3RD JULY 2024 SEEDS OF DESTINY WRITTEN BY DR PAUL ENENCHE

3RD JULY 2024 SEEDS OF DESTINY WRITTEN BY DR PAUL ENENCHE

Today's TOPIC: Say ‘No’ To Bitterness.

SCRIPTURE: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; – Hebrew 12 verse 15.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The Presence of God cannot be with a bitter person.

Sometime ago, I came across a story of a young man who was abandoned by his mother in his father’s house when he was a little baby. His mother left him and married another man, and never cared to ask of how he was faring till he became an adult.

Consequently, he grew up with bitterness against his mother. The negligence, the lack of love and care exhibited by his mother towards him made him bitter and unforgiving towards her. The first time he saw his mother, he cried bitterly saying, “You gave birth to me and left me. You never asked of me.”

He continued in that state of bitterness for a long time until one day when he heard a message on forgiveness. After listening to the message, he decided to forgive his mother. After forgiving his mother, he said he felt the Presence and Peace of God for the first time in his entire life.

Beloved, can you see that forgiveness attracts God’s Presence to a person? One reason why God is far from many people is because of bitterness and unforgiveness. The Presence of God cannot be with a bitter person. If you see anyone who is bitter against his neighbour, God is never with such a person. No matter how he claims to pray, God is not found in him.

This explains why though some people pray fervently all the time, you cannot perceive God around them. They can pray and fast for many days but their situations remain unchanged because the Presence of God is not with them. Bitterness has driven away the Presence of God from their lives.

Beloved, endeavor to forgive others so God can be attracted to you.
Remember this: The Presence of God cannot be with a bitter person.

Take this ASSIGNMENT with you:

#1. Make up your mind never to drive God’s Presence away from your life through bitterness.
#2. Ask God for the grace to forgive people who offend you.

Our PRAYER today: Lord, I receive the grace to forgive all offences and offenders. Help me never to harbour bitterness and unforgiveness in my heart, Lord, in Jesus Name. Amen!

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE PLAGUE OF LOVELESSNESS.

QUOTE: Bitterness is a state of resentfulness. It is an intense or very striking, deep-seated feeling of anger. It is an in-depth feeling of hurt which normally arises due to a bad or negative experience; where a person feels he or she has been treated unjustly; or in a way not deserved. Culled from the book, “Am I Bitter?” by Dr(Mrs) Becky Enenche.

Today's DAILY READING: from Proverb chapter 16 to 18.
We read Proverb 16, The preparations of the heart belong to man,But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,But the Lord weighs the spirits. Commit your works to the Lord,And your thoughts will be established. The Lord has made all for Himself,Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;Though they join forces, none will go unpunished. In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity;And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil. When a man’s ways please the Lord,He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Better is a little with righteousness,Than vast revenues without justice. A man’s heart plans his way,But the Lord directs his steps. Divination is on the lips of the king;His mouth must not transgress in judgment. Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s;All the weights in the bag are His work. It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,For a throne is established by righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight of kings,And they love him who speaks what is right. As messengers of death is the king’s wrath,But a wise man will appease it. In the light of the king’s face is life,And his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain. How much better to get wisdom than gold!And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;He who keeps his way preserves his soul. Pride goes before destruction,And a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,Than to divide the spoil with the proud. He who heeds the word wisely will find good,And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he. The wise in heart will be called prudent,And sweetness of the lips increases learning. Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.But the correction of fools is folly. The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,And adds learning to his lips. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. There is a way that seems right to a man,But its end is the way of death. The person who labors, labors for himself,For his hungry mouth drives him on. A perverse man sows strife,And a whisperer separates the best of friends. An ungodly man digs up evil,And it is on his lips like a burning fire. A violent man entices his neighbor,And leads him in a way that is not good. He winks his eye to devise perverse things;He purses his lips and brings about evil. The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,If it is found in the way of righteousness. He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. The lot is cast into the lap,But its every decision is from the Lord.

Proverb 17, Better is a dry morsel with quietness,Than a house full of feasting with strife. A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame,And will share an inheritance among the brothers. The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,But the Lord tests the hearts. An evildoer gives heed to false lips;A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue. He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. Children’s children are the crown of old men,And the glory of children is their father. Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,Much less lying lips to a prince. A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor;Wherever he turns, he prospers. He who covers a transgression seeks love,But he who repeats a matter separates friends. Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a fool. An evil man seeks only rebellion;Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him. Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs,Rather than a fool in his folly. Whoever rewards evil for good,Evil will not depart from his house. The beginning of strife is like releasing water;Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord. Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,Since he has no heart for it? A friend loves at all times,And a brother is born for adversity. A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge,And becomes surety for his friend. He who loves transgression loves strife,And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction. He who has a deceitful heart finds no good,And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil. He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow,And the father of a fool has no joy. A merry heart does good, like medicine,But a broken spirit dries the bones. A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back To pervert the ways of justice. Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. A foolish son is a grief to his father,And bitterness to her who bore him. Also, to punish the righteous is not good,Nor to strike princes for their uprightness. He who has knowledge spares his words,And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive. Hallelujah!

Proverb 18,
A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;He rages against all wise judgment. A fool has no delight in understanding,But in expressing his own heart. When the wicked comes, contempt comes also;And with dishonor comes reproach. The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook. It is not good to show partiality to the wicked,Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment. A fool’s lips enter into contention,And his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his destruction,And his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,And they go down into the inmost body. He who is slothful in his Work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer. The name of the Lord is a strong tower;The righteous run to it and are safe. The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,And like a high wall in his own esteem. Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty,And before honor is humility. He who answers a matter before he hears it,It is folly and shame to him. The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness,But who can bear a broken spirit? The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge,And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. A man’s gift makes room for him,And brings him before great men. The first one to plead his cause seems right,Until his neighbor comes and examines him. Casting lots causes contentions to cease,And keeps the mighty apart. A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city,And contentions are like the bars of a castle. A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth;From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue,And those who love it will eat its fruit. He who finds a wife finds a good thing,And obtains favor from the Lord. The poor man uses entreaties,But the rich answers roughly. A man who has friends must himself be friendly,But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Hallelujah!

AMAZING FACT: The Sun’s mass is about 330,000 times that of Earth.

Today's PROPHETIC WORD and DECLARATION): Receive the grace to forgive now in the Name of Jesus. Amen!
See you tomorrow for another seed of destiny!