GET UNDERSTANDING

Earlier in the day, okay I know it's still too early for some of you 😃

I was reading John 3, and I came across this remarkable question Jesus asked Nicodemus:

"Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

The things Jesus was referring to were being born of water and the Spirit, and the analogy of the wind. Nicodemus was a teacher of Israel, yet he came by night to another Teacher because he realized there was something he had not yet grasped.

That got me thinking;

You can accumulate knowledge and still lack understanding.

The book of Proverbs repeatedly emphasizes the value of understanding. It's one thing to know the Scriptures; it's another thing to understand what they are revealing. Knowledge informs, but understanding illuminates. Knowledge tells you what God said; understanding helps you discern what He meant and how to walk in it.

Jesus said that not everyone who says, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of the Father. You cannot consistently do a will you do not understand. Obedience flows from understanding.

David echoes this truth in Psalm 9:10:

"Those who know Your name put their trust in You."

He doesn't say those who merely call on His name, but those who know. There is a depth of revelation and illumination that produces that kind of trust.

What am I saying?

It is entirely possible to have the Book and still not understand the Book 

So don't settle for merely reading Scripture. 

Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes, to give you understanding because knowledge is easy for a man of understanding , understanding transforms information into revelation, and revelation produces a life of obedience.

With all thy getting, get understanding.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, so that you may know Him .

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of this calling . Eph 1:17

DailyWell-Peace ✨

OBSERVATIONAL INTIMACY

Yesterday I learnt of something called observational intimacy.

It fascinated me for a hot minute.

The idea that you can deeply know someone simply by beholding them—their expressions, habits, rhythms, and routines.

This isn't casual knowing. It is the kind of knowing that comes from deliberate, unhurried attention.

It isn't for surface-level lovers. It belongs to those who choose to linger.

And Scripture gives us a beautiful picture of it.

In Luke 10, we meet two sisters.

The house belonged to Martha. She welcomed Jesus into her home, yet soon became occupied with serving. Ironically, the very one who invited Him became distracted from Him.

But Mary,

She sat at His feet.

She listened to what He was saying.

Let's consider those two postures.

Sitting is the posture of rest. It is choosing to be still enough to become absorbed in His presence, where only He matters. It is the kind of rest that notices His countenance.

Listening means you are not merely present—you are attentive. Your heart is inclined toward every word that proceeds from His mouth.

Mary wasn't just in the room.

She was fully there—heart, mind, and attention completely surrendered to Him.

That is observational intimacy.

Loving Someone so deeply that your attention is undivided. Watching, listening, lingering. Becoming so acquainted with His heart that He Himself bears witness that you have chosen the better portion.

The village had many houses.

Anyone could have hosted Jesus.

Martha invited Him. That was the first level.

The house was Martha's, but after inviting Him, she became distracted by many things. That was the second level.

Then came Mary.

The house wasn't hers, but her affection was intentional. She understood that the greatest privilege wasn't hosting the King—it was beholding Him.

In the presence of the King, don't let distractions steal your gaze.

Sit.

Listen.

Lavish your love on Him.

He's worthy of your observational intimacy.

Listen to what moves His heart.

ADMINISTERED JUSTICE ⚖️

The old testament documents halorts and their ways a couple of times and yesterday these two harlots had me on hook.

These ones were not just in the same 'proffesion" , they were economically mindful to even share a house.

 

To them, individual privacy didn't seem like a thing they prized , they were bare with each other;so much so that they had access to each others children.

Then one day , there's death in their house . 

Now they are facing both a legal fight on whose child is alive and an enemity.

A separation that would alter their coexistence.

Thing with harlotry especially if conception happens is, the uncertainty of fatherhood. In such case ,the woman knows she'll have to solely shoulder the parental responsibility . 

So let's unpack a few thoughts that sat heavy on me yesternight.

1️⃣Both babies were safe at their mother's breasts. 

Then one mother turned and laid her whole body on their baby ,it died . 

Imagine a mother waking up to find her own flesh was the instrument that killed her baby😭😭well,that's what our own righteousness and strivings of the flesh produced ,death, so God called it filthy rags .

Paul records in Ephesians 6 that to be able to withstand in the evil day ,one of the armoury you will need to put on is the breastplate of righteousness. 

