Emmanuel Okoro (aka MrLift)

What’s Your Poison? The choices you make today may be preparing the way for your replacement tomorrow. Scripture “David came to Saul and stood before him. Saul liked him immediately and made him his right-hand man.” — 1 Samuel 16:21 Explanation Imagine how Saul would have reacted if he knew that the young man he was welcoming into his palace would one day take his place on the throne! When an evil spirit troubled Saul, his advisers recommended finding someone who could play the harp to soothe him. David was recommended, brought before Saul, and immediately won his favour. Saul liked him so much that he made him his armour-bearer. Unknown to Saul, God was positioning David for the throne. What looked like an ordinary appointment was part of a much bigger story. We can look at this from two perspectives. First, God was bringing David into the palace, giving him opportunities to learn, serve, and prepare for his future assignment. Second, Saul was unknowingly promoting the ver...

May Someone Speak Up for You Your gift may open a door, but someone may need to speak up for you to walk through it. Scripture "One of the young men spoke up, 'I know someone. I've seen him myself: the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, an excellent musician. He's also courageous, of age, well-spoken, and good-looking. And GOD is with him.'" (1 Samuel 16:18, MSG) Explanation David had been anointed king, but he still needed someone to recommend him to King Saul. Fortunately, a young man who knew David spoke up for him and presented him as someone qualified for the assignment. Joseph had the gift of interpreting dreams, but he also needed the chief cupbearer to remember him and recommend him to Pharaoh (Genesis 41:9–14). Sometimes, your gift gets you ready for an opportunity, but someone else's recommendation helps you get the opportunity. Notice that David was not recommended merely because he was anointed. He was an excellent musician, courage...

EMPOWERED FOR LIFE God has empowered you for life, but are you living in the fullness of that power? Scripture “Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of GOD entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life. Samuel left and went home to Ramah.” — 1 Samuel 16:13 “Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you.” — Ephesians 5:18 (NLT) Explanation Many believers do not fully understand the power they received when they received the Holy Spirit. When Samuel anointed David, the Spirit of God came upon him, empowering him for the rest of his life. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit was given to the Church, and believers received divine empowerment to live and fulfil God's purpose. God has given us His Spirit, but we must continually yield to His influence and be filled with Him. This is why Paul instructs be...

The Heart of the Matter Is the Matter of the Heart You can impress people with your appearance, but you cannot deceive God with your heart. Scripture “But GOD told Samuel, ‘Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and stature. I've already eliminated him. GOD judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; GOD looks into the heart.’” ( 1 Samuel 16:7 MSG) Explanation The condition of the heart matters to God. The Bible describes the human heart as desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), yet its true condition is not written on the face. This is why judging people by appearances can be dangerously misleading. When God rejected Saul as king, He sought a replacement. Saul had the appearance and stature of a king, but his heart was not right with God. David, whom God chose to replace him, was described as a man after God's heart (1 Samuel 13:14). God looks beyond what impresses people to what matters to Him. Our ap...

Look and Think What you see may look right, but is it God's choice? Scripture “When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, ‘Here he is! GOD’s anointed!’” (1 Samuel 16:6)  Explanation Looks can be deceiving. We have all been deceived by people who looked good until their character was revealed, or those who appeared capable but failed to deliver on their promises. Samuel made the same mistake. He took one look at Eliab and concluded that he was God's choice for the next king of Israel. Samuel saw what looked right, but he needed God's guidance to identify who was truly right. Many times, we make decisions based on what we see and how we interpret it. God gave us brains to think, but some decisions demand more than our reasoning. What looks right to us may not be right in God's sight. God reminded Samuel that appearances are not everything (1 Samuel 16:7). We must learn to look beyond what our eyes can see and allow God to guide our judgement...

I Have Sinned, Yet Honour Me? You want the honour without the humility, the title without the substance, and the respect without the responsibility. Is that not entitlement? Scripture “Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.” — 1 Samuel 15:30 (KJV) Explanation Saul confessed his sin, yet his greatest concern was still his honour before the people. He wanted to preserve his image even after compromising his obedience to God. This is the danger of entitlement: wanting to retain the honour of a position without accepting the consequences of our actions. How often do we behave like Saul, more concerned about what people think of us than what God sees in us? We want respect despite our failures, recognition without responsibility, and honour without the humility that makes us honourable. Beloved, God is more interested in your heart than yo...