Month: July 2020

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 12:2

Terah, Abraham’s father, set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when he got to Haran, he settled and eventually died there. Abraham, however, didn’t think of leaving Haran until God told him to leave there and embark on a journey to Canaan – the very place his father had intended to go. Although, Terah had initially desired to stay in Canaan, the Bible didn’t tell us that he got that inspiration from God. Unlike his father, Abraham’s decision to move out of his father’s house to the land of Canaan was God’s will. While Terah appeared to be like a man who followed his own will, Abraham, seemingly, was a man who depended on God’s will. Therefore, one can say that Terah symbolizes those who often think their future is in their hands whereas Abraham represents people who depend on God for direction in life.

If God was the one who asked Terah to move to Canaan, Terah wouldn’t have shortened his journey by settling in Haran. If he had been sent by God, Terah would have felt the need to fulfill God’s assignment no matter how challenging it was. Terah’s unfulfilled dream is an indication that he wasn’t inspired by God. If Terah’s journey had been initiated by God, most likely, the covenant would have been between him and God. Abraham, on the other hand, encountered a lot of challenges as he tried to fulfill God’s will. But, unlike his father, he never gave up because he was aware of the need to fulfill his own part of the deal with God. If God is asking you to fulfill an assignment, know that He would see you through. God will not ask you to do something that will not succeed in the end. Fear not!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am willing to do your will. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 12:4-9

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 12:2

When God called Abraham, He said to him, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” Although, Abraham had to leave his country to Canaan, a place he didn’t know anything about, he was consoled by the promises that God made to him. Actually, God’s promise to Abraham was the only motivation he had. Abraham must have been excited with the fact that God was going to make him great. He must have felt good that God had chosen him to be the father of many nations. Recall that this was a man who didn’t have a child of his own. He might have thought his name would die with him. All of a sudden, God showed up and said, “I will make your name great…”

As I noted yesterday, Abraham already had a lot of possessions when God called him. So wealth wasn’t really his problem when God called him. His real problem was legacy. He needed an heir. God knew his problem. For that reason, God assured Abraham that his walk with Him will not only lead to a fruitful land but would result to him becoming the father of a great nation. When Abraham got that revelation, he got up and decided to follow God. That act of obedience might appear to be simple but if it wasn’t for Abraham, you and I wouldn’t have known Christ. By doing what God asked him to do, all peoples on earth have been blessed. Know that God is aware of your needs. He knows exactly what’s good for you. If God is asking you to embark on a journey with Him, comply even if it means losing everything you currently have.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, use me to save lives. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 12:2-3

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 12:4

When God asked Abraham to leave his country and his father’s household to a land He would show him, Abraham left as he was instructed. The Bible didn’t say that Abraham objected. He complied even though he was already doing well in Haran. Recall that Abraham wasn’t poor and wretched before God called him. God didn’t meet him at a time he was in trouble or distressed. According to the scriptures, “He (Abraham) took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran…” (Genesis 12:5). In other words, Abraham left Haran as a wealthy man and then set out on a journey to a land he didn’t know. No doubt, Abraham took a leap faith as he followed God’s will. Indeed, it was a bold step; the kind of decision that many wouldn’t take.

Often, when God calls people, He does it at a time they do not expect. God might visit you at a time you are comfortable with your life. It might be at a time you are settling down in a particular field of endeavor, believing it is where you ought to be for life. So when God calls you, everything may seem strange because you would wonder why He would want to disrupt your career and peace. At such times, you might even be tempted to think the revelation you got is just a figment of your imagination. In handling such situations, be mindful of who you share your revelation with. Trying to get other people to interpret a revelation can get you off track. In fact, you might even have to be careful with what your mind is telling you. Whatever God tells you to do, do it in faith.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me a discerning heart. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 12:4-5

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 12:4

Abraham’s father had intended to settle in Canaan land but his journey ended in Haran. The negative effect of that failed dream affected his son. Because Terah ended his journey in Haran, Abraham didn’t feel motivated to move on. Living in Haran, therefore, became normal to Abraham because his father couldn’t move beyond that city. Abraham became accustomed to “half-baked success.” For Abraham, it was a case of following a tradition that had been created by his father. Abraham might have thought; if my father couldn’t get to Canaan land, why should I? He might have resolved to stay in Haran, lead the family that his father had left, build his business and possibly adopt the culture of Haran. Clearly, Abraham didn’t have his own vision. Whatever it was that he had planned to do wasn’t really different from what his father had done. Haran then became his new country.

