God’s Oracle Devotionals

Date: Tuesday, 12^th March, 2024

Text: Psalm 119:130

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

A simple man believes everything, but the prudent man carefully considers his ways- Proverbs 14:15. The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. Proverbs 14:18. A prudent man sees danger, and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it-Proverbs 22:3; 27:12.

A man may be academically, financially and politically prudent but spiritually simple. Simplicity in this case has nothing to do with Intelligent Quotient (IQ). God’s ways are not man’s ways. His foolishness is wiser than men. Anyone who rejects God’s word and ways is spiritually simple, no matter how smart he is in other areas.

There is help for the spiritually simple. The Proverbs of Solomon was inspired by God “to give wisdom (or prudence) to the simple-” Proverbs 1:4

The entrance of your words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple- Psalm 119:130. The LORD’s law is perfect, restoring the soul. The LORD’s testimony is sure, making wise the simple- Psalm 19:7

The whole Earth is constantly in search of wisdom. But in her search for wisdom she missed out on God; however, to those whom God has called, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength- 1 Corinthians 1:24-25

The Apostles were largely unschooled ordinary fishermen with no formal education-(Acts 4:13); so academically, they may not be book-smart but with Christ in them they are spiritually prudent and wise.

Add spiritual prudence to your academic knowledge.

Prayer Nugget: Father, I ask for spiritual prudence, so that I will not be misled in Jesus name.

Date: Monday, 11^th March, 2024

Text: Proverbs 7: 6-23

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Literally, a simple thing is something easy to understand or do; or something not difficult. However, biblically speaking, a simple person is inexperienced, naïve or gullible. A simple person is someone who is easily misled.

To better understand the word simple, let’s consider the opposite. We can say the opposite of simple is prudent. A prudent person is careful. He shows good judgment in avoiding risks and uncertainties. He is cautious, has or shows good judgment and restraint especially in conduct or speech.

A prudent person has foresight; he is able to sense danger ahead and avoid it.

According to today’s text, the writer of Proverbs narrated his experience regarding a simple young man. He said, “I was looking out the window of my house one day and saw a simpleminded lad, a young man lacking common sense, walking at twilight down the street to the house of this wayward girl, a prostitute. She approached him, saucy and dressed seductively. She was the brash, coarse type, seen often in the streets and markets, soliciting at every corner for men to be her lovers.

She put her arms around him and kissed him, and with a saucy look she said, “I was just coming to look for you and here you are! Come home with me, and I’ll fix you a wonderful dinner, and after that—well, my bed is spread with lovely, colored sheets of finest linen imported from Egypt, perfumed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

Come on, let’s take our fill of love until morning, for my husband is away on a long trip. He has taken a wallet full of money with him and won’t return for several days.”

With her many persuasions she caused him to yield; with her flattering lips she seduced him.
Suddenly he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, not knowing the outcome,
Or as one in stocks going to the correction [to be given] to a fool, until an arrow pierced his liver; like a bird fluttering straight into the net, he did not know that it would cost him his life.” Proverbs 7: 6-23

The undiscerning and simple young man lost his life on the altar of fornication because he thought sexual intercourse is just a mere means of catching fun.

Prayer Nugget: Father, I refuse to be simple. I ask for the grace of prudence in Jesus name.

Date: Sunday, 10^th March, 2024

Text: Matthew 24:45-51

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Faithfulness requires discipline. It involves doing the right thing at the right time whether you feel like doing it or not. As an employee, if you only go to work when you feel like it, you are likely to do that only once a while. The best of employees fulfils his obligations whether the weather is fair or rough.

A faithful soul is a person of integrity whose word is his bond, who always do what he promises, no matter how much it hurts or how much it may cost.

The word of God says, “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:2. Faithfulness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit- Galatians 5:22.

Intoday’s text the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.  Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:45-51

In the very next chapter of Matthew 25:14-19ff, the Lord told the story of a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.  To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The first two were commended as being good and faithful; while the one with least assignment was pronounced as being lazy and wicked and was condemned to jail.