It is the positional stand in Sonship. And it is imputed to us . We wouldn't have gotten it any other way .

Gal 4:6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts... crying Abba father

The breastplate of righteousness guarantees our security in Him as sons .

When your breastplate is on , how you are "sleeping" is not on you but on your father ,Unlike the harlot who wanted to clear her mess using trickery .

2️⃣Another thing to look into is the sharp sword Solomon asked for .That was what he needed to use to effect justice to the two warring mother's .

Now , Paul echoes again about the sword ⚔️ take the Sword of the spirit which is the Word of God . The Word of God is living,it is active , it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." See how quickly the King established who the mother to the living child was.The sword will always come to cast down every argument that tries to exalt itself against the knowledge of God.

 

3️⃣Another thing to look into is that fact the baby died on day three .

The same number of days that changes rather reversed the trajectory of a man's history's. 

First,this case was the GRAND REVEAL of the kings wisdom.

So when Paul is saying Christ became to us the wisdom of God,the grand display of it was in the execution of our redemption from the kingdom of darkeness , translating us into the kingdom of the son of His love . 

All this in 3 days of his death , resurrection, ascension and glorification. 

 Day three,came with the fulfillment of what Isaiah prophesied "Gods pleasure would prosper in His hands. God's will had now found one who fully satisfied it.

We were now justified and at peace with God.

4️⃣Another factor to look into is ,when the baby was being swapped , his mom was sound asleep , she heard nothing , until when she woke up to realise no,this is not mine child.

The king would have condemned her for oversleeping and not keeping an eye on her baby but he treated her as one who was awake the whole time by offering her an instantaneous verdict in her favour . 

5️⃣Another factor to consider is Boldness .The audacity and courage the true mom had when she woke up to go face the king seeking justice ,you and me can boldly come to the throne of Grace , there we find grace and mercy to help us in time if need . Infact the King tells us to fear not, there's a table laid out for us 

6️⃣Finally, let's look at the same mom back at home .

 She had a guarantee that as long as she in the house, it was her baby who's there with her .The justice executed gave her a guarantee and security.

Because where the word of a king is there is power . 

Here's the best thing about this story,that we have the Holy spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance,like the woman left the kings chambers with a surerity that this is my son 

. 

Jude 1:1 reminds us that we have been preserved in Christ .

🤎In Christ. 🤎 in Him we no longer need to shoulder the weight and bear the cost of the seed 'conceived' in harlotry.

🤎In Christ🤎is where we are kept. Not by vigilance. Not by performance. Not by staying awake through the night .

🤎In Christ🤎 where our treasure is .

✨no thief can steal 

✨no rust or moth can destroy 

We began when they were in an abode , we end by telling you Christ is our abode .

WATCHFUL SHEPHERD

Yesterday our pastor highlighted this verse 

Hebrews 13:17

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. 

Pastor said that the instruction to obey presupposes you  already have a shepherd . 🙌

But this morning I have also read👇

"They watch out for your souls " 

Watching over the soul isn't surveillance and being a monitoring spirit 😃it's shepherding until Christ be formed in us .

A shepherd is not just watching what you are becoming but also what you are consuming because they have an accountability to God to steward the souls of His flock faithfully.

See,the Lord being a good shepherd ,He makes us lie in green pastures and leads beside still waters because that is where the soul is restored. 

Your soul is the faculty that receives knowledge ,the ear it is given to matters because that determines it's transformation or lack of it. 

Jesus after restoring Peter assigned him to feed His lambs ,He knew Peter had the right food for His lambs 

Watching out for the soul is not just in watching what the soul is changing into but what the soul is feeding on , how wholesome you are is purely dependent on the diet you are on.

Now they that labour in word and doctirne are worthy of double honour , not just obedience but double honour ,because if they watch over you poorly ,it's a fail to the soul .

Honour the shepherd that feeds you well because a soul without knowledge is not good ✨

WHAT ARE YOU YOKED TO?

Brethren God was not done,apart from mixed fabrics and mixed seeds ,. He also got into plowing 🤣 

But wanaisraeli pia had it rough ;

Deuteronomy 22:10

You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.

Plowing is not just turning soil in and out , it is also carefully weeding out what doesn't need to be in the field while evenly preparing the land for sowing.

