Uncategorized

Zaccheaus lived in the camp of traitors as a lifestyle, and he saw the fruit of it. He was rich yet lonely, having everything yet missing acceptance and love, enjoying the applause of his fellow tax collectors but not having the approval of His God!

Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19: 8-10

Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus gave him a revelation of what was truly important in life. The Jewish people were supposed to be generous with the poor and the needy, but Zacchaeus went over the top!

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 16:13

By giving half of his goods to the poor, Zacchaeus testified that money was no longer his ruler. He had chosen to serve God instead of money!

Zacchaeus took another courageous step. He admitted that he had stolen money from others by falsely accusing them. He was willing to pay back those he had harmed fourfold. His desire to restore what was stolen, was a second significant step in this man’s repentance and decision to live in truth. By giving half of his possessions to the poor and paying back fourfold to restore those he had cheated, could have meant that he gave up most and possibly all his possessions to follow Christ!

I am reminded of Jesus telling a rich young ruler that if he desired to follow Him, he must sell all his possessions and give it to the poor. Nothing in our lives should be in competition with our obedience to the Lord!

The very acceptance, importance, and security that Zacchaeus had been seeking for years kept him spiritually bankrupt. Wealth and power had not delivered what he had hoped they were going to deliver.

When Jesus entered Zacchaeus’ house and loved him in his despised state, it gave him what he had been looking for all his life. There was no need to hold on to the counterfeit any longer. He wasn’t thirsty for the deadly poison of power for he found the Living Water to quench his thirst! He was willing to give up all his possessions in order to have the love, peace, and security that he found in his relationship to Jesus.

Have you stolen reputation, acknowledgment, material goods, or opportunities from others that need to be restored today?

Are there any counterfeits that you’ve held onto for the false hope of bringing you acceptance, significance, and power? Get alone with Jesus and let His love and affirmation help you to open your grip on these things and let them go today!

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. Luke 19:1-4

The account in Luke 17 tells us that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. He had already passed through Galilee and Samaria, and now He had chosen to go through Jericho to get to Jerusalem. I wonder if he had chosen this route just to meet Zacchaeus!

Jericho was a rich and flourishing town. Despite its surroundings being dry and desert like, Jericho was beautiful due to underground springs that kept it lush and green. There were many affluent people living in this desirable town, and one of them was Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector.

The tax collectors worked for the Roman Empire. In addition to collecting taxes from their countrymen, they also extorted additional money to keep in their own pockets. While being a chief tax collector would have been a powerful and wealthy position, the Jewish people including the religious crowd would have despised these people for being loyal to the Roman government and for taking advantage of them.

When Zaccheus heard about Jesus coming, He was curious about Him. I wonder if he had heard that one of Jesus’ followers (Matthew) used to be a tax collector. Maybe he hoped that he wasn’t going to be rejected by this man as so many others had rejected him.

The scripture tells us that he climbed a tree because he was short. Common decency would make people give room to those who are less privileged to have an opportunity to get in front and observe what is happening. However, Zaccheus knew better; he was not naïve. He knew that not only people wouldn’t let him get in front of the line, but they also may hurt him because of their hatred towards tax collectors.

Zaccheus’ wealth and power may have gained the recognition of the Roman authorities, but he didn’t have the respect of his fellow countrymen!

How do we use our position? Do we use it to bless others? Is it enough to have the recognition of our authorities? What do our countrymen think of us? Do we take advantage of our position/power when opportunity arises? Or do we serve and love others as ourselves?

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

How do we know we are free?

In the last devotional, I shared about the fact that sometimes we may think we are free while we are still in bondage. Despite a long history of bondage, Jesus’ disciples thought they were never slaves to anyone!

Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

What is the evidence of our freedom in Christ?

 Free from Compulsion

Definition of Compulsion (according to Webster’s dictionary): to force (someone) to do something; to make (something) happen : to force (something)

Compulsion causes people to be driven and not be led by the Holy Spirit. Compulsion can take on many faces. If you are a competitive person, you will naturally be compulsive and will have to choose to be restrained by Holy Spirit.

