Victory Daily Devotional

STRENGTH DRAINER  Hebrews 12:1-6  Devotional:- “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,” Vs 1      It is important that we recognize the things that drain our strength and chooses never to live our life with them. There are so many of such things that we do not bother to recognize that actually constitute barriers. Though small, but if not destroyed could become mountains. These are anxieties, discouragement, frustration, self-condemnation, lack of self-esteem, heaviness of the heart and guilt. Some are sins to oneself, others are sins to God.

WHAT YOU ARE SAYING    Numbers 14:20-33  Devotional:- “Say to them, 'As I live,' says the LORD, 'just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you:” Vs. 28      Most people have not come to the understanding that they are snared by the words of their mouth (Proverb 18:7). Most of the events and situations that you are going through today are product of what you have said in the past. Note that, we are created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). And in the nature of our creation, our word are creative force that forms our future. What you are saying of yourself and your family is a seed for your harvest.

RIGHT CHOICE      Psalm 25:12-15  Devotional:- “Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.” Vs.12    When it comes to making right choices, man is always not confident. But it is important that we make choices in every situation. We cannot even do without making a choice. Even when you make no choice for yes, automatically you’ve made a choice for no. So, since it is compulsory that we make choice in every situation, it is better we learn how to make the right choice.

HABIT      Joshua 7:16-26  Devotional- “When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it." Vs. 21      One terrible thing that has held many people down from experiencing their change is habit. Habits are attitude or practices we have allowed to dominate our lifestyle. There are good and bad habits. The bad ones are practices that could be detrimental to our progress in life. The moment people get used to such habits, the devil takes advantage of it and uses it as a factor of delay and destruction. 

POTTAGE OF DESTINY    Genesis 25:29-34  “And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.” Vs. 34      Appetite many times lead people to do the unthinkable. Appetite for sex makes some rape others, appetite for money turn some to robber, appetite for fame makes some go into occultic practices. Esau was terribly hungry. He saw Jacob with pottage and just to satisfy his hunger, he threw away his birth right over the pressure of hunger and the sight of a post of delicious pottage. His lifelong treasure and his birth right meant nothing anymore to him. He lost it, he lost the blessing meant for him and his linage in life.

CHOICE OF DESTRUCTION       Genesis 7:13-23  Devotional:- “So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.” Vs. 23    For many years, it was announced again and again that destruction of flood was coming. God warned anyone who wanted to escape from the destruction to enter into the ark. Surprisingly, most people turned deaf hear to that warning. That was simply a choice for their destruction. Many times, Christians directly or indirectly disobey God’s word and instructions and most times consequences become unbearable. 

CAIN’S CHOICE       Genesis 4:1-7  Devotional:- “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Vs. 7      When it comes to giving to God, either tithe or offering or seed, you find different kind of attitude. As citizen of the kingdom of God, you need to know that the most important thing to God when it comes to our giving life, is our willingness to obey God from the heart (Genesis 22:1-3). God will always test you to know what is in your heart (Deuteronomy 8:2-3). Your willingness to obey God qualifies you for the next level with God (Luke 16:10-12, Isaiah 1:19).

SAMSON’S CHOICE.     Judges 16:4-21 Devotional: “Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.” Vs.4      It has often been said that “Your choice is your lot”. Most times the happenings in our lives, whether good or bad, are because of the choices we have made. 

DANIEL’S CHOICE.        Daniel 1:3-15  Devotional:- “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” (Vs. 8)      Daniel was one of the people that the king of Babylon captured from Judah. The king appointed for them a daily provision of meat and drink. One will think that it was compulsory for them to eat whatever was given to them without a choice. But because Daniel knew that the king’s meat and drink will defile him and make him unacceptable to God, he choose to refuse the king’s food. 

GOOD MOTHERS’ CHOICE Exodus 2:1-10  Devotional: -So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months” Vs 2      Pharaoh the king, had made a decree that every son that is born to the Hebrew women should be cast into the river. A woman conceived and had a baby boy. Seeing that the baby is a precious gift from God whose life should not be wasted, she took a step of faith, she was not afraid of the king’s decree. She made a choice of faith and not of fear. That brought a great reward and not regret. 

