The Oscar Ajoku Blog: Daily Vitamin Devotional

  DAILY VITAMIN - Consecrate Yourselves "For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day." (Exodus 32:29) Consecration is a platform for promotion. That is if what you desire is the kind of promotion that can't be given by men, but by God, then separating yourself for the LORD is key. The Bible speaks of Jesus rising being the product of consecration. He separated Himself to the LORD and returned in His power and fame followed Him (Luke 4:1, 14). This is because God's blessings overshadow all who are given to Him. Even a donkey enjoyed glory simply because it was consecrated for the master's use. Consider David too. He said "O God...early will I seek thee: my soul thirsts for thee...to see thy power and thy glory..." (Psalm 63:1-2); and you know how he ended up. The same goes for Joseph, Daniel and Job etc. Everyone that prepared their ways in

  DAILY VITAMIN - Hold Your Ground "Do not, therefore, fling away your [fearless] confidence, for it has a glorious and great reward. For you have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising], so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised." (Hebrews 10:35-36 AMP) The Bible tells us in Exodus that as soon as the people of Israel lost sight of the symbol of the deliverance-Moses, they drew back unto perdition. They began to flirt with the devil and completely lost their way. It was so bad that even their leaders slipped unto this path as well (Exodus 32:1-6). And that's exactly how a lot of us are. We draw back when we can't see the signs anymore. We are like those who stop believing as soon as the signs wane off; forgetting that it is not the signs that delivers us, but the God that creates the signs. For instance, perhaps you are believing God for the fruit of the

  DAILY VITAMIN - Pursue After Righteousness "Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor." (Proverbs 21:21 NLT) The scripture above tells us that the man who lives his life in pursuit of what is right in the eyes of God will find life in all he does, and will grow in righteousness, as well as receive honour from above before God and men. Isn't that the story of all our heroes in scripture? Consider Christ; the Bible says He lived unto righteousness in God, doing all that pleased Him (John 8:29), and therefore is exalted above all (Philippians 2:5-10). David explains it better. He said because "Thou love righteousness and hate wickedness: therefore God, thy God, has anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows" (Psalm 45:7); meaning if it seemed like you were five years behind your peers, God will take you five years ahead. This honour can no one get to himself, for it is of God; and it is only provoked

 DAILY VITAMIN - Rise Up To Your Glorious Destiny "Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:7 NIV) In Exodus 31, we are told that God called out Bezaleel, and on that day he awoke into his glorious destiny. He became the man he was designed to be that day God lighted upon him. He became the envy of men and of significance to his generation. Everything that was to be used by the priests of that dispensation, he created according to all God instructed. But I dare to wonder what the son of Uri was prior to that point. Perhaps just one of the multitudes; a part of the crowd. Just getting by, and didn't know he was destined to do beyond that. He woke up, and was separated from the rest of the bunch into his destiny. It is time for you to wake up too. Get to His light. Separate yourself. Indulge yourself in His Word, in prayer and fasting unto the Lord, and get lightened up.  The scripture says His Word gives light (Psalm 11

  DAILY VITAMIN - Working According To Your Capacity "However, Christ has given each of us special abilities—whatever he wants us to have out of his rich storehouse of gifts." (Ephesians 4:7 TLB) Imagine two men: Tim, a sixteen year old extremely thin chap, and Josh, a 300lbs athlete of pure muscles and strength. Now imagine they are both asked to move 20 crates of soda. Josh might just have to go twice to complete the task, while Tim might have to go twenty rounds. To the public, Tim is less than half the man Josh is; but truly he is simply just working by his given ability. If he were to try to lift them as Josh did, he might end up with life-threatening palpitations, terrible spasms or worse death. That's the same reason why a lot of believers tend to grow weak or even fail; they are trying to run another's race. The Bible says God has given us gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us (Romans 12:6); hence, we must work with what He has given us, d

  DAILY VITAMIN - Wives, Take Your Place "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." (Proverbs 31:10) The Bible defines the man as the head of the home just as Christ is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23), and a lot of sermons have been made on this. But then what did it say about the woman? The wife is likened to wisdom. Scripture says he that finds  a [good] wife finds a good thing and obtains favour of the Lord (Proverbs 18:22). Emphasis on good is to indicate the wife that is ready to take her place in the home.  Scripture says the same of wisdom. It says he that finds her finds life, and obtains favour of the LORD (Proverbs 8:35). As wisdom, she is of more value than all the rubies on earth (compare with Proverbs 8:11). So, as the husband is designed to be the strength of the home, the wife is designed to be the wisdom of the home; and what a unique kind of strength wisdom is. Thus, the name helpmeet. She assists when everything seems bleak.

