Welcome to a refreshing time from the Scriptures...
as shared by African Christian Authors!
Topic: Your Children’s Inheritance
Today, we will be looking at Proverbs 20:7. I’ll be reading from the Amplified Bible. It says,
The righteous man who walks in integrity and lives life in accord with his [godly] beliefs. How blessed [happy and spiritually secure] are his children after him [who have his example to follow].
When I was looking at that scripture, it became apparent that it refers to a father or a mother as the parent. It emphasizes the blessing upon their children because they have a parent to follow as an example. My encouragement to parents is that God has placed your children in your home or in your lives because He wants you to be an example to them.
Living a life of integrity is crucial so that you can become that example to your children. Children tend to follow and observe what you do more than what you tell them. You may tell your children that they need to walk with integrity, have the fear of God, and be prayerful, or that they should be virtuous individuals. But are they actually seeing those qualities in your own life?
Therefore, we should strive to leave a good inheritance for our children. This inheritance goes beyond material possessions; it includes the spiritual security that we can pass down to our children through our observed lives. Amen.”
Muthoni Omukhango
Author, Back on My Feet, Too Buy to Worship & Jesus Killed My Business
Topic: Only God Can Make You Happy
Psalm 16:11,
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Did you know it takes at least one year of training for you to attempt climbing Mount Everest? And all that effort is only for the privilege of spending around 10 minutes at the summit. This area is referred to as the death zone because staying there for too long can be fatal. Reflecting on this, the concept reminds us of how temporal happiness is in the course of our lives.
Consider the years spent in school just to have the opportunity to graduate. You cook for hours, only to enjoy a meal for a few minutes. You pray for a spouse, hoping they will bring you happiness, but then you realize they also have their own issues. You chase after money and success, and when you attain them, you realize there is still something missing.
Nonetheless, the verse reminds us that true pleasures can only be found in the presence of God. So, whatever you are seeking in this season of your life, remember that true happiness can only be fulfilled by being in the presence of God.
Jesus Christ assures us that He came to give us abundant life. If you are searching for abundance in your life, seek God. He promises that when you find Him, you will receive everything you need. As C.S. Lewis once said, “When you put the first thing first, you get the second thing thrown in: but when you put the second thing first, you lose both the first and the second.”
Put God first, and you will receive everything you need.
May you be blessed on this journey of seeking true joy and fulfilment.
Haggai Imbiaka
Author, Petals of Emotion
Topic: A Different Kind of Stagnation
What comes to mind when you think of the word ‘stagnation’? Do you envision a gross murky pond, infested with mosquitoes and covered in slimy green algae? Well, let me introduce you to a different kind of stagnation.
In the Bible, we find the story of the Israelites. God rescued them from the Egyptians, leading them towards the promised land. Although the journey was meant to take around two weeks, it stretched on for 40 long years.
During this time, they engaged in various activities. They married, raised children, tended to livestock, collected manna each morning, and worshipped God. Yet, amidst all these actions, they experienced stagnation. Why? Because, from God’s perspective, their ultimate goal was reaching the promised land. Anything they did that didn’t contribute to that purpose was mere stagnation.
Another biblical example is found in the parable of the Talents (Mathew 25:14-30). Often, we assume the servant did nothing at all. However, in reality, he did take action. He took his talent, dug a hole in the ground, and hid it. Perhaps he occupied himself with other tasks while awaiting his master’s return. Yet, when the master came back, all the servant’s efforts, activities, and movements proved fruitless. They didn’t align with the master’s mission or the mandate he had entrusted to them.
So, as you read this, consider this new perspective on stagnation. Recognize that God has assigned you a purpose, a mission, and a mandate, expecting you to fulfil it. Will you settle for mere motion, activity, and movement? Or will you choose the path of progress? The choice is yours.
Abiah Mckenna
Author, Conceive Achieve for Teens
Topic: A Fulfilling, Satisfying & Ideal Life In God’s Path
When we think about our lives, we all desire to live fruitful, fulfilling, satisfied, and happy lives. The Bible provides guidance on how to achieve such a life.
Today, I want to encourage you with Psalm 128, which states: Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways.
To begin with, we must first fear God. What does it mean to fear the Lord? It means living in obedience to Him on a daily basis. Is it easy?
No, but we rely on God’s strength to accomplish it. If you desire a fruitful, fulfilling, satisfied, and happy life, you must start by demonstrating obedience to God.
You must be in awe of God’s majesty each day and recognize that you rely on His strength, not your own. Once you reach this place of fearing God and following His ways, you will enjoy the fruits of your labor. This means that your work will be blessed. Let us not rush to acquire wealth and possessions merely for self-elevation. Instead, let us take the first step outlined in the Bible: fearing God and walking in His ways. By doing so, all these things will be added unto us.
Psalm 128:2 states: You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
Here, God promises to make our work fruitful. In verse 3, it mentions that our wives will be like fruitful vines in our homes, and our children will be like olive shoots around our table. It is amazing that God not only acknowledges our work but also highlights the thriving state of our relationships. Again, it begins with fearing God, walking in His ways, and receiving blessings in our work, relationships, and family life.
