Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* WEDNESDAY 15TH JULY, 2026 *SUB-THEME:* THE CONSEQUENCES OF REJECTING GOD'S GRACE *TOPIC:* REBELLION (I) *TEXT:* 2 KINGS 12:17-21 17. About this time Hazael king of Aram went up and attacked Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. 18. But Joash king of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his predecessors—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah—and the gifts he himself had dedicated and all the gold found in the treasuries of the temple of the Lord and of the royal palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram, who then withdrew from Jerusalem. 19. As for the other events of the reign of Joash, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 20. His officials conspired against him and assassinated him at Beth Millo, on the road down to Silla. 21. The officials who murdered him were Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer. He died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king. *TOPIC:* REBELLION (I) *THE MESSAGE:* Rebellion is an act of opposition or violence against established authority. A leader is at risk of elimination, especially when his close associates are not trustworthy or do not allow God's grace in their lives. Elisha wept for the harm Hazael would do to Israel (2 Kgs. 8:12). In this text, Hazael attacked Joash, the king of Judah, and plundered its wealth and resources. At these trying and grieving moments, instead of comforting and seeking ways to untie the city, king Joash's officials conspired and assassinated him mercilessly. Rebels do not respect the sacredness of life. Today, there is a high level of rebellion among subordinates and defamation of leaders' character, often for personal gain. Do not conspire against your leaders; instead, pray, advice, and support them appropriately. *REFLECTION:* Good followers make good leaders. *PRAYER:* Lord, help me not to be a rebel. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* HEBREWS 10:29. How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace? *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* ISAIAH 5-8. ED.ii. *MEDITATIONS ON DAILY* *ⓂANNA* WEDNESDAY, 15TH JULY, 2026. *IGNORANCE IS NOT AN EXCUSE* *TEXT:* DEUTERONOMY 30:11-14. 11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. *Timeless Truth:*_"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God"_ (Matthew 4:4). *INTRODUCTION* Ignorance is indeed one of the most destructive and costly conditions a person or society can face, often described as a silent killer because it breeds fear, limits potential and leads to poor decision-making. Unlike physical illnesses, the great news is that this disease has an easily accessible and permanent cure: the active pursuit of true knowledge. God has never demanded from man what He has hidden from him. Throughout Scripture, the Lord has graciously revealed His will in a way that can be understood, received and obeyed. Moses reminded Israel that God's commandments were neither mysterious nor inaccessible. Likewise, under the New Testament, salvation through Christ has been plainly declared to all. Therefore, ignorance cannot be presented as an excuse by anybody for rejecting God's truth. It is also a challenge for all believers to vigorously spread the Word, whether it will be accepted or not. *1.Comprehensibility of the Word of God* a. Moses declared that God's commandment *"is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off".* The implication is that God's Word is readily accessible to those who care. Beyond that, it is not a mysterious book written by mysterious people. Though it is authored by God, it is written by men in the language of men with all simplicity. b. The onus is on sincere seekers to access His Word which are available in print forms, online, social media and in many pulpits. Besides, it has been stored in different repositories. It is difficult to find a standard library without a copy of the complete Bible. For the blind, there are a lot of audio recordings of the Bible. The Bible remains the most circulated book in human history and even people of other religions don't feel complete without having a copy of the Holy Bible. It is as important to the human soul as food is important to the human body. *". that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.*" (Deuteronomy 8:3). The human spirit will famish and be weak without the abiding Word of God in the heart. Nobody has any excuse except the inexcusable excuse of the will. God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). He has revealed His truth through His written Word, the ministry of the Holy Spirit and faithful teachers of the Scriptures. The problem is often not the obscurity of God's Word, but the unwillingness of men to study, believe and obey it. God's instructions are understandable to every sincere seeker who approaches His Word with humility and faith. *Question* Do I sincerely seek to understand and obey God's revealed Word or which of the Bible teachings do I hide behind ignorance as an excuse for disobedience? *2.Closeness of the Word of God* a. Moses emphasized that no one needed to ascend into heaven or cross the sea to discover God's truth. Yes, there are people who, out of spiritual thirst like the Eunuch of Ethiopia, travel to seek the Word of God. Those people travelled far to know the interpretation of the Word and not just to have access to it. In fact, the Eunuch was found reading the Scriptures by the time Phillip met him. The Lord had already brought His revelation near to His people. Gone are those days when the reading of the Bible was reserved to few people who were trained in the Latin language. Today, we possess the complete Scriptures in almost all our own languages. Even the illiterates enjoy the ministry of faithful preachers and have unprecedented access to biblical resources. Those who reject God's message cannot claim that it was beyond their reach. The issue is not the absence of revelation, but the response of the human heart. b. *"But the word is nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it"*. The essence of the Word of God goes beyond knowing the truth and sharing the truth with others. Most importantly, it is to be obeyed. The blessings are in obedience not in mere reading or knowledge. Those who read, but don't obey it are called fools. *"For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth"* (James 1:23). *Question* Are you a committed student of the Word of God? Am I taking advantage of the abundant opportunities God has given me to know and obey His Word? *3.Christ's Way of the Gospel* Apostle Paul applies this passage directly to the gospel of Christ (Romans 10:6-10). He explained that in the New Testament or gospel economy, you don't have to travel to any sphere of creation to seek for the Saviour and get saved. You only need faith in the Word of God and confession of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour to get saved. *"The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith, which we preach."* Why you may visit places to get enriched in the Word of God, you don't have to go on pilgrimage or travel anywhere to get saved. It is just by believing wholeheartedly in the Lord Jesus Christ according to the Word of God. Salvation does not require impossible human efforts to bring Christ down from heaven or raise Him from the dead. Christ has already accomplished the work of redemption through His death and resurrection. *"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. *" For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."* (Romans 10:9–10). Since the gospel has been clearly proclaimed, no one will be able to plead ignorance before God. *Question* Have I personally, responded to the gospel by trusting Christ alone for my salvation and confessing Him as Lord without trusting on any other thing? *Prayer Points* 1.Father, I will be more committed to studying Your Word. Remove every form of spiritual ignorance from my heart and give me a deeper understanding of Your Word 🙏. 2.Lord, grant me a willing heart to obey every truth You reveal through the Scriptures 🙏. 3.Empower me to proclaim the message of salvation boldly so that others will have no excuse for rejecting Christ🙏 4.Open the eyes of the ignorant in the church to understand salvation by faith alone and get saved🙏 *HYMN:* Lord speak to me *BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:* GENESIS 45-47. 2. Evening prayer for today. EP.i. A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of Life." - John 8:12 Great God, today I want to walk in the Light again. Will You please guide me with Your Spirit so that I may be a light in the darkness for many who are searching? Jesus, the Light of the world, will also illuminate my path during dark days so I will not go astray. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com