MOSES CHOICE      Hebrews 11:23-29  Devotional:-“choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,” (Vs. 25)      Moses, though an Israelite became the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He lives in Pharaoh’s palace and enjoy all the riches and treasures of Egypt. When he grew up and realize he is in the wrong place, he choose to leave the palace and choose to identify with his people, the Israelites. He chooses to suffer affliction with them, enduring the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasure in the land of Egypt.

MARY’S CHOICE      Luke 10:38-42  Devotional- “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." (Vs. 42)      There are two sisters, Mary and Martha. Jesus Christ the King of kings and the Lord of lords visited their home one day. Both Mary and Martha were excited to have this great guest. Martha busied herself preparing food and setting the tables for Jesus. Mary was sited at the feet of Jesus to listen to every word that Jesus had to say. Mary gave priority to the word of God. She chooses to feed on the bread of life (Deuteronomy 8:3). The Bible says she sat at Jesus feet concentrating on Him and not allowing any form of distraction. Her choice brought her the most needed blessing.

CHOICE OF KNOWLEDGE Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 Devotional- “And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised.” V 13      Gaining knowledge in this world is also a choice. The truth is that knowledge when properly handled produces strength (Proverbs 24:5). Ignorant will make anyone a failure at the end. That is why as a kingdom citizen, you must give yourself to knowledge. Choose the part of knowledge that you may succeed. 

EXCELLENCE Daniel 6:1-5 Devotional “Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.” V 3      Excellency in life is a matter of choice. To excel is to stand out in whatever you do. This is always a task that is highly demanding on any one who decides to excel. That makes excellence a strong battle with a high sense of responsibility. People only excel in life because they choose to. Most people don’t like to face challenges. Most people easily give up when things get tough. Else, excellence people are not common. Those who can’t excel will sometimes want to pull others down. 

WAITING FOR THE LORD      Psalm 37:1-11 Devotional – “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.” V 7       To love to wait for the Lord in the issues of life is a choice. Those who can’t wait for the Lord at the end follows their own way, but not the way of the Lord. Some people are in need of wealth and some in need of health. Some see the way of the Lord as what looks delaying and they choose to follow other way. To wait is to hold on to His promises till your testimony comes (Job 14:14).

WAITING ON THE LORD Isaiah 40:25-31 Devotional:- “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint”  V 31        A life style of waiting on the Lord, is a life style of the mature people in the Lord. It can only become your life style if you choose to live by waiting on Him in all situation. It is only those who cultivate the lifestyle of waiting on the Lord by choice that can enjoy regular divine direction. This is not a choice for people who feel following God is a burden. 

LOVING THE LORD Matthew 22:34-40 Devotional “Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'”  v37      The single attitude of loving the Lord makes a great difference in the life of every citizen of the kingdom. It is also important you know that loving the Lord is a choice. You need to observe that it is not every one that follows the Lord that loves the Lord. That is why you should not just make anyone in church your Christian model.  For those who choose to love Him with all their heart (passion); with all your soul (being); and with your mind (in your thinking) (Deut. 6:15). These means with all our beings and with all in us.

SERVING THE LORD          Joshua 24:8-21 Devotional:-“And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." v15      Serving the Lord or not serving the Lord is your choice. That is why you shall be justified or condemned by your choices. Many Christians don’t serve in the house of God. They have one reason or the other why? Probably, they see the church they attend not good enough to merit their involvement. Why don’t you volunteer to serve to effect a change? Probably they see the pastor not good enough, but why not begin to intercede that God will change him or her for good?

SELF-CONTROL          1 Corinthians 9:19-27 Devotional: “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” V 27      One of the strong fruits the Spirit every child of God should seek to bear is Self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). The word of God says, a life without the attitude of self-control is like a city without wall (Proverbs 25:28). This means, such person is exposed to all kind of danger. Gentleness and Self-control are virtues that always operate together. To be self-controlled is to learn to put self under check in any situation.

GENTLENESS.      Matthew 11:25-30 DEVOTIONAL:-“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  v.29      One of the attitude of greatness is gentleness. It is an act of self-controlled. It is manifested in a man who has learn when to be quiet and when to talk. A gentle nature is a nature of a rich and mature people (I Peter 3:4). The word of God says, it is very precious in the sight of God. This wise virtue is cultivated by choice.

GROWTH Luke 2:41-52 Devotional –. “Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.”  v 46      A major reason for so much frustrations in the world today is lack of growth. Most people grow in one area of their life and live other area undeveloped. The area that we don’t grow in will always be the area of our weakness and failure. Some grow in age but not in spirit. Some grow in experience, but not in knowledge. Some grow in salary but not in ability to manage their resources etc. The truth is that growth is a choice.

CHOICE OF FAITHFULNESS     Matthew 24:45-51 Devotion:- "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?” v45     Faithfulness is one of the fruits of the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22). Many people that you think should be faithful are not. This is because, most people don’t know that faithfulness is a choice. Many who are filled with the Holy Spirit still find themselves demonstrating unfaithfulness. They desire to be faithful, but they are not (Romans 7:15).

CHOICE OF KINDNESS         Proverbs 31:26 Devotional:-“She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.” v 26      To be kind is to demonstrate good gesture towards people around us. One of the attitudes of God is kindness (Exodus 34:6) To be kind is costly; it’s going to cost you parting with things that should have been of comfort to you to help the less privileged. This is not because you have so much, but because you made a choice to love and be kind to others. 

MAN OF PEACE         Matt 5:1-12 Devotional:-“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” v.9        For us as God’s kingdom citizen, peaceful life is a commandment (Hebrew 12:14). We are commanded to be at peace with all men. So, to obey or not to obey is a matter of choice. People are bound to provoke us to anger and wrought. Yet, our choice of peace will keep us in the pursuit of peace.

CHOICE OF LOVE     1 John 4:7-11 Devotion:- “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” v 10      So many people complain of how they cannot love others. Simply because, they could not meet up with their expectations. This has affected many relationship either in businesses or marriages. There is a need for people to know that love is a choice and not a natural gift of attitude. So, if you need people, you must choose to love them.

CHOICE OF JOY                   Habakkuk 3:17-19 Devotional:- “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” v18      It is important you know that your action of joy is your choice. Joy is not a gift but individual choice. When you see someone who is always rejoicing, it is not because he has a lot of money or have achieved all his goals. It is just because his choice is to keep rejoicing in the Lord, so if any one is sad, it is also their choice.

OBEDIENCE                Isaiah 1:11-20 Devotional:-“If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;” v19      You need to become aware that your act of obedience to God is a choice. Anytime you choose not to obey the Lord, you are implicated by your choice. That is why it is so important that you consciously choose to obey the Lord from now. We often get disturbed when we pay for something to happen and they didn’t happen. We are not often conscious that our choice will determine our result.

RIGHTEOUSNESS               Deut. 28:1-13 Devotional-"Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.” (V.1)      As citizens of the kingdom of God, it should be cleared to us that we are creatures of choice. If we live in righteousness, it is a choice. Those who don’t live in righteousness have unconsciously chosen to live an unrighteous life. Righteousness means to have a right standing with God. It is to live in the will of God. It is to do what pleases the Lord. It is to live without condemnation in our heart (1 John 3:20-21). 

THE WILL POWER     Luke 15:11-24 Devotional -“I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you”, v18      A strong factor that helps us to execute our choices in life is our will power. When you have a choice, you must learn to employ your will power. Just like you make your choices, your choices also make you. It is the will power that helps us to effects our choices. Your will power is your resolute and absolute conclusion to execute your choices. Anytime you make a choice and your will power is not employed, you may not be able to make a change in your life by the choice you made.

MAKING CHOICES    Genesis 3:1-8  Devotional:- “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate”. Vs. 6      One major trouble in the life of men today, is our inability to comprehend how the things are carried out in our lives. Because we don’t know how many things happen in our lives, we stumble at so many things and we become victims of trial by error.

CHOICE AGENT                   Genesis 1:26-31 Devotional:-“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."  v. 28      When God made man, he was made just like God to have dominion over all that He has made. Man was made a spirit, he possesses a soul and lives in a body (Genesis 2:7). Since we were made like God, one of the features made with us is the ability to choose. So, we have the ability to choose between what is right or wrong and good and evil. That is why the Psychologists said, we are free moral agent. God respects our choices and decisions (Deuteronomy 30:19). He made us as free moral agents so that we can choose to love God.