Hey guys,

Back at it again with the back at it again. I am happy to say that I am done with the book of Deuteronomy and I had a wonderful time reading. Coincidentally, I have been going for a conference in my church which has been so amazing. I have never really been much of a church conference person but I went for one night and I just had to keep coming back. I don’t think I have been to church so many times in a week before but it has been a real blessing. I got to listen to the word of God from an amazing pastor – Pastor Creflo Dollar – and honestly, in listening to him, I have had a clearer view on the word of God. I’ll write on what he preached in a later post.

Anyway, some of what he preached was on the laws of Moses which are the laws that God gave to the Israelites in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. He basically made clear that these laws was part of the covenant that was made with the Israelites and eventually after Jesus came, there was a new covenant because the age of the old covenant had passed and we are now in a time of grace. I won’t go much into this but I’ll make sure to share the notes that I took when I heard him preach with you all in a couple of days. I just wanted to give you guys a bit of a foundation.

So, let’s get into my thoughts on Deuteronomy.

So, basically, Deuteronomy contains a series of speeches that Moses gave to the Israelites. These were like the final days of Moses and so before he died, he had to remind the Israelites of all that the Lord had done for them and all that they had been through. So, keep that in mind as we go through it.

1. The Lord will fight for you: So, in Chapter 1: 30-31, Moses basically reminded the people that God will always fight for them and they should remember how he brought them out from Egypt. In applying this to our daily lives, it is imperative to always remember all that God has done for you and when you are in times of despair, God will always be there and he will fight your battles. Remember that He is bigger than all your problems and He is bigger than all your battles so call unto Him and He will be there for you.
2. Moses did not get to enter the promised land: So, there was a situation that happened in Numbers which I failed to mention in the Numbers post where Moses disobeyed a direct command from God. The people needed water and God told Moses to speak to the rock to bring out water but instead he struck it and he did so with anger and he took credit for the miracle. Now, due to this God told Moses that he would not get to enter the promised land. You know, reading this, I felt a little bad for Moses but then I remembered that God is omniscient – which means that he knows every thing. He knows our present, past and future. There is a chance that if Moses had entered the promised land, he might have done something bad and so God decided to take Moses out to first humble him and also for him to leave on a high note. To be fair, Moses got to go to heaven and so it still ended good for him. So, we need to understand that as humans, every now and then we need to be humbled by our Maker and also that sometimes we think we know but we don’t. There are situations where we want certain things to happen in our lives but it isn’t happening and we wonder why God isn’t answering us. We fail to realise that God sees the bigger picture; we are only limited to our past and present and sometimes we forget things. However, God knows everything and His time truly is the best because He is making sure that everything aligns perfectly.
3. Sometimes God will give you things you feel you don’t deserve: There were a couple of verses in Deuteronomy that truly resonated with me. Deuteronomy 6: 10-11(GNT) says:

Just as the Lord your God has promised your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he will give you a land with large and prosperous cities which you did not build. The houses will be full of good things which you did not put in them, and there will be wells that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.

These verses spoke to me because there have been times in my life where I received things that I feel I didn’t work too hard for and instead of just thanking God for the blessing, I would beat myself up over it and brood over it because I felt like I wasn’t worthy. Now, I understand that when God says you are worthy, believe in your heart that you are.

4. God’s faithfulness is forever and it transcends generations: God is truly a faithful God. His faithfulness transcends generations. Deuteronomy 7: 9(GNT) says:

Remember that the Lord your God is the only God and that he is faithful. He will keep his covenant and show his constant love to a thousand generations of those who love him and obey his command.

The Israelites were a stubborn people and they so often did things that upset God but he made a promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and He was going to keep that promise no matter what. Moses said in Deuteronomy 9: 4 -6(GNT),

After the Lord has driven them out for you, do not say to yourselves that he brought you in to possess this land because you deserved it. No, the Lord is going to drive these people out for you because they are wicked. It is not because you are good or do what is right that the Lord is letting you take their land. He will drive them out because they are wicked and because he intends to keep the promise that he made to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You can be sure that that the Lord is not giving you this fertile land because you deserve it. No, you are a stubborn people.

Let that sink in guys.:)

5. Tithing is important: You know, one of the things that the Lord has been revealing to me a lot lately is in the aspect of finances and tithing. I am not very good with money and so in a lot of things that I have read and listened to in the last couple of weeks; finances has really been a major point. Tithing is very important. One of the things that I learned from Pastor Creflo this week is that when you give your money to God, you are trusting him and “Trust is the currency of the Kingdom”. God honestly doesn’t need our money; He will still be God whether you give Him your money or not. It is more about Trust than anything. When you give God your money, you are telling Him that you trust Him and you are also investing into the kingdom of God. Remember that God is the one who provides you with everything you have and so when we tithe, we are telling Him that we honour Him and that we recognise what He has done for us. So, please remember to tithe – 10% of your earnings.

