Change Yourself and not The World:

Long ago, people lived happily under the rule of a king. The people of the kingdom were very happy as they led a very prosperous life with an abundance of wealth and no misfortunes.

Once, the king decided to go visiting places of historical importance and pilgrim centres at distant places. He decided to travel by foot to interact with his people. People of distant places were very happy to have a conversation with their king. They were proud that their king had a kind heart.

After several weeks of travel, the king returned to the palace. He was quite happy that he had visited many pilgrim centres and witnessed his people leading a prosperous life. However, he had one regret.

He had intolerable pain in his feet as it was his first trip by foot covering a long distance. He complained to his ministers that the roads weren't comfortable and that they were very stony. He could not tolerate the pain. He said that he was very much worried about the people who had to walk along those roads as it would be painful for them too!

Considering all this, he ordered his servants to cover the roads in the whole country with leather so that the people of his kingdom can walk comfortably.

The king's ministers were stunned to hear his order as it would mean that thousands of cows would have to be slaughtered in order to get sufficient quantity of leather. And it would cost a huge amount of money also.

Finally, a wise man from the ministry came to the king and said that he had another idea. The king asked what the alternative was. The minister said, "Instead of covering the roads with leather, why don't you just have a piece of leather cut in appropriate shape to cover your feet?"

The king was very much surprised by his suggestion and applauded the wisdom of the minister. He ordered a pair of leather shoes for himself and requested all his countrymen also to wear shoes.

Moral: Instead of trying to change the world, we should try to change ourselves.

17 Camels and 3 Sons:

Long ago, there lived an old man with his three sons in a deserted village, located in the vicinity of a desert. He had 17 camels, and they were the main source of his income. He used to rent out camels as a means of shipping in the desert. One day, he passed away. He had left a will, leaving his assets for his three sons.

After the funeral and the other obligations were over, the three sons read the will. While their father had divided all the property he had into three equal parts, he had divided the 17 camels in a different way. They were not shared equally among the three as 17 is an odd number and a prime number, which cannot be divided.

The old man had stated that the eldest son will own half of the 17 camels, the middle one will get one third of the 17 camels, and the youngest one will get his share of camels as one ninth!

All of them were stunned to read the will and questioned each other how to divide the 17 camels as mentioned in the will. It is not possible to divide 17 camels and give half of the 17 camels to the eldest one. It is not possible also to divide the camels for the other two sons.

They spent several days thinking of ways to divide the camels as mentioned in the will, but none could find the answer.

They finally took the issue to the wise man in their village. The wise man heard the problem and instantly found a solution. He asked them to bring all the 17 camels to him.

The sons brought the camels to the wise man's place. The wise man added a camel owned by him and made the total number of camels 18.

Now, he asked the first son to read the will. As per the will, the eldest son got half the camels, which now counted to 18 / 2 = 9 camels! The eldest one got 9 camels as his share.

The remaining camels were 9.

The wise man asked the second son to read the will. He was assigned 1 / 3 of the total camels.

It came to 18 / 3 = 6 camels. The second son got 6 camels as his share.

Total number of camels shared by the elder sons - 9 + 6 = 15 camels.

The third son read out his share of camels: 1 / 9th of the total number of camels - 18 / 9 = 2 camels.

The youngest one got 2 camels as his share.

Totally there were 9 + 6 + 2 camels shared by the brothers, which counted to 17 camels.

Now, the one camel added by the wise man was taken back.

The wise man solved this problem smartly with his intelligence.

Intelligence is nothing but finding a common ground to solve an issue. In short, every problem has a solution.

A Merchant and his Donkey:

One beautiful spring morning, a merchant loaded his donkey with bags of salt to go to the market, in order to sell the salt. The merchant and his donkey were walking along together. They had not walked far when they reached a river on the way.

Unfortunately, the donkey slipped and fell into the river. As it scrambled up the bank of the river, it noticed that the bags of salt loaded on his back had become lighter.

There was nothing the merchant could do except return home, where he loaded his donkey with more bags of salt. As they reached the slippery riverbank again, the donkey fell into the river, this time deliberately. Thus the salt was wasted again.

By now the merchant knew the donkey's trick. He wanted to teach the animal a lesson. As he returned home the second time with the donkey, the merchant loaded bags of sponges on its back.

The duo set out on their trip to the market a third time. On reaching the river, the donkey very cleverly fell into the water again. But now, instead of the load becoming lighter, it became heavier.

The merchant laughed at the donkey and said, "You foolish donkey, your trick has been discovered. You should know that you cannot fool anyone too many times."

Danloader is really doing great, I pray it stays

Shea butter and vitamin E are both excellent hair care ingredients that offer numerous benefits for healthy and beautiful hair. Here are some of the advantages of using shea butter and vitamin E for your hair:

Shea Butter:

1. *Moisturizes and nourishes*: Shea butter deeply moisturizes and nourishes your hair, leaving it soft, silky, and manageable.
2. *Hydrates dry hair*: Shea butter is an excellent hydrator for dry, damaged, or processed hair, providing long-lasting moisture.
3. *Repairs damage*: Shea butter's antioxidants and fatty acids help repair damaged hair cuticles, reducing frizz and flyaways.
4. *Protects from heat*: Shea butter creates a protective barrier against heat styling tools, preventing damage and breakage.
5. *Soothes scalp irritations*: Shea butter's anti-inflammatory properties can help calm irritated scalps and reduce dandruff.

Vitamin E:

1. *Antioxidant properties*: Vitamin E's powerful antioxidants protect your hair from environmental stressors, promoting healthy growth.
2. *Hydrates and moisturizes*: Vitamin E helps lock in moisture, leaving your hair soft, shiny, and manageable.
3. *Protects from damage*: Vitamin E's antioxidants shield your hair from damage caused by free radicals, UV rays, and other environmental stressors.
4. *Promotes hair growth*: Vitamin E's antioxidants and nutrients help promote healthy hair growth, strengthening hair follicles.
5. *Improves hair texture*: Vitamin E helps improve hair texture, reducing frizz and flyaways, and adding shine and luster.

Using shea butter and vitamin E together can provide even more benefits, such as:

- Enhanced moisturizing and nourishing properties
- Improved protection against heat and environmental stressors
- Increased hair growth and strength
- Better manageability and reduced frizz
- Healthier, shinier, and more beautiful hair!

Remember to always do a patch test before using any new hair care ingredients, and consult with a dermatologist or hair care professional if you have any concerns.

Let's explore the historical context of the Bible.

Historical context refers to the events, culture, and circumstances surrounding the writing of the Bible. Understanding this context helps us interpret Scripture accurately and appreciate its relevance.

Some key aspects of historical context to consider:

1. *Author*: Who wrote the text? What was their background, perspective, and purpose?
2. *Audience*: Who was the intended audience? What were their needs, beliefs, and practices?
3. *Date*: When was the text written? How does this impact our understanding?
4. *Location*: Where did the events occur? How does the geographical context influence the narrative?
5. *Cultural norms*: What were the social, religious, and political norms of the time?
6. *Historical events*: How did contemporary events shape the text's message and purpose?

By examining these factors, we can better comprehend the biblical narrative and its application to our lives.

Which specific book or passage would you like to explore in terms of historical context? I'm here to help you uncover its richness!

Daily Juice

Whatever your predominant focus is, that is what you permit to exist in your life. Focus on God's Word and not on the present circumstances. Some focus on the negative, and that's they live in a cycle of negativity. Choose your focus. Train your mind to focus on God's Word. Bring your thoughts into divine alignment with God's will. Whatever is going wrong in your life could be as a result of your focus. If you don't like it, change your focus.

If you are not in the process of becoming the person you want to be, you are automatically engaged in becoming the person you don't want to be. Invest in your mind until you can stay calm under any circumstance. God has designed you to create success in every sphere you influence. Let go of the limiting belief.

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL

VESSELS OF DIVINE POWER

Thursday, November 21ST 2024

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:7).

PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME

Did you know that as a child of God, you have an indescribable treasure in you? God has deposited His divine power and glory within our earthen vessels, our human bodies. We're vessels of divine power. Why did He do this? The Scripture tells us why: that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

His extraordinary power and glory are tabernacled in our physical bodies so that when they're manifested, everyone would see and recognize they're not of human origin. They're beyond anything human strength can produce. Glory to God! No wonder Paul said, Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God (2 Corinthians 3:5).

Read our opening verse again, this time, from the Amplified Classic for a clearer understanding. It says, However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves. Every day is an opportunity for you to manifest God's glory and power. The Bible says He's called us to a life of glory and virtue, a life of excellence (2 Peter 1:3).

Your life is for the glory of God. Hallelujah! Every day, as you live by faith and walk in the knowledge of God, you demonstrate the divine power that is within you. As a result of this divine power, the Bible says you've been granted all things that pertain to life and godliness. You've become a participator in the divine experience, a partaker of the divine nature.

Nothing is impossible with you. You can do the unthinkable and the unimaginable: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" Ephesians 3:20. Live boldly and confidently every day, knowing that God's extraordinary power is at work in you and effuses through you for His glory. You're a vessel of divine power.

PRAYER

Dear Father, thank you for the precious treasure of your divine power and glory within me. I am grateful that your extraordinary power is manifested in my life for your glory. I live in the consciousness of this truth, shining your light and manifesting your glory to the world as I walk in your power and righteousness, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY

Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

2 Corinthians 3:5 AMPC Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments or to claim or count anything as coming from us, but our power and ability and sufficiency are from God.

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING

1-Year Bible Reading Plan James 4:13-5:1-20 & Ezekiel 24-26

2-Year Bible Reading Plan 2 John & Daniel 7-8