The Oscar Ajoku Blog: Daily Vitamin Devotional

DAILY VITAMIN - Tears Won't Do "They wept until they could weep no more" (1 Sam 30:4 TLB)     From our theme verse, we can deduce that these men must have cried for hours until their tears gland ran dry, but as the subsequent verse said it brought nothing but grief and bitterness to them. You see, as much as pain demands to be felt, our submission to it brings no solution. In fact, if crying could solve problems, the whole world would gladly cry a river if it would stop the anarchy in the Middle East and the poverty in the world at large.     In reality, tears don't do much, and David understood this; which is why while others petered out from the path of courage and into grief, he encouraged himself with the belief that he had God on his side to help him. And so he enquired from the LORD what he should do to recover all he'd lost (v. 8). That's the simple secret behind obtaining solutions - conversing with God, not cowering in tears.     A lot of pe

DAILY VITAMIN - See It God's Way "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 TLB)     Have you ever noticed how at some point in your life when everything seemed to be going AWOL, then all of a sudden something great came out of it all? At least I have seen it happen without number in my life and others'. Well, that's exactly what God does for a living- turning bitter sources into a spring of life.     Just like most of us, one man who had a myriad of experience regarding this has to be David. David once said that he would have fainted if he hadn't believed to see God's goodness in his life. And went ahead in advising us to wait patiently for all God has promised regardless of what we are currently going through (Psalm 27:13-14). And believe me, he knows what he was talking about.     For instance, David had been told he had been chosen by God to

DAILY VITAMIN - Peace With God "Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to [b]enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)." (Romans 5:1 AMP)     By studying the deteriorating story of Saul, you sort of like pity him. Having conversed with Samuel through the medium at Endor, he realized he was to die the next day, but in spite of all the remorse he felt he couldn't make peace with God. He might have thought of it, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't find access to God even though he had a one day headstart. But this is the thing; this inaccessibility to God wasn't all of Saul's doing, it was an Old Testament flaw. Even God said that He blocked the eyes of such men from conceiving the way and their hearts from understanding it lest they should return back to

DAILY VITAMIN - Overcoming The Atheistic Argument "THE [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God." (Psalm 53:1 AMP)     David made that statement. It's almost as though he had a lot of sadistic people also trying to preach the "God doesn't exist" sermon to him, as they still try to do today. Well, here's the proper response he had for them. He said "The heavens are telling the glory of God; they are a marvelous display of his craftsmanship. Day and night they keep on telling about God" (Psalm 19:1-2 TLB).     He was simply saying that everything else can be denied, but not God. A man would have to be cynical to look at all of life and never see God in the picture. We might try to blame it on men's curious intellect or on increased knowledge; but we'd only be deceiving ourselves. Life itself tells us that there has to be a God. The perfect episodes culminated in the unique destinies of men is proof enough that t

DAILY VITAMIN - The Holy Spirit And Your Potential "Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]".              (Eph 3:20 AMP)      A mass of gold excavated from the earth has no visible value until it is refined. As long as its ores and impurities remain, its true potential in the market remains unrevealed. This is exactly how we are without the fullness of the Spirit upon us. Our potentials stay hidden and limited, because only the anointing of the Spirit can magnify it to visible value.    Acts 4:13 says that when the Sanhedrin found out that Peter and John were suppose to be timid uneducated men, but on seeing the boldness, poise and dexterity of their words, they realized that they must have a part of Christ in them. And so we see P

DAILY VITAMIN - Your Miracle Is Coming "[When] a certain man crippled from his birth was being carried along, who was laid each day at that gate of the temple [which is] called Beautiful, so that he might beg for charitable gifts from those who entered the temple....But Peter said, Silver and gold (money) I do not have; but what I do have, that I give to you: in [the use of] the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk! Then he took hold of the man's right hand with a firm grip and raised him up. And at once his feet and ankle bones became strong and steady, And leaping forth he stood and began to walk, and he went into the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God." (Acts 3:2-6 AMP)     In our theme scripture, we see a lame beggar whose routine was to wake up, crawl his way to the Tempe gate, and there beg for alms all through the day, every day. It was how he had lived all of his adolescent/adult life. But on a certain day, as he went out as usual to co

DAILY VITAMIN - Breaking Free Of Bitterness "And be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind".    (Ephesians 4:24)    We have a lot of bitter people these days, even in church. But this is the thing about bitterness: it hampers growth, and impedes the expression of the liberty of the saints. Bitterness is a bondage; and every time we indulge it, we somewhat like place a banana peel on our path to make ourselves slip. Paul called it the raw material for backwardness (Hebrews 12:15). And the field where this seed of bitterness relishes the most is the heart of man (see Mark 4:15).    You can't be bitter in your brain. It wouldn't hold for long even if it did; and so the enemy always entrench it in the heart, from which proceeds all the issues- both material and immaterial- of a man's life. Little wonder we are warned to guard it well (Proverbs 4:23). This siege to the spiritual and physical exploits of a man must be dealt with if such a man must experience a ne

DAILY VITAMIN - The Fellowship Of The Spirit "The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you." (John 14:17 AMP)     In Christianity today, we have a lot of people who still think the Holy Spirit as simply a force or a mere thing. And so they ask questions like "What is the Holy Spirit?" as though He is just some object from God. Recently, a high school senior asked me "What is God?" 'What?' God isn't a thing. We may call Him an entity, but that only means He is wholesomely manifested in Father, Spirit and Son. He is a Person; and so is the Holy Spirit of promise -who is the God IN us.     However, while a lot of well taught believers understand that there is an indwelling presence of the Spirit in us that sealed us on the day of our redemption, identifying us the

DAILY VITAMIN - Why Are You Doing The Lord's Work? "Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, Knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [real] reward. [The One Whom] you are actually serving [is] the Lord Christ (the Messiah)." (Colossians 3:23-24 AMP)    A lot of people are quick to judge clergymen these days who seem to be more interested in the material world than they are of the spiritual; and while many of their accusations might have been right, at the end it shouldn't really concern us as much because God Himself will judge such ones as He would also judge us. And so, what should concern you should be your own intentions for serving the Lord. You may not have done in extent what these men may have done, but can you really say that all you do is for the Lord and simply not just for yourself?    Serving

DAILY VITAMIN - Jesus Knows Where The Fish Is "Then He said, 'Throw out your net on the right hand side of the boat, and you'll get plenty of them!' So we did, and couldn't draw in the net because of the weight of the fish, there were so many!" (John 21:6 TLB)     The disciples had struggled for a long time to find a catch as they always did without Jesus, but then they heard a voice from the shore saying "Cast your net there and you will have a great catch!" They did, but it wasn't just some they caught, it was a lot. Immediately this happened, John knew it was the Lord. Remember, He had done the same thing on Peter's boat before they all got acquainted. It was Jesus' signature move- the ability to find a way where there seemed to be no way.     The moral behind this story in scripture is simple. And it is that Jesus knows how to simplify our complexities in all ramifications. When you don't know where to go to find peace and

DAILY VITAMIN - What Are You Believing? "Then I went in too, and saw, and believed [that he had risen]" (John 20:8 TLB)    In this particular scripture, we see that while two people saw the same thing, their perspective, their insight and their belief regarding it differed. Both Mary and John saw an empty tomb, but while Mary believed Jesus had been exhumed by the Jewish antagonists, John believed He had risen. And we see their response to this omen of life immediately. While John and Peter returned home, Mary stayed crying on. However, as soon as her eyes were enlightened and she saw the Lord, she was much more enthused than the other disciples had ever been that they almost even began to doubt what they had once believed.    That's exactly how life is to each and every one of us every day. We all look, but only we can independently decide what we see from the picture we beheld. When life throws tantrums at you, do you see a disappointment, or an appointment for

DAILY VITAMIN - As He Speaks Of Christ, So Also He Speaks Of You "In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17 AMP)    When God looks at you and I- Christians, He sees the express image of His Son Jesus Christ. Just as He is the express image and effulgence of the Father, we are in His glory the express image of the Son. This means that whatsoever God had said concerning Christ, He was also talking about us. That is, when you read the Word of God, whatever God said regarding the Son, He was also saying regarding you.    Remember, He said of Christ, "Sit here beside me in honour until I crush all your enemies beneath your feet" (Hebrew 1:13); and of us He would also say, "the Lord will soon crush Satan under your feet" (Romans 16:20). So, by red

DAILY VITAMIN - All Things Are Possible With God "David continued to succeed in everything he undertook, for the Lord was with him" (1 Sam 18:14 TLB)    I'm very sure a lot of us feel exactly as David did in those days. Here was the least significant boy in the house of an average income earner from Bethlehem, now working in the King's stead, and was one step from getting married to the King's daughter. However, one thought kept bothering him; which was "how am I going to find the dowry to marry a King's child looking at my fore-and-back ground? (v.23)".    Looking at where he was coming from, it left him with little hope; looking at where he was and how he had been demoted at work, he felt worse. Isn't that also how many of us feel presently? A great offer for a house in the suburbs gets presented to you at a discounted rate, but even with the cut in price, you still ask how you're going to afford it, seeing how unprofitable your pr

DAILY VITAMIN - The Content Of Our Hearts Defines Our Lives "Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23 AMP)    The state of our hearts ultimately determine the eventual state of our lives. What we see colouring our everyday realities are basically the tool sets our own heart has permitted. Remember those wise words, "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). And so that means no man can rise above the latent content of his heart. If a man thinks negatively all the time, negative images will colour his everyday moments; and if he thinks positive things, he will receive positive occurrences as well.    As Jesus said, a good man brings good treasures into his life from the reservoir he holds deeply situated in his heart, and likewise the evil (Matt 12:35). We attract into our lives what we really are on the inside; and this reflects in our words, thoughts and

DAILY VITAMIN - We Are Giant Killers "Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:37)    How great is that? We are not just conquerors, we are more than conquerors. That means that we don't just overcome what others can, we also overcome what they can't. The world may not know how to deal with their challenges, recessions and circumstantial inconveniences, but we do. In Christ, we do. We are as David was; we are giant killers.    David wasn't afraid when he saw the giant as compared to how the entire Israel had reacted at the sight of him. This was a changed David. The Spirit of God had radically transformed him. He wasn't concerned about its size, all he cared about was that he was going to bring it down. And down he did.    In the same way, we have been blessed with the capacity to overcome any or all circumstances in Christ. In fact, it says we can do all things because we have received strength from

DAILY VITAMIN - Another Jesus By The Spirit "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the suffering and afflicted. He has sent me to comfort the broken-hearted, to announce liberty to captives and to open the eyes of the blind." (Isaiah 61:1 TLB)    The Spirit of God is the comforter not only because He comforts us, but because He enables us to comfort others (2 Cor 1:3-4). Look at what Isaiah said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...He has sent me to comfort..." In other words, we have been given the same ministry Jesus had on the earth. Hallelujah! By the Spirit, we continue the work of Jesus on the earth for the liberation and edification of men and the glorification of our Lord.     Jesus said that as the Father had sent Him [for the same purpose and with the same power], He has also sent us (John 17:18); and in John 15:27 He tells His disciples- of which we are enlisted -that they must serve as witn

DAILY VITAMIN - Destined To Shine (2) " Darkness as black as night shall cover all the peoples of the earth, but the glory of the Lord will shine from you" (Isaiah 60:2 TLB)    Jesus said "He does His work through Me" (John 14:10 TLB), and the Bible says as He is, so are we in this world also (1 John 4:17). It then means that God is the one who is going to fulfill His good pleasure by shining through you. You don't have to be bothered about your limitations and disadvantages because it's not in your strength but His that this will come to be; God is fully in charge of this material transaction of your change of level experience. Remember, He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could possibly ask, think or imagine through His power at work in us (Ephesians 3:20).    Thus, you're still on track, because it's not on your natural ability, but on God's capacity to shine through you. And what has He said will happen as a result?

DAILY VITAMIN - Destined To Shine (1) " Arise, my people! Let your light shine for all the nations to see! For the glory of the Lord is streaming from you". (Isaiah 60:1 TLB)    Wow! Do you understand what that means? It's so good that even Jesus had to repeat it again (Matthew 5:14-16). God is not saying that you are going to receive the capacity for greatness soon; No! He says you already have the capacity for greatness from the LORD within you. Glory to God!    He says that as a result people from all around the world will come to admire you (v.3). That means there's hope for you and I my friend. You may be passing through a hard time today, but He says very soon because you have been faithful, you will be surprised all of a sudden how His blessings will overflow in materiality through your everyday life (v.5). Remember, this is coming from within you. The Spirit of God in you will make it possible.    People around you may not appreciate who you say you a

DAILY VITAMIN - Sufficient Grace Just For You "And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]." (2 Corinthians 9:8 AMP)    Did you see that? It's the most splendid piece of information you may ever come across. It says God is able to give you all His grace in sufficient measures so that you can increase in goodliness. This covers all aspects of life. For instance, it means that no matter how labile you have been in life, God can make you strong again. No matter how deep in sin you may be, God is able to restore you to righteousness. In fact, He says the deeper the sin, the deeper the grace to swallow it in Christ (Romans 5:20).    Also, He says that even if you are presently in a jeopardous situation, He is

DAILY VITAMIN - There's Glory In Obedience "Samuel said, What have you done? Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were assembled at Michmash, I thought, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord. So I forced myself to offer a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly! You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God which He commanded you; for the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever; But now your kingdom shall not continue; the Lord has sought out [David] a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince and ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you." (1 Sam 13:11-14 AMP)    It had just been one year since Saul became king with a promise that he would deliver Israel entirely from the oppressions