The Oscar Ajoku Blog: Daily Vitamin Devotional

DAILY VITAMIN -Engage Wisdom, Above All Others, In All You Do  Wisdom is having the courage to refuse to do what people term good when it will only lead to your own destruction; and the willingness to learn what's right and best for you in order to apply it for your elevation- Write that down. George Clason's character Mathon tells the story of an ass and an ox; and of how the lack of wisdom in the disguise of good intentions almost ruined one for the other. He tells of an ox who bemoaned to the ass the hardness of his lot, saying "I do labour pulling the plow from morning until night. No matter how hot the day or tired my legs....still must i work. But you are a creature of leisure...and do nothing more than carry our master about where he wishes to go. When he goes nowhere you do rest and eat the green grass all the day". The ass trying to be sympathetic advised, "In the morning when the slave comes to fetch you to the plow, lie upon the ground and belloe muc

DAILY VITAMIN - You Were Made To Overcome  No matter what you are passing through, you have been given the capacity to overcome it. The scripture states that "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it" (1  Cor 10:13 NIV). So regardless of whatever breakdown you may have experienced, you can break out of it. It is in you to breakthrough them all; all you have to do is start with agreeing with what God says about you, become consciously aligned with it, and in time your inner person would have mustered enough strength and courage to endure the present and also push your whole being into a more desirable future simultaneously. God instructs us who have Him as our Lord to trust Him in such dreadful situations, for not only is He our help and shield for times like this, but He will also remember t

DAILY VITAMIN - Trust In The Lord's Purpose For You  You'd remember that I once said that wherever God has you per time is where He wants you, not only because He never makes mistakes, but also because right there He either wants to do something for you, to you, or through you. According to Jesus, the societal invalid born blind was where he was at that moment to become a sign of God's power and glory to many. In the same way, regardless of how the struggles of the present may overwhelm you, God's primary purpose is to use that scenario you're in as the platform to showcase His glory. Remember Lazarus. His case seemed hopeless, but it was Christ's eventual tool to give hope to the hapless. When he was meant by nature to be entering the phase of decomposition, God used him as a sign to impact lives even to this day when we hear that story. In essence, what i'm saying is that, what you count as the odd part of your life judging by present circumstances is Go

DAILY VITAMIN - Though It Tarries, It Will Come One of the hardest things to do is to wait patiently for something you believe you need urgently. But despite how dislikened it is, God calls us to wait for the fulfilment of His promises. You know Hannah, right? The popular Prophet Samuel's-in the Bible-mother. Yes, her. Of Hannah, it is said that year after year, her futile search for a child continued. And something else that continued was the provocation her mates caused her, thereby making bitter weeping her constant habit (see 1 Sam 1:7). But of this same Hannah, it is said that God remembered her (vs 19), and in due time her weeping turned into a melodious song of testimonies, and that song never ceased as she kept on having more and more each passing year. The moral here is that in life things are going to be late in coming sometimes; oftentimes it may even span toward the year after year mode, but if you can wait for God, then you have set up yourself to get paid. For insta

DAILY VITAMIN - The Word Will Change Your Life " And we will never stop thanking God for this: that when we preached to you, you didn't think of the words we spoke as being just our own, but you accepted what we said as the very Word of God-which, of course, it was- and it changed your lives when you believed it."(1 Thess 2:13 TLB). One of the great benefits of the word of God is its capability to change our lives once we believe it. God's intention towards us at all times is to make our lives better. He savours in enhancing our better living. The scripture tells us that He sent His word to Jacob, and it lighted upon Israel. God's word was what translated Jacob from the supplanter to the nation we know today; and it is exactly the same thing that would change you. All you have to do is believe it. Jesus said "According to your faith, let it be unto you". What we believe validates what we receive; and there is nothing worth believing than God's word

DAILY VITAMIN - Take A Stride Towards Fellowship  Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired of never experiencing what it means to reach the summit of your walk with God? Well, you need not be. Having a fulfilling walk with God demands a wholehearted devotion to Him. In essence, what I mean here is that to fully have a life transforming experience with God, we must be willing to give all of ourselves to Him wholesomely. Not only is this the most proven way to effectively walk with God, that is wholehearted fellowship; it is the most efficacious means of accessing all He has reserved for us. When we give God our hearts, He gives us all that is in our hearts. Ps 37:4 says "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of thy heart". God wants all of you. He wants to be involved in everything you do. He is interested in where you go, what you want to eat, what you want to buy. He's interested in being a part of every single moment of your life. The p

DAILY VITAMIN - Prioritize Becoming An Effective Fellow  The OVERORGANIZED person always makes, updates and loses lists. When asked to do a task, he spends more time considering every possibility and ensuring he has every base covered. He doesn't move without planning the smallest detail, and often never get around to do as many things as he ought to. However, one irony here is that sometimes he's so well organized that he fails to see new opportunities and others' needs.  The OVERDOER is so busy doing things that he has no time to assert their true value. A hard fellow to approach, and is usually disliked because he's only really good at telling people what to do. He's very efficient, but most times more efficient doing the unneccesary things. The irony is that he's so full of activity that he has no time for himself.  The TIME FREAK is always nervous with his concern about never wasting a minute. He even knows how to save eleven seconds eating his meal. Th

DAILY VITAMIN - Persist To Prevail Life gives everyone of us a persistence test. It is somewhat like it lets no one enjoy great achievements without passing the persistence test. Those of us who can't take it simply do not make the grade that leads to our change of levels. However, here's something that should cheer you up; that regardless of how hard the challenge may be, the compensation is always worth it as an add-on. These are the words of Paul: "We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.....For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh" (2 Cor 4:8-9,11). No matter what you're passing through, you have life (a new beginning) awaiting not only in God's world, but also in this world of ours (Mark 10:29-30). So, expect that sickness out of your life in due time, f

DAILY VITAMIN - Make Impact A Priority  Take this opportunity of life God has gifted you, and live it the best way you possibly can. This is paramount because whether a man has a hundred years to live or twenty, what really matters isn't how long he lived, but how well he lived. Methuselah had almost a millenium to live, while Jesus had just a little past three decades, yet we know who the world still remembers. This is also very important because our success in life-in all its ramifications- is not measured by how long we stay up, but by how much impact we make while up. In essence, i'm enjoining you to turn your world around for the better. Make a cause to change lives for Jesus- and also for the sake of societal betterment every creature craves. Establish impact as a goal, and facilitate its achievement wherever you go; because what keeps our individual history indelible in time isn't existence, but impact. There is something the world around you needs you to do. It ma

DAILY VITAMIN - Let God Always Be First (2)  Jesus said "Without Me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). So in essence, We are not looking for a God we can carry into our dreams, we are looking for a God that can carry us into our dreams. Don't try to drive God, let Him drive you; for we can't do anything without Him on the steering wheel of our lives. Don't get so driven by the work of your hands that you neglect the Lord of the work. God made you for His purpose, His use, and His glory, and unless you are living by that, you are not living at all. For instance, when a system works against the instructions of its programmer, it is either reseted or disposed; and believe me none of these is that beneficial for it, because both takes it back to square one. Like that system, when we choose to live outside God's intended will for us, we only achieve taking ourselves more steps behind. Israel seemed so close to Canaan, but as soon as they started living in an '

DAILY VITAMIN - Let God Always Come First (1)  There is nothing as good as God's best for you. Sometimes, we may feel like we've lost too much when God's will avert what seemed ideal  from us, but believe me God never makes mistakes. No matter how precious such things or persons are, what He has prepared ahead for us fits the cost; and it's way more than we'd ever be able to appreciate. We may have our own plans for how best to live- where we want to go, how we want go there, and stuffs like that, but only God truly knows what's good enough for us. For goodness sake, He created us, knows our ends and needs. So Him only should truly know our greatest need in life; and if we want to enjoy these the reality of these needs, we've got to learn how to trust Him fretlessly. Plus, here's the tricky part; Until we want what God wants, we will never be happy, nor have the soothing peace that is rare to most of mankind today, nor the unsurmountable joy He promise

DAILY VITAMIN - It's Only A Matter Of Time (1)  I want you to boldly tell yourself without an atom of doubt in your heart that it's just a matter of time. Everything God has promised takes just a matter of time to reach fulfilment. As long as you follow His handout of living to attain them, they are a sure thing. Don't fret; don't worry. Time is linear; it's never too long, it's never too short. In fact, regardless of its span given to each and every one of us, it is God's tool for making men. Short or long, it is readily enough for God to accomplish all He wants to. So, don't feel sad that you can't see the promise being fulfilled yet. If I had made the promise to you, then you could feel fretful; but if God, don't, because His word is not bound (2 Tim 2:9). It's not limited by time, space, matter nor circumstances, conditions and convictions, has He said it, He will do it; and ensure it comes to completion (Phil 1:6). Just wait for Him tr

DAILY VITAMIN - Influencing Your World With Love  In the immortal words of James Matthew Barrie, "Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves", while Lord Alfred Tennyson makes it clearer by saying, 'I hold it true, whatever befall. I feel it, when i sorrow most, tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all". Humans are made to feel the greatest fulfilment when they express the virtue of love to one another. The more we love, the more we become complete. And ironically, in a world presently characterized by chaos and unpleasantries, there are a lot of people all around the world in need of some love....some compassion....some kindness. From the widow to the orphan, the war stricken fellow to the unfortunate ones overridden by unending woes. The world is so dark that only the light that emanates from love can heal it. Even the scripture assures us that where faith has no effect, and hope no grounds, love stamps