Some are still trying to impress others by performance. When performance is the motivation behind doing something, it will drive individuals to do more than they should. The desire to impress will drive people to be compulsive. Some are compulsive because they are continually fixing another mistake. They are compelled to explain themselves more than necessary. They are busy fixing something else because they are insecure about getting into trouble again.

Paul wrote:

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 1 Corinthians 6:12

Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial for us. When we begin to walk with God and experience His freedom, the Lord frees us from compulsive behavior. If we truly want to experience freedom, we have to leave our competitiveness at the altar and let God rule in our relationships. Godly people refrain from being compulsive in life! They know their boundaries of how much is too much and they stay the course.

Free from unhealthy relationships

As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17

The more free we are, the better we become in choosing our friendships.  They are not picked based on our needs. We are not looking for people to fill the holes in our hearts. We don’t choose people based on their level of loyalty and/or agreement to us. We are not trying to create a clique.

As free people, we are willing to hear the hard words from our friends because we have a desire to grow and not remain stagnant. We come to be a blessing and receive genuine friendship that is based on truth, not based on flattery, gossip, control, or manipulation. The type of friends we choose, says much about our level of security and freedom in Christ!

Free to obey

Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? Galatians 3:1

When we have a desire to obey, we don’t wrestle with truth like we used to. We don’t argue with people. One of the things that Jesus does in our lives is that he comes to breakdown strongholds and barriers which have held us back from receiving truth. We are humble to accept truth regardless of the source, and we are quick to obey because we are empowered to do what is right without blaming others or excusing our flaws.

Free to love

Freedom in Christ comes with letting go of our fears and loving people deeply. People can claim they are free , but when you see how they treat their adversaries, you will know how free they are from fear and pride!

O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open.  You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. 2 Corinthians 6:11-12

Paul was falsely accused by some in the Corinthian church, but those accusations did not deter him from continually loving the church. He kept his heart open and vulnerable towards those people despite of how they treated him.

Freedom in Christ allows us to keep our hearts open towards others regardless on how they treat us. We are able to love and be kind to others. That is true freedom that displays the genuine fruit of the spirit in the heat of the battle!

Lord, we don’t want to just talk about freedom but we want to live in freedom! Give us the courage and strength to live in complete freedom in every area of our lives! In Jesus’s mighty name! Amen!

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:31-36

Definition of Free (According to Strong’s Dictionary): in a civil sense, one who is not a slave of one who ceases to be a slave, freed, manumitted, free, exempt, unrestrained, not bound by an obligation; in an ethical sense: free from the yoke of the Mosaic Law.

Jesus told His disciples that the Son makes them free. This freedom was a sure freedom that no government, no person, or no circumstance can steal from them. The disciples were a bit offended because they did not see themselves as slaves. They considered themselves free as Abraham’s children. Then they stated that they have never been in bondage to anyone!

The truth is that the Israelites were in bondage to slavery for over four hundred years in Egypt. The fact was that the Israelites spent decades in Babylonian captivity. Additionally, during Jesus’ time, they were under the oppression of the Roman empire. They were also in bondage to the their own man-made laws. Ironically, despite all the history of bondage, they did not see themselves as slaves but considered themselves free!

How can people think they are free while they are still in bondage?

Misery stays comfortable in miserable company

Knowing others are in a similar situation as we are makes it comforting. It gives us false sense of well-being and security. For example, if the average credit card debt is about $6000 per person, then our $8,000 debt doesn’t seem too bad. If most people spend 50-60 hours a week busy with work and activities, then our stressful life doesn’t seem to be too bad.

New definitions in culture

Our culture has a significant impact as to what we perceive to be right or wrong. For example, in our nation abortion is legal, and as a result many don’t see a problem with it. However, if you or someone close to you has experienced abortion, you could still be bound by the guilt and shame of it and not understand why you are struggling. Just because something is legal it doesn’t erase our conscience from the guilt of it. The culture or the governmental laws don’t have the authority to define what morally is right or wrong only the word of God can!

