreams, challenges, issues, weakness, lack, worries, financial debts, barrenness, etc, in the able hands of God because it all depends on whose hands these things are. The Psalmist says, “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22). 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” The only One who can take that pain away is Jesus. Why not give your life to Him and watch Him turn it around. Several years back, a couple who were on the verge of divorce decided to give their lives to Christ. They put their alcohol problems, divorce, and the repossession of their mortgage in the hands of God by faith and He solved it all.

NOTE: I don’t know whose hands you have put that difficult challenges but I want you to put it in the hands of Jesus by faith.

PRAYER POINT: Father, I put all I have in your hands by faith.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

IT LIES IN HIS HANDS

MEMORY VERSE: The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. Proverbs 21:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Thessalonians 2- 1 Timothy 1

Proverbs 21:1 says: “the King’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Who is a king? A ‘king’ is anyone in position of authority. Ecclesiastes 8:4 says: “where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, what doest thou?” A king is someone who runs the show. When the bible says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,” it means the heart of everyone who is in position of authority is in the hand of God. Several years ago, a senior manager, in my place of work, instructed me to release a particular member of staff back to his agency because he did something wrong. This member of staff was diligent and reliable, besides this was his first time of getting into trouble so I tried to plead with this manager but she refused. Whilst explaining how to go about this release, a colleague came in to see her so she excused herself and attended to him. I began to pray in my heart that she would show mercy. All of a sudden, she just turned to me and said, “Sam, it seems you do not want us to release so and so, in that case give him a final warning”. The Lord touched her heart for me! I left her office dancing.

A ‘king’ is a judge. The children of Israel told Samuel, “give us king to Judge us” (1 Samuel 8:6). A king through judgment decides the fate of others. When the bible says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,” it simply means the heart of every Judge is in the hand of God. When the enemies of David brought him before Achish, King of Gath, Goliath’s master, he feared greatly. Many a times, fear causes people to do the unthinkable. Out of fear David pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down on his beard. The Lord touched Achish’s heart and instead of killing David, he showed him mercy (1 Samuel 21:11-15). A ‘king’ is anyone born of a woman. So when the bible says, “The heart of a king is in the hand of God,” it means the heart of anyone born of a woman is in the hand of God. The heart of your manager at work is in the hand of God. The heart of that man that is always gambling with his children’s school fees is in the hand of God. The heart of that wicked lecturer is in the hand of God. The heart of that stubborn child is in the hand of God. A brother received a particular sister some years back. When he approached the sister to tell her that God had revealed to him that she would be his wife, the sister went ballistic. She shunned him and sent him away from her house. Out of embarrassment and multiple insults, the brother left it in the hands of God. Today, that brother, now a pastor, is married to the sister, also a pastor. Along the way, God touched the sister’s heart and everything changed.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: God can touch people's heart and they will volunteer to help you without you asking for help.

PRAYER: Father, we pray for every believer having interview this week that you will touch the heart of their interviewer.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

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WHAT IS IN THINE HAND

MEMORY VERSE: and the Lord said unto him, what is in thine hand? And he said, a rod, Exodus 4:2

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1Kgs 17, Col 4, Ezek 47, Ps 38

BIBLE STUDY: Exodus 4:1-4

The Lord saw how the Egyptians treated the children of Israel; he picked Moses to lead them out. For a reason or two, Moses felt he was not up to the task so he began to give God excuses. He asked for a sign to show to the children of Israel. Exodus 4:2 says and the Lord said unto him, what is in thine hand? And he said, a rod. The Lord told him to drop the rod .He did and the rod turned into a snake. The Lord told him to pick up the snake by its tail, Moses did and the snake turned into a rod.

Firstly, you will never realize the potential in what is in your hand until you release it to God. The rod of Moses in Exodus 4:2 became the rod of God in Exodus 4:20. In Exodus 14:14-22, Moses lifted the rod and the sea parted into two. The rod became a tool for dividing waters (taking care of challenges). If Moses had not obeyed God and released the rod, he would not have realized the potential in his rod. To realize the potential in that connection you have, use it for God and for the gospel. There are many who think their life is useless, friends your life is not useless. If you want to realize the potential in you, release yourself to God and you will be amazed. That seed (money) in your hand has the potential of yielding hundred fold returns. You will never realize that potential until you release it God. Paul realized the potential in him when he gave himself to the gospel. By the time we get to Acts 19:11, we see aprons from the body of Paul casting out demons.

The rod of Moses had the potential to kill i.e. become a snake (an angel of death). That rod had potential to destroy Moses but he did not know until he obeyed the voice of God and dropped it. The rod became a snake and Moses fled. There are things in our hands that have the potential to destroy us. For instance anger has the potential to destroy a blossoming relationship or growing ministry and many do not know. That is why God is saying drop it. Ecclesiastes 7:9 says anger rest in the bosom of fools. Bitterness and unforgiveness have the potential to put a fellow into spiritual bondage. The spirit of bitterness and unforgiveness hand people over to tormentors. Until you drop them at the feet of Jesus, you will not know true peace. Sin has the potential of turning a son into a slave and God is saying flee away from all appearances of evil, 1 Thessalonians 5:22.

NOTE: The only way to realize the potential in a thing is by giving it to God.

Bro Samuel – Reaching the world for Jesus.