6. God got you: I am a worrier. A lot of times, I worry about things that I shouldn’t even be worrying about and sometimes, I find it difficult to just let God take control but it is something that I am working on. In Deuteronomy 29:3-6(GNT), Moses said to the Israelites,

You saw the terrible plagues, the miracles and the great wonders that the Lord performed. But to this day, he has not let you understand what you experienced. For forty years, the Lord led you through the desert, and your clothes and your sandals never wore out. You did not have bread to eat or wine to drink, but the Lord provided for your needs in order to teach you that he is God.

You need to remember that God is always watching over you and He will provide everything that you need; you just need to trust him.

7. Moses dies: So, Moses dies in the final chapter of Deuteronomy and I have to say that even though this happened, several several centuries ago, it still left me feeling kind of sad. You know, I have been reading about Moses since Exodus and in a way it feels sad that he didn’t get to enter the promised land but as I explained above, it was all God’s will and I go with that. You know, through the power of God, Moses was a major force in the history of the Bible. Chapter 34: 10-12(GNT) states:

There has never been a prophet in Israel like Moses; the Lord spoke with him face-to-face. No other prophet has ever done miracles and wonders like those that the Lord sent Moses to perform against the King of Egypt, his officials and the entire country. No other prophet has been able to do the great and terrifying things that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

This just shows how special Moses was and he was so special that God buried Moses himself. The Bible states that to this day, no one knows the exact place of his burial. Anyway, we will get a cameo from him in the New Testament (Stay tuned!)

So, before he died, God told Moses to basically hand the baton over to Joshua, son of Nun and so I am going to be starting the book of Joshua tomorrow. Apart from reading about the fall of Jericho, I don’t think I know much about Joshua and the events that took place when he was leading so, I am excited to read it.

Thank you once again for joining me on this journey. I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am and I hope that you are also learning along with me. Please, let me know your thoughts on this below. I would love to hear from you and learn even more.

Till then, my darlings,

Love,

Dolly. ❤

Photo: Agape Church of Christ

Hi beautiful people,

So, guess what? I am through with the book of Numbers. We are moving forward people! Glory be to the name of the Lord.

So, before I share my thoughts on this book, I wanted to give a quick update on the progress of my spiritual life. So, lately I have been feeling a little down. My mind hasn’t really been right and I have been feeling very distracted. I am not exactly sure why I am feeling this way but it hasn’t really been the best feeling. However, I have shared this with God and I am clinging to him for strength. I wanted to fill you guys in on this because it is something that a lot of people go through from time to time but I just want to remind you that God loves you and He is there for you always. Never forget.

So, let’s get into it.

I enjoyed reading this book more than I thought I would. It is one of those books that I wasn’t very familiar with in terms of content and so I wasn’t sure how it would be but I learned so much and I am thrilled to share it with you.

1. Follow God’s Guidance: A lot of times, we always feel like we know best but the truth is that we know nothing compared to God. As human beings, we have no way of knowing what is going to happen in the next second, minute, hour, day, year and so on but God knows. He knows our past, present and future and when He tells us to do something or tells us to go one way, it is for our good. We have to learn to trust God because He knows us better than we know ourselves. In Chapter 9, the Bible lets us know God’s presence came over The Tent of the Lord’s Presence in the form of a cloud. Whenever the cloud lifted, the Israelites knew that it was time to break camp and they followed this cloud wherever it led. When it came down and remained on the tent, the Israelites did not move. God always showed them the way and they followed Him. When you follow God and his instructions, you are doing yourself a favour because He will never lead you astray.

2. There is nothing wrong in asking for help: I think in this world, we always like to think that we can do everything by ourselves; we don’t need help. I go through this every now and then. Some times, I don’t want to ask anyone for help but the truth is no man is an island. We need help sometimes. For example, in Chapter 11, Moses got to a point where he was fed up. Listen, leading the Israelites was not an easy job. They always complained; always ranted. The second, things start to get uncomfortable, they got to complaining and Moses as their leader always had to deal with their complaints. But the truth is Moses was just a man and it can get tiring. So, here the Israelites go, complaining about Manna. First they complain that they want food, God sends them Manna and now they are tired of it and they want meat, so they complain. So Moses got tired and said to God in 11: 11-15 (GNT):

Why have you treated me so badly? Why are you displeased with me? Why have you given me the responsibility for all these people? I didn’t create them or bring them to birth! Why should you ask me to act like a nurse and carry them in my arms like babies all the way to the land you promised their ancestors? Where can I get enough meat for all these people? They keep whining and asking for meat. I can’t be responsible for all these people by myself; it’s too much for me! If you are going to treat me like this, have pity on me and kill me, so that I won’t have to endure your cruelty any longer.

