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DEVOTION FOR 3RD JANUARY 2026

Yield To God

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭1:1-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬
“Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.”

Has the Lord been calling you to perform a specific role or task that you have been avoiding? Let’s take a look at Jonah who did the same thing.

The Lord gave Jonah a specific task.
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”
Jonah was specifically sent to warn Nineveh about God’s intention to judge them for their evil and wickedness. God wanted to give them an opportunity to repent, and Jonah was the man selected for the job. But, Jonah had no intention of obeying God! Why? He wanted the people punished. What an attitude!

So we see Jonah defiantly disobeying God’s instructions! “Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.” Jonah was heading in the opposite direction - away from Nineveh, and away from God’s presence. How does one run from God’s presence? The Psalmist David knew this was not possible!
He said in Psalm 139:
“Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me.”
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Jonah’s escape was therefore short-lived as the Lord sent a strong wind to damage the ship to turn Jonah around, and set him on the right path.

Have you been running from God’s instructions for your life?
Is there something important that God has called you to do that you have been ignoring?
Do you find yourself running around in circles trying to do things your way, outside of God’s plans for you?
Why wait until He sends that storm to set you on the right path?

Yield to God today, and experience His peace, joy, and favour.

(This song is for inspirational purposes only. We own no rights to this music.)

https://youtu.be/AzZC3EbH6iE?si=t8iosZYoBBwOvcEL

DEVOTION FOR 2ND JANUARY 2025

Two Failures - Different Outcomes

Today we look at two men who failed miserably, but whose lives took entirely different turns. Both Judas and Peter, apostles of Jesus Christ, failed Him in the end.

Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver - an amount that equated to about four months’ wages for a laborer, or the price of a slave. What an insult to the Messiah, King of kings, and Lord of Lords! Judas had walked with Jesus, listened to His teachings, seen the miracles He performed, witnessed His compassion and love, but yet chose to betray Him. This was the Messiah who had
- [ ] Turned water into wine,
- [ ] Fed multitudes of 400 and 500 thousands with a few loaves of bread and fish,
- [ ] Retrieved money from the mouth of a fish to pay taxes,
- [ ] and provided an overhaul of fish to Peter and his other fisher friends after they had toiled all night without cashing any.
- [ ] Raised the dead!

In short, the Messiah is able to provide for us in every needy situation. He is able to heal and restore, yet Judas betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver. He lost it all for a mere 30 pieces of silver.

Peter, who also walked with Jesus and witnessed all the things Judas did, elected to deny Jesus three times when He faced death. As a matter of fact, Peter went as far as to curse and to swear when identified as a disciple of Jesus. “I know not the man”, he said!

Two failures! But, what of the outcome of their failures?

In Matthew 27 we see that Judas, upon realizing the gravity of what he had done tried to return the money to the chief priests and elders saying, “I have shed innocent blood”. However, they rejected him asking, “What is that to us?” So, in despair he threw down the money, left them and hung himself. How tragic! He had betrayed Jesus to align with people who really did not care about Him. Who are you rejecting Jesus for today?

Peter on the other hand, went out and “wept bitterly”. (Luke 22:62). He later became the primary spokesperson for the disciples, continuing the teachings of Jesus, performing miracles, and leading others to Christ!

On this second day of the first month of 2026, I want to encourage those who have been broken by life’s circumstances. You are probably saying 2026 may just be a continuation of your failures. May I say to you today, God is not done with you yet! John 10:10 reads, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
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Will you surrender your thoughts, failures, brokenness and doubts to God today? Will you be a Peter for 2026, moving from failure to restoration? I encourage you to turn your life over to Jesus today and rest on the following verses for 2026.

“And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.”
‭‭Joel‬ ‭2:25-26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

(This song is for inspirational purposes only. We own no rights to this music.)

https://youtu.be/Bc2oHX4luQ8?si=ErYuM4j8etyHckwf