 

God was not just interested in having the land plowed but also how it was done ,what animals they used to prepare the land .

An ox and a donkey can be yoked together. Both are strong. Both can pull. But they are not of the same kind and that difference matters more than the task at hand.

 Their strides are different. Their strengths are also unequal. Their responses to pressure are not the same. So what happens when you yoke them? 

One animal suffers,one animal compromises its being and the very ground that is supposed to receive good seed comes out uneven 

Plowing needs to be done yes, but it matters how it is done ,to even out the land ..

Ephesians 5 introduces a bride sanctified and cleansed with the washing of water by the Word ready to be presented without spot or wrinkle , Spots and wrinkles would be an indicator that there was uneven cleaning , and that's not how Christ wants His bride.

Christ wants His bride conformed to His image .

His warning against use of two animals which are not of the same kind was because of the mismatched nature ,the compromise that would have to tag along and the inconsistentcy which the land would be left in.

Writing to the Corinthians Paul warns them of this;

2 Corinthians 6:14

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? 

Before using this scripture for marriage and relationships, consider your union with Christ , do you yoke His tools and those of the enemy , because that will ultimately produce a very uneven ground , which will not be fit for the seed of the Word and conformity to His image will be stained and strained.

God is not asking you to stop plowing but to stay cautious of what you are yoked to because the condition of the ground depends on it .

DailyWell -Peace ✨

DISPOSE YOUR NEEDLE

Yesterday I was here talking about God warning Israel not to mix seeds lest they corrupt their vineyards .

Today let's look at the fabrics too because this is where I am sure I'd have been rejected 🤣🤣 I can't wear silk alone ,how? 

Deuteronomy 22:11

You shall not wear a garment of different sorts, such as wool and linen mixed together.

He didn't say don't wear he just said your garment must be of the same kind

Why perhaps? 

Well ,  initially Adam and wifey were naked and unashamed?

 Clothes didn't have meaning,but upon eating the fruit ,they realised they needed to cover up so they made figs to cover themselves.

Fig leaves dry easily , crack and fall ,it was an emblem of their works ,effort which was not sustainable .

Then God slaughters an animal to make them skin which was better as a their covering though it cost an animal it's life.

Fast forward to the tabernacle,tphe priestly and Levitical garments were not fashion , they were function. God specified every detail 

He didn't want anyone wearing anything without his precise instruction.

Garments speak of covering,they speak of righteousness .

Garments cover our nakedness,our shame .

God didn't originally give Adam and Eve clothes,because they didn't need them , Adam was a son of God . His nature was righteousness.

Then sin came, and introduced a mixture of garment ,humanity wore a garment stained with sin and had to use effort, Sacrifices upon sacrifices,ritual upon ritual to cover up.

Isaiah considers and describes our best 'stitchings' and calls it filthy rags. Not rags,filthy ones ,there's a difference.

A different garment was introduced by sin . A garment so heavy it took a lamb being slain to get us a different one.

God is presently saying;

Galatians 3:26-27

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

You've been reclothed .

Don't take your own righteousness and stitch it along Christs' ,dispose your needle 😃 your fit is perfect .

THE VINEYARD

I have days I really thank God I wasn't around in the days of Moses because aaah — I was not going to make it. 🥺🥺 

Because why is God saying we shouldn't wear mixed fabrics? 

Why was God interested in farming logistics and seed regulations? 

 Deuteronomy 22:9

You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled. (Deuteronomy 22:9)

Corruption of the vineyard would only happen when a different seed is introduced and in turn that would defile the fruit.

Because the thing with a seed is it subjects itself to death so that it can birth more than itself.. And that is exactly how a corrupt seed begins to circulate. 

To avoid the corruption, God says let the vineyard stay pure. Sow one kind of seed. No mixture.

Then Jesus comes and says the Word is the seed, He is the Vine Dresser, and my friend, your heart is the vineyard.

The seed of the Word must remain purely in it. Because if you mix the Word with something else, what you birth is a defiled fruit.

It is only the entrance of the Word that produces light.

Now here is the detail that quietly undid me. The vineyard doesn't choose its seed. The owner does. 🤦🏽‍♀️ to tell me that the guarding of my heart with all diligence is not the vineyard defending itself ,it is the owner deciding what gets entry. 

Stay away from being unequally yoked with that which will birth corruption.

Look at the church in Thyatira in Revelation 2:19 ,they are not called corrupt because their deeds were bad ,in fact they are commended for their works, love, service, and endurance .But on the other side, they also tolerated Jezebel , permitted her to teach and lure the servants of God into sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols. 

They kept the Word and also gave jezebel a seat at their table .

That is something quieter and far more dangerous. This is addition. The vineyard still looked active. The fruit was still coming. But a different seed had been planted alongside the right one, and it was circulating.

Compromise is not abandonment. It is addition.

Guarding the heart will then look like preventing philosophies, ideologies,doctrines of demons, the voice of a stranger from making entry because what enters will eventually bear fruit. And you will eat of it.

But here is where grace arrives.

To thyatira He says repent, return the vineyard to the owners original intent.

Tend the garden by removing what I didn't permit .

The Vine Dresser has not left the vineyard,but he wants the right kind of seed in it .

He prunes. He cleanses. Where mixture happened

The Word that once ruled can re-establish its purity. 

Grace is not only for the barren fields. It is for the compromised ones too.

DailyWell — Peace✨

THE RACE

I was maybe 9years old when our teacher told us about Dr. Ben Carson while holding a copy of his book 'Gifted Hands '

The boy from Detroit who was called the dumbest in his class. The boy who endured, who pushed, who became one of the most celebrated neurosurgeons in history. The doctor who separated conjoined twins when the whole medical world said it could not be done.

I remember sitting in that classroom in absolute awe and all I was entrenched in was the beauty of becoming a neurosurgeon to help other conjoined twins in the future😃and give them a chance in life to live separately.😃

Then,as I grew up I kept learning that I cannot stand the sight of blood 🤣wounds or even basic injection, I slowly began realising the medical field is not a 'race I want to run' but there's a race set before me that I must run with endurance.

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

The writer of Hebrews opens this verse with a therefore meaning everything that follows is built on everything that came before. Chapter 11 has just introduced us to the hall of faith. Men and women who believed God in impossible circumstances and whose lives became testimonies.

Their stories are the 'crowd' of those who've gone ahead and their endurance is the 'witness'

And the invitation is this 'let their lives embolden you to finish yours'.

But here is what I also want you to notice;

The crowd is not running for you your race .

The witnesses watch. They inspire. They testify. But the stripping , that is yours.

 The running , that is yours.

 The endurance , that is yours. Ben Carson's story moved me deeply. It still does. But his race was not my race. No matter how inspiring it was.

The verse mentions weights separately from sin. A weight is not always something wicked. Sometimes ,a weight could simply be the wrong race. An expectation you inherited. A dream that belongs to someone else's life. A lane you stepped into because it looked glamourus from the outside not because God placed you in it.

Running someone else's race will exhaust you,it's weighty.

Not because you are weak. But because you were not built for it.

The grace to endure is only available on the road God set for you. You will not find staying power in a borrowed assignment. You will find pressure, performance anxiety, and burnout and you will wonder why God feels distant when really you are just running in the wrong direction.

The crowd of witnesses is not cheering you toward their finish lines. They are cheering you toward yours.

Ben Carson ran his race with everything he had,and I am here, writing to you — not in an operating theatre🤣 but at this Daily Well .

Friend ,find your race. Strip everything that will weigh you down ,run with Endurance. Stay in your lane, undistracted, focused, unbothered by the glamour of lanes that were never yours.

The race God set for you is for you.. run faithfully.

DailyWell-Peace ✨

Atrophying? Exercise.

Being that we learn daily, a couple of days ago I learned a new word: atrophy.

Atrophy is the wasting away of something through disuse. A muscle that is not exercised weakens. A skill that is not practiced diminishes. Nothing stays static. Growth demands stewardship 

Think about this proverb; Iron sharpens iron and during sharpening three things happen ,

✨Friction is involved.

✨Pressure is involved.

✨Sometimes sparks are involved

Yet the purpose is not damage but improvement.

If a blade is not sharpened it will overtime become dull and rusty .

Hebrews 5:14

"But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

When we break that down ,we see that ;

✨Strong meat — requires ability to 'chew' and that is capacity 

✨Full age — speaks of maturity.

