*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* THURSDAY, 27TH JUNE, 2024

*THEME:* THE COVENANT-KEEPING GOD

*TEXT:* GENESIS 9: 1-17 _*(NKJV)*_

9:1. So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.
9:2. "And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move [on] the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand.
9:3. "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.
9:4. "But you shall not eat flesh with its life, [that is,] its blood.
9:5. "Surely for your lifeblood I will demand [a reckoning;] from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man.
9:6. "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.
9:7. And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; Bring forth abundantly in the earth And multiply in it."
9:8. Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying:
9:9. "And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you,
9:10. "and with every living creature that [is] with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth.
9:11. "Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth."
9:12. And God said: "This [is] the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that [is] with you, for perpetual generations:
9:13. "I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.
9:14. "It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud;
9:15. "and I will remember My covenant which [is] between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
9:16. "The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that [is] on the earth."
9:17. And God said to Noah, "This [is] the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that [is] on the earth."

*MESSAGE:*

When God created the earth and everything therein, He made a covenant with man; God is a covenant-keeping God. In our text yesterday, He made a covenant with Noah that He would save him and his household from the impending destruction (Gen. 6: 18). After the flood, Noah and his household became the remnants through which God would fulfil His covenant. Through Noah, God reopened the same covenant He made with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden that they would be fruitful and fill the earth.

Beloved, God's covenant is sure at every point in time. Whatever He has said to you, He is able to keep. His words and promises are yea and amen. God does not lie, His words must surely come to pass. This should make you trust Him in every situation of your life. If He has said anything to you, just relax and note that He will surely do it. The Covenant He made with Noah still stands today. What He says to you at any moment is settled eternally! He is a covenant-keeping God.

*PRAYER:*
Dear Lord, I thank You because You are a covenant-keeping God. _*Amen*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"I will provide justice for everyone who is mistreated."_ *Psalm 103: 6*

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* FRIDAY, 28TH JUNE, 2024

*THEME:* LIVE YOUR LIFE TO GLORIFY GOD

*TEXT:* GENESIS 9: 18-29 _*(NKJV)*_

9:18. Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham [was] the father of Canaan.
9:19. These three [were] the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.
9:20. And Noah began [to be] a farmer, and he planted a vineyard.
9:21. Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent.
9:22. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the unclothedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.
9:23. But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid [it] on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the unclothedness of their father. Their faces [were] turned away, and they did not see their father's unclothedness.
9:24. So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him.
9:25. Then he said: "Cursed [be] Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren."
9:26. And he said: "Blessed [be] the LORD, The God of Shem, And may Canaan be his servant.
9:27. May God enlarge Japheth, And may he dwell in the tents of Shem; And may Canaan be his servant."
9:28. And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
9:29. So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.

*MESSAGE:*

Noah, after the flood, became the first tiller of ground. He planted a vineyard and drank of the wine, became drunk and was naked. On that account, he brought shame upon himself. He also placed a curse on his son, Ham, for seeing his unclothedness. The action of Noah reveals the dangers and consequences of living a loose life in times of comfort. Before the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were both naked and were not ashamed because they were in the will of God and were therefore covered with His glory (Gen. 2: 25). As soon as they fell out of God's eternal purpose by eating a forbidden fruit, they were stripped of God's glory and shame became the order of their lives.

Beloved, we must learn from Noah's shortcomings (Eph. 5: 18). God created you fearfully and wonderfully; He made you in His image and so it is imperative that every segment of your life must announce His glory.

*PRAYER:*
Lord, give me the grace to live in the reality of Your glory all the days of my life. _*Amen*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"My name is a strong tower that you can run to and find safety."_ *Proverbs 18: 10*

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* SATURDAY, 29TH JUNE, 2024

*THEME:* WHO IS JESUS CHRIST TO YOU?

*TEXT:* MATTHEW 16:13-20 _*(NKJV)*_

16:13. When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"
16:14. So they said, "Some [say] John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
16:15. He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16:16. Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
16:17. Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed [this] to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
16:18. "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
16:19. "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
16:20. Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

*MESSAGE:*

In our text today, Jesus asked his disciples “Who do men say I, the son of man, am?” Different answers from the public opinion were given by the disciples. Jesus then became particular and asked “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."Jesus told him that he did not get that revelation from flesh and blood but from the Father in heaven. Jesus wanted to verify the understanding of the disciples about Himself and He got the answer He needed at the end of the day: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Dear reader, each person must answer the question of who Jesus Christ is. Today, there are different views of who Jesus is. To some, He is not more than the Provider or Supplier of all their needs; some hold the view that He is their Deliverer from the powers of their oppressors while to some others, He is the Giver of jobs and other goodies of life. However, knowing Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour from sin is very crucial. He is the Giver of the life of God which was lost in the garden at Eden. Without this knowledge, every other knowledge is vain.

*PRAYER:*
Lord, I confess that You are my Saviour and Lord!

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God says:

_"When you leave your body, you will be at home in My presence."_ *2 Corinthians 5: 8*

✝️📗DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL
Date: 2024-Jun-30

✝️🔎TOPIC: OPEN MY EYES, OH LORD!



✝️📖TEXT: Psalm 119: 17-32 (NKJV)

119:17. Deal bountifully with Your servant, [That] I may live and keep Your word.
119:18. Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.
119:19. I [am] a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.
119:20. My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times.
119:21. You rebuke the proud -- the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments.
119:22. Remove from me reproach and contempt, For I have kept Your testimonies.
119:23. Princes also sit [and] speak against me, [But] Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
119:24. Your testimonies also [are] my delight [And] my counselors.
119:25. My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word.
119:26. I have declared my ways, and You answered me; Teach me Your statutes.
119:27. Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wondrous works.
119:28. My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word.
119:29. Remove from me the way of lying, And grant me Your law graciously.
119:30. I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid [before me.]
119:31. I cling to Your testimonies; O LORD, do not put me to shame!
119:32. I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart.

✝️📜STUDY:

From our text today, the Psalmist prayed, “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from your law."

It is clear that the law of the Lord is full of wondrous things and contains all that is meant for life and fulfilment. However, ordinary human eyes cannot see this treasure except the ones that have been illuminated by God Himself. It is the eye that God has made alive that can behold the treasure in His word. Apostle Paul, in line with this, prayed for the Ephesians that the eyes of their understanding may be enlightened so that they might know the hope of God's calling upon their lives and what the riches of the glory of the inheritance of Christ is in the saints (Eph.1:18).

Christians must constantly pray for enlightened eyes in order to understand the mysteries of God's kingdom. We all need to receive grace to understand the law of the Lord and the Lord is ready to give if we are ready to ask.

✝️🙏 PRAYER: Lord, open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things from your word, Amen.

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* MONDAY, 1ST JULY, 2024 *THEME:* FOR WE ARE BRETHREN

*TEXT:* GENESIS 10: 1-14 _*(NKJV)*_

10:1. Now this [is] the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood.
10:2. The sons of Japheth [were] Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
10:3. The sons of Gomer [were] Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
10:4. The sons of Javan [were] Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
10:5. From these the coastland [peoples] of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.
10:6. The sons of Ham [were] Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
10:7. The sons of Cush [were] Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtechah; and the sons of Raamah [were] Sheba and Dedan.
10:8. Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.
10:9. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD."
10:10. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
10:11. From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,
10:12. and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that [is] the principal city).
10:13. Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,
10:14. Pathrusim, and Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and Caphtorim).

*MESSAGE:*

The Bible clearly indicates that all mankind is descended from Adam, through Noah (v.32).We are thus physically in his lineage (1Cor.15: 49). In this sense, all mankind are really brethren, as Abraham told Lot (Gen.13: . In our text, specific nations that descended from Japhet and Ham are identified. Many of them are in the present day Asia, Europe, Africa.Specific examples include Egypt (Mizraim in verses 6&13), Babel or Babylon (v.10) and Assyria (v.11). One notable name in the passage is Nimrod, apparently the founder of Babel (v.10). He is described as _"a mighty hunter before the Lord"_ (v.9).

