Emmanuel Okoro (aka MrLift)

Seeking God's Face Always Yesterday's instruction is not necessarily today's direction. What God told you to do yesterday may not be enough to guide you today. Keep seeking His face! Scripture "And will the head men of Keilah turn me and my men over to Saul?" And GOD said, "They'll turn you over." (1 Samuel 23:12)  Explanation It always pays to seek God constantly and consistently. Seeking God is not a one-time affair. Neither is it something we do once and for all. God does not always reveal the entire plan at once. He often gives direction in bits and pieces, leading us one step at a time towards our destination. David's experience teaches us this important lesson. While running from Saul, David received information that the Philistines were attacking Keilah. He asked God whether he should go and rescue the city, and God said yes. However, his men were afraid. David went back to God, and God reaffirmed His instruction. So David went...

Leave the Scheming to God Sometimes, in our eagerness to make God's promises happen, we get ahead of Him and start devising our own ways to make things work. But what we try to achieve through scheming may only delay what God intends to accomplish through trusting Him. Scripture "David answered Ahimelech the Priest, 'The king sent me on a mission and gave strict orders: This is top secret—not a word of this to a soul. I've arranged to meet up with my men in a certain place.'" (1 Samuel 21:2 MSG) Explanation David had escaped from Saul and was now trying to navigate his way to safety through a series of schemes. Rather than simply trusting God, he resorted to deception to manage his circumstances. We must learn to leave the scheming to God and trust Him to work things out. Moses tried to force his way into God's plan by killing an Egyptian and ended up spending forty years in the wilderness. Joseph's attempt to secure his release from prison...

Loyalty Under Pressure Loyalty is easy when there is nothing to lose. The real test of loyalty comes when standing by someone could cost you your position, privilege, or personal ambition. Will you remain loyal when your own crown is at stake? Scripture "For as long as the son of Jesse is walking around free on this earth, your future in this kingdom is at risk. Now go get him. Bring him here. From this moment, he's as good as dead!" Jonathan stood up to his father. "Why dead? What's he done?" (1 Samuel 20:30–31) Explanation Jonathan was the crown prince, the natural heir to Saul's throne. Yet he developed a deep friendship with David, the shepherd boy who had defeated Goliath and won the admiration of Israel. The Bible says Jonathan's soul was knitted to David's (1 Sam. 18:1). His loyalty went beyond friendship. He was willing to surrender his claim to the throne and support David's God-given destiny. "Don't be afraid,...

SERVICE YOUR SECRET PLACE Everyone needs a safe place—a place to retreat, recharge and regain strength. As believers, our greatest place of refuge is the secret place of fellowship with God. But don't just have a secret place; service it! Scripture "David made good his escape and went to Samuel at Ramah and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel withdrew to the privacy of Naioth." (1 Samuel 19:18) "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:1) Explanation The secret place is not necessarily a physical location. It is a place of intimacy and fellowship with God. For Samuel, Naioth was such a place. When David was running from Saul, Samuel took him there for refuge. Even Saul's messengers, and eventually Saul himself, came under the influence of God's Spirit when they entered that environment. Your secret place is important to your spiritual survival. It is w...

Show Evidence Don't let what you cannot do stop you from doing what you can. Sometimes, opportunities are not lost because we lack the ability to seize them, but because we underestimate what we have to offer. We focus so much on what we don't have that we fail to put to work what we already have. Stop selling yourself short. Show evidence of what you can do! Scripture "When the servants reported David's response to Saul, he told them to tell David this: 'The king isn't expecting any money from you; only this: Go kill a hundred Philistines and bring evidence of your vengeance on the king's behalf. Avenge the king on his enemies.' (Saul expected David to be killed in action.)" ( 1 Samuel 18:23 ) Explanation Everything isn't about money. Sometimes, what is required is evidence of your ability, commitment and willingness to stretch yourself. This was practically what Saul's servant communicated to David. Earlier, David had ...

God of Second Chances A missed opportunity is not necessarily a missed destiny. One of the beautiful things about walking with God is that He is not limited by our missed opportunities, past mistakes or even our poor decisions. With God, a setback does not have to be the end of the story. There is always room for another chapter. Scripture "Meanwhile, Saul's daughter Michal was in love with David. When Saul was told of this, he rubbed his hands in anticipation. 'Ah, a second chance. I'll use Michal as bait to get David out where the Philistines will make short work of him.' So again he said to David, 'You're going to be my son-in-law.'" (1 Samuel 18:20, MSG) Explanation God is the God of second chances. He knows how to create new opportunities even when we think we have exhausted our options. Think about the prodigal son. He wasted his inheritance but was welcomed back by his father. Think about Peter. He denied Jesus three times, yet J...