✨By reason of use have their senses exercised to discern — speaks of stewardship.

The transition from milk to meat is not because you have outgrown milk. Rather, milk has accomplished its purpose: it has formed in you what is necessary to support the eating of meat. It has brought you to a place where you now possess the capacity to handle deeper things because you have come of age in the knowledge of Christ.

But maturity is not the destination ,it forms in us a steward.

The writer of Hebrews does not say they discern because they heard, studied, or memorized. He says they discern by reason of use. What they received, they practiced. What they learned, they exercised the more they exercised the more they discerned what was good and what was evil .

And that is where many things either grow or atrophy.

Truth unused becomes truth forgotten. Discernment unused becomes discernment dulled. 

Maturity forms a steward in us and in stewardship it's required that we be found faithful.

The things God gives us are not merely to be possessed; they are to be exercised and the more the we exercise,the more we keep Atrophy at bay

 DailyWell- Peace 

THE WHALE FALL

Ever heard of the whale fall? 

No? 

Here is what it is ;

When a whale dies and sinks to the ocean floor, it becomes what scientists call a whale fall and what unfolds is extraordinary. The carcass sustains entire ecosystems in stages, sometimes over decades.

The whale in death is said to give more life than it ever did in life.It sustains more species in its death for extended period of time .

I was busy loving marine biology guys but Jesus is Lord of all I ended up seeing the Light of His Person through this fishy story of death and life 🤣🤣 anyway it's through Him that all things were made including the whale and the strange math of multiplication through death.

John 12:24:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."

Jesus said a grain of wheat, but I'm here using the whale logic ; that dying is not the end of giving of life, it is the beginning of a different, wider kind of giving of life.

As the only begotten of the Father,He chose to be the Seed that Fell to the ground that he would bring many sons to glory. 

Through His death ,many have been begotten of the father, that though death ordinarily ends a life,His birthed many lives. 

Though death should have brought sorrow,His was one that gave God pleasure because His purpose for man would be fulfilled.

Though His death had brought mockery to Him as 'King of the Jews' His resurrection was evidence of His kingship as Lord of all .

His death was a wonder because it was through it that we have come to the NEWNESS OF LIFE, I am the fruit of His 'fall'.

I am born of God.

Many love the prayer of Jabez but I say consider the prayer in John 17 ,it is solid. His hour to be glorified has come, and the prayer He makes for His disciples is this: "The glory You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one, just as We are one." (John 17:22)

This is where the grain of wheat was always headed. 

Much fruit was not just in numbers , it was about union. He bore fruit after His kind, that we would be brought into the very oneness He shares with the Father.

"He who is joined to the Lord is one — one 🥺 spirit with Him." (1 Corinthians 6:17)

Now you see being told 'life is spiritual' is not a far fetched truth , you are born of the the spirit and that which is born of the spirit is spirit .

You've been raised to life through His life .

DailyWell-Peace ✨

BETTER

I love it when I'm reading Scripture and one word sticks.

Not because I am looking for it but it keeps just popping in other scriptures until I pay attention 😀

Yesterday that word was; better.

 Better doesn't just mean nice or improved, it means what is now present is of greater worth, greater value, greater quality than what was there before. Better assumes something came first. And something else later surpassed it.

Several scriptures popped but these three stayed with me;

✨ It is better to live on the corner of a rooftop than with a quarrelsome wife. — Proverbs 21:9

✨ The end of a matter is better than its beginning. — Ecclesiastes 7:8

✨ Christ has become the guarantor of a better covenant, established on better promises. — Hebrews 7:22

The groom in Proverbs chose the rooftop. That corner of the house that is exposed and uncomfortable. But he stayed. He didn't pack his things and walk out completely he just moved to where the peace was and waited.

His was the kind of love that doesn't leave. The kind that watches from a distance and keeps coming back. Because every time he drew near, something in her softened. Maybe she didn't even notice it. But he did. He kept pursuing because he could already see what peace between them looked like and he wanted that .

That's the groom on the rooftop, patient, persistent, pursuing.

And then; the end of a matter is better than its beginning.

We know what "It is finished" sounds like. We've read it,sang it so many times.

But that moment on the cross was the end of a very long matter. A matter that started in a garden where God walked with man in the cool of the day and then sin entered and the walking stopped.

But God never stopped watching for His beloved .

With every covenant, every prophet, every sacrifice it was all Him staying on the rooftop. Drawing near,waiting for the moment He could say DONE. 

The end was always going to be better. He planned it that way.

Which brings us to the better covenant. Established on better promises.

Not just revised promises. Better ones. The old covenant said you keep yourself right before God. And we couldn't. 

So Christ became the guarantor of the New covenant. 

Which means He didn't just sign off on the promise , He is the promise. He absorbed everything,every contention ,every 'quarrelsomeness' that stood between us and the Father and said, I've got this. She can come in.

And the better promises? Peace in the house again.😀 Now I have Pece with God , I have Communion with the Him. Everything the Groom always wanted His bride to walk in finally coming to a fruitful end..

Here's what I kept seeing across all three;

Better always required staying through discomfort and even pain .

The groom stayed on the rooftop, in pursuit, the preacher in Ecclesiastes stayed through the whole matter until the end proved itself better than he imagined at the start. And Christ He stayed through Gethsemane, through the cross, through the silence until that resurrection morning became the loudest proof that the end of a matter is better than its beginning.

 In Christ we have something better than what Adam lost. We have a covenant that can not be broken because its guarantor cannot fail.

Song of Solomon 2:16

My beloved is mine, and I am His.

✨ In Christ ✨

SERVICE AND SONSHIP

Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn.

So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. 

Pharaoh had a will to actually release the people and he severally  denied the people freedom and the people had will to respond to that freedom by serving /worshiping God .

The Freedom from Egypt wasn't the end goal ,it was the doorway to worship .

God didn't just say "let my people go" — he said "let my people go so they can serve me." The exodus was instrumental to something else.

Different versions use the word serve/worship interchangeably ,meaning they carry a similarity .

Paul talks severally of being a servant of Christ , not in the capacity of one who don't belong but from the place of being a son that now it gives him pleasure to serve or submit to the king willfully.

Service must be from the place of liberty and Galatians 5;1 reminds us to stand therefore on that freedom wherewith We've been made free.

Service under Pharaoh was extraction without consent ; labor /service demanded from those who had no say. 

Service to God post-exodus is something else entirely: invitation not coercion; relationship not just relief .

 Same word, "serve" has different standings ,One is bondage. The other is worship.

Paul's writing to the Phillipians says "let this mind be in you that was in Christ " to let is to permit , to allow , to grant access.

The expression of the mind of Christ in man works when you let it .

Christ doesn't force his mind on you, he makes it available, accessible and you permit it to function through you. The sense of allowing access rather than commanding compliance.

God doesn't just liberate people from something , He liberates them into the capacity to choose Him. And that choosing, repeated is service. The freedom isn't the destination; it's what makes the destination beautiful and worthwhile.

Slavery in Egypt couldn't produce worshippers, no matter how loud the cries. Only free sons can offer worship .

Abraham left behind servants and went with the son to worship because with Isaac being free to access anything the father had made it beautiful

interesting to note how Paul teaches on Sonship and then calls himself a bondservant, because sonship and service are not opposites. In the kingdom, sons serve because they love the Father.

Service has the privilege of belonging rather than the burden of being tasked to . 

Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours (Luke 15:31).

The father to his elder son here was implying his presence and possession were at the sons disposal ,but the son was serving to attack. what was already his.

✨

THE JOURNEY || FATHERHOOD

I found a story,a story of a father and son .

One that got me hooked .

So , have a seat .

We know Abraham right , okay who doesn't know the father of faith? 

 The guy has a great name and as scripture says , a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches. 

So Abrams dad ,Terah packs up his family and they leave Ur of Chaldeans headed to Canaan. Canaan was the destination.

During their transit, they get to a city called Haran,instead of going through it , Terah settled his family there . 

You can call this "settling for less " If you like 🤣🤣 because technically the family didn't get to the intended destination. 

Then later God calls Abram to complete the journey ."We are for completing the Journey "wasn't introduced by our former president I say 🤣

Okay ,let's slow down on Terah and take note on a few things ;

✨ He had gone through the loss of a child 

✨He moved into a new locality which was unfamiliar 

✨He gave up on his mission /vision halfway through the journey 

I kept wondering ;

Did Abram ever look back to see that the journey to Canaan was actually began by the dad? 

It seems as if the dad had divine insight when it came to Abrams life and purpose, so he set him on a journey closer to the " promised land ".

Did Abraham ever wonder why the dad stopped halfway? 

Well , We don't know since that's not recorded for our reading but what that shows is that fathers are human .

Sometimes they'll be grieving the loss of one son while having to pave way and position the living son to fulfil purpose.

Sometimes they'll not finish the journey as they navigate through unfamiliar territories with little understanding.

Yes ,we pray the Lord leads them because they are His sons .

Most of us judge our fathers /men too harshly,let's be compassionate.

Sometimes a father will begin the journey and a son will finish it . 

The inheritance he lives behind may not be in property,it maybe wrapped in knowledge, wisdom and network 

Honour the father who got you to Haran.

He may not have delivered the promised land to you but he set you on a good path to get there .

🟢To the father/man in Ur of Chaldeans just making the move ,keep moving 

🟢To the father/man stuck in haran because life happened and things caved in on you , there's light in you and those with you .

🟢To the father/man who's picked up the pieces and and is headed to Canaan , prosper in your land of promise .

🟢To the father/man in Canaan you can testify of God's faithfulness 

Grace.

TRAIN || ||FATHERHOOD

Another unplanned sequel 🤣🤣It's meditation, let's blame meditation 😀Yesterday we did Ephesians 6:1-3 and in essence established obedience is the foundation on Which honour blooms .Today we take a look at verses 4Ephesians 6:4And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. I love how God was specific in speaking to fathers here , not to exasperate their children to anger , ofcourse I wanted to know why he said it to fathers only 🤣🤣 and Collosians said that if fathers embitter their children they become discouraged.Discouragement is like a quiet injury,it doesn't bleed loudly it just makes the child to slowly stop reaching .The Role of a father is to TRAIN in the Instruction of the Lord .

To train is an intentional engagement. By training , a father is simply curating a path for the child . He is not just correcting behaviour,he is shaping character and cultivating wisdom for purpose in the child .A father doesn't just use an imaginary method to train , He follows a pattern , the instruction of the Lord .God has given the father Divine insight to steward what's he has been put in charge of .While exasperation would bring discouragement, training prepares a child for to prosper and bloom in their inheritance.The expression of a wise man leaving an inheritance for His children and His children's children is not only  scripture to fill up the Bible  but a statement to tell a son/daughter  that the father/father figure has the ability to lay a foundation that generations  after Him can build on.That is legacy . Training is therefore not simply about discipline; it is about preparation. It is the daily deposit of wisdom, correction, instruction, example, and love that equips a child to walk confidently in God's purpose..A trained child , though he strays hell come back to his senses .

OBEDIENCE || FATHERHOOD

✨ Happy NewMonth ✨Being the fathers day month,we must learn a thing about the Father.But for our understanding of His person let's begin here 👇👇This looks like an intentional sequence Ephesians 6:1-3🤎Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.🤎“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise:🤎that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.As a parent , I have absolutes in my house . Things that are are not subject to discussion with my son , I am slowly learning why God makes it that way . Because obedience forms a child . However ,am sure by the time he turns 20 or 30 he will have grown enough to decided whether to do what am saying or not . Children ought to obey because they are children , inexperienced and without much knowledge so it's expected of them to follow the instructions of a parent .Obedience is better than sacrifice yes and in obeying something is quietly being built, foundationally.Obedience is basically following instructions to the letter and this teaches us to develop an attentive ear,to incline to God's saying.Before they follow a shepherd ,sheep always hear his voice As a child , obedience is the foundation upon which honour is built .Where there's obedience,honour will thrive with ease .Honour has a lot to do with maturity. A transition from milk to meat.. if you skip milk , meat will choke you😀😀Honour means you have grown in Sonship so much to understand and also choose to do what's expected of you.Not because you were told but because you know ,you know what to do and you do it circumstances notwithstanding.Also, noticed how honour ties up a promise of your well being to itself? Why? Well,because as long as you remain a child there are responsibilities that won't be given and lack of responsibilities means there are places you wont go. Even God sent a Son and He was sure, through Him His pleasure will prosper . IT PLEASES YOUR FATHER to give you the kingdom.Dont be the heir who remains a child .Let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. 

