Would You Choose to Become the Enemy's Tradesman?

If I were to conduct a poll with the question, "Would you choose to become the enemy's tradesman?" I would probably receive a resounding "No!" Simply because the question sounds evil. We can easily recognize the misalignment with the life Christ calls us to live.

Yet today, as I studied the book of Acts, these words became more glaring to me. Perhaps it is because, as I journey with God, He is continually transforming me into His image, while the enemy is seeking people who will trade in his goods and carry them into the marketplace.

I cannot knowingly buy what the enemy is selling. But what if his goods are disguised in garments we admire, garments we have not yet surrendered to Christ?

The strategy of hell is not only to deny us access to God's purpose. It is also to recruit people who unknowingly buy from and sell on its platform. When we are unaware of our misalignment, we cannot repent of what we do not recognize as wrong.

So, what have you been purchasing lately?

Every day we engage in a trade. God has set before us the trade of life or the trade of death. The level of understanding we possess determines which trade we choose and continue to invest in.

In Acts 19:38, Demetrius and his fellow tradesmen remind us that every tradesman represents something. As I reflected on this passage, I asked myself: What am I trading? Whose goods am I carrying?

If God were to take you on a journey through the marketplace called your life, what goods would He find stored in your warehouse?

Are you truly trading in the marketplace called life?

Do your decisions lead toward life, or do they quietly lead toward death?

Is there a need for a reroute?

David's heartfelt prayer was:

"Give me understanding, that I may live."

Perhaps that is one of the greatest equations of life:

Understanding = Life.

No understanding, no life.

Today, this is my prayer for the JJ's family:

"Lord, give us understanding, that we may live."

Stay Revived!

When the blessing is hidden in the pattern

Patterns often reveal the presence of a blessing. When you notice recurring events or situations within your bloodline, family, or across generations, it is important to pause and ask questions. Your ability to ask the right questions and seek God in prayer is what shuts the door to negative patterns and positions you to walk in His blessing.

We see this in the life of Isaac. Although his father was Abraham, and God had promised Abraham, "I will make you a father of many nations," the promised child did not come immediately. The pattern of waiting a long time for a child repeated itself in Isaac's life. Yet there was already an existing promise, which meant that the children would eventually come through him.

What Isaac understood was that a promise does not eliminate the need for prayer. God was looking for a heart that would not only believe the promise but also pray until it became a reality. We see this in Genesis 25:21, where Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife so that she would conceive.

Genesis 25:21 (NKJV):

"Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived."

The presence of patterns may indicate that there is a blessing attached to your life. However, for you to enter into its fullness, you must break free from the cycle of destructive patterns and step into God's promise.

What has God said to you? Do you see His word being manifested in your life? The manifestation of God's promises is closely connected to your alignment with Him in the place of prayer. Take His word back to Him. Pray over it, and allow Him to reveal truths about yourself and your family that you may never have known. As you remain steadfast in prayer, you position yourself to experience the fulfillment of His promises.

Stay Revived!

What If God Asked for the Blessing?

What if God asked for the blessing? What if the very thing you have waited and prayed for over the years is the very thing He asks you to place back into His hands?

If I'm being honest, my human mind immediately thinks, "Lord, please ask for something else." But have you ever considered that when God asks for a blessing He has given you, or a seed He has placed in your hands, it is because there is a dimension of Himself He wants to reveal to you? He is inviting you into a deeper place of trust and obedience.

We see this in the life of our father Abraham.

Whenever I read Abraham's story, I cannot help but wonder, What kind of heart did this man have? In Genesis 22, when the Lord asked Abraham to offer Isaac, He specifically said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love." God wasn't mistaken. He knew exactly who Isaac was to Abraham. He knew the years of waiting, the tears, the promises, and the joy that surrounded this miracle child.

Yet God asked Abraham to offer him as a burnt offering.

What amazes me even more is Abraham's response. Scripture records that he rose early the next morning and began his journey of obedience. There is no record of him arguing with God or delaying the instruction. Neither do we see him consulting Sarah. Sometimes there are sacrifices that, if shared with others too soon, may be met with discouragement rather than faith. This is why it is so important to know the voice of God for yourself.

The next move of God in your life is often connected to your obedience.

God is looking for men and women who are willing to trust Him completely, even when His instructions seem painful or beyond human understanding. Abraham's obedience led to one of the greatest covenant promises in Scripture. God swore by Himself and established a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. That covenant did not end with Abraham; we still see its impact today.

So I ask again:

What if God asked for the blessing?

What if He said, "Give Me that job. Give Me that career. Give Me that business. Give Me that relationship. Give Me that husband. Give Me that child."

Remember this: whenever God asks for something, it is never because He wants to leave you empty. It is because He desires to reveal a dimension of Himself that you have not yet encountered. Your obedience becomes the doorway to a greater revelation of His faithfulness, provision, and covenant.

May God give us hearts like Abraham's—hearts that trust Him completely, obey Him willingly, and believe that whatever is surrendered into God's hands is never truly lost.

God bless you.

Scripture Reference

Genesis 22:1–3

"Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, 'Abraham!'

And he said, 'Here I am.'

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.'

So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son..."

Is Your Soul Whole?

Song of Songs 6:12

NKJV: "Before I was even aware, my soul had made me as the chariots of my noble people."

God's Word Translation: "I did not know that I had become like the chariots of my noble people."

Our soul has the tendency to shape who we become.

The soul is the seat of a person's mind, emotions, and will. When this part of us is wounded or injured, it has the tendency to lead us into becoming people who would never have made certain choices or walked certain paths.

This is why, when we ask the Lord to restore our soul, it is not a prayer born out of ignorance. It is because who we become—and what our lives ultimately reflect—depends greatly on the wholeness of our soul.

The Lord has deposited within our spirit great possibilities and divine opportunities, but many of these can only be accessed through a restored and whole soul.

So, let me ask:

Is your soul whole, Ese?

If you were to do a soul check today, would you discover that the recent disruptions in your life are actually the result of wounds your soul is still carrying?

Can this still be your heartfelt prayer?

"Lord, restore my soul."

Restore my soul so that I will not measure Your willingness to provide for me or answer my prayers by the rejection and denial I have received from people.

Restore my soul so that I will not carry the trust issues I have encountered on my journey into not only my future relationships but also my walk with You.

This is why soul restoration is necessary.

Just as we continually present our bodies and spirits to God, we must not neglect our souls.

Because a broken soul cannot journey well with a whole God.

Stay Revived!