Mind over matter

We have been taught to declare the truth over ourselves to ensure our mind is renewed. That’s an important aspect of walking out and working out our salvation. However, we should also examine our lives from time to time and ensure we are experiencing change and growth in various areas of our lives, and it is not just something we claim to be true.

Not having good role models

If we only look to those around us to measure our level of freedom, we may not have people around us who are truly good role models of freedom. They may have been free in some areas, but they still have their own issues and struggles. As a result the standard is based on who we look up to not what Jesus is able to do for us. For example, if the couples around us all have major issues they are working on, we may feel that peace and unity in marriage is not attainable. We may perceive it as just an ideal to hope for.

Not honest with ourselves

Sometimes people feel the need to have a persona of freedom in order to look strong and powerful. They are afraid of showing weakness because they believe mature believers should have no struggles.

Lord please show us our current areas of bondages. Open our eyes to see where we need to experience your freedom at a greater and deeper level!

What is the evidence of our freedom? This the subject of the next devotional.

This is a continuation of the story of Tamar sleeping with her father-in-law as a harlot out of desperation!

So Judah acknowledged them and said, “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he never knew her again.

Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!” Therefore his name was called Perez. Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah. Genesis 38:26-30

Through the ungodly union with Judah, Tamar became the mother of twin boys named Perez and Zerah. Jesus came from the line of Perez and his father Judah. God chose for Jesus’ lineage to come from a sinful and inappropriate union. God’s ways are truly higher than our ways!

I came from a culture that people’s reputation was of utmost importance to them. This led people to two subtle and understated options in life. The first choice was to place yourself in the prison of man’s opinion and not do anything to raise their eyebrows. The second option was to live an appearance of perfection but behind the scenes have a corrupt life. Neither of the options produced any good fruit because you are either bound by fear of man or bound by sin.

The fact that Judah and Tamar are included in Jesus’ genealogy, makes a clear statement about how little God values man-made reputation!

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:5-7

Jesus being the Son of God came in humility as a servant. He emptied Himself of any Godly or carnal reputation in order to be an available and pure vessel used by God for His purpose of redemption. God could have chosen for Him to be born to a priestly family, instead He chose a virgin girl and a carpenter. Jesus didn’t cling to anything to buy Him power, status, or reputation. As a matter of fact, his lineage was full of imperfect sinful people whom God had redeemed.

This signifies that it is not the reputation and the honor of a person that matters apart from Christ. We can’t cling to our heritage, perfectionism, or other successful people to build our reputation. All of us need to throw ourselves at the mercy and the grace of God. Without Him no good reputation can redeem us; with Him no bad reputation can keep us from God’s mercy! When we catch this view, God can redeem and use any person or situation and bring glory to Himself. Thank you Jesus for your work of redemption!

This is a continuation from last the devotional. Tamar became a widow twice because the two brothers were both wicked in God’s sight!

So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face.  Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. Genesis 38:14-16

 And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she is with child by harlotry.”

So Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” And she said, “Please determine whose these are—the signet and cord, and staff.”

 So Judah acknowledged them and said, “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he never knew her again. Genesis 38:24-26

Tamar heard that her father-in-law was at a certain location for celebrations, so she took off her grieving clothes, put on new ones, and covered herself to be unknown. She met her father-in-law, but he didn’t recognize her. He thought she was a harlot, so he asked to sleep with her. She agreed only with the condition of getting something personal from him. He gave her his signet, cord, and staff.

She found herself pregnant with Judah. When the father-in-law heard that his daughter-in-law Tamar was pregnant, he sentenced her to being burned because she had become a harlot. Tamar sent the signet, cord, and the staff to Judah to remind him of his own actions with the “unknown harlot” who happened to be her.

When Judah saw his own personal items, he said that she was more righteous than he was. Why did he make that statement? First of all, he did not follow through with the promise he had made to Tamar by giving his third son in marriage to her.

An Israelite man according to (Numbers 25:5-10) was expected to marry his deceased brother’s wife and have children with her in order to continue his family line. By Judah not giving his third son in marriage to Tamar, it would have left Tamar with a very bleak future since she had neither husband or any children.