  DAILY VITAMIN - We Need Not Fear "For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." (Isaiah 41:13 NIV) The scriptures called God our refuge and strength. Psalm 46 adds that He is a tested help in times of trouble. Even if not for the entire world of men, at least for us who trust in Him (Psalm 34:22). And we are told that as a result of this [because of this, by virtue of this, in boast of this] we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountain crumbles into the sea (Psalm 46:2 TLB). As a person I love Sci-Fi movies, even when they are more fiction than science. I loved 2012 (the movie); I loved Moonfall and Don't Look Up; but here's my point: in those films, the earth nearly or does blow up; and David was saying in spite of such we need not fear. Like the Hebrew fellows, all we know is that God can save us from even such a furnace of misery. In the same way, even though the sickness--cancer even-

 DAILY VITAMIN - Life Is God's School "Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation." (Joel 1:3 NIV) The Bible tells us that everything written is for our learning (Romans 15:4), but the actual fact is that everything that happens is for our learning. When God healed you from that infirmity after struggling with it for years, it wasn't to teach the devil never to mess with you again or to teach how much of His beloved you are. No! It was to teach YOU how much of God He truly is. A lot of us believe we know God, but do we really? Yes we know He is the King of kings but do we really see Him as King of kings at all times? The sincere answer is an ironic no, and every day He does us the privilege of reminding us about that. David wrote "God hath spoken once, Twice have I heard this, That power belongeth unto God" (Psalm 62:11). And here's  how he learned that. In 1 Samuel 17 after he con

  DAILY VITAMIN - Don't Be Scared, Trust God "O my soul, why be so gloomy and discouraged? Trust in God! I shall again praise him for his wondrous help; he will make me smile again, for he is my God!" (Psalm 43:5 TLB) In Isaiah 40, God was speaking to His people including you and I, and He asked "O Jacob, O Israel, how can you say that the Lord doesn’t see your troubles and isn’t being fair?" (v. 27 TLB). Then He tells us that if we are frightened in the situation we might be facing. It is because we don't yet understand Him. He says if it is by strength even the strong will faint, but it is not; He gives the strength needed and the deliverance desired, and that the only way to access it is by trusting Him fully (v.28-31). Remember what Zechariah wrote. He said Zerubbabel will overcome not by power nor by might, but by the grace of God (Zech 4:6-7). Grace is God stepping in to do what He declared when our abilities were no use; and He assures us He will do t

  DAILY VITAMIN - You Are In A Place Of Supply "And it is he who will supply all your needs from his riches in glory because of what Christ Jesus has done for us." (Philippians 4:19 TLB) Paul assured us that regardless of how tough things may seen to get, God will always show up to give us a big break. It says He will supply all our needs. But I'll like to let you know that it doesn't mean God giving us rent when it's due, and then a car when our feet begin to hurt from long treks into town. It is actually likened to what He did in the wilderness- raining down manna in abundance. Manna was a meal that met all nutritional needs. That means it was suitable for all kinds of person--gluten intolerant, diabetic, vegans etc. In other words, it was the supply that met every need at once; and that's what God promised. And to whom exactly did He promise this? Psalm 1 says it is to those who refuse evil and its company (v.1-2); and He says such persons shall be luscious

  DAILY VITAMIN - Use Christ's Authority "And those who believe shall use my authority to cast out demons..." (Mark 16:17 TLB) Jesus admonishes us to use His authority at all times. Remember while He was alive He told His disciples to ask the Father for anything and He will do it (John 14:13-14), but at this point He was commanding them in times as this not to just ask but to decree things into existence. He said in His authority to cast out devils behind oppressions, sickness, unbelief and stagnancy etc. And this authority is in His Name. David foresaw this and said in His Name he would crush any opposition (Psalm 118:10). He is saying thus that when sick, you can set your body free in His Name and restore everything back to normal. It's true. Peter did this with the lame man at the beautiful gate, and this is proven in his words: "Jesus' name has healed this man—and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus' name—faith given us from God—has caused

 DAILY VITAMIN - You Have Been Glorified "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." (Romans 8:30) Your life is designed to exhibit God's glory at all times. That's what He means when He called us God's building (1 Cor 3:9). A builder always imprints himself on his work. Because it is the source of his success, his best has to be revealed in it. The same applies with God. His best is revealed in man. Adam may have lost it at first, but in Christ all is restored; but only to those who are born again. To be born again means to bear the Spirit of Christ in your now regenerated spirit as a sign of identification that you belong to Him; and this happens the day you believe and accept His Lordship. When this happens, some things take place. First, we receive His full glory (John 17:22); that is, the glory that comes from being one with Him, because that's all it

  DAILY VITAMIN - How To Safeguard Your Joy "yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior." (Habakkuk 3:18 NIV) We are in a world that breathes just as much sorrows as felicities on a daily basis. In such a world, it becomes difficult to say completely avoiding being sorrowful is possible; but God says it is. Philippians 4:4 tells us to rejoice always. That means to live every day in the joy of the Lord free of sorrows. And if He says it is possible, then best believe it is. This doesn't mean things that might want to make you cry won't happen, it just means you won't be focusing on them, so your response won't be determined by them. But the first thing you must know is that true joy comes from God. It is a condition of the Spirit of Christ in us. All the world offers is a state of happiness-- a period of glee defined by happenings. A swing determined by how much jollity you earn as compared to how much despair you have, but God offers mu