(Heb 6:1)Obedience forms the child. Honour reveals the son. Sonship positions us for inheritance, inheritance guarantees our well being and longevity if our life#GoodFathe

IN CHRIST

Another unplanned sequel to yesterday's post 😄😄

The old testament documents halorts and their ways a couple of times .

But yesterday's harlots had me on hook.

These ones were not just in the same 'proffesion" , they were economically mindful so to even share a house.

 

To them, individual privacy didn't seem like a thing they prized , they were bare with each

 other;so much so that they had access to each others children.

Then one day , there's death in their house . 

Now they are facing both a legal fight on whose child is alive and an enemity.

A separation that would alter their coexistence.

Thing with harlotry especially if conception happens is, the uncertainty of fatherhood. In such case ,the woman knows she'll have to solely shoulder the parental responsibility . 

So let's unpack a few thoughts that sat heavy on me yesternight.

1️⃣Both babies were safe at their mother's breasts. 

Then one mother turned and laid her whole body on their baby ,it died . 

Imagine a mother waking up to find her own flesh was the instrument that killed her baby😭😭well,that's what our own righteousness and strivings of the flesh produced ,death, so God called it filthy rags .

Paul records in Ephesians 6 that to be able to withstand in the evil day ,one of the armoury you will need to put on is the breastplate of righteousness. 

It is the positional stand in Sonship. And it is imputed to us . We wouldn't have gotten it any other way .

Gal 4:6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts... crying Abba father

The breastplate of righteousness guarantees our security in Him as sons .

When your breastplate is on , how you are "sleeping" is not on you but on your father ,Unlike the harlot who wanted to clear her mess using trickery .

2️⃣Another thing to look into is the sharp sword Solomon asked for .That was what he needed to use to effect justice to the two warring mother's .

Now , Paul echoes again about the sword ⚔️ take the Sword of the spirit which is the Word of God . The Word of God is living,it is active , it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." See how quickly the King established who the mother to the living child was.The sword will always come to cast down every argument that tries to exalt itself against the knowledge of God.

 

3️⃣Another thing to look into is that fact the baby died on day three .

First,this case was the GRAND REVEAL of the kings wisdom.

So when Paul is saying Christ became to us the wisdom of God,the grand display of it was in the execution of our redemption from the kingdom of darkeness , translating us into the kingdom of the son of His love . 

All this in 3 days of his death , resurrection, ascension and glorification. 

 Day three,came with the fulfillment of what Isaiah prophesied "Gods pleasure would prosper in His hands. God's will had now found one who fully satisfied it.

We were now justified and at peace with God.

4️⃣Another factor to look into is ,when the baby was being swapped , his mom was sound asleep , she heard nothing , until when she woke up to realise no,this is not mine child.

The king would have condemned her for oversleeping and not keeping an eye on her baby but he treated her as one who was awake the whole time by offering her an instantaneous verdict in her favour . 

5️⃣Another factor to consider is Boldness .The audacity and courage the true mom had when she woke up to go face the king seeking justice ,you and me can boldly come to the throne of Grace , there we find grace and mercy to help us in time if need . Infact the King tells us to fear not, there's a table laid out for us 

6️⃣Finally, let's look at the same mom back at home .

 She had a guarantee that as long as she in the house, it was her baby who's there with her .The justice executed gave her a guarantee and security.

Because where the word of a king is there is power . 

Here's the best thing about this story,that we have the Holy spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance,like the woman left the kings chambers with a surerity that this is my son 

. 

Jude 1:1 reminds us that we have been preserved in Christ .

🤎In Christ. 🤎 in Him we no longer need to shoulder the weight and bear the cost of the seed 'conceived' in harlotry.

🤎In Christ🤎is where we are kept. Not by vigilance. Not by performance. Not by staying awake through the night .

🤎In Christ🤎 where our treasure is .

✨no thief can steal 

✨no rust or moth can destroy 

We began when they were in an abode , we end by telling you Christ is our abode .

#May29 #30daysconsistencychallenge #InChrist