RHEMA From Heaven

Faith in God goes beyond an inner spiritual experience. It is an encounter that translates into real-life expression. When we are saved, divine life is imparted to us, and it brings about a transformation that is clearly evident in our daily living.

The opening text reveals how the believers in Thessalonica, after receiving God’s Word in faith, were transformed and, by their example, influenced others throughout their provinces.

You see, as a Christian, your faith in God must inform what you do and what you do not do. You must be intentional about living out the new and transformed life you have received. Otherwise, you cannot be a true example of the faith you profess.

One striking lesson from the Christians in Thessalonica is that despite the trials and persecutions they encountered, they never backed down in standing for the Lord. Rather, they allowed their lives to speak loudly for Him wherever they went. As Scripture says: 1 Thessalonians 1:8 “For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we need not say anything.”

Do not be careless in how you live as a Christian. Wherever you find yourself, be mindful of your identity in the Lord and consistently manifest it. Your life has become a standard that others are watching. Live well. Live out the values and principles of God’s Word so that people will be rightly influenced to serve the Lord.

Read: 1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.”

Proverbs 14:29 “He who is slow to anger has great understanding [and profits from his self-control],
But he who is quick-tempered exposes and exalts his foolishness [for all to see].”

One of the golden virtues you must develop as an individual is the ability to control your anger or temper. In your dealings with people, you will sometimes encounter relational differences, misunderstandings, or misplaced courtesies. In such moments, you must be slow to anger and choose to act with dignity and love.

You see, it is a sign of great wisdom and maturity when you do not easily become angry with people who cross the line in their dealings with you. This does not mean you endorse wrong behavior or allow yourself to be disdained. Rather, during relational crises, you must engage the principle of self-control and refuse to throw tantrums.

Always be ready to delay anger and tread its path with caution. Know that acting in anger never brings success to anyone. More often than not, human anger does not produce the righteousness of God (James 1:20). When people go “low” by acting improperly toward you, go “high” by responding with dignity. Do not get into the mud simply because someone threw some at you.

For instance, when people offend you or do things you do not like, correct them in love and with patience if they are willing to listen. If they are not, ignore it and focus on something worthwhile. Do not act foolishly because someone else did the same. Do not rant, speak arrogantly, or respond disrespectfully in an attempt to express your displeasure.

Whatever the case may be, never give anger a place in your heart. Let it go as soon as it arises. Be wise in this matter as a Christian, and never take pride in being quick-tempered. A wrong you admit and celebrate is a wrong you will never change. Remember, anger can cause you to destroy valuable things and heap negative consequences upon your future.

Read: Ephesians 4:31 “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to control myself in situations when I feel provoked. Amen.

2 Peter 1:5–6 “And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness.”

Christianity goes beyond theory or mere religious talk. It is the practical expression of the divine life in our everyday life. The Christian life is meant to be lived and displayed, not just spoken about.

When a person becomes a Christian, there must be visible evidence of transformation. Salvation is the beginning, but growth in godly character and in faith is the evidence of truly living for the Lord. As a Christian, you are called to manifest virtues that bring glory to the Lord. As 1 Peter 2:9 puts it: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” This means that your life must openly reflect God’s glory and nature.

Make sure that virtues such as faithfulness, honesty, love, patience, self-control, and godliness are never lacking in your life. Be intentional about increasing in them daily. Growth in these virtues is a clear sign of spiritual maturity.

People who claim to walk with God yet show no growth or evidence of these virtues are merely practicing religion without transformation. Christianity without character is empty and misleading.

Continually feed on the Word of God. As you daily meditate on and obey God’s Word, your spirit is nurtured and your life is transformed. The Word of God empowers you to live beyond the natural and to reflect Christ in a corrupt world.

Always bear in mind that you are different. You are called to influence your world, not to be influenced by it. As Scripture says: “Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

Read: Ephesians 4:24 “And put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation].”

Prayer: Lord, I receive grace to obey Your Word and to grow in manifesting the virtues that bring glory to Your name. Amen.

Proverbs 13:20 “He who walks as a companion with wise men will be wise, but the companions of fools will suffer harm.”

Relationships are important. While it is undeniable that some relationships are profitable and helpful, others are not beneficial. Therefore, as Christians, we must be deliberate about the relationships we nurture and enter into. Some relationships deserve your attention and commitment, and such relationships must be built to last.

Thus, the success of any relationship that God allows your way, whether in the family, the Church, the workplace, or any other human institution, largely depends on how well these keys are applied.

The first key is love. Love puts the interests of others first. It prevents you from becoming a user or an abuser of people. Love causes you to value people and positions you to give your best to them. Whenever love is practiced, it delivers you from being an opportunist. The qualities of love are clearly outlined in 1 Corinthians 13:1–8. Ask yourself this: Do your relationships flow from love, or from a desire to gain something for yourself?

The next key is respect. Respect is an attitude of the heart. It enables you to value people and treat them with dignity, courtesy, and consideration. Respect guards you from dishonoring others or treating people carelessly. It is revealed in how you speak, how you disagree, how you acknowledge others, and how you relate to them.

Last, but certainly not least, is honesty, which can also be described as faithfulness. Proverbs 20:6 says in part, “…but a faithful man, who can find?” This highlights how rare truly trustworthy people are. Without honesty, relationships become grounds for deception and manipulation.

Whenever you desire to build and benefit from relationships, ensure that you are willing to give these essentials: love, respect, and honesty. At the same time, do not walk blindly into relationships, whether for business, marriage, networking, or church involvement. Examine whether these keys are present, and if they are absent, walk away with wisdom and grace.

Read: Ecclesiastes 4:10 “For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falls, for he has not another to help him up.”

Prayer: Lord, give me the wisdom to recognize and build profitable relationships. Help me also to discern relationships that are traps meant to mislead or defraud me. Amen.

Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but its end is the way of death.”

The decisions we make can either be good or bad. Because decisions carry serious and lasting consequences, it is important that we intentionally strive to make good decisions. Making good decisions is not merely about waiting to see the outcome before judging whether a decision was right or wrong. Rather, it begins with examining the process and the foundation upon which the decision is made.

You see, being a Christian does not automatically guarantee that you will always make good decisions. What you benefit from as a Christian is the grace and ability given by the Lord to make good decisions, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, who guides you into all truth.

To make good decisions, you must be well informed. Not everything you hear or see is accurate, so facts and information must be verified. Decisions are too important to be made based on speculation, assumptions, or emotions. Whether it concerns your finances, relationships or marriage, or career, take time to seek the truth. Truth provides direction and prevents costly mistakes. As Proverbs 18:15 says, “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.”

Secondly, to make good decisions, you must pray. Prayer aligns your heart with God’s will and purpose whenever decisions must be made. Through prayer, you also receive the strength and clarity needed to make difficult and bold decisions. Take a cue from Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, where prayer enabled Him to submit fully to the will of the Father despite the cost.

Thirdly, seek godly counsel when making decisions. At times, you may be sincerely wrong about what you think you know. At other times, emotional attachment, pressure, or fixation can cloud your judgment. Godly counsel provides instruction, guidance, insight, inspiration, and sometimes caution, all of which help you make sound decisions. Proverbs 20:18 reminds us, “Plans are established by counsel; therefore make war with wise guidance.”

Finally, do not make decisions based solely on your current emotions or circumstances. Feelings change, and circumstances are temporary. When decisions are driven by emotions or pressure, they often lead to regret. Learn from Esau, who made a costly decision based on momentary hunger, and from Abraham and Sarah, who made a wrong decision because of delayed childbirth. Temporary discomfort should never dictate permanent decisions.

Read: Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but its end is the way of death.”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace, wisdom, and discernment to always make the right decisions. Amen.

Genesis 2:18, 24 “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

God designed marriage to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman. Through this union, mankind is to fulfill God’s purpose on the earth. In marriage, couples are to be governed by the principles God has set in place, not merely by personal opinions, emotions, or feelings.