Secondly, Judah was self-righteous because he demanded death for Tamar’s sin, but he did not see himself guilty of the same sin by sleeping with a harlot!

It is so much easier to see other people’s sin but not see our own sins. We usually don’t see our sins requiring any/much punishment; we may even demand mercy from others. However, when the roles are reversed, we don’t easily forgive or extend mercy to another who has sinned in a similar way.

We may criticize others for gossip but at the same time, we gossip. We may not feel loved, but we can be cold and indifferent toward others. We may complain about unfair treatment of others, but we are partial and treat some better than others. We are frustrated by others’ stubbornness or competitiveness, but truth be told we operate the same way. We just deceive ourselves by thinking that our actions are justified but others’ are unjustifiable!

Judah’s signet, cord, and staff became a mirror to see himself a sinner and a partner in crime! He admitted that he was wrong. He never slept with Tamar again. That was the place of Judah’s repentance.

Lord, thank you for exposing self-righteousness in us. Forgive us when we have operated in self-righteousness and have ignored our sin of pride! Please restore and heal our relationships! Amen!

Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him. And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.” But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother.  And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.

Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.  And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”  So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. Genesis 38:6-14

Judah, one of Jacob’s sons, married a Canaanite woman who bore him three sons. His first son married Tamar a Canaanite woman as well. The scripture tells us that because the son was wicked God killed him. Then his Judah’s son married Tamar. He ensured that Tamar wouldn’t conceive a child because the child would have been considered his brother’s child. God saw this action wicked and killed him as well.

Judah had only one more son left. He promised Tamar that when the third son was grown, he would give him in marriage to her while he had no intention of doing this. Tamar went back to her father’s house, and she continued to mourn as a widow waiting for the third son to marry her. However, over the course of time, she found out that Judah wasn’t really intending of giving his third son in marriage to her.

The scripture tells us that Judah thought that he had lost his two sons because they married Tamar. As a result he was concerned about losing his third son if he married Tamar. The fact was that the first two sons didn’t die because they were married to Tamar, but because they were wicked before God!

Isn’t that what we do sometimes with those we love? When something happens that they are subject of a controversy or a problem, we think others have done them wrong. We assume that they are a victim of a bad situation. All along similar issues follow our loved ones.

If a few independent people complain about the same thing regarding our friend or family member, then there must be some truth to this person’s character flaws. All these people can’t be wrong, jealous, or inept in recognizing the problem. Sometimes it is the Lord who is having an issue with our loved one, and He wants to discipline him/her. Some of us instead of seeking the will of God, we want to rebuke the devil, cast him out, and defend our loved ones.

The sad reality is the very thing we try to protect our loved ones from, at some point in time, will impact us. Character flaws can never remain contained because it’s the way an individual operates in life and under pressure.

I will continue with Tamar’s story in the next devotional.

Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”  For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”  So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!” Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”

But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!” So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified. Mark 15:6-15

When Jesus was arrested, it was the voice of the majority that pressured Pilate to order Him to be crucified, and the same voice demanded for a criminal to be released! The scripture tells us that Pilate tried to gratify the crowd. Does that make any sense!? To punish an innocent man and to release a criminal!? Gratifying the crowd has a high cost associated with it.

The voice of majority can be loud and intimidating! If we try to gratify the people around us, we will lose our God given voice to stand for truth and righteousness. If we desire to walk and live in truth, we can’t be influenced by the pressure of the multitudes.

Jesus told us that following Him includes entering through the “narrow gate”. You will not find many people headed towards the “narrow gate” because it is hard and lonely. It is easier to follow the crowd on the broad path by trying to fit in rather than taking a stand alone.

How can we try not to be influenced by the majority?

1. Hear God for ourselves

We are ultimately accountable for the decisions we make. We need to learn to be confident in hearing God even if what we hear is different from what others are hearing.

2. Understand the cost

To be in minority in a given situation means that we will be criticized. Sometimes we will lose some of the privileges of not following the crowd. Count the cost and be willing to pay the cost if and when needed.