It is not clear why the order of the names of Shem, Ham and Japhet in verse 1 was reversed with Japhet receiving the first attention in verses 2 to 5. Whatever be the case, it shows that irrespective of your position in the family, God can use you to accomplish his purpose. We also see that from a small family of 8 who survived the flood described in Genesis 7 and 8, God repopulated the entire earth (v.32). May we learn to make ourselves available to God, so that He can use us to accomplish His purpose. Do you have a personal relationship with God?

*PRAYER:*
Lord, help me to be my brothers' keeper, _*Amen!*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God says:

_"I will rescue you from evil and safely deliver you into My kingdom."_ *2 Timothy 4: 18*

*WELCOME TO THE MONTH OF JULY 2024*

Your journey in the 2nd half of this year shall lead to great and remarkable success. Everyday shall usher a new miracle into your life. Blessings that would shame your adversaries shall come to you. Your suffering and afflictions shall give way to goodness and favour. Your affairs shall be established on unshakable foundation. _*Amen*_

*HAPPY NEW MONTH*

✝️📗DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL
Date: 2024-Jul-02


✝️🔎TOPIC: BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY



✝️📖TEXT: Genesis 10: 15-32 (NKJV)

10:15. Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth;
10:16. the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite;
10:17. the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite;
10:18. the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were dispersed.
10:19. And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
10:20. These [were] the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands [and] in their nations.
10:21. And [children] were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder.
10:22. The sons of Shem [were] Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.
10:23. The sons of Aram [were] Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
10:24. Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begot Eber.
10:25. To Eber were born two sons: the name of one [was] Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name [was] Joktan.
10:26. Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
10:27. Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,
10:28. Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
10:29. Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these [were] the sons of Joktan.
10:30. And their dwelling place was from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.
10:31. These [were] the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations.
10:32. These [were] the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.

✝️📜STUDY:

The fulfilment of God's command in Genesis 1: 28 and 9: 2 is here demonstrated. The expansion of the remainder of the lineage of Ham is shown in verses 15 to 20, while that of Shem is listed in verses 21 to 31.

A notable member of the lineage of Ham is Canaan, whose descendants occupied the Promised Land that was later possessed by Israel. Most of the present day occupants of the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula and the surroundings, are mainly descendants of Shem and Ham (through Canaan). With the passage of time and increase in population, people dispersed in different directions, thereby fulfilling the word of God(vv.18, vv20, vv32).

The name, Peleg, in verse 25 means “division”, which may be a reference to the division of languages described in Genesis 11: 1-9. Aram in verses 22 and 23 refers to Syria, one of the nations with a long history and which played prominent roles in Biblical history.We can see that God is faithful in ensuring that His word is fulfilled. He is faithful and fulfilled the promise to multiply Noah's descendants.

Are you depending on Him today to fulfill His gracious promises to you?

✝️🙏 PRAYER: Oh Lord, make me to be fruitful in every area of my life in Jesus Name. Amen.

*WELCOME TO THE SECOND HALF OF 2024. HAPPY NEW MONTH OF JULY*

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* WEDNESDAY, 3RD JULY, 2024 _*{Saint Thomas The Apostle}*_

*THEME:* BLESSED BELIEVERS

*TEXT:* JOHN 20: 24-29 _*(NKJV)*_

20:24. Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
20:25. The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."
20:26. And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!"
20:27. Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand [here,] and put [it] into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."
20:28. And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
20:29. Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed [are] those who have not seen and [yet] have believed."

*MESSAGE:*

Thomas was one of the original 12 Apostles (Mark 3: 14). He was a twin (v.24), and his name is mentioned 8 times in the Gospels, and once in Acts; but volumes have been written about him in Church history. He is believed to have done much of his evangelistic exploits in India, where he eventually died near Chennai (formerly Madras). Thomas was absent when Jesus appeared in the evening of his resurrection (v. 24) thereby missing the initial encouragement received by others (vv. 19-23). Thankfully, he had a second chance when Jesus appeared again after 8 days. He now shared in the ministration that Jesus showered on them. In addition, Jesus singled him out to clear his doubts about His bodily resurrection (v. 27). He was encouraged to have a full experience of Christ so that he could effectively join the group of believers who are truly blessed. Thomas saw, believed and was blessed (v.29).

Though we do not see him physically today, we have the Holy Bible as well as the Holy Spirit that bear him witness (vv. 31-32; John 16: 13). Please take advantage of these and believe him fully to be truly blessed. Then you will have a real experience (1 John 1: 1-3). Do you study the Bible daily?

*PRAYER:*
Open my eyes, oh God, that I may see wondrous things out of Your word. _*Amen*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God says:

_"If you persist and do My will, you will receive what I have promised."_ *Hebrews 10: 36*

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* THURSDAY, 4TH JULY, 2024

*THEME:* AN EVIL PROJECT TERMINATED

*TEXT:* GENESIS 11: 1-9 _*(NKJV)*_

11:1. Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.
11:2. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.
11:3. Then they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and bake [them] thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.
11:4. And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top [is] in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."
11:5. But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.
11:6. And the LORD said, "Indeed the people [are] one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.
11:7. "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."
11:8. So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.
11:9. Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

*MESSAGE:*

The British luxury ocean-liner, Titanic, sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 14 April, 1912, during its first voyage to New York from England. Out of the 2200 people on board, about 1500 perished in the disaster. Before the unfortunate voyage, someone had reportedly boasted that "Even God cannot sink this ship.” In the same way, the people of Babel embarked on a gigantic project of building a city and tower that would prevent them from being “scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth” (v.4). This was in direct contrast to God's will that people should “fill the earth" (Gen. 8: 17, 9:1). God therefore confused their language, causing them to abandon the project and scatter "over the face of all the earth" (vv.6-.

Some nations embark on projects that directly oppose God. A recent example is the opposition to the worship of God in some communist countries. Thank God for the crumbling of the former Soviet Union which paved the way for the penetration of the gospel in those areas. Are there philosophies, political systems, social and economic policies and scientific theories that directly or indirectly oppose the word of God which you hold unto? Repent today!

*PRAYER:*
Oh God, help me to take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Cor. 10: 5).

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"I made the heavens by My Word and I breathed the stars into existence."_

✝️📗DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL
Date: 2024-July-05

✝️🔎TOPIC:ABRAHAM'S ANCESTORS

✝️📖TEXT: Genesis 11: 10-32 (NKJV)

11:10. This [is] the genealogy of Shem: Shem [was] one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood.
11:11. After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:12. Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Salah.
11:13. After he begot Salah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:14. Salah lived thirty years, and begot Eber.
11:15. After he begot Eber, Salah lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:16. Eber lived thirty-four years, and begot Peleg.
11:17. After he begot Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:18. Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu.
11:19. After he begot Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:20. Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Serug.
11:21. After he begot Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:22. Serug lived thirty years, and begot Nahor.
11:23. After he begot Nahor, Serug lived two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:24. Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah.
11:25. After he begot Terah, Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:26. Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
11:27. This [is] the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot.
11:28. And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
11:29. Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram's wife [was] Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah.
11:30. But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
11:31. And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram's wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there.
11:32. So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

✝️📜STUDY:

An account of Abraham's 9 ancestors from Noah is presented, each with his lifespan, and age at first son's birth. Note the decline in total lifespan, from 600 years for Shem to 205 for Terah (vv. 10&32). The age at birth of first son also declined generally.

While Shem and Terah had their first sons at the age of 100 and 70 respectively, Nahor begot Terah at the youthful age of29(vv.10, 24, 26).The reasons for this general decline should provoke a robust discussion. Two unfortunate incidents in the passage also merit some attention. First is the untimely death of Abraham's youngest brother, Haran (Lot's father), and the barrenness of Abraham's wife, Sarah (vv.28, vv20).