The decision to marry, and especially the decision of whom to marry, is a very crucial one. When made wrongly, it can affect your life for a lifetime. Therefore, such a decision must not be made solely on emotions, to the neglect of core biblical principles and truth.

There are important qualities to consider in both yourself and anyone you are considering for marriage. These include maturity (emotional and mental), dutifulness, industriousness (being hardworking mentally and physically). These qualities are sustained by wisdom, which is seen in how a person thinks, makes decisions, sets priorities, and chooses what is right. Above all, character and godliness must guide any decision to court and marry.

Do not let friendship or an emotional relationship that develops naturally with the opposite sex become the sole basis for making a marital decision. Such relationships can be misleading. Maintain friendships with godly principles and healthy boundaries, especially when you are single. This will help you judge rightly and avoid unnecessary complications.

You see, making a marital decision based purely on feelings, attraction, or outward beauty is nothing but a display of immaturity. Marriage as a union requires work for it to succeed. It also requires humility, teachability, and a willingness to grow and change positively over time. Thus, the need to focus on the right things, ab initio.

Focusing on wealth, outward appearance, or being overly fixated on attraction will lead you astray. Always know that if you do not prepare adequately as a Christian for marriage, you will become a threat to any union you enter. This explains the rising divorce rates, adultery issues, and various forms of abuse experienced in marriages today.

Be guided by wisdom and not emotions, by truth and not deception, and by godly counsel rather than the fantasies promoted by social media when making this crucial decision of whom to marry. Never be offended when corrected or instructed on this important matter of life. God did not intend marriage to be a burden or a painful experience, but a wrong decision can make it appear so.

Always remember that the decision of whom you marry carries lasting consequences.

Read: Hebrews 13:4 “Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.”

Prayer:Lord, I pray for grace and wisdom to make the right marital decision in my life. Amen.

Ephesians 4:11–12 “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

Every Christian has a primary duty to share the gospel, the good news of Christ’s liberation of mankind. This notwithstanding, giving oneself to the work of ministry, whether to lead or to play a significant role in the local church within the body of Christ, is a decision that one ought to make carefully.

You see, engaging in ministry work is a huge task. One cannot use being gifted or having a divine call from God as the only reason to suddenly begin doing something significant in ministry, such as becoming a lead leader or pioneering a movement or fellowship. Such decisions must be given careful consideration in order not to undermine preparation and the process of development required for such noble assignments.

You see, even when it comes to people rendering services that may not appear very prominent in the local church the Bible teaches that such people ought to be equipped and nurtured to do God’s work. Thus, more work shall then be required of those involved in indoctrination, setting principles and protocols in a local church.

Gifts, graces, and encounters are not the sole basis for making significant ministry decisions. Make the effort to think through other important elements such as integrity, faithfulness, godly character, level of patience, and your personal relationship with God through prayer and the personal study of God’s Word.

You see, ministry work flows from who you are, not merely what you do. Thus, the man of God is commanded to pursue character deliberately. Know that your character protects grace from abuse and sustains ministry when gifting alone is no longer enough.

God is not in a haste. Take your time before making critical decisions when it comes to important ministry matters. Do not be driven by unguided passion or zeal and place yourself under unnecessary responsibility. When all is said and done, you must save both yourself and your hearers (1 Timothy 4:16).

Read: Luke 1:80 “And the little boy grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the wilderness until the day of his appearing to Israel, the commencement of his public ministry.”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace and patience to make the right decisions when it comes to Your work on earth. Amen.

Luke 14:28 “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough for its completion?”

Mere desire and admiration for something must not drive you into deciding to have something or to start something. As important as decisions are, mere desire or admiration must not be the only reason or basis on which you make decisions.

Some decisions in life are very crucial; therefore, you need to consider many things before making such decisions. Your considerations must be based on God’s Word and your willingness to follow through on the decision to the end. Not only that, but you must also consider whether you have what it takes in terms of ability and resources to make the decision viable.

