Above Only Daily Devotional 12 May 2019 Sunday By Archbishop Margaret E. Benson Idahosa

Topic: Break Forth Into Singing

Isaiah 54:1 (NKJV) “Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman.” Says the Lord.

Isaiah 54:1 (CEV) Sing and shout, even thou you have never had children! The Lord has promised that you will have more children than someone married for a long time.

Psalm 47:1 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

The only way that we can continually break forth into singing, even when we are devoid of the fruit we desire (like our first text above says), is to maintain a different reality and focus. The things that God has said and done for us in Christ are more real to us than what we see and hear n the physical realm. We are living in and being controlled from a higher realm – God’s realm. There is always joy in God’s presence. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, Rom. 14:17. God is rejoicing over us with joy and singing, Zeph. 3:17. We need to always join Him to do the same. We can do this by the help of the Spirit, Eph. 5:18-20.

Moses and the Israelites sang unto God after they crossed the Red Sea and Pharaoh and all his armies were drowned, Exo. 15:1-21. But what Christ did for us on the cross far exceeds Moses and the Israelites’ experience. We need to continually sing and rejoice about the victory of the cross of Christ for us. Christ’s victory for us on the cross is the guarantee of our fruitfulness and victory in every area of our lives. Once powerful lesson we can learn from Paul and Silas praying and singing at midnight, though in chains and in prison (Acts 16:25), is that we must never allow what we are going through to stop us from rejoicing about the victory of Christ and the cross. The Bible says, “Always be joyful and never stop praying. Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do,” 1 Thes. 5:16-18 (CEV).

Thanksgiving Prayer:

I praise You, Lord, and I rejoice in the victory of Christ for me on the cross. Thank You that my fruitfulness is sure!

Bible in one year reading plan: 2 Kings 15-16, John 3:1-18.

Fact File: Margaret Idahosa (born 29 July 1943) is a Nigerian preacher, pastor, author, evangelist and the Archbishop of the Church of God Mission International. She is the first African female Archbishop. She is the wife of the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa