The Oscar Ajoku Blog: Daily Vitamin Devotional

DAILY VITAMIN - Give Attention To Your Family "But if anyone does not take care of his relatives, especially the members of his own family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (1 Tim 5:8 GNB)       The closest church to you is your family; and so it baffles me when men discard the welfare- spiritual, physical and emotional -of their families in the name of giving their all to the local church. Your family is as local as it gets, and should not be neglected.        Your wife is a helpmeet from God, not a burden; and your kids are God's heritage. And so it means it is this core of the family circle that determines how far your household will go in Kingdom service. That is, if your family is constantly nurtured in the ways of the Lord and their general livelihood, and not neglected, there is a hope for your generations to come in the Lord. In Joel 1:3, God admonishes us to carefully teach them to love Him, and in each generation of time as detail

DAILY VITAMIN - It's Going To Take Some Courage "Be of good courage; and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD will do that which seemeth Him good" (1 Sam 10:12)        Faith comes with courage. And there can be no pursuit without it. Furthermore, desire dies in the absence of courage. The Israelis, as we see from our opening scripture, were clearly outnumbered, yet they didn't give in to the intimidation. They strove with all they had until they began to thrive where they didn't have anything. Outnumbered, yet they conquered. Frightened, yet they pursued.      What do you think was responsible for this? Joab tells us it was courage. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the zest to venture regardless of fear. It is going against the odds. As I said it isn't fearlessness; it is simply boldness in the midst of fear and flight.       Right now, you might be scared to try out that new business plan, or to comm

DAILY VITAMIN - Go To The Potter "But the jar that he was forming didn't turn out as he wished, so he kneaded it into a lump and started again" (Jeremiah 18:4 TLB)        Everything comes to shape in the hands of the potter. And God is this potter. It is very possible right now that even though you're a Christian, there are still some habitual tendencies that keep you falling and failing all day long. Well, God is saying "come to Me".        In our theme verse, He shows us how the potter transforms a vessel of seemingly less quality or that may have lost its shape into the very image He had in mind from the beginning; which is the same thing Jesus meant when He said 'Come unto me all you that are heavily burdened and I will give you rest' (Matt 11:28). So yes, God can help you.       And how will He do this?       First, by His Holy Spirit in you. The scriptures say that He is constantly at work in you by His Spirit bringing you into confor

DAILY VITAMIN - Changed In A Twinkling Of An Eye "...we shall all be changed in an instant, as quickly as the blinking of an eye...." (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 GNB)       We are told in scripture that on the last day we shall be transformed into our original nature in Christ. The corruptible will suddenly become incorruptible, and the dead will suddenly become alive. Note the word 'suddenly'. It shall be rapturous on that day; such an incomprehensible event that will baffle even the participants as it exceeds the naturally expected scheme.       Now if our eternal end shall come with such momentary change because of the Lord, how much more now our present life in the Lord? The same way our sudden change shall become a cause of awe in the eyes of men, so also shall the sudden change the Lord will bring your way soon cause a stirring in the hearts of many about how mind-boggling it is. And God promises such a change. He says He will do a new thing in your life tha

DAILY VITAMIN - Do God's Work "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matt 5:16)      When we talk about doing the work of God, a lot of honest believers think it's just about belonging to a service group in the local church to help out the smooth running of the Church's business. But it's much more than that. God’s work is eternally related to people. It's about honouring Jesus enough to love people back unto salvation. In other words, when God calls us to do His work, He's asking us to draw men to Himself.      This might sound strange, but it's true; that's all the works of God are about. Whether it's being nice to a complete stranger like that Samaritan or being busy for the Lord in the local church, the sole purpose is to pour out light to men so that they can escape from their darknesses. Jesus showed us this when He made the Lord's work synonymou

DAILY VITAMIN - What You Have Is Priceless "And God has reserved for His children the priceless gift of eternal life; it is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay" (1 Peter 1:4 TLB)       There is something in you as a Christian that the world can't find no matter how far and deep they search for it; and that is eternal life. And this is because it can't be found, it is only given when we believe in the Son who was given for our sake. The scripture says that the day we believed, we received this eternal status of life (John 6:47). What that means is that the day we believed and received Jesus, He took all of our death and gave us all of His life, and everything that comes with it (John 1:12). The episode of Calvary was recreated in the very personage of our spirits for our eternal redemption. And as I have always said, eternal life isn't just living forever, but living forever in union with God.        Do you know

DAILY VITAMIN  - The Secret Of Consciousness  "...and her countenance was no more sad." (1 Sam 1:18)      There is something about being conscious of the reality you desire even when you cannot see it presently. In fact, that is the very thing that makes the virtue of faith viable - being able to see what others can't see because it hasn't appeared yet in the physical. This audacity to feel and act in the reality of an intangible and immaterial desire is brought into manifestation because you have become conscious of its unseen tangibility and materiality.      Consciousness is the difference maker in actuality between seeking and finding; because that is where faith and hope meet in realistic expressions. It is the eyes faith gives you to see, and the mind hope gives you to persist.      In Acts 17:27, the Bible tellls us that when men seek after God, and then feel their way towards Him, they will find Him (TLB). The phrase "feel their way"

DAILY VITAMIN - Living A Purpose-Driven Life "And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou has received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it". (Colossians 4:17)       Everybody was born with a laid down purpose for his or her life (Ps 139:16). In God's itinerary, there is a specific path for each individual, and completely fulfilling our roles on these paths is pivotal in the fulfillment of what we call destiny. We may have many gifts, but we have one purpose each.       A lot of us make a lot of fuss about living a long life, but as I have always said, a long life isn't measured by the number of years one existed, but by the number of years one had been awake to his real self. Many are alive, but only a bunch are awake. "Awake" here means being fully aware of who you are and your original functionality in this world, and bringing yourself to live utmostly to perform it.      Jesus said "For this purpose was I born that I may testif

DAILY VITAMIN - Where Is Your Trust? "And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15 AMP)      In life, there are always two choices when faced with difficult situations. First, we can either choose to trust God and bank on the integrity of His Word, or we can choose not to in order to bank on any other alternative. Whether we pick the first option or the other, each has its own reward or consequence. The Scripture tells us that "The Lord says: Cursed is the man who puts his trust in mortal man and turns his heart away from God" (Jeremiah 17:5 TLB).      In God's view, every other alternative that takes us away from fully relying on the Lord, or that breaks our hearts from His, might look pleasant and feasible

DAILY VITAMIN - Choose To Be Happy " Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!" (Habakkuk 3:17-18 AMP)     Happiness is a choice. Smiling is a conscious act and decision. This is because the human face is naturally inclined to frown. That is, to frown you don't even have to do anything. Keeping a straight face is by far only a thinner line closer to frowning than it is to smiling. So, to smile has to be deliberate. And to be happy has to be intentional. There is no accidental happiness. True happiness comes from within. It is intentional. It comes because inside of us is a flood of joy bubbling in our souls. Even our events can't affect it. It may cloud it for a while, but a happy person will alwa

DAILY VITAMIN - Exemplifying The God-Life "I said, You are gods [since you judge on My behalf, as My representatives]; indeed, all of you are children of the Most High." (Psalm 82:6 AMP)      Every child of God carries His DNA. That is, he can think like God (1 Cor 2:16), act like God (Zech 12:8), and live like God (John 6:57). It is our natural inclination in Christ. And this includes you too.      In other words, every thing Jesus did, you can do too. You can please God, and walk in the heights of His wisdom and wonders. All things are bound to be possible for you as they are to God. It's the natural experience of the saint, and many already have enjoyed it. Let's take an example in Paul- a fellow believer of Christ like you and I, endowed with the Spirit of God like you and I.      Paul had just preached in Iconium, alongside Barnabas, that the entire Greek population believed. But seeing they couldn't discredit his deeds, they attacked his person, the

DAILY VITAMIN - You're Blessed To Bless Others "David now realized why the Lord had made him the King and blessed his kingdom so greatly- it was because God wanted to pour out his kindness on Israel, his chosen people." (2 Samuel 5:12 TLB)      Every believer is bound to be a conduit of blessings to the world. Remember, you are the light of the world, a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden, an avenue for men to give glory back to God (Matt 5:14-16). You are Abraham's seed, and as such a heir according to the promise. And what is this promise God made to Abraham? Genesis 12:3 says the entire world will be blessed because of you (TLB). And because you were in the spiritual loins of Abraham through Christ, God was speaking to you too.      You're not made for yourself alone. You are like the sun; your essence is highly valued because of what you do for others with what you have been given. That is why He has blessed you with all the blessings there are, s

DAILY VITAMIN - The Power Of His Presence "So David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of heaven was with him" (2 Samuel 5:10 TLB)     The very story of David tells of the awesome power of God. And this we know was evident because God's presence never departed from him. The scripture says that the Jordan fled and the mountains skipped before the people of Israel because of His presence with them (Ps 114). This is the same presence that guarantees our liberty wherever we go (2 Corinthians 3:17). And we see this exhibited in David's story. Our theme verse tells us that David's greatness was tied to God's presence. And so is ours; remember "Without Me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5).      In that same chapter, we see how David defeated the Philistines again. Recall that he had downed Goliath some years back because he had God fighting on his side; now it was happening again. The Philistines had gathered to attack him, but he completel

DAILY VITAMIN - Prayer Works "You can get anything- anything you ask for in prayer- if you believe." (Matt 21:22 TLB)       There is power in prayer. It is never a waste of words to God, but always an avenue to usher in God's intervention into any situation. In Acts 12, we see the story of Peter being imprisoned by Herod. He was locked in the innermost section of jail with four plus a dozen soldiers to keep guard. But deep into the night, an angel of the Lord appeared and walked Peter out of that fortress like a dream of the night. It seemed like a dream to Peter that God had broken him free from the snare of the enemy, but little did he know that prayers had been going on all day and all night long on his behalf (v.5).        The Living Bible termed it earnest prayers. That means a heartfelt, continuous and faith filled string of prayers, which we are told in scripture is dynamic in its working and effective in its results as it regards the believer (James 5:16).

DAILY VITAMIN - Desisting From Vain Pursuits "Before every man there lies a wide and pleasant road that seems right but ends in death." (Proverbs 14:12 TLB)     There is a path for every man in life. Not every path holds the same verdict for an individual. While a path may be seemingly hitch-free to one person, it may be a deathly hollow to another. And so it is only expedient that we find the right path for our individual life journeys on the earth.     The Scripture above states that there is a way that appears physically pleasant and appealing, but its effect on a man can be dangerously disastrous. Little wonder we are warned not to live by sight alone, but also by faith. Faith here could also imply being aligned to God's will per time unwaveringly- Seeking His direction and following it without remorse.      In 2 Samuel 2, we see how David got to become king of Judah. First, he sought God's direction, and as He proceeded to the place God had pointed out,

DAILY VITAMIN - The Faith That Wins "...Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him" (Heb 11:6 TLB)     We have come to the end of the year, but as we also know the end of a thing is always the beginning of something new. To some, it will be so great; to others, it might be not so good. But the concern here is how can we make it great for ourselves and those around us. The Bible says that by faith, Sarah who was hopeless as it regarded childbirth gave birth to a new nation for Abraham (Heb 11:11-12).      In the same way, it may not look like anything good can come out of your situation; however God is saying that if you will trust Him and believe Him, something great will happen. Remember what Jesus said to the sick boy's father, "If you will believe, all things become possible for you" (Mark 9:23).     Now is the time to risk it all in faith. Don't be conservative in trust

DAILY VITAMIN -  At His Command "Now get up and go into the city and await my further instructions." (Acts 9:6 TLB)      Every believer is at the command of the Lord; designed to satisfy His every need (2 Tim 2:4-5). Recall that as He has said to one, He says to all (Mark 13:37). Those words in our theme verse is God's word to all of His children. In fact, in that same chapter we see multiple examples.      First of all, we see Ananias who was commanded of God to go and minister unto Paul - a man whom He had won unto Himself (v.10-17). Can you see yourself in the face of Ananias right now? You should. You see, a lot of us have been commissioned by God to nurture His people. It might be in your street, your class, your workplace or even in church. It is possible that God has called and empowered you to encourage, exhort, teach and correct the people of His flock and those outside the flock; and I can only hope you're doing so.      This is important because yo

DAILY VITAMIN - Choose Commitment To God Always "The shepherds of my people have lost their senses; they no longer follow God nor ask his will. Therefore they perish and their flocks are scattered." (Jeremiah 10:21 TLB)      No man can leave the path of goodliness and expect to find any form of good. That is, you can't take a train to Mexico and expect to end up in Holland. It's not just possible. In the same way, you can't cease walking with God and expect to end up with Him.      God is the source of all life, and so it would be foolishness to abandon the ways of God and expect to find the fullness of life He's reserved for you in whatever you do. In the scripture above, we see that there was a reason for the downward progression; and He says you can't engage in such and end up differently (1 Sam 2:30).      Non-commitment to God does no good to the believer, because it is likened to denying himself of the right to live the life that is his in f

DAILY VITAMIN - What's Christmas To You? "But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people. For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ (the Messiah) the Lord!" (Luke 2:9-10 AMP) What is Christmas to you? Is it just a holiday where red seems to be the colour in vogue? Or one whereby Santa Claus always seem to gain some level of viable existence in your mind? Is it just the day of carols? Or one in which the chicken tends to become popular? Your perception of things becomes your conception of the same, and later on your reality of it. So if truly we claim to mark the memorial of Christ's birth on this day, then Christmas should be a day of revealing Christ to the world; a day of expressing Him to all. As the angel said "a day of great joy which will come to all the people [who receive Him]. In other words, since Jesus' ministry on earth was to

DAILY VITAMIN - It Pays To Be Good "The man who tries to be good, loving and kind finds life, righteousness and honor." (Proverbs 21:21 TLB)     It is said that every good deed deserves another. Well, it is very true. The entire Bible proves its validity. And there is nothing more profitable than being good regardless of consequences.     Let's consider two examples here. First, we have David. In 1 Samuel 30, after his entire household and possessions had been looted by enemy soldiers, David found a servant of the enemy who had been abandoned by his master. But instead of returning evil for evil, David fed him till he was revived. This act of goodness led this man to go against his natural fears just to help David recover all he had lost. It's like what Paul said, when you do good to the enemy, you make void all his attempts to ruin you; for only good can truly overcome all evils (Romans 12:19-21).      Second, we have Saul. At a time when the people of Jabe