The Oscar Ajoku Blog: Daily Vitamin Devotional

  DAILY VITAMIN - Know The Lord "Let them boast in this alone: That they truly know me, and understand that I am the Lord of justice and of righteousness whose love is steadfast; and that I love to be this way." (Jeremiah 9:24 TLB) The Bible tells us in First Samuel 3 that when God called Samuel, three times he ran to Eli thinking it was he who had called him; and we are told this happened because Samuel did not yet know Jehovah (v.7). In other words, one can serve God without truly knowing Him. God can be in our midst and yet we can't recognize Him. Isn't that what we did with Jesus? He was with His own, yet His own didn't acknowledge Him (John 1:10). And ironically a lot of us are like this. One important thing we learn from Samuel's story is that God wants to know you and He wants you to know Him; however you must be ready to receive Him to know Him. He is talking to you even right now, but many are too loud to listen. That's what He wants- constant com...

  DAILY VITAMIN - Stay Away From Bitterness "Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God’s best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives." (Hebrews 12:15 TLB) Bitterness does nothing but keep your life bitter. And that means in trouble; that's what Marah meant when Naomi referred to herself as such (Ruth 1:20). It is an ideology that God is responsible for your problems or someone else, and thus causing this feeling to affect your relationship with both God and man.  The Bible says such attitudes will only lead you to ruin. It says it is how many people have failed to find God's best blessings. But today if you have been that way, it's time to change. First of all, God is not behind the problem. The scripture says if there is trouble, God takes His time to point out where we got it wrong (Job 36:8-10). So, it is always something we did or ...

  DAILY VITAMIN - God Sees Your Pain “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” (Psalm 102:19-20 NIV) God is very much aware of what is going on with you. Your boss might be maltreating you, your partner abusing you, your government oppressing you, loved ones ditching you, but God sees it all and He will help you (Isaiah 57:18). Don't fret, thinking He has abandoned you because nothing has changed thus far, but I'm here to tell you that He hasn't. In Job 35, He shows us that most people's situation stay unchanged because they don't cry out to God. "The oppressed may shriek beneath their wrongs and groan beneath the power of the rich; yet none of them cry to God, asking, ‘Where is God my Maker who gives songs in the night and makes us a little wiser than the animals and birds?’" (9-11 TLB). However, He goes further to explain the situation of t...

 DAILY VITAMIN - Receiving True Riches "If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches ?" (Luke 16:11) Jesus said that if we are not trustworthy with the wealth of this material world, we can never receive the true and incorruptible riches. He speaks of such people as being spiritually wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked (Rev 3:17). However, the good news is that He showed us how to receive this riches He offers. In verse 18 of Revelations 3, He advises us to buy pure gold (TLB). That's how we evade the wretchedness, misery and poverty; and says then true riches will come. But what is this pure gold we must seek and buy? Devotion to God. The Bible says set your desires on things above (Colossians 3:2). That's how we purchase this pure gold. Matthew 13:44 tells us of a man who sold all he had for a precious field and its treasure, speaking of the Kingdom. In the same Matthew 6:33, we are told to s...

  DAILY VITAMIN - Dwelling Above Principalities "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54:17) The Bible tells us Christ has placed us far above principalities and powers in the heavenly place (Ephesians 2:6), yet despite this we still find many believers being oppressed and tormented by the devil. He sits on their finances, health, well-being, marriage and sets limitations on them, and then you see this individual struggling. His finance is depleting, his health failing, well-being waning, marriage barely surviving, and his faith hardly standing. He or she becomes just the complete opposite of everything Jesus made us to be in Himself. How can we under whose feet Satan has been sentenced (Romans 16:20) be trampled under by him? The Bible calls it a great evil; for princes as we...

  DAILY VITAMIN - God Will Surprise You "When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,. we were like those who dream." (Psalm 126:1 ESV) No one can outgrow the miraculous; and each time it still gets you. It doesn't matter how many you may have experienced, the next one will still keep you thinking if it is all a dream. That is what Jesus called having the heart of a child. The ability to keep expecting something new.  Kids are always excited after after every present given to them even if it is the same thing. They don't outgrow getting excited and dumbfounded when they receive stuffs. And you mustn't either. The reason why many haven't received their expected miracles is because they downplayed the last; and the truth can never be downplayed. They are new all the time; and it only takes unbelief and pride not to truly appreciate them, and these virtues are miracles impediments on their own. Hence, free your heart from these things because God wants to surpris...

 DAILY VITAMIN - If You Can Dream It, God Can Do It "Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes." (Ephesians 3:20 TLB) The scripture above reminds us that God has the power to do things that exceed our very imaginations and natural capacities. It says if we can desire it, He can do it. If we can think of it, He can do it. If we can hope for it, He can do it. He can do above all we can ever dare ask for or dream of; but here's the thing: He does it all through His mighty power that works in and through us. So, in the physical people will see you achieving these things, but they won't know the real deal happened behind the scenes by the mighty energy of Christ in you. The same mighty energy Paul spoke of in Colossians 1:29, "To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in m...