In verse 31, we see that Terah took Abraham with others and headed for Canaan, but settled half-way in Haran, where he eventually died(v.32). This may have been in response to God's directive to Abraham (Gen. 12.1). It is not clear why they paused the journey at Haran and how long they lived there before moving on to Canaan.

Some people pause or terminate their journey of faith halfway because of the pressures of life or deceitfulness of riches (Matt.13: 22). Do not stop halfway. Where are you now in your journey of faith?

✝️🙏 PRAYER: Oh Lord, help me to walk with you until the very end.

✝️📗DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL
Date: 2024-July-05

✝️🔎TOPIC:ABRAHAM'S ANCESTORS



✝️📖TEXT: Genesis 11: 10-32 (NKJV)

11:10. This [is] the genealogy of Shem: Shem [was] one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood.
11:11. After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:12. Arphaxad lived thirty-five years, and begot Salah.
11:13. After he begot Salah, Arphaxad lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:14. Salah lived thirty years, and begot Eber.
11:15. After he begot Eber, Salah lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:16. Eber lived thirty-four years, and begot Peleg.
11:17. After he begot Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:18. Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu.
11:19. After he begot Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:20. Reu lived thirty-two years, and begot Serug.
11:21. After he begot Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:22. Serug lived thirty years, and begot Nahor.
11:23. After he begot Nahor, Serug lived two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:24. Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah.
11:25. After he begot Terah, Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.
11:26. Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
11:27. This [is] the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot.
11:28. And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
11:29. Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram's wife [was] Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah.
11:30. But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
11:31. And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram's wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there.
11:32. So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

✝️📜STUDY:

An account of Abraham's 9 ancestors from Noah is presented, each with his lifespan, and age at first son's birth. Note the decline in total lifespan, from 600 years for Shem to 205 for Terah (vv. 10&32). The age at birth of first son also declined generally.

While Shem and Terah had their first sons at the age of 100 and 70 respectively, Nahor begot Terah at the youthful age of29(vv.10, 24, 26).The reasons for this general decline should provoke a robust discussion. Two unfortunate incidents in the passage also merit some attention. First is the untimely death of Abraham's youngest brother, Haran (Lot's father), and the barrenness of Abraham's wife, Sarah (vv.28, vv20).

In verse 31, we see that Terah took Abraham with others and headed for Canaan, but settled half-way in Haran, where he eventually died(v.32). This may have been in response to God's directive to Abraham (Gen. 12.1). It is not clear why they paused the journey at Haran and how long they lived there before moving on to Canaan.

Some people pause or terminate their journey of faith halfway because of the pressures of life or deceitfulness of riches (Matt.13: 22). Do not stop halfway. Where are you now in your journey of faith?

✝️🙏 PRAYER: Oh Lord, help me to walk with you until the very end.

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* SATURDAY, 6TH JULY, 2024

*THEME:* A COVENANT OF BLESSING

*TEXT:* GENESIS 12: 1-20 _*(NKJV)*

12:1. Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you.
12:2. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
12:3. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
12:4. So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram [was] seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
12:5. Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.
12:6. Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites [were] then in the land.
12:7. Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
12:8. And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent [with] Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.
12:9. So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South.
12:10. Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine [was] severe in the land.
12:11. And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "Indeed I know that you [are] a woman of beautiful countenance.
12:12. "Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This [is] his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.
12:13. "Please say you [are] my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you."
12:14. So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she [was] very beautiful.
12:15. The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house.
12:16. He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
12:17. But the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
12:18. And Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What [is] this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she [was] your wife?
12:19. "Why did you say, 'She [is] my sister'? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take [her] and go your way."
12:20. So Pharaoh commanded [his] men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.

*MESSAGE:*

At the age of 75, Abram left Haran by faith to the Promised Land. The command to leave his native land, his ancestral family and father's house had come earlier (v.1, Acts 7: 2). The command in verse 2 is followed by profound promises in verses 2-3. God would bless him, make his name great, and make him a great nation! He would be a blessing, and people would be blessed for blessing him, and cursed for cursing him. In addition, _“All the families of the earth shall be blessed"_ through him.

On arrival in Canaan, God appeared to him again, and he responded in adoration (vv.7,. Indeed, in most cases, Abram built an altar to the Lord everywhere he lived for a while (Gen 13:4,18; 22:9). We too should habitually worship God everywhere we dwell.In the words of 2 Peter 1: 4, the promises to Abraham are great and precious. The severe famine that hit the land after Abraham's arrival forced him to move to Egypt, where he told a lie to save his life (vv. 10-13). Could not the same God who forced Pharaoh to release his wife (vv.17-19) save him from the problem he anticipated in vv.12-13? Are you a member of Abraham's family? If not, call on Jesus now.

*PRAYER:*
Thank You Lord for making me a partaker of Abraham's blessings. _*Amen*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God says:

_"All of mankind can find protection in the shadow of My wings."_ *Psalm 36: 7*

✝️📗DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL
Date: 2024-Jul-07
(Sixth Sunday after Trinity)

✝️🔎TOPIC: A PRAYER TO KNOW GOD MORE



✝️📖TEXT: Psalms 119: 33-43 (NKJV)

119:33. Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it [to] the end.
119:34. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with [my] whole heart.
119:35. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it.
119:36. Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness.
119:37. Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, [And] revive me in Your way.
119:38. Establish Your word to Your servant, Who [is devoted] to fearing You.
119:39. Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your judgments [are] good.
119:40. Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness.
119:41. Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD -- Your salvation according to Your word.
119:42. So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word.
119:43. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances.

✝️📜STUDY:

The Psalmist in this passage expresses a deep desire to know God more and do His will. He prays that the Lord will teach him, give him an understanding of His word, and enable him to walk in God's ways (vv.33-35). Then he prays to have a proper disposition towards God's statutes, rather than covetousness (v.36).

Having a proper focus in life and personal revival are addressed next (v.37), followed by a request for the fulfilment of God's promises in his life (v.38). The prayers of the Psalmist are similar in many respects to the personal prayer of Moses in Exodus 33: 13, the desire of Paul in Philippians 3: 8-9, and his prayer for the brethren in Ephesians 1: 17-19. Like the Psalmist, do you desire to know God more, and make a personal commitment to do His will?

It is important that you commit to a daily study of God's word and seeking His face in prayers. In this way, you will not be ashamed to testify about Christ before kings and other people (v.46).

✝️🙏 PRAYER: Teach me O Lord, the way of your states.

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* MONDAY, 8TH JULY, 2024

*THEME:* UNCOUNTABLE DESCENDANTS

*TEXT:* GENESIS 13: 1-18 _*(NKJV)*

13:1. Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South.
13:2. Abram [was] very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
13:3. And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,
13:4. to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
13:5. Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents.
13:6. Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.
13:7. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.
13:8. So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we [are] brethren.
13:9. "[Is] not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If [you take] the left, then I will go to the right; or, if [you go] to the right, then I will go to the left."
13:10. And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it [was] well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar.
13:11. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other.
13:12. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched [his] tent even as far as Sodom.
13:13. But the men of Sodom [were] exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.
13:14. And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are -- northward, southward, eastward, and westward;
13:15. "for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.
13:16. "And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, [then] your descendants also could be numbered.
13:17. "Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you."
13:18. Then Abram moved [his] tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which [are] in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD.

*MESSAGE:*

How did Abraham receive the promise of uncountable descendants?(v.16). The promise also indicated that the entire territory, stretching for several kilometers in all directions, would belong to him and his descendants (vv.14-15). Perhaps, these promises strengthened his faith in God who had made similar promises in Genesis 12: 2-3. The promise was followed with a specific instruction to physically experience various parts of the Canaan land that would belong to him later (v.17). We are not told why this promise came only after the painful separation from Lot, his nephew (v.14) which was prompted by the strife between their staff (v.7). Abraham gave Lot the option of choosing first any part of the land he desired (v.9) and he chose the fertile Jordan valley which was well watered (v.10). Many years later, that beautiful location came under divine judgement (vv.10 & 13).