  DAILY VITAMIN - How Big Is Your God? "Am I only a God nearby,” declares the LORD, “and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 23:23 NIV) How do you see God? Because that determines what you'd believe in that situation of yours. Do you think He is a God that can do some things; perhaps heal a headache but not lupus? Or do you think He can do all things as He said? An enemy king once came against the people of God saying that the Lord of hosts has power only on the hills but not in the valleys (1 Kings 20:28), and so came through the valley, but he forgot that the same God who sits in the hills is the same God who watches over the valleys. David said even in the valley, God watches over His own (Psalm 23:4); and you can clearly see how that perspective affected his attitude and belief toward God. So much that he boasted that though a multitude rage against him, yet in the LORD's Name he'd destroy

 DAILY VITAMIN - The Perfect Life Is Yours "Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." (Psalm 34:9-10 NIV) God is recreating a perfect world in you. That was what man had before he fell. The Bible says there were no weeds, thorns, sin, death and decay before the fall (Romans 8:20-21). No rot or failure. Man knew no failure, no struggling, no hardship; and when Jesus died and rose again, He restored that perfect world into our identity again.  Remember that the garden was called the garden of God. So it was just a physical place, it was also a spiritual experience, like the very Kingdom. And Jesus says it is within you. In other words, through Christ we have access once again to that perfect life of dominion God prepared for man; and through Him we can exercise it in our daily lives. Your case can be different from the rest of the world. Recall that this is God

  DAILY VITAMIN - You Will Not Die But Live "I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD." (Psalm 118:17) Death is a spirit just as much as it is a natural phenomenon. What this means is that not all deaths are natural, and thus God's will. Many deaths are projected to people. Revelations 9:6 speaks of a time when men will want to die, but death will flee away. So death is a spirit that catches men, but it can also be made to flee. It has no right touching a man still on the road of destiny. Even Jesus tells us that it couldn't touch Him if He had not laid down His life (John 10:17-18); and Paul was deciding when it will have him (Phil 1:21-26). However, a lot of people have been forced to die before their times by demons. Scripture shows us that demons have the power to agonize and kill (Rev 9:15). And these demons only understand two sides--with God or not with God. You can fight the devil all you want, but that doesn't mean you're on God

 DAILY VITAMIN - The Kind Of Servant The Lord Seeks "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him..." (Job 13:15) The Bible tells us that in a house there are vessels of gold and those of wood; some unto honour and others unto dishonour. However, there are those in God's house with the greatest honour, and these are those who are committed to Him at all times. Those who are faithfully devoted to Him. God desires a people who would seek Him not for the miracles He gives, but for the person He is. Those who are after His heart and not merely His hands.  This is important because only these will stick to the Lord in the hardest of times. There is something about knowing God; it is where trust and faith are built. That's why Job could say what he said. It doesn't matter if everything is against me, he said, even God, I will yet trust and serve Him. He could say that because he knew God. It's also why Abraham and Sarah knew God would keep to His Word even when He had

  DAILY VITAMIN - God Walks As we See Him "Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward." (Psalm 18:24-26) I love this scripture because it is how God taught me the most important lesson of life. A hard lesson: that God walks with us according to how we see Him. It says He recompensed me according to my righteousness. That means He gave me according to what I put in. This is somewhat like how a bank works. You can only take out a similitude of what you put in. And so, says, to the merciful, He shows Himself merciful; to the froward, He shows Himself froward. So you see, God doesn't mind showing Himself as froward if that's how you see Him. In the parable of the talent, the last servant saw Him

 DAILY VITAMIN - Trust God To Keep His Word "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven." (Psalm 119:89) Everything God promised us is bound to be if we'd only stay in faith, and this involves doing as He calls us to per time. The odds may not be in your favour, you might not be the smartest in the room, or the prettiest, but if you will trust God to keep His Word, it will happen as told you. Jesus told Mary that all she had to do was believe and she'd see the glory of God revealed (John 11:40). All you have to do is believe too. God has already written the script of your life, and everything He promised you is a part of that. So, it's bound to be, if you'd stay in line. In 1 Samuel 13, the people of Israel fled in fright when they saw the huge armies of Philistia, and they didn't know how victory would come about. They knew of the covenant but they didn't know how God would bring it to pass with such a view. They had no weapons nor anything to de

  DAILY VITAMIN - Just A Little Longer "But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." (Hebrews 10:39) In the same book of Samuel, the scripture says "as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, Samuel came..." (1 Sam 13:10). This was about Saul trying to play God and take matters into his own hands, rather than trust God. He had waited for seven days and nothing happened, and as he saw his people deserting him, he opted to act; and act he did, but wrongly and to his own demise. It was indeed the beginning of the end for him. But what do you think made him do it? You know; because it is the same thing that makes you choose to do it your own way than stay in trust. I can just imagine the devil whispering into his ears as he did with Eve, telling him "You got to do something or you gon be left with nothing." And believing in his fears than in his faith, he gave in.  But no reason i