  DAILY VITAMIN - Your Giving Is Your Greatest Investment "Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be." (Eccl 11:1-3) What you give is never lost, it is kept in store for your days of need. That's what the theme scripture tells us. What you give is a seed. A seed when planted doesn't produce instantly, but when it does it yields multiple folds of what was given. Luke 6:38 says "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (NIV). So, it is always a good measure that shall be received. According to the heart with whic...

 DAILY VITAMIN - God Will Take Care Of You "The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." (Psalm 34:10 NIV) My friend, I want you to know that the LORD will take care of you. Just keep walking in faith to His Word. There's nothing He can't do. The Bible says He will supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19). It might seem like you don't know where the next meal for your family will come from, but trust God to take care of you all. In scripture, we saw God feed a whole nation from the skies. We also see Him feed the man Elijah using a raven and an angel respectively. Your case isn't any different. He might not come in those forms, but He will still help you. He will take care of you. I have experienced the best of God in my worst circumstance. People don't often believe it when I tell them this story, but believe me it is as true as any other miracle God has done. One time in college when everyone had gone home for the h...

  DAILY VITAMIN - The Siege Is Over "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54:17) Permit me to pray for you right now. I just feel led to do that. No one can curse the Lord's anointed and leave unscathed. He said Touch Not! (Psalm 105:15). Therefore I curse every enemy of your soul. Anyone behind your afflictions, I curse them in the Name of Jesus and proclaim you free.  The Bible says affliction will not rise again (Nahum 1:9), therefore anyone or anything behind your repeated sorrows shall be silenced in the Name of Jesus. If it's a habit of some sort or a personality, I declare them destroyed by the power of the Spirit.  God said whoever digs a pit shall fall into it and whoever rolls a stone shall be crushed by it (Proverbs 26:27). It is a divine order. Therefore I ...

  DAILY VITAMIN - God Can Do More "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." (Ephesians 3:20 NLT) Don't limit God my dear. You don't even know what great things He has in store for you. He doesn't just want to give you a fish, He yearns to give you the whole river. Jesus said, "I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." (John 10:10 MSG)-- that is, abundance without limits.  He came to give you abundance in your health, finances, relationships and what have you; so don't expect less (Jeremiah 32:27). He said to Abraham as much as your eyes can see I give unto you (Genesis 13:14-15). He said to Joash as many arrows as you shot, so will your victories over Syria be (2 Kings 13:15-19). And all through scripture you will find that God left no room for limitation, except that which the men created themselves. ...

  DAILY VITAMIN - Don't Let Satan Distract You "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) Satan's game plan is to keep the believer so distracted that they forget all about what God had told them. And he tried the same with Paul with a unique technique. Paul had just been through the worst storm in centuries, and although prior to this time God's Word had come to him that he would come out unscathed and eventually get to Rome, but as soon as he landed on shore, another adversity began. A snake stuck fast to him. It was enough to have him complain or doubt God. God knows I have had my own share of such reactions. "God! Why is this happening to me? Is it that you enjoy seeing me in these troubles?" But Paul didn't whine, instead he shook off the serpent and continued with what he was told (Acts 28:5). Here's the mystery; because of that singular act, the whole village opened up for Christ message....

  DAILY VITAMIN - The Power of Faith "Jesus said to him, “ If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark 9:23 NKJV) Faith has the power to take from God even what He didn't budget to give. And this factually proven in scripture.  The Bible tells us of a sick woman who touched Jesus and was instantly made whole. First, she had the conviction that if she could just touch Him, she would be healed. And sure enough, she was. Second, after she got her healing, Jesus perceived healing virtue had left Him. Healing virtue He had budgeted for the mission at Jairus' home, yet she took from it. And what did He say did the trick? "Your faith has made you well" (Mark 5:34), because faith always makes room for more. A lot of us bring arguments to God when we should be bringing faith. You can plead your case and get results, but you can show your faith to seize results. Jesus said it shall be according to your faith at all times (see Matt 9:29). So if y...

 DAILY VITAMIN - Can The Lord Break His Promise? "God is not a man, that he should lie; He doesn’t change his mind like humans do." (Numbers 23:19 TLB) The Bible tells us that God cannot go back on His promise, but is that entirely certain? We will find out here. Paul wrote that God's promises are yes and amen (2 Cor 1:20); meaning they are now and forever certain to come to pass. However, there is a mystery that permits God to turn from His promise to man.  We are told that God kept His Word to David to have his descendant reign forever despite Solomon's misbehaviour, yet there are other circumstances in which he didn't. The Bible says, "...but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him" (Hebrews 10:38). For instance, in the case of Abraham. God promised that He would release his descendants after 400 years and plant them in Canaan again; but when the time came in the wilderness, He was more than ready to annihilate them for their rebe...

 DAILY VITAMIN - You Will Have An Answer For Your Enemies "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." (Psalm 23:5 NIV) Rise up, O Lord my God; vindicate me. Declare me “not guilty,” for you are just. Don’t let my enemies rejoice over me in my troubles." (Psalms 35:23-24 TLB) When Moses went in to Pharaoh requesting he let the people of God depart, Pharaoh asked him precisely "And who is Jehovah that I should listen to him, and let Israel go?" (Exodus 5:2 TLB). That might have been your case thus far. The enemy might have been mocking you, asking when God will deliver you, but guess what? Today, God Himself will give you that answer with a mighty deliverance. Hannah said "How I rejoice in the Lord! How he has blessed me! Now I have an answer for my enemies." (1 Samuel 2:1 TLB). Today, God will give you an answer as well. The Bible says Peninnah mocked Hannah year after year because she w...

  DAILY VITAMIN - Wisdom Resides In You "...but it is not mere age that makes men wise. Rather, it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty that makes him intelligent." (Job 32:8-9 TLB) The Bible tells us the mind of God, and our theme scripture shows that mere aging and experience cannot make one wise. That's why a forty year old can remain a fool forever. However, He tells us where wisdom resides. He says it is the Spirit of God in a man that makes him intelligent. It also calls Him the breath of the Almighty; that is the part of Jehovah that resides in man. During creation, God breathed upon man to make him a living soul; and he walked in the dimension of God till he fell. Remember he had eternal life; but now through Christ we are not just soulish beings, we are active spirit beings, who live after the Spirit and not after our feelings. That means, every step we are now if we let Him can be ordered by the Lord (Psalm 27:23). Little wonder why Solomon in his ...

 DAILY VITAMIN - God Is Not Done With You Yet "The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,. shining ever brighter till the full light of day." (Proverbs 4:18 ESV) The life of a Christian is a never-ending adventure. It means there's no full-stop to your life, except the one you place there. Remember the story of Elisha and Joash; and also that with the widow. God doesn't stop until you are willing to stop; He doesn't hold back the blessing until you prove you are prepared for more.  And I'm here to tell you that He's not done with you yet. Your life is like a road without end full of light. That's what our theme scripture tells us. Job 8:7 says your latter end shall be greater than your beginning. You know why? Because the glory of the temple is always greater at the latter stage than at the former (Haggai 2:9). And He says you are His temple (1 Cor 3:16); so that's for you. Believe God, your background can't be an obstacle. He will take...

 DAILY VITAMIN - You Are More Than Enough "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4) What you have presently may not seem like much to you. It may seem ordinary or just insignificant at the moment, but if that's what God gave you, it's because He knows it is all you need to get all He says is yours.  Consider David. All he had before mighty Goliath was a simple slingshot. He could have finalized himself down and out, but instead he raced towards the giant and brought him down. He did this because he understood that a puny man with God's anointing and favour always stands a better chance than a huge man with no anointing. Consider Moses too. All he had was rod, but that rod changed the world, because on it was the anointing of He who had made the world. But consider this as well: If God could anoint a slingshot and a rod for victory, how much do you think He had anointed...

 DAILY VITAMIN - I Bless You In The Name Of The LORD "I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it." (Numbers 23:20) To every single one of you that has put your trust in God, I declare that the pain that dragged you to your knees shall be alleviated today, in the Name of Jesus. The problems that cause you to cry are no more in the Name of Jesus. The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, and I announce today as the day of God's refreshing upon you. Today, the portals to the fulfilment of your dreams that may have seemed delayed or resisted are opening up. Today, the ideas and resources to achieve the goals God has placed in your heart are released to you. Today, the negative medical report is being changed, and your health restored. This is the day of your release into the whole will of God.  The grace of God acts upon you today in exceeding measures. His favour speaks for you; and His mercies work for you. Where you have had lack, you shall ...

  DAILY VITAMIN - Overcome The Darkness "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:5) The Bible mentions how God is surrounded by thick darkness. Psalm 97:2 references that; as well as Exodus 20:21 where we are told that Moses went to meet Him in the thick darkness where He was. But isn't it kind of contrasting how a God of lights can be surrounded by a hollow of darkness? But consider this: Place a fluorescent filament on a pole on a dark night, and then switch on the power. You'd realize that while the bulb is at its highest, it pushes the darkness away, yet you can still find darkness circled around that region. However, here's the great part; despite its presence, it doesn't affect the nature of the bulb, nor influence its function, instead it is placed under the authority of the brightness of that light.  It is the same with God. The darkness around cannot hinder Him from being God. In fact, we are told that He rul...