Be mindful of your choices in life because _“All that glitters is not gold.”_ Pray for God's guidance before choosing your life partner, career, job, etc. Like Abraham, God has set before us many great and precious promises that cover every aspect of our lives (2 Pet. 1: 4). We need to know and appropriate them. Do you have any intentional plan of searching the scriptures for God's promises? Devise one today!

*PRAYER:*
O God, thank You for Your great and precious promises. _*Amen*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"I will not abandon My own inheritance."_ *Psalm 94: 14*

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* TUESDAY, 9TH JULY, 2024

*THEME:* ABRAHAM RESCUES LOT

*TEXT:* GENESIS 14: 1-16 _*(NKJV)*

14:1. And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations,
14:2. [that] they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
14:3. All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).
14:4. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
14:5. In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that [were] with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
14:6. and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which [is] by the wilderness.
14:7. Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that [is,] Kadesh), and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar.
14:8. And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that [is,] Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim
14:9. against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar -- four kings against five.
14:10. Now the Valley of Siddim [was full of] asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; [some] fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains.
14:11. Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way.
14:12. They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
14:13. Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they [were] allies with Abram.
14:14. Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained [servants] who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
14:15. He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which [is] north of Damascus.
14:16. So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.

*MESSAGE:*

In pre-colonial and colonial times in most of Africa, inter-community and inter-tribal wars were common and the winning side often depopulated or enslaved the weaker side, or imposed heavy taxes on them. This is what Kedorlaomer and his allies in our story today did. For twelve years, they subjected Sodom and Gomorrah and their allies to heavy taxation until they rebelled in the thirteenth year (v.4). This resulted in the bitter war reported in verses 5 to 12. The human casualty was heavy, especially on the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and their allies. This is in contrast to the Russian invasion of Ukraine from February 2022, during which both sides have had many casualties. When Abraham received an alert about the capture of his nephew, Lot, and his family during the conflict, he mobilised his private army of 318 men and successfully rescued them (vv. 13-15).

The year 2022 witnessed the kidnap of many church leaders, brethren and others by armed bandits. Many mobilised prayer, financial, material and sometimes, military support to rescue them. Abraham did not feel unconcerned when his nephew was taken captive. Do you know anyone under various levels of spiritual, economic or physical captivity? What can you do to help rescue them?

*PRAYER:*
O God, rescue our people who are under captivity. _*Amen.*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"I am the Lord your God who heals all of your diseases."_ *Exodus 15: 26*

✝️📗DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL
Date: 2024-Jul-10

✝️🔎TOPIC: ABRAHAM GIVES A TITHE OF ALL

✝️📖TEXT: Genesis 14: 17-24 (NKJV)

14:17. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that [is,] the King's Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who [were] with him.
14:18. Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he [was] the priest of God Most High.
14:19. And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
14:20. And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tithe of all.
14:21. Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself."
14:22. But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth,
14:23. "that I [will take] nothing, from a thread to a sandal strap, and that I will not take anything that [is] yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich' --
14:24. "except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion."

✝️📜STUDY:

With only his private army of 318 men, Abraham defeated the powerful Kedorlaomar and his allies. Both he and the priest, Melchizedek, knew that this was nothing, but the hand of God (v.20).

In thanksgiving to God, Abraham gave a tithe of all (v.20). Melchizedek was just introduced here as the Priest of the Most High God and King of Salem, that is Jerusalem. He was next mentioned in Psalms 110: 4 and Hebrews chapters 5, 6 and 7 as a Priest of a Special and Eternal Order.

This is why Abraham gave his tithe through him. Because of his faith in God, Abraham refused to take undue advantage of the people he had rescued even when the King of Sodom urged him to take some goods for himself(vv.21-24). As heirs of the promise made to Abraham and joint heirs with Christ, we have need to support the work of God through our tithes, offerings and donations.

A tithe is 10% of the profit we make in a venture or time frame, and should not be handled legalistically like the Pharisees, but joyfully (Matt. 23: 23). Do you pay your tithes correctly and as at when due?

✝️🙏PRAYER: O God, help me not to exploit anyone, including those I have helped.

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* THURSDAY, 11TH JULY, 2024

*THEME:* OUR EXCEEDINGLY GREAT REWARD
*TEXT:* GENESIS 15: 1-21 _*(NKJV)*

15:1. After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I [am] your shield, your exceedingly great reward."
15:2. But Abram said, "Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house [is] Eliezer of Damascus?"
15:3. Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!"
15:4. And behold, the word of the LORD [came] to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir."
15:5. Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."
15:6. And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
15:7. Then He said to him, "I [am] the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it."
15:8. And he said, "Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?"
15:9. So He said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
15:10. Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two.
15:11. And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
15:12. Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror [and] great darkness fell upon him.
15:13. Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land [that is] not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.
15:14. "And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
15:15. "Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.
15:16. "But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites [is] not yet complete."
15:17. And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.
15:18. On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates --
15:19. "the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites,
15:20. "the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,
15:21. "the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."

*MESSAGE:*

I have often taken little children outside the house to attempt counting the stars in the evening sky. Each time, we find these stars uncountable, as Abraham was told in verse 5. Since he did not have even one child at the time, it remained a puzzle to him how these uncountable descendants would come. This explains his question in verse 3. God responded that they would come from his own body, through his wife Sarah, who was considered barren (v.4; Gen 17: 19). Although the promise looked physically impossible, Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness (v.6). Under divine direction, Abraham prepared sacrifices, which God accepted by fire miraculously (vv.9-10, v17). The communion with God was deep and varied, and he received clear revelations about the future of his descendants (vv.13-16). At the end, God made a covenant with Abraham, and told him clearly the extent of the physical boundaries of the Land of Promise (vv.18-21).

God is still our exceedingly great reward today, if we can only believe Him. Do you have enduring challenges of life such as childlessness, sickness and the like? Have you made any spiritual sacrifices concerning your challenges? Draw closer to Him to hear him say to you in reassuring tones "I am the Lord" (v.7).

*PRAYER:*
O Lord, be my Shield, my great reward. _*Amen*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"I give good gifts to My children when they ask."_ *Matthew 7: 11*

✝️📗DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL
Date: 2024-Jul-12

✝️🔎TOPIC: DIVINE VERSUS HUMAN ARRANGEMENT

📺 WATCH THE DEVOTION VIA THE LINK B




✝️📖TEXT: Genesis 16: 1-16 (NKJV)

16:1. Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no [children.] And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar.
16:2. So Sarai said to Abram, "See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing [children.] Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her." And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.
16:3. Then Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan.
16:4. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.
16:5. Then Sarai said to Abram, "My wrong [be] upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The LORD judge between you and me."
16:6. So Abram said to Sarai, "Indeed your maid [is] in your hand; do to her as you please." And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence.
16:7. Now the Angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.
16:8. And He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai."
16:9. The Angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand."
16:10. Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, "I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude."
16:11. And the Angel of the LORD said to her: "Behold, you [are] with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has heard your affliction.
16:12. He shall be a wild man; His hand [shall be] against every man, And every man's hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."
16:13. Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, "Have I also here seen Him who sees me?"
16:14. Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; observe, [it is] between Kadesh and Bered.
16:15. So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
16:16. Abram [was] eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

✝️📜STUDY:

After waiting for about 10 years in the Promised Land for the promised son, Abraham and Sarah grew weary in faith, and succumbed to human traditions. They worked out an alternative plan of making Abraham have a child through Hagar. The plan was acceptable in the cultural environment of the time, and is still acceptable in some communities today. But it was not God's plan for them, and there is no evidence that they sought for or received divine approval.

