Emmanuel Okoro (aka MrLift)

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...

Your Reality Isn't Always Your Truth Never allow what you see around you to determine what you believe about yourself. Your reality may tell you that you are not qualified, not good enough, or not deserving of the opportunity before you. But what God says about you is greater than what your present circumstances suggest. Your reality may not yet reflect your truth. Don't abandon God's Word because your circumstances disagree with it! Scripture “David, embarrassed, answered, ‘Do you really mean that? I'm from a family of nobodies! I can't be son-in-law to the king.’” (1 Samuel 18:18 MSB) Explanation David had been promised the king's daughter as one of the rewards for killing Goliath. Yet, when the opportunity came, David's response revealed a different picture of himself. His reality was telling him that he was not good enough to become the king's son-in-law. He saw himself as someone from a family of nobodies, unqualified for such an honour....

The God Factor Your skills may open doors, but it is the presence of God that makes the difference! Scripture “David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the LORD was with him.” (1 Samuel 18:14 NLT) Explanation Success is not a one-time event; it is the result of taking the right steps consistently. Everyone experiences failure, but when success becomes a recurring pattern, we recognise it as a life of success. David was such a man. He continued to succeed, not merely because of his abilities, wisdom or skills, but because the LORD was with him. This does not mean we should neglect developing our skills or doing what is required of us. Rather, it means that beyond our efforts, there is a divine factor that makes the difference. We must never become so impressed with our abilities that we forget our dependence on God. Paul captures this truth beautifully: “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (Romans 8:37 NLT) Ou...

What the Enemy Meant for Evil Sometimes, what looks like an attack on your life is actually preparation for your future. The enemy may intend to destroy you, but God can use the very thing meant to hurt you to prepare you for what lies ahead. Never judge God's plan by what you are going through today. Scripture “So, Saul got David out of his sight by making him an officer in the army. David was in combat frequently.” — 1 Samuel 18:13 (MSB) “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” — 1 Corinthians 2:8 (KJV) Explanation Saul promoted David to a position that kept him constantly on the battlefield. His intention was to expose David to danger, hoping that one day he would be killed. But what Saul intended for evil, God used for David's preparation. Every battle David fought became an opportunity to develop his courage, skill, and experience. What was meant to destroy him was preparing him for ...

God Was With Him God’s presence does not mean the absence of trouble; it means you are never alone in the trouble. Scripture “Now Saul feared David. It was clear that GOD was with David and had left Saul.” — (1 Samuel 18:12)  Explanation I think we sometimes underestimate the presence of God in our lives. We ask, “If God is with me, why am I going through all these troubles? Why is this happening to me?” Isn’t that the same question Gideon asked the angel? “If the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about?” (Judges 6:13). God never promised us a trouble-free life. He promised to be with us through our troubles. He says that when we pass through the waters, He will be with us, and when we walk through the fire, we will not be burned (Isaiah 43:2). Think about Joseph. The Bible says the Lord was with him, yet he was sold into slavery, falsely accused, thrown into prison, and forgotten by the chief...

Stay Humble The way up is down! If you want God to lift you high, learn to stay humble. Pride makes you stand tall in your own eyes, but humility teaches you when to duck. Scripture “Suddenly Saul threw the spear, thinking, ‘I'll nail David to the wall.’ David ducked, and the spear missed. This happened twice.” (1 Samuel 18:11 MSG) Explanation David had killed Goliath, defeated Israel’s enemies, and earned the admiration of the people. He was also anointed to become Israel’s next king. He had every reason to feel important, yet he remained humble. When Saul threw his spear at him, David ducked. He refused to let his victories, position, or future destiny fill him with pride. It has been said that we have three days on earth: yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Each day presents an opportunity to choose humility. Yesterday’s achievements must not make us proud, today’s success must not get into our heads, and tomorrow’s expectations must not make us look down on others. The ...