For instance, decisions about doing something significant in ministry, building a career, or marriage cannot be made on frivolous grounds. When made wrongly, these decisions can affect the quality of your life for your entire lifetime. You see, the fame that comes with ministry cannot be the reason you decide to play a key role in ministry. Similarly, you cannot use the prestige that comes with certain careers as the basis for your decision. Last but certainly not least, you cannot use beauty or outward expressions as the basis for deciding whom to marry.

As crucial as these decisions are, there is a need to consider them carefully. Using only desires or interests can lead you into difficulties. Look at God’s principles on each subject, consider your ability to handle the decision, and when other people are involved, such as in marriage, assess them thoroughly using biblical principles.

You see, it is better to put in the hard work before making important decisions than to make them and later realize you have given yourself an impossible task to accomplish. Do not rush important decisions. Consider many things, particularly God’s Word, counsel on the subject, and your ability to carry out the task.

Remember, decisions have consequences. They can be good, or they can be adverse. Tread cautiously, but still get going.

Read: Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and show you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”

Prayer: Lord, I ask for Your guidance on the considerations I must make before I take key decisions in my life. Amen.

Genesis 39:7–9 “And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me.’ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’”

Decision-making is a constant feature of our lives. At any given time, we must decide on something, whether to do something or not, whether to take a certain course in life or not. Sometimes, we must also decide how to respond to the requests of people. This makes decision-making difficult at times, though it remains crucial.

In our opening text, we see Joseph, a slave boy, confronted with a difficult decision. He had to choose between engaging in a sexual relationship with his master’s wife to secure her favour or refusing her advances and facing her wrath.

Faced with an opportunity that could have offered him pleasure, influence, and possible advancement, Joseph refused to make a decision that would result in sexual immorality. Though far from home and accountable to no one but God, Joseph remained conscious of God’s presence and chose obedience over personal gain.

Joseph’s story reveals one important truth: favour must be godly. Decisions made in pursuit of favour must never contradict God’s Word. Regardless of the challenges or difficulties you may be facing, making ungodly decisions to secure favour or opportunity will ultimately ruin your life or make your situation worse.

Your decisions in difficult situations reveal your integrity and faithfulness to God. Do not say you “couldn’t help it” and use that as an excuse to make ungodly and pleasure-seeking decisions.

Decisions have consequences. Do not make them unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, thoughtfully, and in accordance with God’s Word.

Read: Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

Prayer: Lord, help me to value and make godly decisions during difficult times in my life. Amen.

Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”

One of the defining decisions Daniel made in his life was resolving in his heart not to compromise his devotion to God. Living in a foreign land under intense pressure to conform, Daniel chose loyalty to God over personal comfort, favor, or even survival. His decision was not made in the moment of pressure but was settled long before the pressure arose.

Daniel’s life reveals that true obedience is often tested when conformity seems easier and resistance appears costly. The decision Daniel made was very demanding for him and the other three Hebrew boys. Choosing not to defile themselves meant they had to forgo certain comforts and pleasures and endure the pain that accompanied their choice. This was because they were required to eat only vegetables and drink water for a period during their stay in Babylon.

Daniel’s decision reveals that godly character must be established before trials come. Not only that, but also, convictions must be settled before pressure arises.

Do not make decisions that compromise your faith because of fear, convenience, or societal pressure. Standing with God may cost you comfort, popularity, or safety, but compromise will always cost you your testimony or even eternity.

Is your decision pulling you closer to God or pushing you toward compromise? Remember, every decision reveals where your loyalty truly lies.

Just like Daniel, purpose in your heart not to compromise. Even in hostile environments and difficult seasons, remain faithful to God and let your life speak boldly for Him.

Read: Psalm 119:2–3 “What joy overwhelms everyone who keeps the ways of God, those who seek Him as their heart’s passion! They will never do what is wrong but will always choose the paths of the Lord.”

Prayer: Lord, strengthen my convictions and give me the grace to remain faithful to You, even under pressure. Amen.