DAILY VITAMIN - Improve Yourself Into Success  In any field whatsoever you ply your trade, the greatest good you can do yourself is self improvement. Nothing visibly assures you of a better future than self development. Unless we meet up with the standards we set for ourselves by the position we aim for in life, our lack of character and skill will eventually catch up with our supposed public success, and thwart all we'd worked for. You can make your reputation unassailable by taking efforts to improve yourself unto expertise in whatever you do- be it writing, singing, acting, building, administration, or even any pure scientific practice. All you have to do is do all you have to do to better yourself today so that the laurels that await tomorrow won't find you eludable. Prepare yourself for the glory that comes tomorrow by preparing to work harder and better today. To maintain your independence you must consistently be needed and wanted. The more the outcome of situations de

DAILY VITAMIN - Grace: The Virtue To Live Like God  God's grace is meant to make us better people who serve Him devotedly. Everything He gives us freely is to enhance our communion with Him; and since without Him, we can do nothing, it means everything God does for us is to ensure we are in full capacity to do all He expects of us. His grace shouldn't be an excuse to relentlessly embrace sin; No. He gives us grace to live above sin. Grace abounds where sin is because it's God's remedy for eradicating it from human lives. So, here's what I'm saying; never feel comfortable in the sin you indulge in, all because you think God's grace gives you cover, it doesn't; this is so because the sort of revival that grace on its own invokes is one that promotes holiness. God wants us to live a committed life to Him in all ramifications, a life completely revived for His will and His will alone, and He gives us grace to facilitate that. Also, never abuse His grace up

DAILY VITAMIN - God Speaks- And He Wants To Do It With You  The inability of men to hear from God has led to a dramatic extent of losses they have suffered; and woes they have incurred.  And so we can say that the biggest deceit a man can let himself fall prey to is to believe that once he doesn't know a thing that those around him don't as well, he can't get what he is looking for. If we are willing to receive answers, God will always be ready to give them. Paul said "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you" (Phil 3:15). You'd notice that he stated that we can attain perfection in what we seek to do; but it greatly relies on the knowledge we have and apply on the road towards the attainment of such. Furthermore, you'd also notice that he said God-not any man, but God Himself- will reveal exactly what you need to know. Not to the pastor alone, or some seer, b

DAILY VITAMIN - God Has You In His Mind All The Time, Every Time.  Some of our major concerns as humans when in any given situation are the thoughts, "Who cares about what i'm going through?"; and "From whom can i seek the help i need?". Well, it wouldn't be a farce to say that God is always a Person you can count on, given that you are wholly committed to Him. Every single bit of His word proclaims this. We, as individual persons, are the first item on God's thoughts. Note that all He created from the first and even to the early moments of the sixth day were for you- man. And every thing Jesus experienced to establish this gracious relationship we have access into with God was for you- man. God wouldn't be bored if He hadn't created you; Believe me, He wouldn't; however it pleased Him to create you and provide everything good life can offer for your enjoyment. What am I trying to say? It doesn't matter what language you speak or what s

DAILY VITAMIN - Go Beyond Just Knowing To Loving God:  Knowledge puffs up while love builds up (1 Cor 8:1). There is no real growth in just knowing as there is in loving. Knowing God won't take you to places where loving God will. And that's why His command is not just 'know the Lord', but 'love the Lord with all your heart'. Our love for God is what secures our place with Him. It is a norm for all people to know God- whether in opposition or in agreement to Him; and that's the more reason why what God seeks more is a people who love Him. Remember, all things work together for them that LOVE God (Rom 8:28). The change of level experience you seek is pivoted in the expressions of our love for God. So, what have you been doing thus far? Just Knowing or Loving God? Well, you might ask "how am i supposed to know? Knowing God may keep us reverential to Him, dependent on Him and eager to dwell in Him, but with a slight contrast, loving God keeps us accounta

DAILY VITAMIN - Get Inspired You don't need a thousand people to be recognized, you just need two- you and someone else; so no matter what you're doing, or how small it may be now, or how little a crowd it pulls, do it as if it is the assured prologue to a bigger gig. It is like they say about life being somewhat of a theatre, it doesn't really matter how many people are watching, what matters is how well you're doing what you ought to do. You may just be performing before one or two familiars, give it your best as though you're before the world, and you'll get there. You may be preaching before just a family of two, but put in the best eloquence and synergy you can, and those two will overturn into multiples of your desired factor. You may just be writing a page or two, do it like it's a bestseller in the making, and you will get one. You may be kicking that ball before just a single coach, keep kicking it hard, and you will get to the grande stage of wha

DAILY VITAMIN - EMBRACE CONTENTMENT EVEN AS YOU STRIVE FOR MORE  Is it possible to be ambitious and content at the same time? I will say, Yes it is. God doesn't want us to remain stagnant in one place forever, but He also wants us to walk in par with where He leads. Paul said I have learnt to be content, and both how to be above and abased (Phil 4:11-12). What this means is that he knew that he was made to achieve more in life, but he 's never going to complain when God gives him the red light at any given time. To successfully walk with God, we have to learn how to move when He wants us to, and to stop when He wants us to. Many of us however find it hard to oblige to this culture because we are more bent on impressing people than we are on obeying God. I have seen a lot of people jump into what they weren't meant to all because they couldn't stand someone else getting there before them. You know, it's funny how we get angry and envious whenever someone gets a car