Month: December 2020

                                             Written By Benjamin Dankaka

You need knowledge in order to create anything.

One of the principles of success is creativity. Hardly is there any career leader who doesn’t depend on creativity. Creativity is not only required in the arts but in every business. Even if you are into retailing, you will need to be creative. Former richest man in America, Sam Walton, and founder of Wal-Mart Stores used a creative business formula that most retailers ignore. He bought a wide variety of products in bulk across his network of stores so he could pass savings on to his customers. As a result, people flocked to his stores.

Fortunately, everyone is creative. You might not be creative in your current work, but there’s definitely a place where you can be creative. You see, God created the heavens and the earth, and then He created man in His own image. Since God is a Creator, you are also a creator. But you need knowledge in order to create anything. The Bible tells us that God made the heavens and earth by His understanding. In other words, by His knowledge, He created the heavens and the earth. In the same way, for us to be able to create anything, we have to use our knowledge.

Prayer: Lord, teach me your ways.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 136

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Unseal the hidden message in you.

Jesus said, “For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought to the open”. What Christ said is exactly what the senders of the mails do. The senders of mails hide their message inside an envelope and like Jesus said, the hidden message is meant to be disclosed. Whatever they concealed inside the envelope is not intended to remain hidden, but similar to what Jesus said, it is to be brought to the open. Now Jesus was, in fact speaking about the messages He had been depositing in the minds His disciples.

Jesus had wanted His disciples to know it was their job to bring out the messages He had hidden in their hearts. Just as the sender of the message in an envelope expects the receiver to expose the hidden message, Jesus expects us to unravel and make use of the messages He has hidden in our hearts. The message that God has hidden in us is His word as well as our natural gifts. Inside every person; inside every Christian, is a hidden gift that God has deposited for the benefit of others. Unseal the hidden message in you.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift you placed inside of me. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Mark 4:2-25

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Realize that not every solution is appropriate.

While evangelizing, Paul and Silas were arrested. However, a miracle happened as they were in prison. The normal thing to do was to rush out of the prison cell, assuming it was God’s will. Instead, they ignored the freedom but, took advantage of the opportunity to gain new converts. In the end, their patience paid off as they were released by the magistrates, the next day. One interesting thing about this story is the way they stayed faithful to their cause in the middle of a crisis.

David found himself in a similar situation when he miraculously got the chance to kill Saul. His associate, Abishai said to him, “Today, God has delivered your enemy into your hands…” But David declined, preferring to spare Saul’s life. By doing so, he forfeited the freedom he would have had at that time. Later, God’s promise to him came to pass as he became a king without having Saul’s blood on his hands. Realize that not every solution is appropriate. An inappropriate solution might come as a counsel that appears to be sensible. The wrong solution might be a test or a temptation capable of getting you off track. Stay on track.

Prayer: Lord, help me keep my eyes on the big picture. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 16:25-36; 1 Samuel 26:1-10

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

To select the right thing from a group of choices that equally seem to be good isn’t an easy thing to do.

To select the right thing from a group of choices that equally seem to be good is not as easy as picking a good thing out of a cluster of bad things. For instance, when David got the chance to kill Saul; his associate suggested they should kill Saul. That seemed like a good thing because Saul had been trying to kill David.But David realized that the right thing to do was not to lay a hand on Saul because he was God’s anointed. But there are times when the right thing may not even cross your mind or it may seem like the wrong decision and in the process, you may erroneously think the good thing you are about to do is the only right decision. In such situations, you will need God’s help.

When Joseph discovered that the woman he was about to marry was found to be with child, he had in mind, not to disgrace Mary but to quietly divorce her. That seemed like the only right decision. But when he got a revelation, he realized that what he thought was right was actually wrong. Always seek God’s guidance.

Prayer: Dear Lord, guide me as I make decisions.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Proverbs 4:11-13; 1 Samuel 26:8; Matthew 1:18-20; Genesis 11:1-9

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Many people fail in life, not because they didn’t set goals but for the reason that they set the wrong goals.

Over the years, I have learned that achieving goals do not guarantee success. There are times you may set goals and then succeed in realizing them, but just as you are about to celebrate, you may suddenly discover the goals shouldn’t have been set in the first place. The scripture says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Many people fail in life, not because they didn’t set goals but for the reason that they set the wrong goals. So they spend their entire lives pursuing the wrong. They never realize their mistakes until they get to the end.

To avoid such mistakes, I implore you to always involve God as you set your goals. The Bible says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purposes that prevails”. Another verse also says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps”. Indeed, God has given us the right and the ability to make plans, but if we want those plans to be on the right path, we ought to seek God’s guidance because He purposes always prevail.

Prayer: Lord, direct my steps. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Proverbs 14:12; 16:3-25; 19:21; 16:9

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Focus on the problem but allow God to deal with the enemy.