But just as Abraham was settling down, God showed up with a plan for him. God said to Abraham, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). So Abraham left. We do not know how long it took Abraham before he obeyed God’s instructions. Also, the scriptures didn’t describe how Abraham had his first encounter with God. When He got that instruction, was it by revelation, vision or he had an encounter with the angel of God? The Bible didn’t say. But we know that when Abraham got that message, he obeyed. Possibly, like Abraham, you’ve had an encounter with God. Perhaps, you’ve been in your comfort zone for too long. You’ve been sitting in that room, thinking you can’t go beyond the limits that others have set. It’s time to do what God wants you to do!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the courage to do what you want me to do. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 12:1-4

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Genesis 11:32

Do you know that Terah (Abraham’s father) had intended to live in Canaan? The journey to Canaan didn’t begin with Abraham. The scriptures say, “Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there” (Genesis 11:31). Instead of getting to his destination, Terah settled in Haran and died there. Although, he lived for 205 years, he couldn’t realize his dreams of getting to Canaan land. The Bible didn’t tell us why Terah couldn’t finish his journey. There’s no clear evidence that Terah changed his mind on getting to Canaan. However, he might have ended his journey in Haran for the reason that he changed his mind on Canaan or it could be that he became too comfortable with Haran.

Interestingly, Abraham didn’t make any move to live Haran until God called him. Possibly, after his father’s death, Abraham had decided to remain in Haran. Since, it wasn’t his idea to travel to Canaan; Abraham might have planned to remain in Haran. He might have reasoned that Canaan land wasn’t necessary because Haran was okay. Abraham might have decided to sustain his father’s legacy. Since his father ended his journey in Haran, Abraham might have thought it was right for him to follow his father’s footsteps. Initially, Abraham didn’t try to go beyond his father’s limits. But when God met him, everything changed. I don’t know what you are going through at the moment. Perhaps, like Abraham, you are trying to be like your father. I want you to know that God’s plan might be different from your father’s plans for you. Go beyond your father’s limits!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, May I not be limited by my father’s achievements. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Genesis 11:27-32

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Isaiah 43:8

One of the mysteries of life is that one can have physical eyes and yet lack the ability to see. Again, a person can have ears but be unable to hear. You can also have a mouth and be unable to speak. Also, one can have legs and not be able to walk. A person can have hands but then again, be unable use it effectively. Just as a person can have any of the parts of the human body but still fail to put it to good use, one can also have life and be dead at the same time. This means, you can have life and yet be lifeless. Therefore, having eyes, ears, mouth, legs, hands or any other part of the human body doesn’t make you functional. You become functional by the things you do with your body parts. Similarly, what makes you alive is determined by what you do with your life.

One day, Jesus asked a young man to become His disciple. But the man said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus then replied, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Clearly, Jesus wasn’t only referring to physical death. Although the young man’s father was physically dead, those who would bury him weren’t. But Jesus spoke as if they were also dead. So by that statement, Jesus wanted us to know that one could be alive and still be dead at the same time. In other words, a person may not be physically dead but could be spiritually dead. As Christians, it is important for us recognize the need to stay alive spiritually. You can be physically strong but if you are not strong spiritually, then you are as dead as the people Jesus was referring to.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the ability to build my spiritual life. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 8:18-22

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – 1 Corinthians 6:17

Not many Christians believe they can be like Christ. Most times, we think of ourselves as humans who are incapable of becoming saints. We see ourselves as “sinners” who cannot overcome sin. Instead of thinking of ourselves as “little Christs”, we prefer to think of ourselves as weak and imperfect people. Somehow, religion and earthly philosophies have convinced us that we cannot be perfect. We’ve been conditioned to think that only heavenly beings are perfect. So when we fail to live the life that God expects of us, we blame it on our human nature and say things like, “I am just human.” Or we might say, “Only God is perfect.” But Jesus himself disagrees with that position. Jesus said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect”. When Jesus made that statement, he was teaching his disciples on ways they could live an effective life.

Christians should not only believe in what Jesus did, but should also believe in what He said. If it wasn’t possible to be perfect, would Jesus have mentioned it? The main reason why we are incapable of living perfect lives is because, most times, we live our lives without the influence of the Holy Spirit. We cannot be as perfect as our heavenly father if we depend on our flesh. As long as our flesh is occupying the place of the Holy Spirit, we cannot be like God. If the Holy Spirit isn’t the one influencing you, there’s no way you can be perfect.  It’s often a case of our flesh versus the Holy Spirit. Paul said, “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires”

Prayer: Holy Spirit, come into my life and be my guardian. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 5:48; Romans 6:5-6;

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – John 3:6

One day, an old man, named Nicodemus paid a surprise visit to Jesus. Because he was a Pharisee, he had to sneak into the dark like a thief. Clearly, he didn’t want his colleagues to know he was visiting Jesus because they were opposed to His teachings. But Nicodemus was convinced that Jesus had come from God. So he went to Jesus so he could learn more about God’s kingdom. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” At first, Nicodemus was confused. He wondered how a grown up man like him could re-enter his mother’s womb and be reborn. But Jesus further explained, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” That is, just as our bodies are birth by “men”, our spirit has to be birth by the Holy Spirit.

It is important for us to realize that the process of becoming “born again” is for the purpose of entering God’s kingdom. The only time Jesus mentioned “born again” was in reference to God’s kingdom. Also, realize that becoming “born again” has to do with spiritual rebirth. It has little or nothing to do with being remorseful. That is, you don’t become born again because you heard a powerful sermon that made you emotional. Being born again isn’t about crying and feeling sorry because Jesus died on the cross. Its okay to feel emotional after a sermon but you can’t get into God’s kingdom by playing the victim card. The gates to God’s kingdom can only be opened for you when you are renewed by God’s Spirit. You truly become born again when you can see God’s kingdom with your “spiritual eyes”. Today, decide to build your spiritual life.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, reborn my spirit. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: John 3:1-21

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Mark 10:15

The scriptures say, “No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23). In other words, those who refuse to believe that Jesus is the Son of God will be unable to relate with God as their Father. On the other hand, whoever accepts Jesus as the Son of God will be able to relate with God through a father/child relationship. Simply put, anyone who receives Christ will not relate with a God as a slave, but would do so as a child (Galatians 4:7). Therefore, the quality of your relationship with God is determined by your beliefs about Jesus. As Christians, it is important for us to always think of God as our Father because God’s desire is not for us to act as His slaves but for every human to be able to call Him, “Abba! Father!”

If you can understand the ideal relationship between parents and their children, you would understand how your relationship with God should be. One time, Jesus told his disciples that “anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child, will never enter it.” Jesus was not only speaking about the need for us to believe in Him in the same way that children often believe in the “impossible”. Beyond that, Jesus wanted His disciples to adopt a childlike attitude as they relate with God. Just as children depend on their parents, we too are required to depend on God. If children do not worry over what they would eat and wear because it is provided by their parents, why should we worry over those things when we also are children before God? If children would submit to their parent’s will, why shouldn’t we also submit to God’s will?

Prayer: Dear Jesus, teach me how to act like a child. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Mark 10:13-16; 1 Peter 1:3-5

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – 1 Kings 19:9

Prophet Elijah had just achieved something remarkable. After winning a prayer contest against the prophets of Baal, Elijah had caused a strong revival in Israel. When the people of Israel saw how God responded to Elijah’s sacrifice through a fire that came from heaven, they repented. Elijah had seized that moment and ordered the killing of the prophets of Baal. Moments later, just as Elijah had prophesied, Israel had a heavy rain, after over three years of drought. It was a great victory. But just as Elijah was about to celebrate, he found himself, once again in the wilderness, when he received a death threat from his arch enemy – Jezebel. While he was running away from his beloved country, Elijah became disillusioned. He became depressed and even prayed that God would take his life. But as he rested in a cave, God asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Possibly, God asked that question because Elijah wasn’t supposed to run away from his country, even though he was threatened by Jezebel. Elijah should have had the courage to confront Jezebel. Perhaps, you’ve found yourself in a similar situation; you’ve spent your time and energy on a cause. And after doing so much, you expected your life to change for good. But instead of honor and recognition, you’ve been rejected and misunderstood by many. You are now at a point where you are beginning to doubt and question your convictions. Or are you that person who has been doing God’s work? Even after doing a lot, you are still surrounded by challenges. So you are wondering if God is still with you or not. Unless if God tells you to quit, stay there. Oftentimes, God wants us to confront challenges, not to run from it. With God, you will triumph.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the strength to overcome. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: 1 Kings 18:38-46; 19:1-9

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.