The Greatest Deceiver

Obadiah 1:3
“The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?”

Edom had exalted herself as a nation that could not be destroyed. She thought that her location in the rocky, mountainous region would keep anyone from being able to destroy her. Yet, it was not the location that destroyed her, it was the pride in her heart that destroyed her. God said, “The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee…” Her pride led her to believe that she was too big to be destroyed.

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At the Core of Joint Success

Amos 3:3
“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

The verse above, though only comprised of a few words, carries a powerful principle as to how two forces can succeed. God reminded Israel how together they were able to leave Egypt, survive the wilderness and conquer the land of Canaan. The way they did it was they walked together in agreement. Yet, because Israel no longer was in agreement with God, He was no longer able to work with them to see mighty works performed. It was the power of their agreement that allowed the mighty works to be done.

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Perpetuating the Harvest

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Joel 1:11
“Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers, for the wheat and for the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.”

The harvest is important to the future of a plant. Imagine if all apple trees never produced one more apple. If that happened, apples would be extinct within a few years. The harvest is important to the perpetuating of the apple tree.

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Confusing Your Surroundings

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Daniel 9:8
“O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.”

The Devil is a master at creating confusion. He knows that “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23) One of his major goals is to get God’s people to act in such a manner that creates confusion because when there is confusion there is uncertainty.

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Before the Trophy Raising

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Daniel 1:15
“And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.”

The goal at the end of every competition or challenge is to receive the trophy. Those who pull for the team who won always enjoy watching their team lift the trophy in victory. It is great being part of the team that raises the trophy and to have the bragging rights that you are the champion during the next season. However, before the trophy is raised there are many steps that team had to take that led them to victory. Though we all enjoy the raising of the trophy, most do not want to endure the steps it took to raise the trophy.

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The Curse of Blessings

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Ezekiel 28:17
“Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.”

Maybe, the most blessed being in history was Lucifer. He was created and placed in Heaven. He was the perfection of beauty and filled with wisdom. He was an anointed cherub and also had a voice that was like none other. He had the privilege of living in the presence of God and seeing the beauty of Heaven. He was certainly among the most blessed in history.

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I Choose the Valley

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Ecclesiastes 7:3
“Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.”

People oftentimes bemoan the valley and wish that they could live on the mountaintops. On the other hand, God says that “Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.” Without sadness, the heart could not be made better. God goes further in the next verse and says, “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” In other words, it is in the valley where you will find the wisdom to make life better.

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You Don’t Need “Yes” People


Ecclesiastes 4:13
“Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.”

In the verse above, Solomon was trying to teach his son the importance of taking admonishment. He wanted his son to understand that it would be better to be a poor person who lived in the poor section of town than to sit on a throne and never allow anyone to tell him what to do. Solomon knew that his son would be destroyed if he ever got to the point where people could not tell him he was wrong.

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Securing Victory


Psalm 18:37
“I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.”

God intends for the Christian to be victorious in all that they do. God is not a God of defeat, but He is a God of victory. The psalmist clearly understood that he could secure victory through God. In verse 31, he understood that “It is God” Who gives the victory. You can try obtaining victory through anyone else, but only through God can the Christian be guaranteed the victory. When you decide to trust in God, there are several things He will enable you to do to secure victory.

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Arguing in the Courts of Prayer


Job 16:21
“O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!”

Job’s longed for someone to plead for him. During the lowest time of his life, his friends condemned him instead of praying for him. He was not as concerned with someone making his poor condition known to others as much as he desired for someone to plead his case before God. All Job wanted was someone who would plead his case in hopes that God would change his situation.

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