There’s a saying that “revenge is a dish best served cold”. This statement implies that revenge is more fulfilling when it’s carried out at an unexpected time. This is true but to take revenge against your enemy is wrong, and the Bible condemns it.  In his letter to the Romans, Paul warns us “not to take revenge”, but “leave room for God’s wrath” (Romans 12:19). That is, we are expected to leave vengeance for God because whoever troubles us is actually fighting God, not us. Therefore, those who take revenge against their enemies are guilty of fighting God’s battles. Allow God to deal with the enemy.

When Herod tried to kill Peter, God stepped in and rescued Peter by Himself because Herod was actually fighting God, not Peter. So Peter acted rightly by not fighting back after he was freed. He moved on. By that act, he left room for God’s wrath. Later, on an unexpected day and time, Herod was struck down with a blow by an angel. And the “mighty” Herod who made himself God’s enemy was eaten by worms. If God has already liberated you, move on and leave room for God’s wrath. God’s retribution is sweeter.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, my battles are yours. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:17-24

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Commit to focusing on what you can change, rather than what has already happened.

As Peter shared his testimonies with the Church, He said, “Tell James and the brothers about this,” and then he left for another place. The scriptures didn’t tell us where he headed to, but we know that Peter moved on. In other words, Peter didn’t remain at the place where he was persecuted. That is, he didn’t even to hold on to his past troubles and successes. Peter didn’t even spend a single night in the city. Obviously, the main thing on Peter’s mind was how to further his work of spreading the gospel of the Kingdom. So he quickly moved out of the city.

One reason why many people fail to overcome the crises in their lives is because they often go through life feeling frustrated and stuck, even after they’ve been liberated. They fail to leave the past behind them and continue to stay angry, bitter, and spiteful after the adversity is long gone. To fully recover from a crisis, you would have to do what Peter did. Move on immediately! You can’t change the past, but you can work toward a better future. So commit to focusing on what you can change, rather than what’s already happened.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, give me the courage to move on. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:1-17

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

You may not know who’s going to be inspired by the challenges you are going through.

On the night that Peter was rescued by God’s angel, he went to Mary’s house and met the people who had been praying for him. The moment the angel left him, Peter thought of the people that were concerned about his troubles. As their leader, Peter knew that his arrest must have instigated fear in the hearts of the brethren. Obviously, he knew they had been praying for him. Now that he had been miraculously recused, He went to them because he wanted the Church to know that God had answered their prayers.

After Peter described how God brought him out of prison, he then instructed the Church to share his testimony with others (Acts 12:25). Many times we fail to share our testimonies. While we are facing challenges, we often ask others to pray for us. But when God responds, we forget to return to those who prayed for us. Instead of sharing our testimonies with those who stood by us, we make new friends and move on. What we fail to realize is that testimonies are important because they serve as proofs to God’s faithfulness. You may not know who’s going to be inspired by your testimony. Testify!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I will testify of your faithfulness. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:1-17

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

To become a great leader, learn to follow.

On the night that Peter that was rescued by God’s angel, he was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with chains, and there were other armed men who stood guard at the entrance. In other words, Peter was heavily guarded by armed men. Think of the scenario as what we now call, “maximum security”. Ordinarily, there was no way; Peter could have escaped by his own effort. As at that moment, Peter wasn’t thinking of freedom.  So when the angel suddenly struck Peter on the side and woke him up, Peter was dazed, momentarily. He thought he was seeing a vision.

According to the scriptures, Peter followed the angel out of the prison, even though “he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening.” Until after he had fully regained his freedom, that he realized it was God who engineered his escape. As you hold on to God, you are going to get out of your troubles in the same way that Peter did. Perhaps, you’ve exhausted your strategies. Now that you are feeling drained and sleepy, God will come to your rescue. At that time, act like Peter and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I am willing and ready to follow you. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:1-11

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

God responds in different ways.

Prayer doesn’t work like a clock. While you can easily predict the hands of a clock, you cannot easily predict how or when a prayer will be answered. You can glance at a clock and know the exact minutes it will take the hands of the clock to reach the next hour. But you can’t say a prayer and then predict the exact way it will be answered. Answers to prayers are unpredictable because God responds in different ways. You might have had incidences where God answered your requests almost immediately after you prayed. But then again, there must have been times, your prayers were delayed.

After Peter was jailed by Herod, the Church prayed earnestly for him. The Bible didn’t mention how long it took God to answer their prayer. But we are told that on the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and rescued him. The deliverance took place at an unexpected time and in an unpredictable way. God’s response was so remarkable that even Peter and the Church couldn’t believe it. I pray that God will suddenly respond to your requests in an unexpected way.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I know you will come through for me. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:1-7

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