3. Remember your first priority

From time to time, we need to remind ourselves that our jobs and any open doors ultimately come from God not man! Jesus didn’t look to man to give him a favor or open any doors of ministry. He was not part of the religious crowd but God always gave him the opportunity to teach those who were hungry and thirsty for the truth. He didn’t compromise in order to be accepted in the synagogues.

4. Recognize the peer pressure

Many of us complain about our children having peer pressure at school, but adults have the same if not more peer pressure surrounding them. It is harder to say, “no”, to our coworkers than for our children to say, “no” to their friends because the stakes are higher.

Is the majority always wrong? Not necessarily. There are times that they can be right. We just can’t assume they are right because they are louder and there is more of them. If we are able to do our own evaluation of a situation and still find that the majority has the right position then that’s great. We then choose to follow it with our eyes and ears open because we have investigated and sought the truth.

Truthful news by one is better than artificially sweetened news by majority

Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon.” For they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish. But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in their own land,’ says the Lord, ‘and they shall till it and dwell in it.’ Jeremiah 27: 9-11

Jeremiah, a true prophet of God, was in minority for giving bad news to the Israelites. The false prophets were giving deceptive encouragement to the people of God. They told them that their captivity wasn’t going to last because they were God’s special people. However, Jeremiah gave them the bad news (but truthful news) that God was keeping them in captivity for a long season.

Who would we rather listen to? Some people enjoy having their ears tickled with what they want to hear. They don’t want to be encumbered by difficult news or something that will require work from them.

For example, nowadays, the message of “cheap grace” has become popular amongst some Christian circles, and it is drawing multitudes to churches. The so called “gracious” preachers are feeding people heavily sugar-coated half truth and keeping people comfortable.

“Cheap grace” messages will lead individuals back to bondage and destruction if they choose to follow it. These sermons don’t demand or require growth on the part of the believer, and they keep one’s faith in an infantile stage. The message of “cheap grace” surely sounds a lot gentler and more beautiful than the message of “take up your cross and follow me!”. These “happy and light” messages will not produce the character and the righteousness of God in a believer’s life neither will they challenge a believer to represent Christ well.

Are we willing to follow the truth no matter what the cost is? Are we willing to share the truth regardless of how popular or unpopular it becomes?

The voice of majority may win for a moment, but the consequences of the decisions made by majority will provide the ultimate report card!

If you were Jeremiah, would you have doubted that you heard God correctly in the light of so many prophets contradicting your message? Would you have been tempted to artificially sweeten the message, so you won’t be the odd one out? Or would you have been able to speak up and share bitter news while all the other high powered prophets had artificially sweetened news for people?

The rule of majority can produce good fruit in some cases such as standing up against cruelty and injustice inflicted on the voiceless. In free nations, it is the vote of majority that places people in governmental positions and allows them to pass various laws. The democratic process allows the voice of majority to win and move things in a certain direction.

This process only works well so long as citizens are seeking God’s wisdom and principles for sound laws and rulership. If people don’t care about God’s rules or they try to bring their own personal agenda, the rule of majority can take us to some dangerous places over time!

The Bible shows us that in every case when people placed a higher priority on the opinion of majority instead of seeking God’s will first, they went the wrong way!

Follow the “one” with faith 

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:30-33

God promised the Land of Canaan to Israelites. However, the spies came back with a bad report. The ten spies saw themselves as grasshoppers before the Canaanites because they were focused on themselves and how small they were! Joshua and Caleb, on the other hand, saw the same thing as the other ten spies did, but their perspective was full of faith.  They believed God for His great deliverance! The unbelief of ten overshadowed the belief of two and led them to death in the wilderness!

Unfortunately, the voice of majority can be convincing and look very real! It is easier to give in to the fear of multitudes than believe the few who are walking in faith.

We will also be challenged by many who will speak from positions of fear and insecurity and will tempt us to be fearful and insecure. Are we willing to believe God and stand up for what He says despite of the number of people who have unbelief?

It is better to follow one person who has faith rather than following a crowd that operates in unbelief! One person with God always is in the majority!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional!