THE KOINONIA DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under,  according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men (Mathew 2:16). The birth of Jesus our saviour was one that generated a lot of battles. Understand that the devil is not always happy whenever God starts working. He will not fold his hands and allow it happen, he will fight it but definitely he can’t stop it. The news of the birth of Jesus which brought Joy, Hope and Faith to many, also brought anger, pain and stirred up envy in the heart of Herod the king. What a cruel world we live in. It is not everybody who congratulates you that are actually celebrating with you. Herod got so bitter to the point that he decided to kill Jesus. He made an order that every child from two years old should be killed. The good news is that the devil can never outsmart God. Go...

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my saviour; my God will hear me (Micah 7:7). One of the characteristics of a matured believer is in his or her ability to patiently wait on God for his intervention even in the midst of fierce oppositions and challenges. From the anchor scripture, we see the prophet making this his personal choice- “But as for me”. He was intentional about it. You see, in life, you have to understand that following the crowd always can make you miss out on God’s plan for your life. There are decisions you have to make of which other people may never support or understand, because you desire to please God with your life and not man. Others may choose to cut corners, seek for short cuts which will ultimately cut them short. Some cheat their way through due to impatience, pressure to fit in, and low self-esteem. As believers, our response to life ought to be different. Prophet Micah said “I wait in hope for the LORD” do you know that, ho...

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7) So much to learn from the above Scripture. Firstly, how could a man be rejected by God and he is not even aware? Oh Lord, for your mercy where I have been rejected I call for acceptance in Jesus name. Oh Lord, place a mark of acceptance upon me and all I do in Jesus name. To be 'rejected' means Eliab was initially chosen by God. Therefore, by God's divine plan, David's eldest brother Eliab was supposed to have been the one ordained as king, but because he was rejected, David took his place. Amazing isn't it? To be 'rejected' means unacceptable, not given approval to, to discard useless, unsatisfactory, etc. Eliab will spend all his life reverencing his younger brother David, who God placed in a position ...

So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. (Genesis 37:28) Life comes with many twists and turns. Life without the help of the Holy Spirit can be very unpredictable. Often a times, you can get help from your worst enemy and also the most deadly attacks from loved ones. The life story of Joseph is full of many lessons. To even imagine that his own brothers thought of killing him, took counsel to destroy the destiny of their own blood brother because of a dream he had. Unbelievable, but that is life. When men can not kill your dream, they want to kill you. Why? Because they do not understand your dream. The heart of a man is desperately wicked. Therefore be careful who you trust and disclose everything about your life to. When they found out that they can't kill him from our scriptural text, we discover that they decided to sell him. Consider th...

I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. (Ezekiel 34:26) The goodness of God knows no bound. It is in the nature of God to bless His people at all times. However, why many do not experience the manifestations of these blessings as they ought to, is due to lack of spiritual growth. God is not a waster of resources. From our scriptural text we discovered that the first thing God takes into consideration before the release of His showers of blessing is the promise of building the people. He said; "I will make them...." The making process always precedes the blessing season. What you are asking God for now in prayer, have you paused for a moment to ask yourself if you are matured enough for it? Can you handle that financial breakthrough? Can you handle that marriage? We are meant to focus first on our spiritual, emotional and mental growth before demanding access into certain level...

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12) There are certain things in life that are meant for only the bold and the courageous. Boldness in the kingdom of God is non-negotiable. It is not optional, it is rather a necessity. Our scriptural text makes us understand that in Him we have boldness and access. Where there is boldness, there will be access. Remember, God has not given us the spirit of fear, but the spirit of power, love and a sound mind. To live in fear is to be ignorant of your redemptive rights and privileges. Boldness is one of the characteristics of men and women who have encountered the new life in Christ. Apostle Paul said in Hebrews 4:16- "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need". It emphatically states the need to come 'boldly'. Not to come fearfully. How you come determines what you obtain. Only the bold will a...