Author: kagi03

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

For the past few weeks, if you have been around me, one of the things I have been discussing non-stop is encouragement. Not that I didn’t know encouragement is important, but this year I have come to understand it better and the need for encouraging words. Now I understand clearly what the Bible means when it says, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’…” (Heb 3:13). I have found myself in many discouraging situations, and I have been encouraged. This led me to think about those who find themselves in such situations without encouragement, and I have also spoken to people who are discouraged. I have made it my mission to encourage someone daily, and this blog is one of the vehicles I am using.

2 Corinthians 4:16 (ESV): So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

Pray for your heart daily if you can. Yes, the one that pumps blood. It plays a vital role. Don’t look at me as if I am crazy. I know this might seem off-topic, but how often do we pray for our hearts? Most people who pray for their hearts do so when their hearts are in trouble.

Okay, note this: your outer self will waste away, meaning things will come at you to discourage you, whether you like it or not; you don’t have control over that. If you are a person who operates from outside to inside, you will struggle because you will be looking for strength outside, and renewal happens on the inside; inner strength outweighs outer strength in the long run.

Takeaway: How many people have you encouraged this week, and how many people have encouraged you this week?

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

June has been good so far, with its ups and downs-can we all agree? How does it feel to have someone or something that you can trust? It brings you peace; it’s like those who are working full-time—they trust that their employers will pay them month after month, and because of that, they don’t have to worry about where they will get the money, unlike someone who works part-time. He or she does worry about where he or she will find another part-time job that pays. Today, I want us to thank God for His name because we can trust in it full-time. It’s not that it works in only certain areas or aspects of your life; in everything, you can count on the name of the Lord.

Proverbs 18:10 (ESV): The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

What a privilege it is to have something we can run to and find safety in. Trust me, there are things people run to, but those things cannot save them. Remember, David said, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7) And remember, we don’t just trust in words; our actions speak louder.

So today we want to take a few minutes to say, thank you, God, for your name. Thank you, Father, for being a strong tower. When the floods of life come, we know where to run. May we continue to trust in your name. Even if the horses or chariots appear trustworthy, may we not buy into their temporary safety.

Takeaway: Do you consider God your place of refuge and defense? Is God a very present help for you in times of trouble?

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

If you think you should get what you want whenever you want, fleeing from things will be a struggle for you. Because “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify” (1 Corinthians 10:23). My strong young believers who believe they can withstand the “youthful passions,” all the best; let us know when you need prayers for deliverance. But to my young believers who are always fleeing, keep up the good work.

2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV): So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

But we cannot be running away from something without running toward something. That is why, in our fleeing, we should pursue living in accordance with God’s standards, as seen in Matthew 6:33, where we are urged to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. What I like about pursuing righteousness is that there are matters we don’t even need to argue about or hear what the internet is saying, because we as believers sometimes think there are sins that are negotiable just because they are not written in the Bible and seem good for us. Is it in accordance with God’s standard of living? That’s the question we should ask.

Secondly, we should never stop pursuing the foundation of our Christian lives: faith, because without it, we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). Therefore, we should always be on the lookout for the things that strengthen our faith. It is easy to engage in things that are slowly but surely breaking the foundation. Once there are cracks in your foundation, the waters of doubt begin to flow, and sooner or later, your house will be on shaking ground. Things that didn’t shake you before can now easily unsettle you.

Takeaway: What does pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace look like for you?

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

As we commemorate Youth Day in South Africa, I want to encourage all young believers to stay strong and set an example. Being an example is not easy; for some of us, we might be doing something different from what our peers in our communities are doing. I remember when I used to belong to the “cool kids”; we called those boys or girls who liked church “pastors.” When they started calling me “Pastor,” I was not trying to hide or shy away because of those boys and girls who set an example.

1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT): “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”

What you say matters, and we cannot emphasize that enough; people will judge you based on what you say, whether you like it or not. Remember, Jesus told them, “It is what comes out of the mouth of a man that defiles him.” (Matthew 15:11) So set an example in what you say.

The way you live matters because people say one thing and live another. You cannot claim that you are a believer and live like a non-believer, or people can only know that you are a believer when you tell them. Some of us, if people didn’t see us getting saved, wouldn’t know that we are saved. Let your way of living be an example to believers.

Do you love yourself? Okay, the way you do it, let it be the same love given to your neighbor; you can’t negotiate it. But this neighbor did that, so I can’t. Do you love God? Okay, love your brother. Nah, but my brother is not treating me well. He is not lovable. There are people whose love you can tell that surely God is love because the way they love doesn’t make sense.

Takeaway: You are setting an example, whether you like it or not, so choose this day what kind of example you want to set.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

Have you ever built a friendship in one day that lasted for a month? The chances are high that you won’t succeed, especially if there is no communication between the first day and the thirtieth day. So why is it that we expect to have a good, strong, and intimate relationship with God, but we don’t really give much attention to the relationship?

1 Chronicles 16:11 (BRB): “Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.”

If there is one thing you can rest assured in, it is that God will never get annoyed with you always coming to Him and talking to Him. Friends, as good as they are, will tell you that they need space. But God raised the game and inspired David to say, “Blessed is the man who delights in the law of the LORD and who meditates on it day and night.” (Psalm 1:2) He is willing to have you day and night.

He is powerful and mighty, and such attributes of God are available to those who seek Him. Israel used to seek these attributes to win battles. God is reliable in everything; He never falls short, and only when we have a relationship with Him will we understand that.

Takeaway: Are you actively pursuing a relationship with God?

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

It takes two people to form a relationship and two people to keep it going, and God is playing His part. Are we playing our part? I am reminded of how, in the olden days, people used to go to bank tellers to withdraw or deposit money. But nowadays , we only go there when we have problems; we have ATMs. This is how we operate today , treating God like a bank teller and our strength as an ATM. As long as our strength can provide for us, we don’t bother going to the bank teller, but as soon as our strength fails, we want to consult the bank teller.

Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV): “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

Have you ever heard someone say, “I feel like God is far from me because I have been crying to Him, but He is nowhere to be found”? The question you should ask is, “Was it wholehearted ?” because it is possible to cry half-heartedly; as good as tears are, the heart is what moves Him.

Takeaway: What does having a relationship with God look like for you?

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

June has arrived, and now we have seven months left to finish the year. Are you still focused? You may have encountered things that wanted to distract you , and some of them have succeeded in taking your focus away. This is a reminder to refocus .

Proverbs 4:25 (ESV): Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.”

It is costly to look forward to the upcoming months, but it is more costly to look back on the months that have passed and start to wish or hope we did this or that right or only if we had focused enough we could have accomplished that goal.

Looking unto Jesus, as a believer, you cannot take your gaze away from Him because He is the author. This means there is no one more qualified to consult concerning your life than Jesus.

Takeaway: Let us press on to move forward. January, February, March, April, and May: they are gone.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

A month of May is coming to an end; to God be the glory. Thirty days of being carried by grace and mercy, showing up every day without fail. What more do we want to give Him our gratitude?

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV): The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
    his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.
    Great is your faithfulness.

The first day of this month was different from this day of the month, and tomorrow will be different from today, but great is His faithfulness. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. That is why it says in Proverbs, “He is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. And let us be grateful for having a name that is trustworthy.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

It’s funny how if I were to tell you each and every day to love and do good deeds, you might think I am crazy, because you would say that’s obvious, especially for a believer. But you would be surprised how easy it is not to love and do good deeds, especially in unfavorable situations. Whether we like it or not, we will find ourselves in such situations. So while we still can, let us consider how to motivate one another to love and good works.

Hebrews 10:24 (BSB): “And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.”

This is not just telling people to love and do good works because anyone can do that. This calls for us to reflect and think intentionally about how to spur (provoke/stimulate) one another. As I have mentioned , people lose momentum; that’s why we need to be observant. People go through challenges , and sometimes those experiences discourage them from showing love and good deeds because some have not received anything in return. In a world of give and take, it is easy for believers to fall into that trap.

Takeaway: Let us not grow weary in loving and doing good.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!

Good day, good people! This is the day that the Lord has made; never forget that. Regardless of what you face in the morning, afternoon, or evening, this day is a gift to you and me, so let’s cherish it.

I know, encouragement this, encouragement that. Why is it always about encouragement? Just take one person you know and ask him or her at the end of the week how many discouraging situations or words he or she heard or found himself or herself in. You will understand why, as a support system, your ready tool should be imparting grace to your listeners .

Ephesians 4:29 (ESV): Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

We choose what to say; there is no way I can claim I didn’t have a choice but to say it. And that’s why Paul states , “Let…”
Additionally, we need to note the phrase “as fits the occasion,” which means there are times when you are joking, times when you are rebuking, and times when you are building others up. Some people have rebuked when they should have encouraged , and they joked when they should have rebuked .

Takeaway: Discern the occasion so that you don’t speak carelessly , and most of the time it is not hard to discern the occasion, but sometimes it is easy to confuse one occasion with another.

Prayer: Abba, Father, we thank you in Jesus’ name, Ameni!