The rich young ruler was a good man who observed the ten commandments from his youth but it is sad to discover that he was not good enough for heaven. He was disqualified, because according to Jesus, he lacked one thing: he had no power over his material possessions. He failed the test to deny himself, take up his cross and follow the Lord. Although he was a good man, he was not saved.

The Lord is a shelter in the time of storm for His people who trust in Him. Talking about the believer, The Lord said in Psalm 91 - "because he has known my name, he shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him". There is no need to worry since God has promised to be with you in your situation. The Lord is your defence and no weapon that is fashioned against you shall prosper.

Where no wood is, the fire goeth out - Proverbs 26:20a. It is your responsibility to keep the fire burning continuously upon the altar of your heart by adding the wood of praise and prayer as you fellowship with God every day. The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out. However, if the fire has gone out, you can repair the broken altar today as Elijah did at mount Carmel.

Hannah was a sorrowful woman for a long time and she complained about her unpleasant situation of barrenness. She was provoked by her adversary to make her worry and weep over her condition. Until she learned to take her burden to the Lord in prayer, she remained a sorrowful woman. But when she prayed earnestly, the Lord changed her complaint to acclaim. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

The Lord was watching to see how the children of Israel would react to the temptations that befell them during their wilderness journey. He wanted to know if they truly loved Him. Almost all of them yielded to the temptations and therefore were not approved by the Lord to enter into the promised land. Those that were disapproved, all died in the wilderness.