Psalm 128:4 states: Thus is the man blessed, who fears the Lord. We often use the words blessing and blessed in a manner that does not honor God. A blessing is when God empowers someone or something to fulfill its intended purpose. Therefore, you must ask yourself if you are pursuing the work that God designed and intended for you. You may find yourself in heaven one day, and God may ask why you didn’t do what you were meant to do, and your response might be that you imitated someone else. Start by fearing the Lord, and as you do, He will guide you into the right work that aligns with His design for you. When He does that, He will make you fruitful, fulfilled, and help you establish functioning relationships.
Finally, the Psalm concludes with the following: “May the Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!” God not only blesses our relationships and work, and not only enables us to have a connection with Him, but He also grants us a long life and a rich legacy. I desire this for myself, and I hope you desire it for yourself as well. May you experience a fruitful, fulfilled, satisfied, and happy life that honors God.
In conclusion, this devotion from Psalm 128 leaves us with three important points.
•First, make sure that you are on the path and plan that God has ordained for your life; do not live someone else’s life.
•Second, remain faithful in the work that God has assigned to you.
•Lastly, continue to live obediently in every aspect of your daily life.
May God bless you as you enjoy the fruitful, fulfilled, happy, and satisfied life that He has already designed for you.
Thank you.
Wairimu Kanyi
Author, Wired Weird
Topic: Seek Guidance and Advice From the Right People
I would like to speak to you today about a lesson in Bubbles and Mr. Toad, and I would like to speak to you about the book that teaches you to be brave and to be kind. Something else I would like you to learn is that as much as we are brave and kind, children, we also need to listen to advice from elders, parents, those that guide us, and from your ministry.
As in the book Bubbles Leaped, was determined, and took her path, but she also listened to something Mr. Toad, who was an elder, advised her. This is so important when you are planning your life’s journey.
Proverbs 22:17: Listen to the words of the wise, apply your heart to instruction.
Therefore I wanted you to learn that you should also seek guidance and advice from the right people as you plan to do exciting things ahead. Thank you.
Katherine Silva
Author: Bubbles and Mr. Toad
Topic: Give Your Children the Good Gift
Every parent wants the best for their children. I want the best for my children too; I have three of them – a 20-year-old, a 10-year-old, and a 7-year-old, and I want the very best for them that I can afford. For many parents, this includes the schools our children attend, the neighborhoods we live in, the churches we attend, and the friends our children keep. Our desire is to be able to give our children good gifts.
Acts 2:17: “In the last days, it will be,” God declares, “that I will pour out my Spirit upon all people, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. In those days, I will pour out my Spirit even on My menservants and maidservants, and they will prophesy. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”
Acts 2:39 – “This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Reflect on this question as a parent, have you created an enabling environment for your children to be able to receive the Spirit of God?
You have received the Spirit of God, but have your children had the experience? I know that the Holy Spirit is a good gift as Luke confirms it in the Bible.
When the disciples went to Jesus and asked to be taught how to pray, Jesus said, “If you, as earthly fathers, when your child asks for bread, you don’t give them stones. If your child asks for fish, you don’t give them a snake. How much more will your heavenly Father give you the Holy Spirit?” He talks about how we know how to give our children good gifts, so if you make deductions there, it means that our Father will give a good gift to his children, which has been referred to as the Holy Spirit.
So as you think about good schools, a good environment, good clothes, and good food that you want to offer your children, you should also consider giving them a good gift from the Father, and that’s the Holy Spirit.
Muthoni Omukhango
Author, Back on My Feet, Too Buy to Worship & Jesus Killed My Business
Topic: The Only True Place of Safety
Psalms 91:1-2: “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.
This is a reflection about surrendering to the Lord and believing in the safety and protection of God, the Almighty. Every day, we face fears, and as we wake up each morning to go to work, we encounter various challenges. Let us take a moment to reflect on this.
God is our refuge and our place of safety. Our cars and businesses do not provide true safety, as anything can happen without the grace of God. Our ability to wake up each morning with breath, energy, and eagerness is not solely our doing; it’s due to the safety provided by God. Unless the Lord secures us, all our efforts are in vain. Even security agencies or life insurance coverage cannot fully secure our lives; tomorrow is never guaranteed.
But if our lives are under the lordship of Jesus Christ, we can be assured of tomorrow and the years to come. Therefore, I encourage you to make the Lord your refuge and choose not to fear anything. You may have bills to pay or facing various issues, but I challenge you today to submit to the leadership of God. Make Him your refuge, and He will take care of you, your children, your family, your cars, your education, and everything that bears your name because He is our place of safety and our God, in whom we trust.
Remember, placing your trust in people will lead to disappointment, but how good it is to put our trust in God. From today onwards, may you recalibrate your life and experience a turnaround. Yes, you have trusted people, and they may have let you down. Keep in mind that anyone can disappoint you, even your employer, closest cousin, or even your mother, as we all have shortcomings as human beings. So, how good it is to trust in God.
May you endeavor to trust in God, and may the Lord bless you.
