ojaysjoel blog

Text: “Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.” (Ecclesiastes 9:7) The book of Ecclesiastes teaches us many profound truths about life, time, and eternity. In our text today, the Teacher encourages God's people to embrace life with joy, gratitude, and gladness of heart. He says, “Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart.” This is not a call to reckless living, but an invitation to enjoy the blessings that God graciously provides. However, hidden within this verse is a very important condition: “for God now accepteth thy works.” True joy belongs to those whose lives are acceptable before God. Under the New Covenant, this acceptance is not based on human merit but on faith in Jesus Christ. Those who have repented of their sins, surrendered their lives to Christ, and are walking in obedience to His Word can rejoice because they have peace with God. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Ther...

  Scripture focus: And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. Jonah 3:4,10 KJV Devotion: There are moments in the life of a nation when the weight of its brokenness becomes too heavy to ignore. We look around and see systemic corruption touching both high and low places, pervasive insecurity, and an unsettling disregard for righteousness. In such times, human solutions and political promises often leave us weary. Yet, ancient Scripture offers a clear and unwavering blueprint for national transformation: authentic repentance, beginning with a heart turned back toward God. The story of Nineveh in Jonah 3:4, 10 stands as a profound testament to the power of a turning nation. When Jonah walked through Nineveh warning of imminent judgme...

Scripture focus:  "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8) Conscience is one of God’s precious gifts to humanity. It is that inner voice that helps us distinguish between right and wrong. Like a compass, it guides our hearts and warns us when we are about to stray from God's path. When kept sensitive and submitted to the Holy Spirit, conscience becomes a powerful aid in living a life that honours God. The Bible teaches that God has written His moral law on human hearts. “Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law... they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness” (Romans 2:14-15). Conscience acts as a witness within us, approving what is right and convicting us when we do wrong. A healthy conscience, however, must be shaped by God's Word. Left on its own, conscience can become weak, misinformed, or even hardened through persist...

Scripture focus: "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36) Devotion: True freedom is one of the greatest gifts that God gives to His children. When Jesus spoke these words, He was not merely referring to freedom from physical oppression or difficult. He was speaking of a deeper freedom, a liberation of the soul from the bondage of sin, guilt, fear, and spiritual darkness. Many people may appear free outwardly, yet remain imprisoned inwardly by anxiety, bitterness, shame, or the habits that control their lives. But when the Son of God sets a person free, chains are broken, hearts are renewed, and lives are transformed.   Spiritual freedom begins at the cross. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus paid the price for our sins and reconciled us to God. The believer is no longer condemned but justified by faith. As Scripture declares, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). This freedom ena...

Text: "And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven." (Nehemiah 1:4) When Nehemiah received the disturbing news about Jerusalem, he did not respond with indifference. The city of his fathers lay in ruins, its walls broken down and its gates consumed by fire. Though he lived in comfort and held a prestigious position in the king's palace, his heart remained connected to the welfare of his nation. The burden of Jerusalem became his burden. He sat down, wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed before God. Nehemiah teaches us a profound lesson about national responsibility. Before he rebuilt walls with his hands, he first carried the burden in his heart. Before he stood before the king, he knelt before God. Before he asked others to work, he wept for the condition of his people. Today, Nigeria faces many challenges. Economic hardship weighs heavily upon families. Rising costs...

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 1 John 4:20 KJV. Devotion: The apostle John speaks with piercing clarity: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). These words strip away any illusion that love for God can coexist with hatred toward others. Scripture leaves no room for compromise—hatred is not a minor flaw, it is a direct contradiction of God’s very nature.    Hatred often disguises itself in subtle forms. It does not always roar like violence or blaze like war; more often, it whispers in the quiet corners of the heart. It begins as resentment, takes root in unforgiveness, and grows through self-righteousness. It shows itself in the refusal to forgive, in the contempt we harbor for those who differ from us, or in the se...