Soon, the contempt, rivalry and competition that many polygamous families face, crept in, and Hagar fled from Sarah (vv.4-6). God saw Hagar's affliction and directed her to return home (v.9), which she did. The promises made to her and her forthcoming son, Ishmael, were great blessings, but mixed with thorns (vv.10-12).

How often do we behave like Abraham and Sarah, by trying to “help” God to secure our motives? After praying over a particular challenge or difficulty for a long time, do you resort to self-help, the occult, native doctors or prayer houses? In Galatians 4: 22-31, Paul contrasts those born according to the flesh with the children of promise. Are you a child of God? Then wait for Him patiently in all situations.

✝️🙏 PRAYER: O God, help brethren facing extended delays in key areas of their lives.

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* SATURDAY, 13TH JULY, 2024

*THEME:* CIRCUMCISION, AN EVERLASTING COVENANT

*TEXT:* GENESIS 17: 1-27 _*(NKJV)*

17:1. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I [am] Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
17:2. "And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."
17:3. Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:
17:4. "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.
17:5. "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
17:6. "I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.
17:7. "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.
17:8. "Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."
17:9. And God said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
17:10. "This [is] My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised;
17:11. "and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
17:12. "He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant.
17:13. "He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
17:14. "And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."
17:15. Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah [shall be] her name.
17:16. "And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be [a mother of] nations; kings of peoples shall be from her."
17:17. Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall [a child] be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear [a child?"]
17:18. And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!"
17:19. Then God said: "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, [and] with his descendants after him.
17:20. "And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
17:21. "But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year."
17:22. Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
17:23. So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him.
17:24. Abraham [was] ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
17:25. And Ishmael his son [was] thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
17:26. That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael;
17:27. and all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

*MESSAGE:*

God here establishes a covenant with Abraham. He undertook to be his God, bless him exceedingly, produce many nations from him, and give him the land of Canaan (vv.4-. In turn, Abraham and his male descendants were to be circumcised (vv.10-13). This law applied to everyone (vv. 12-13). Abraham obeyed promptly. On the same day, Abraham, his son Ishmael and all the male members of his community were circumcised (vv. 24-27). Their population would have been several times that of his trained and armed servants of 318 (Gen. 14: 14). Notice also the change of names for both Abraham and his wife (vv. 5 &15). Further, his wife, Sarah, who was past the child-bearing age at 90, would bear the son of promise the following year (v.19). On request, Ishmael also received his share of the blessing (vv.18, v 20).

God fulfilled every part of his covenant. Israel, Abraham's physical descendants, fulfilled only the physical circumcision aspect of the covenant, but failed on the spiritual side. Today, many Christians, who are the spiritual Israel, fulfill the physical aspects of church membership, but may not be circumcised in their hearts. As Abraham obeyed promptly and got circumcised, have you received the spiritual circumcision of the new birth? (John 1: 12-13).

*PRAYER:*
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. _*Amen*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"I forgive sins and I love to show mercy."_ *Micah 7: 18*

✝️📗DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL
Date: 2024-Jul-14
(Seventh Sunday after Trinity)

✝️🔎TOPIC: THE LORD IS MY PORTION



✝️📖TEXT: Psalm 119: 49-64 (NKJV)

119:49. Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope.
119:50. This [is] my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.
119:51. The proud have me in great derision, [Yet] I do not turn aside from Your law.
119:52. I remembered Your judgments of old, O LORD, And have comforted myself.
119:53. Indignation has taken hold of me Because of the wicked, who forsake Your law.
119:54. Your statutes have been my songs In the house of my pilgrimage.
119:55. I remember Your name in the night, O LORD, And I keep Your law.
119:56. This has become mine, Because I kept Your precepts.
119:57. [You are] my portion, O LORD; I have said that I would keep Your words.
119:58. I entreated Your favor with [my] whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word.
119:59. I thought about my ways, And turned my feet to Your testimonies.
119:60. I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments.
119:61. The cords of the wicked have bound me, [But] I have not forgotten Your law.
119:62. At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, Because of Your righteous judgments.
119:63. I [am] a companion of all who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts.
119:64. The earth, O LORD, is full of Your mercy; Teach me Your statutes.

✝️📜STUDY: Our text today focuses on a number of issues, especially the response of the Psalmist to God's word and the ungodly around him. God's word gives him hope, comfort and vitality (vv. 49, v50 & v52). It is his song and regular meditation theme (vv. 51, 55). In verse 57, he declared,“You are my portion, O Lord”, and he made a firm resolution to obey God even in the midst of wicked people (vv. 60-61).

Ungodly people in his community derided him, but he refused to join them. Rather, he befriended people who loved and feared God (vv. 51, v53,v63). He was conscious of his way of life, and prayed regularly(vv.55, v59, v62).The Psalmist spent time with the word of God and was blessed. How often do you study the word of God for your spiritual enrichment?Like the Psalmist, have you made God your portion, asking Him to teach you His ways (vv.57, v64).

Begin today to set out a specific time each day for being with the Lord to read, listen to and study His word. In this way, your prayers for favour, mercy and other blessings, shall have sure answers.

✝️🙏PRAYER: You are my portion, O Lord.

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* MONDAY, 15TH JULY, 2024

*THEME:* IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?

*TEXT:* GENESIS 18: 1-15 _*(NKJV)*

18:1. Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.
18:2. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw [them,] he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,
18:3. and said, "My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.
18:4. "Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
18:5. "And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant." They said, "Do as you have said."
18:6. So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, "Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead [it] and make cakes."
18:7. And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave [it] to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it.
18:8. So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set [it] before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.
18:9. Then they said to him, "Where [is] Sarah your wife?" So he said, "Here, in the tent."
18:10. And He said, "I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son." (Sarah was listening in the tent door which [was] behind him.)
18:11. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; [and] Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
18:12. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"
18:13. And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I surely bear [a child,] since I am old?'
18:14. "Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son."
18:15. But Sarah denied [it,] saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. And He said, "No, but you did laugh!"

*MESSAGE:*

God spoke to Abraham through dreams, visions, audibly, visibly or otherwise (Gen.12;1; 13:14; 15:1,v5). Here, God sent three visitors and also spoke directly (vv. 1-2, v10, v14). Abraham received and entertained them, and ended up receiving the good news of his life! There and then, God told him that Sarah would bear the child of promise the following year! Sarah's reaction in verses 12 to 15 are understandable. Abraham (99) and Sarah (89) were already old (v.11). At that age, Sarah had already past the child bearing age. Like Mary, she must have wondered in her heart “How can this be?” (Luke 1: 34). No wonder the Lord answered with a question in verse 14 “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

All Christian homes have one challenge or the other. For some, it may be lack of peace; while for others, it may be the lack of the fruit of the womb. These situations could last for a long time. Are there issues you have prayed about for long without any clear response? Have you considered the cases “closed” because of some physical, social, economic or other realities? Let this message ring clearly in your heart, _“With God all things are possible"_ (Matt. 19: 26).

*PRAYER:*
Thank You Lord that You can handle all my challenges. _*Amen*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"I have put My law within you and have written it on your heart."_ *Jeremiah 31: 33*

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* TUESDAY, 16TH JULY, 2024 *THEME:* ABRAHAM'S INTERCESSORY PRAYER

*TEXT:* GENESIS 18: 16-33 _*(NKJV)*

18:16. Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way.
18:17. And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing,
18:18. "since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
18:19. "For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him."
18:20. And the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave,
18:21. "I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know."
18:22. Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD.
18:23. And Abraham came near and said, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
18:24. "Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare [it] for the fifty righteous that were in it?
18:25. "Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
18:26. So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes."
18:27. Then Abraham answered and said, "Indeed now, I who [am but] dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord:
18:28. "Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for [lack of] five?" So He said, "If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy [it."]
18:29. And he spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose there should be forty found there?" So He said, "I will not do [it] for the sake of forty."
18:30. Then he said, "Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?" So He said, "I will not do [it] if I find thirty there."
18:31. And he said, "Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?" So He said, "I will not destroy [it] for the sake of twenty."
18:32. Then he said, "Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy [it] for the sake of ten."
18:33. So the LORD went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

*MESSAGE:*

As Abraham was seeing off his three visitors, the Lord decided to reveal His mission to him. This was because Abraham “shall become a great nation and shall command his children and his family to keep the way of the Lord in righteousness and justice." On learning that Sodom and Gomorrah were to be destroyed, Abraham interceded to God not to destroy the righteous with the wicked. He pleaded with God not to destroy Sodom if he found up to ten righteous people there. God promised not to destroy Sodom ifhe found at least ten righteous people.

Abraham's relationship with God made him reveal His will concerning Sodom to him. Due to the love Abraham had for Lot who lived in Sodom, he interceded for God's mercy. Do you have a personal relationship with the Lord? You should have a time to read and study the word of God, meditate on it and communicate with God in prayers every day. Set out a time to pray and intercede for other people who are facing difficulties. Do you intercede for your relatives who are in danger of eternal destruction? Have a personal relationship with Jesus and become an intercessor today (John 17: 9, 20)

*PRAYER:*
Father, help me to relate personally with You and intercede for others, _*Amen.*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"I will meet your every need through My eternal riches in Jesus Christ."_ _*Philippians 4: 19*_

✝️📗DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL
Date: 2024-Jul-17

✝️🔎TOPIC: SAVED BY GRACE

✝️📖TEXT: Genesis 19: 1-29(NKJV)


19:1. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw [them,] he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.
19:2. And he said, "Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way." And they said, "No, but we will spend the night in the open square."
19:3. But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
19:4. Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house.
19:5. And they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them [carnally."]
19:6. So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him,
19:7. and said, "Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly!
19:8. "See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof."
19:9. And they said, "Stand back!" Then they said, "This one came in to stay [here,] and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them." So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door.
19:10. But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.
19:11. And they struck the men who [were] at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary [trying] to find the door.
19:12. Then the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city -- take [them] out of this place!
19:13. "For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it."
19:14. So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, "Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!" But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.
19:15. When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city."
19:16. And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.
19:17. So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed."
19:18. Then Lot said to them, "Please, no, my lords!
19:19. "Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die.
19:20. "See now, this city [is] near [enough] to flee to, and it [is] a little one; please let me escape there ([is] it not a little one?) and my soul shall live."
19:21. And he said to him, "See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken.
19:22. "Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
19:23. The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.
19:24. Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens.
19:25. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
19:26. But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
19:27. And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD.
19:28. Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace.
19:29. And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

✝️📜STUDY:

Lot played host to two divine messengers who were sent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and these messengers delivered him from the sodomites who attacked him.

As Lot could not convince his sons-in-law to run away from Sodom with him, he left with his wife and two daughters in the morning. On a warning to escape and not look behind, Lot and his family ran to Zoar. Lot's wife did not arrive at Zoar but died along the way because she looked back in disobedience to the angelic warning. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot was saved because of the grace of God on Abraham.Being hospitable to people has great rewards but negligence of good counsel brings calamity. Every Christian should practise hospitality (Rom. 12: 13). Obedience to divine command results in safety, but disobedience leads to death.

Any child of God who is heavenly-minded should endeavour to obey the word of God. Are you a hospitable person?Do you take the grace of God for granted? Lot was saved by grace; you too can be saved by grace if you run away from the danger of sinful life to Jesus Christ for your salvation(Rom.10: 9)

✝️🙏PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I surrender my life to you today. Help me to live for you in Jesus' Name. Amen.

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* THURSDAY, 18TH JULY, 2024 *THEME:* AVOID DRINKING ALCOHOLIC DRINKS

*TEXT:* GENESIS 19: 30-38 _*(NKJV)*

19:30. Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave.
19:31. Now the firstborn said to the younger, "Our father [is] old, and [there is] no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth.
19:32. "Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father."
19:33. So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
19:34. It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, "Indeed I lay with my father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in [and] lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father."
19:35. Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
19:36. Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.
19:37. The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he [is] the father of the Moabites to this day.
19:38. And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he [is] the father of the people of Ammon to this day.

*MESSAGE:*

After Sodom's destruction, Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and dwelt in a cave in the mountains. This was because he felt insecure in Zoar. On a conspiracy led by his elder daughter, Lot was made drunk with wine on two different occasions and both daughters became pregnant after having sex with him on two consecutive nights. Lot was so drunk with wine that he did not know when the incest occurred.

The Bible warns us not to look on wine when it is red and sparkles in the cup (Prov. 23: 31). Christians are also divinely commanded not to be drunk with wine but to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5: 18). If Lot did not drink wine, would his daughters have committed incest with him? Avoid drinking wine with any level of alcohol, otherwise you wil1 be deceived like Lot (Prov. 20: 1). Many family quarrels, disagreements, divorces and separations can be traced to the use of alcoholic wine. Ask God to fill you with his Holy Spirit today so that you will do exploits for him. Don't conspire to do evil!

*PRAYER:*
Grant me the grace to avoid drinking wine and may I be filled with Your Spirit O Lord!

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"Do not be sad, for My joy is your strength."_ *Nehemiah 8: 10*

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* FRIDAY, 19TH JULY, 2024

*THEME:* MARRY ONE WIFE

*TEXT:* GENESIS 20: 1-18 _*(NKJV)*

20:1. And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar.
20:2. Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She [is] my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
20:3. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, "Indeed you [are] a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she [is] a man's wife."
20:4. But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also?
20:5. "Did he not say to me, 'She [is] my sister'? And she, even she herself said, 'He [is] my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this."
20:6. And God said to him in a dream, "Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.
20:7. "Now therefore, restore the man's wife; for he [is] a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore [her,] know that you shall surely die, you and all who [are] yours."
20:8. So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid.
20:9. And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done."
20:10. Then Abimelech said to Abraham, "What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?"
20:11. And Abraham said, "Because I thought, surely the fear of God [is] not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife.
20:12. "But indeed [she is] truly my sister. She [is] the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
20:13. "And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, 'This [is] your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, "He [is] my brother." ' "
20:14. Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave [them] to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him.
20:15. And Abimelech said, "See, my land [is] before you; dwell where it pleases you."
20:16. Then to Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand [pieces] of silver; indeed this vindicates you before all who [are] with you and before everybody." Thus she was rebuked.
20:17. So Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore [children;]
20:18. for the LORD had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

*MESSAGE:*

Abimelech, King of Gerar, had a wife when Abraham and his wife Sarah arrived in Gerar. On hearing that Sarah was Abraham's sister, Abimelech took her for another wife. It took God's intervention for Abimelech to restore Abraham's wife to him. After the king learnt that Abraham was a prophet, he obeyed God by giving Abraham gifts of money, household, animals and female servants, and then restored Sarah. Abraham prayed for Abimelech and God healed him, his wife, as well as male and female servants.

Men should be content with marrying only one wife because a multiplicity of wives brings problems including enmity, quarrels, fighting, gossip, back biting, etc. You need to be content with what you have, including your wife or husband (1 Tim. 6: 6). You should not covet what belongs to another person. Stick to your own wife or your own husband and rejoice with her or him (Prov. 5: 18). The goal of marriage is that a man and his wife should be one spiritually, financially, and all round. A man must love and respect his wife and the wife must be submissive to her own husband (Eph. 5: 22-25). Couples must obey God in their marriages.

*PRAYER:*
Lord, help me to be content with my wife or husband in Jesus' Name. _*Amen*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"My perfect love will banish fear from your heart."_ *1 John 4: 18*

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* SATURDAY, 20TH JULY, 2024

*THEME:* A PROMISE FULFILLED

*TEXT:* GENESIS 21: 1-34 _*(NKJV)*

21:1. And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.
21:2. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
21:3. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him -- whom Sarah bore to him -- Isaac.
21:4. Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
21:5. Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
21:6. And Sarah said, "God has made me laugh, [and] all who hear will laugh with me."
21:7. She also said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne [him] a son in his old age."
21:8. So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.
21:9. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing.
21:10. Therefore she said to Abraham, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, [namely] with Isaac."
21:11. And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham's sight because of his son.
21:12. But God said to Abraham, "Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.
21:13. "Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he [is] your seed."
21:14. So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting [it] on her shoulder, he gave [it] and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.
21:15. And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs.
21:16. Then she went and sat down across from [him] at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, "Let me not see the death of the boy." So she sat opposite [him,] and lifted her voice and wept.
21:17. And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he [is.]
21:18. "Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation."
21:19. Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink.
21:20. So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21:21. He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
21:22. And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, "God [is] with you in all that you do.
21:23. "Now therefore, swear to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt."
21:24. And Abraham said, "I will swear."
21:25. Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech's servants had seized.
21:26. And Abimelech said, "I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard [of it] until today."
21:27. So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.
21:28. And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
21:29. Then Abimelech asked Abraham, "What [is the meaning of] these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?"
21:30. And he said, "You will take [these] seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well."
21:31. Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.
21:32. Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.
21:33. Then [Abraham] planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.
21:34. And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines many days.

*MESSAGE:*

God's promise to Abraham ofa son (Gen. 18: 14) found its fulfillment in our text today. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. On an occasion when Hagar's son mocked Isaac, Sarah demanded that Abraham send Hagar and her son away. Abraham was displeased but did so because God supported Sarah's view. Later, Abraham made a pact with Abimelech who noticed the hand of God on Abraham's life and wanted a peace accord between him. Abraham dug a well at Beersheba, planted a tree and worshipped the everlasting God there.

Has God promised to do something for you or your family? Hold on to Him in faith for His promise is very reliable. Trust him to do the miraculous, for nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1: 37). He did it for Abraham and Sarah; He will do it for you! Are you looking for the fruit of the womb or for something very important to you? Take it to the Lord in prayer and this faithful God will cause you to laugh soon (Psalm 126: 2). Call upon the everlasting God concerning that matter and He will answer.

*PRAYER:*
Father, I cast all my cares upon You, for You care about me. _*Amen*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"I will save you in the midst of your troubles."_ *Psalm 138: 7*

✝️📗DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL
Date: 2024-Jul-21
(Eighth Sunday after Trinity)

✝️🔎TOPIC: TEACH ME, O LORD!


✝️📖TEXT: Psalm 119: 65-80 (NKJV)

119:65. You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD, according to Your word.
119:66. Teach me good judgment and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments.
119:67. Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.
119:68. You [are] good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes.
119:69. The proud have forged a lie against me, [But] I will keep Your precepts with [my] whole heart.
119:70. Their heart is as fat as grease, [But] I delight in Your law.
119:71. [It is] good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.
119:72. The law of Your mouth [is] better to me Than thousands of [coins of] gold and silver.
119:73. Your hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
119:74. Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your word.
119:75. I know, O LORD, that Your judgments [are] right, And [that] in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
119:76. Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, According to Your word to Your servant.
119:77. Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; For Your law [is] my delight.
119:78. Let the proud be ashamed, For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood; [But] I will meditate on Your precepts.
119:79. Let those who fear You turn to me, Those who know Your testimonies.
119:80. Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes, That I may not be ashamed.

✝️📜STUDY:

Today, the Psalmist is declaring the goodness of the Lord in his life while asking God to teach him good judgment and knowledge. He also wants God to teach him his statutes to enable him keep God's precepts with his whole heart. He delights in God's law and finds his law better than much money.

Again, he prays for understanding to learn God's commandments and also asks for God's kindness to be his comfort and His tender mercies to be his portion. He insists he will meditate on the word of God and live a blameless life.The words of the Psalmist should resonate in the hearts of Christians.

Every Christian needs to be taught by God so that he will have knowledge, good judgment, and delight in the word of God. While some Christians wake up early in the morning to search the Scriptures during their Disciplined Daily Devotions (3Ds) or special quiet times, others don't.

Do you have a personal time with God every day when He teaches you? Having your daily quiet time is good but having your Disciplined Daily Devotion is much better. Jesus calls us to be with him before He sends us out (Mark 3: 14).

Create time intentionally to be with the Lord daily and your life will be transformed.

✝️🙏PRAYER: My Father, help me to spend quality time with you every day, Amen.

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* MONDAY, 22ND JULY, 2024 _*{St. Mary Magdalene}*_ *THEME:* WAITING PAYS

*TEXT:* JOHN 20: 11-18 _*(NKJV)*

20:11. But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down [and looked] into the tomb.
20:12. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
20:13. Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."
20:14. Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing [there,] and did not know that it was Jesus.
20:15. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away."
20:16. Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher).
20:17. Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and [to] My God and your God.' "
20:18. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and [that] He had spoken these things to her.

*MESSAGE:*

After Peter and John left the tomb and went home, Mary Magdalene remained outside the tomb. She was waiting and desiring to know what happened to Jesus' body. As she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb. Then she got a revelation of two angels in the tomb who asked her why she was weeping. Her response suggested she was looking for Jesus' body. On turning around, she sawa man who asked her why she wept and who she was seeking. As the man called her name, “Mary”, she recognised that it was the voice' of Jesus. Jesus then gave her a message for the disciples.

Many people are always eating “fast food", driving on the fast lane, using the fast internet and looking for quick means of making wealth. People do not like to wait for anything and many find it very hard to wait on God. Do you make out time to wait on God for counsel in his word? Do you wait on God in fasting and prayers? Learn to carve out time to be in God's presence and wait to hear him. You will surely find him (Jer. 29: 13)

*PRAYER:*
Gracious Father, grant me the grace to wait on You for my miracle. _*Amen*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"My armor will help you stand against the plans of the enemy."_ *Ephesians 6: 11*

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* TUESDAY, 23RD JULY, 2024 *THEME:* GIVING TO GOD

*TEXT:* GENESIS 22: 1-24 _*(NKJV)*_

22:1. Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
22:2. Then He said, "Take now your son, your only [son] Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
22:3. So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
22:4. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.
22:5. And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you."
22:6. So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid [it] on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.
22:7. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where [is] the lamb for a burnt offering?"
22:8. And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together.
22:9. Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
22:10. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
22:11. But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am."
22:12. And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only [son,] from Me."
22:13. Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind [him was] a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
22:14. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said [to] this day, "In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided."
22:15. Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven,
22:16. and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only [son -- ]
22:17. "blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which [is] on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
22:18. "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."
22:19. So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
22:20. Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, "Indeed Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor:
22:21. "Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,
22:22. "Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel."
22:23. And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
22:24. His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.

*MESSAGE:*

God asked Abraham to offer a human sacrifice to him at a specified location. The lamb for the offering was specified as Isaac, the only son of Abraham. Rising up early the next morning, Abraham took his son, two male servants and other needed materials and left for the place. When Isaac asked about the lamb for the sacrifice, Abraham assured him that God would provide the lamb. However, on reaching the place, he prepared the altar, bound Isaac and placed him on the altar woods. It took the timely intervention of an angel to prevent the death of Isaac.

God approved Abraham's strong faith and showed him a ram which he sacrificed. The angel also told Abraham of the blessings that would follow him and his descendants.God is a great giver and no one can out-give him. He gave us his only son to die for our sins. Many people find it very difficult to give an offering to God, give their tithes or make a sacrifice to the Lord. The poor widow gave her all (Mark 12: 43-44). Decide today to give God a sacrificial gift. You can start by giving your life to Jesus Christ (John 1: 12-13).

*PRAYER:*
Help me, O Lord, to always give You the best I have, _*Amen.*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"I will turn your mourning into dancing and surround you with joy."_ *Psalm 30: 11*

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* WEDNESDAY, 24TH JULY, 2024 _*{St. James the Apostle}*_
*THEME:* SERVICE: ROUTE TO GREATNESS

*TEXT:* MARK 10: 35-45 _*(NKJV)*

10:35. Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."
10:36. And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
10:37. They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."
10:38. But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"
10:39. They said to Him, "We are able." So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;
10:40. "but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but [it is for those] for whom it is prepared."
10:41. And when the ten heard [it,] they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.
10:42. But Jesus called them to [Himself] and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
10:43. "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
10:44. "And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
10:45. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

*MESSAGE:*

Today we commemorate Saint James the Apostle, the brother of John, both of them the sons of Zebedee. One day, they asked if they could sit either side of Jesus in his glory but Jesus informed them that it was not his to give. When the other disciples heard of it, they were not happy with the brothers, so Jesus intervened and told them that whoever desired to become great should serve others. Even Christ did not come to be served but to serve and die for others.

Promotion does not come from the east, west, north or south, but it comes from the Lord. Some people desire to be in top positions in academics, sports, business, civil service, entrepreneurship or music. And to do this, they begin to cut corners and to get involved in sinful practices. However, we must know that the route to greatness is through service. Do you serve in your home, school, church or community? Be content, diligent and humble as you serve and God will lift you up at the night time (1Pet. 5: 6). The way to greatness is to serve others!

*PRAYER:*
O Lord, grant me to serve faithfully and sacrificially for the gospel in Jesus' Name, _*Amen.*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"I will restore your health and heal all your hurts."_ *Jeremiah 30: 17*

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* THURSDAY, 25TH JULY, 2024

*THEME:* THE BURIAL OF SARAH

*TEXT:* GENESIS 23:1-23 _*(NKJV)*_

23:1. Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; [these were] the years of the life of Sarah.
23:2. So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that [is,] Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
23:3. Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,
23:4. "I [am] a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."
23:5. And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,
23:6. "Hear us, my lord: You [are] a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead."
23:7. Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth.
23:8. And he spoke with them, saying, "If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me,
23:9. "that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which [is] at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you."
23:10. Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying,
23:11. "No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that [is] in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!"
23:12. Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land;
23:13. and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you [will give it,] please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take [it] from me and I will bury my dead there."
23:14. And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
23:15. "My lord, listen to me; the land [is worth] four hundred shekels of silver. What [is] that between you and me? So bury your dead."
23:16. And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.
23:17. So the field of Ephron which [was] in Machpelah, which [was] before Mamre, the field and the cave which [was] in it, and all the trees that [were] in the field, which [were] within all the surrounding borders, were deeded
23:18. to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
23:19. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that [is,] Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
23:20. So the field and the cave that [is] in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.

*MESSAGE:*

Sarah, Abraham's wife, died at the age of 127 years in Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Thereafter, Abraham negotiated with the sons of Heth to buy a property for a burial ground. He also asked for the cave of Machpelah, belonging to Ephron. Ephron offered to surrender his field, together with the cave, for 400 shekels of silver. Abraham paid the cost of 400 shekels of silver for Ephron's field and cave located in Machpelah and the property was deeded to Abraham as his possession. This was done before all the sons of Heth. Then Abraham buried Sarah in the cave.

Burial ceremonies differ from country to country, and from culture to culture. In some cultures, the dead is buried in public burial grounds with just family members attending. In some other cultures, the dead is buried in the family compound or property with many people attending. Some people spend lots of money to bury their dead. Some even sell their land to finance such expensive burials. Christian burials should be modest and should glorify Christ. How old are you? Are you preparing for eternity? Endeavour today to make peace with God before you die.

*PRAYER:*
Heavenly Father; help us to adopt modest burial ceremonies and spend more in the propagation of the Gospel. _*Amen*_

*QUOTE FOR | DAY*
God Says:

_"I will strengthen you with feet like a deer so you can reach great heights."_ _*Habakkuk 3: 19*_

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* FRIDAY, 26TH JULY, 2024

*THEME:* SEEKING FOR A WIFE

*TEXT:* GENESIS 24:1-27 *(NKJV)*

24:1. Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
24:2. So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please, put your hand under my thigh,
24:3. "and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell;
24:4. "but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac."
24:5. And the servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?"
24:6. But Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there.
24:7. "The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
24:8. "And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there."
24:9. So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
24:10. Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, for all his master's goods [were in] his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
24:11. And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw [water.]
24:12. Then he said, "O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
24:13. "Behold, [here] I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
24:14. "Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink' -- [let] her [be the one] You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master."
24:15. And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder.
24:16. Now the young woman [was] very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up.
24:17. And the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher."
24:18. So she said, "Drink, my lord." Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink.
24:19. And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw [water] for your camels also, until they have finished drinking."
24:20. Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw [water,] and drew for all his camels.
24:21. And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.
24:22. So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten [shekels] of gold,
24:23. and said, "Whose daughter [are] you? Tell me, please, is there room [in] your father's house for us to lodge?"
24:24. So she said to him, "I [am] the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah's son, whom she bore to Nahor."
24:25. Moreover she said to him, "We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge."
24:26. Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the LORD.
24:27. And he said, "Blessed [be] the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren."

*MESSAGE:*

In his old age, Abraham directed his oldest servant to go to his country and get a wife for his son, Isaac. Soon after, the servant took ten of Abraham's camels with necessary items and departed to Nahor in Mesopotamia. At a well outside the city, he prayed for God to send a lady who would treat him and his camels kindly and to be the intended wife for Isaac. Rebekah soon became the answer to the prayers. In gratitude, the man gave Rebekah some gifts and she introduced herself and told the man that there was a room to lodge in her father's house. The man thanked God for leading him to the relatives ofhis master, Abraham.

A young man who desires to marry should seek for a wife who has the same spiritual background. It is very important to pray for God to reveal and lead you to your future life partner; a Christian youth of marriageable age should depend on God to find his or her spouse (Prov.18: 22). Some young people depend on sight when seeking for a marriage partner and this can lead to future regrets. You should remember to thank God when He finally brings both you and your intending spouse together.

*PRAYER:*
Almighty God, lead all youths seeking for marriage partners to their right spouses. _*Amen*_

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"If you share with the needy, My glory will guard your back."_ *Isaiah 58: 7-8*

*THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL.* CHURCH OF NIGERIA _(ANGLICAN COMMUNION)_

*DATE:* SATURDAY, 27TH JULY, 2024 _*{Church Missionary Society, CMS, Anniversary}*_ *THEME:* CMS ANNIVERSARY

*TEXT:* MATTHEW 28:16-20 *(NKJV)*

28:16. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.
28:17. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
28:18. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
28:19. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
28:20. "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, [even] to the end of the age." Amen.

*MESSAGE:*

We are commemorating the Church Missionary Society (CMS) Anniversary today. This year marks the 167th CMS Anniversary when we celebrate that the CMS brought the gospel of Christ to Igbo land on July 27, 1857. Recall that the CMS had already come to Badagry in 1842. Just as the CMS came from England to Africa to preach the gospel, Christians have been commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ to go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them the Word of God. Jesus promised to be with us always as we obey the Great Commission.

As a Christian, have you taken the work of making disciples seriously? Evangelism and making disciples of all nations are very crucial tasks for all believers (Matt. 28: 18-20), and Jesus promised to be with those who will go out and make disciples. Are you zealous to make disciples? How many people have you told about Jesus Christ this year? If you have not, please ask Jesus to fill you to give you the boldness to be an effective soul winner. Yield your heart to the Holy Spirit and ask for empowerment for making disciples.

*PRAYER:*
Gracious Lord, thank You for the CMS; help me to preach the gospel everywhere, *Amen.*

*QUOTE FOR THE DAY*
God Says:

_"If you enter into My rest, you will find rest from all your striving."_ *Hebrews 4: 9-10*