Dennis Makau
Author, Pastor as a Therapist
Topic: The secret to prosperity and success
Joshua 1:6: “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead this people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors that I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left, then everything you do will be successful.”
It’s very important to know that the biggest secret to success according to the word of God is by soaking yourself in His word.
His word, He tells us, when you hide it in your heart, you’ll keep away from sin and whatever you do will prosper.
Psalm 1 also reinforces this particular portion of scripture. Psalm 1:1-3: “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers, but they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted by the riverbank, bearing fruit every season; their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”
So, as a Christian, it’s important to fall in love with the word of God, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Take a few minutes and study the word in whatever way you know how, for that word is packed with wisdom and understanding, and it will guide you in everything you do.
The secret to prosperity and success is by anchoring yourself in the word that can only be found in your Bible, right where you are.
Musinguzi Begumisa
Author, In Search of Sanity
Topic: The secret to prosperity and success
- Is it the problems that you’re facing? Is it what people are telling you?
- Is it causing anxiety to you?
Topic: They are not my competitors; we are in the same vineyard
I grew up in a business family as far as I can remember, maybe around 6 or 5 years old. I remember my father and mother running a shop, and I grew up in that business environment for the first 20 years of my life. I developed this competitive mindset because we would visit other shops, a practice called mystery shopping, and check how much they were selling bread for. If it was, let’s say, 10 Kenyan Shillings back then, my dad would sell his at 9.50 Ksh. This practice became a routine, and it significantly influenced my development and who I eventually became.
So, when I grew up, I knew that I was going to get into the business space. I did that for some time; I ran a business consultancy firm for a while. When God told me that he needed me in full-time ministry, I carried that competitive mindset into the ministry work, and it was very difficult for me to change my attitude or my mindset because that’s how I had grown. I talk about this in my book “Jesus Killed My Business”. However, as I delved into scripture, I realized that in God’s Kingdom Business, it’s a bit different. How did I arrive at this realization?
When you look at Matthew 9:37, it says, this is Jesus speaking to his disciples. “He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So, pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, ask him to send more workers into his fields.'”
So, this is one of the mindset shifts I’ve had to make, and an attitude I’ve had to change while doing ministry for the past several years. Contrary to what we’re conditioned to believe, both in business and in life, God’s Kingdom Business operates on a different principle. We’re looking at who your competitor is, how you can do better than them, how you can offer something better than them. In the Kingdom Business, Jesus says that the work is a lot. The problem here is that the laborers or the workers are few. So, that has really been a paradigm shift. Of course, it doesn’t happen in one day, it keeps happening as I continue to grow older in biological age, but also in maturity, in my walk with God.
My fellow brethren doing seemingly the same thing that I am doing, they’re not my competitors; they are fellow workers, they are co-laborers, we are in the same vineyard. And if I understand this scripture correctly, it means that the work is much more than we can actually achieve at this particular time. So, I pray that even as you do the assignments God has given you, you look at your brethren, your brothers and sisters. Even if you’re a pastor leading a church and another pastor is leading a church, if you’re a Christian publisher and there are other Christian publishers in the same geographical space, they are not competitors, they are co-laborers.
So, what do you do with co-laborers? You can see the bigger assignment. The work is significant, and Jesus wants us to remain true. The harvest is plentiful, compelling us to extend a helping hand to our brothers and sisters, with the shared goal of completing the work at hand. At the end of the day, we want the entire harvest collected. And so, that becomes our paradigm shift.
Amen!
Muthoni Omukhango
Author: Jesus Killed My Business, Too Busy To Worship.
Topic: Enjoying what God has destined for us
I want to turn to the Bible to discuss the topic of money. The Bible covers a wide range of subjects, and you can find answers and solutions to almost anything, including money coaching. Today, I would like to explore what the Bible and God have to say about money. Interestingly, Jesus spoke more about money than even heaven or hell because money is something that impacts all of us, whether in a positive or negative way.
Let’s draw inspiration from a verse in the Book of Proverbs that guides our financial teachings:
Proverbs 13:11 states, ‘Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it’.
This verse encourages us to strive for sustainable financial growth so that we can enjoy the blessings that God has planned for us. It’s part of God’s will and purpose for us to establish financial order, even when we have limited resources. The Bible advises us to take things ‘little by little,’ recognizing that significant wealth isn’t necessary to manage our personal finances effectively. Starting small is key to gradually building a foundation for a lifetime of financial well-being. Our relationship with money matters, and it’s essential to heed the guidance found in the Bible on this subject.
While there are numerous verses in the Bible that offer insights on money, today, I want to emphasize the importance of growing our money gradually. It’s easy to feel that our financial resources are insufficient, but it’s worth remembering that money is a finite resource, and everyone faces limitations. Therefore, don’t underestimate the value of starting where you are and starting small. The Bible encourages us not to ‘despise the days of small beginnings,’ as even modest efforts can lead to significant achievements and open doors to greater opportunities.
As we embark on this journey to manage our money wisely, let us remember that financial well-being is part of God’s plan for our lives. May we all be blessed abundantly.
God bless you.
Elizabeth Waithaka
Author, A Personal Money Nuggets Workbook.