And God heard him. So, God told Moses to assemble seventy respected men who could help him. So, whenever you are overwhelmed or you feel tired, don’t be ashamed to ask for help.

3. Do not doubt God: Listen, the power of God is beyond the understanding of any human. God’s glory is beyond anything you can ever think of. He is the LORD, ladies and gentlemen. Don’t question it. Don’t doubt it. God says in 11:23, Is there a limit to my power? There is nothing that He cannot do and you should feel good about that because He is your Father; He is my Father and it is an honour to worship Him.

4. Balaam and the talking donkey: Yo, when I was younger and I used to go the Bible Club, this story has to be one of the funniest Bible stories I have ever read. For some reason, the story just always put a smile on my face and I completely forgot about it until I read it in this book. Ya’ll, please go read Numbers 22 just to enjoy this. One important lesson though. When we serve God, we are not doing Him a favour, y’know. It is our privilege to be able to serve Him. God can order the stones to serve Him. The animals can serve Him. So, sometimes when we need to listen to God, He can even get an animal or an object to get you to listen. That’s all I’m going to say about this but if you have never read this story, please read it. It is a very interesting one.

5. God does not lie: I want you to always know something. God will never lie to you. I can lie to you; your friends and family can lie to you and the devil can lie to you but God will never lie. Everything he says about you is true and so when the devil tries to plant seeds of doubt in your mind, remind yourself of all that God has said about you in His word. Chapter 23: 19 (GNT) says: God is not like people, who lie; He is not a human who changes his mind. Whatever he promises, he does; He speaks and it is done. Please, never forget this. Sometimes, when the devil tries to tell me something, I almost believe it but I always have to remind myself that God loves me and He has said that He loves me and so  I have to believe that and you should to.

6. Who God blesses, no one can curse: So, between Chapters 22 and 24, the King of Moab, Balak was trying to get Balaam to curse the Israelites but instead of cursing them, he blessed them even more. Balaam said in Chapter 23: 8 (GNT), How can I curse what God has not cursed or speak of doom when the Lord has not?

Ladies and Gentlemen, when God blesses you, there is nothing anyone else or anything else can do about that. Remember that.

So, this is all what I learned from this wonderful book. I enjoyed reading it and I really enjoyed sharing this with you guys. It really is a blessing to be able to do this and I am excited to keep this going. As I’ve mentioned, this gives me motivation to keep on reading and it really goes a long way in my own life as well so, I want you all to know that God is using you to bless me also and I am really grateful. I start reading the book of Deuteronomy tomorrow and I cannot wait to share what I learned with you when I am done. If you have read Numbers and you have anything else to add or you just want to let me know your thoughts, please use the comments box below. I am always willing and ready to hear from you.

P.S. I mentioned in a previous blog post that I will be changing my blog’s theme. That might happen in the next couple of days so don’t be too shocked when you see something different.

I love you all. Please Stay blessed.

Till next time, my darlings ❤

Photo: Divine Spirit

Hi guys,

So as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I am reading through the Bible and today, I finished the book of Leviticus. So, I just wanted to share a couple of things that I learned from this book.

So, Leviticus is a book that contains a whole lot of laws that was given by God to the people of Israel. In reading this book, the most important thing that stood out to me is the Holiness of God.

I have always known that God is holy. He is perfect. He has no speck of a speck of sin in Him. However, reading this book, my understanding of this soared to a whole ‘nother level.

I think we forget who God is a lot of the time. I am very guilty of this. I don’t think it’s intentional but I think a lot of times we fail to realise the extent of His power. God made everything. He was here before the world even began. When this earth was still full of water, God was there. He is the Living God. We should tremble at his feet. The name of God should make us fear and love and worship.

God is so gracious to us and so even when we take His name for granted, He is there to love us and forgive us.

God is the Ancient of Days. He is the Most High God. He is the I AM that I AM so, we need to learn to put some RESPECK on the name of the God who can snap his fingers in one second and this world as we know it can cease to exist.

Leviticus 10:3 says: Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord was speaking about when he said, ‘All who serve me was respect my holiness; I will reveal my glory to my people.'” But Aaron remained silent.”

God’s Holiness is unmatched and unrivalled. No one in heaven or on earth or below the earth can ever come close to being on His level.

One thing that worries me is that I don’t fear God enough and it has been my prayer to never forget the might of this Glorious God.

In this world it is easy to forget but through the grace of God and faith, I hope to always remember.

So, this is basically what was revealed to me as I read this book. God is Holy.

I am really enjoying reading the Bible and I have also been enjoying sharing it with you all. At this moment in my life – more than ever before – my spiritual life with God is the main priority and I am still learning.

I still make mistakes everyday. I still sin and honestly I am grateful for the grace and love and forgiveness that God gives because I don’t think I deserve it but that is who God is. He doesn’t love me because I am better than anyone else (because I am totally not); He loves me because that is just who He is.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. I am starting the Book of Numbers tomorrow and I am excited about that so I’ll write on it when I’m done.

Till then my darlings. ❤

Stay blessed.

Love,

Dolly.

Photo: I’m So Blessed Daily

So, I decided to read the Bible all the way through. I have tried many times but never actually finished. This time though, I think I’ll finish because I am taking my time to read it and enjoy it and understand it as best I can and through the help of God.

So, I thought I will be sharing my thoughts when I finish reading each book of the Bible. I have already finished reading Genesis and Ecclesiastes so I might not be able to write onthem. On second thought, I might write on Ecclesiastes because it really has a lot of life gems in it but I’ll let ya’ll know.

Anyway, let’s talk about Exodus people. I finished reading it yesterday and I took note of  a couple of things that I learnt about it.

1. When God qualifies you for something, don’t question it: When God called Moses to go and free His people from Egypt, Moses could not believe that God chose him. He said in Exodus 3:11 (GNT), ‘I am nobody. How can I go to the King and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’  God spoke to him and let him know that he will be with him and guide hm. Even then, Moses still said in Exodus 4:10 (GNT), ‘No, Lord, don’t send me. I have never been a good speaker and I haven’t become one since you began to speak to me. I am a poor speaker, slow and hesitant.’  At this point, God had to remind Moses of who He(God) is. In Exodus 4:11 (GNT), God said ‘Who gives man his mouth? Who makes him deaf  or dumb? Who gives sight or makes him blind? It is I, the Lord. Now, go! I will help you speak and  I will tell you what to say.’ God knows us better than we know ourselves. No matter how broken we are, He can still use us to His glory. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, God lets us know that His grace is sufficient for us as his power is made perfect in weakness. This means that God can use our weakness and flaws to His glory. When God tells you who you are, you best believe it because it’s only what He says about you that matters. If God has qualified you for something, no one else can say nothing. To others and even to himself, Moses was not a great speaker but God had plans for him and he ended up being the person that led the children of Israel out of slavery by the power of God.
2. It is easy to forget what God has done for us: So, God led the people out of Israel through Moses and He provided for them whatever they needed. When they were thirsty, he made water come out of a rock. When they were hungry, he sent manna down from heaven. Yet and still, whenever something wasn’t comfortable for them, they complained. They asked Moses why he brought them out of Egypt where they could have been living comfortably. At least, they would have had food and water. Imagine that! God literally brought them out of slavery but when things got a little uncomfortable, they forgot about what God did for them. To the extent that, when Moses went up to the mountain to speak to God, they decided to make a god (gold bull-calf. see Exodus 32) to worship because Moses had been gone a long time. Then, they decided to worship this god and started praising it as the one that led them out of Egypt. Anyway,  God eventually had Moses shut that down. When I was reading it, I could not believe how much they complained. Then, I had to take a look at myself. It is  something I have done countless times. God has provided for me in the most incredible ways. Yet and still, I complain when things get uncomfortable. It ‘s only recently  that when things get tough that I try to remind myself of all the good that He has done for me and trust that He is there for and with me all the way. Never forget what God has done for you.
3. God knows exactly what he is doing: Okay, so the book of Exodus beginning from Chapter 25 to the end speaks a lot on building. So, basically God gave specifications on how he wanted specific things to be built . One of the reasons why Moses was on the mountain for so long was because God was telling him how he wanted  the sacred things like the Covenant Box, The Tent of the Lord’s Presence, The Altar for Burning Incense, The Garments for the Priests and a host of others to be made. He was very specific. For example, in Exodus 30:1 (GNT), He says, Make an altar out of acacia wood, for burning incense. It is to be square, 18 inches long and 18 inches wide, and it is to be 36 inches high.’ He gave building directions and tailoring directions down to the T. He knew exactly how he wanted them to be made. Now, if God can take such care into the making of all of these, just think about how much care He took into making you.

Anyway, that’s about it. The book has a lot of lessons and the interesting thing about the Bible is that different things speak out to different people. You might read it and see all the stuff that jumped at me or something else will totally make complete sense to you. These were the lessons that spoke out to me more. I plan to do this with each book that I read and I hope you enjoy it. Honestly, you guys are helping me through it because doing it this way also encourages me to keep on reading because I really want to finish it this time. Anyway, let me know what you think and have a beautiful week my darlings.

Stay blessed always.

Love,

Dolly. xx