Prayer Nugget: Father, grant me the grace to always be found faithful in Jesus name.

Date: Saturday, 9^th March, 2024

Text: Malachi 3:6

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

The third essential apart from Justice and Mercy is Faithfulness. Faithfulness means steadfast or consistent loyalty that is not easily moved.

Unfaithfulness is the reason for many failed marriages today. Infidelity has destroyed many once stable homes. Many employees can’t keep their jobs; several business-oriented individuals cannot maintain long-lasting relationships for reasons of unfaithfulness.

God cannot lie. His promises are Yes and Amen- 2 Corinthians 1:20. What He says, He will do. None of His promises ever fails. He is a faithful God and that is why He is called the Covenant-keeping God. He watches over his word to see it come to pass. Our God is a reliable and dependable God. “For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” Malachi 3:6

God expects one-hundred percent loyalty from his own. To be faithful to God is to trust in Him and love Him through all circumstances. It means obeying His commandments even when we’d rather choose a different path.

The world and its styles changes like shifting shadows. But a faithful soul remains unmovable and steadfastly committed to God, His ways and principles.

Prophetic Nugget: Receive grace to be steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord in Jesus name.

Date: Friday, 8^th March, 2024

Text: Psalm 103:8-11

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Apart from Justice another essential Christ mentioned is Mercy. It can be defined as compassion that forbears punishment even when justice demands it.

When God was eulogizing himself in the front of Moses, he described himself as “The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” Exodus 34:6-7

In today’s text the Psalmist describes God’s nature this way, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.” Psalm 103:8-11

Mercy triumphs over judgement. For example, the thief on the Cross deserves to end up in Hell but because he repented and asked for mercy, he was forgiven and even though he suffered physical pain, shame and punishment, he was set free from eternal punishment. Christ tempered justice with mercy- Luke 23:39-43.

In some occasions, however, mercy can be denied and previous forgiveness withdrawn; if the recipient of mercy fails to extend mercy to others- Matthew 18:21-35. The word of God says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”  Matthew 5:7. Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful- James 2:13.

May you be a recipient of God’s abundant mercy this day in Jesus name.

Prayer Nugget: Father, I will not take your mercy for granted. Please, grant me grace to always extend your mercy to others in Jesus name.

Date: Thursday, 7^th March, 2024

Text: James 2:2-4

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Justice is the quality of being fair. It is also known as equity or fairness.

Our Lord Jesus Christ identified it as one of the three essentials apart from mercy and faithfulness- Matthew 23:23

In order to properly understand justice, we may need to look at the opposite, namely injustice.

A simple illustration of injustice is demonstrated in James 2:2-4 which says, “Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

It is justice that makes God not leave the guilty unpunished; but punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation- Exodus 34:7b. Justice makes God not to spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment- 2 Peter 2:4.

It is this justice that made God not to have spared his own Son, but delivered him up for us all- Romans 8:32a

Justice is embedded in the followings Laws of Harvest which says the following:

Firstly, “What a man sows, he shall reap. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:8

Secondly, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously”- 2 Corinthians 9:6

Justice is the nature of God. And if we profess to be God’s bonafide children, why should we be any different?

Prayer Nugget: Father, I ask that you give me the grace to always live a life of fairness and equity in Jesus name.

Date: Wednesday, 6^th March, 2024

Text: 2 Corinthians 13:14

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

The final prayer of Paul for the Corinthian church has become one of the most popular ways by which most Christian churches or assemblies end their prayer sessions. It goes thus, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” 2 Corinthians 13:14.

If you look closely into that benedictory prayer, you will see the trinity clearly represented therein. Let’s break it down: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (God the Son); the love of God (the Father) and the communion of the Holy Ghost (God the Holy Spirit) be with you all.” Wow! What an invocation of divine blessings! That is one of the highest packages of blessing any man can get.

Most of us just say the prayer casually without the consciousness of the wonderful blessings in it. From now on let us learn to say the prayers in a heartfelt, intentional and prophetic way and we will activate the blessings loaded therein.

The Love of God mentioned in the benediction was the third essential we identified yesterday. One evidence that a man loves God is obedience to His word.Christ said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter (the Holy Spirit), that he may abide with you forever.” John 14:15-16

A life of obedience attracts the presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit into the life of a man.

When your heart is full of God’s love, it spills to your neighbour. Forgiveness becomes easy and there is no room for malice or bitterness. The results are answered prayers, unity and progress.

Prayer Nugget: Father, I ask for a yielded heart that readily obeys your word and the continuous indwelling of the Holy Spirit in Jesus name.

Date: Tuesday, 5^th March, 2024

Text: 1 John 4:7-11

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

In addition to Faith and Hope, the third essential in our walk with God is Love. Apostle Paul wrote, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13.

Love, selfless love is greater than any spiritual gift.

If you want to summarize all God’s commandments into two sentences, it will be “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself”- Luke 10:27

Today’s text puts it this way, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” 1 John 4:7-11.

All our actions are weighed by God; he looks at the motives behind all we do. Actions motivated by love for God and humanity (not selfish interests or self recognition) carry God’s blessings and have eternal rewards.

If there is anything we need to daily pursue, it is to live a life of love.

Prayer Nugget: Father, I receive grace to love like Christ did in Jesus name.

Date: Monday, 4^th March, 2024

Text: Romans 5:5-8

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Besides Faith, the second essential Apostle Paul identified is Hope. Hope has the element of trust. Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary defines hope as, “To trust in, wait for, look for or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future.” It is to ‘put confidence in’ or ‘to take refuge in’ someone or something.

The word of God warns us not to put our trust in riches, idols, foreign powers, military might, princes, other humans, beauty, education or personal achievements. In fact we are also warned not to put our trust or confidence in our own wisdom or understanding- Proverbs 3:5-6.

We are expected to put our trust in God’s love, ordinances, teaching; in his word and salvation. Prophet Jeremiah referred to God as the Hope of Israel; he said, ‘^“O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.” Jeremiah 17:13

Hope in God does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us- Isaiah 49:23c; Romans 5:5-8. Therefore, if Christ is in you, you have the hope of glory- Colossians 1:27.

Those who live and die in Christ have the hope of rising again unto glory- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.  However, those who die without Christ have no hope. For them is reserved everlasting burning in the blackest darkness- the Lake of Fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth forever- Revelation 20:15-20.

This is why the hope of the believer transcends this material world. Apostle Paul said, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable”- 1 Corinthians 15:19

If you are not yet in Christ, what are you waiting for? Run to Jesus today and put your hope in Him.

Prayer Nugget: Lord Jesus, I put my hope in you alone for the rest of my life.

Date: Sunday, 3^rd March, 2024

Text: Mark 11:22-24

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Yesterday, we identified Faith as one of the essentials in our relationship with the Lord.

To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. It was by their faith that people of ancient times won God’s approval. Hebrews 11For example, Abraham believed what God said and it was credited to him as righteousness.

It was faith that made Abraham obey when God called him to go out to a country which God had promised to give him. He left his own country without knowing where he was going. It was faith that made Abraham able to become a father, even though he was too old and Sarah herself could not have children. He trusted God to keep his promise and God honoured his faith by giving them Isaac in their old age.

Jesus once said to his disciples, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them– Mark 11:22-24.

The just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4. When God says something and you believe and act on it, you have demonstrated faith. To do otherwise is to demonstrate doubt and unbelief.

Faith is a spiritual shield that quenches the fiery darts of the evil one- Ephesians 6:16

Every child of God is able to defeat the world. And we win the victory over the world by means of our faith. Who can defeat the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God- 1 John 5:4-5. Through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, we can be made right with God and be restored to God’s original design for our lives. We must first place our faith in Jesus before we can fully access the power of God.

Prophetic Nugget: Receive the grace to be full of faith in Jesus name.