Sow What You Wish To Reap

Devotion for Saturday January 6, 2018

Topic: Sow What You Wish To Reap

2 Corinthians 9:6 – 7

An aphorism of Anioma people says that “he who plants unworthy yam in his farm is only deceiving himself.” The secret of reaping abundantly is to sow seeds that are worthy. No wonder Paul wrote: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” Galatians 6:7 and 8. In our text, Paul teaches that alms must be given neither grudgingly, nor with an unwilling mind, or sparingly but cheerfully. Thus he compares generous alms to sowing a seed in the farm which has a plentiful harvest of abundant blessing following it. We should have this in mind as we start our year and as we make plans of how to succeed in life. Our commitment, efforts, investment and input into our career, business and every other thing we lay our hands to do will determine the output we will receive. Don’t think you will have a bountiful harvest this year when you are not willing to sow good seed? Paul says, “Don’t be deceived.” Beloved, what have you planned to sow as seed this year? Where have you planned to sow your seeds? What quality of seed do you want to sow? Do your seeds correspond with what you desire to get as result? Think about these as you begin your year. Sing A&M 335; Abu 200

Food for Thought: He who plants unworthy yam in his farm is only deceiving himself

Memory verse: Galatians 6:7

Prayer: Lord God, may I sow seeds that will bring desired blessings to me this year and beyond in Jesus name. Amen

Do Your Best All The Time For Someone Is Watching

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - Do Your Best All The Time For Someone Is Watching

Dear friends, as you start this working week, never think in your mind that you are only doing well to your employer by being dedicated and committed to duty. In fact, you are doing yourself more good than your employer when you are dedicated to duty. Unfortunately, many people do have such understanding. When we have the understanding, we will realise that they are much advantages in it more than what we think we would lose by being committed and dedicated to duty.    

Sometime ago, a prospective couple came to me for pre-marital counselling. The man Awele was a young entrepreneur while the lady, Ngozi was a banker. When I asked how they met and what attracted them to one another, the man was the first to speak and he said, "Each time I come into the banking hall, her commitment and dedication toward her job were outstanding. She takes her work as if it is her personal business. After I had observed her for some time, it dawn on me that she is a responsible woman that can be a wife and make a good home. I book a date with her and from there it all started."

When that lady was busy in her job, she never knew that somebody was watching her. All she had in mind was how to be her best in her job and find satisfaction in it. At the end, she found more than satisfaction. She found love, a good home and a lovely husband.

There is another story I shared in my book MY DRIVE TO LEGENDARY STATUS. It was the story of a woman, Chioma who works in CITY DELIGHT CENTRE, a place where they sale drinks, roasted meat (suya), sharwama, and pepper soup. Any time she is on duty, the centre makes more money because of the way she welcomes and attends to customers. Most of the customers noticed her dedication to duty; her commitment, her services and ways of attending to customers and some approached her with the request to withdraw her from there to their businesses with double salary of what she was receiving but severally she refused and for five consecutive years, the CITY DELIGHT CENTRE kept increasing her salary to ward off offers from other places. To her, it was not the salary that kept her there but the privilege to mentor people and make friends.      

Dear brothers and sisters, as you start this week, give yourself more to your work. Don't think that the work you are employed to do belong to someone else and therefore you can behave the way you like. The best way to find joy and peace in your work is to see that job/business as your job or business. Until you begin to see the job you do as your personal job, you won't give yourself more to it and you can never find satisfaction in it.

The Chioma I mentioned earlier, saw the CITY DELIGHT CENTRE as her personal business and she benefitted so much from the goodwill of people towards her more than the salary she receives (You need to read that book – MY DRIVE TO LEGENDARY STATUS. Use your job as a teacher, lecturer, doctor, nurse, waiter, pastor, sales representative, etc to mentor people. Make positive impact on them and you will never regret it.

As you go out to your personal business or job as an employee, ensure you do your best all the time because someone is watching you. You may not immediately reap the benefits of your commitment and dedication to duty but certainly, a day of reckoning is at hand. God will remember and reward you accordingly. ALWAYS BE THE BEST YOU CAN THIS WEEK AND THE DAYS AHEAD.

Have a great week!

Your Friend,

Tabugbo      

FOR GOD TO REVEAL HIMSELF: Devotion for Monday August 1, 2016

FOR GOD TO REVEAL HIMSELF: Devotion for Monday August 1, 2016

Text: John 20:11 – 18                              Memory verse: v 11

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb of Jesus, saw that it was empty and went to inform Peter and other disciples. They came to the tomb, saw it as Mary reported and left. When they left, Mary was still there alone, crying, hoping that somehow she could discover where Jesus’ body had been taken, but fearing the worst. It was that desire to get someone to speak to her that kept her there. This moved God to send two angels to attend to her. Her motive was pure and undiluted unlike many in the church today who go there with wrong motives. Her motive was to see the dead body of Christ. That was her bargain but God gave her more than a dead Jesus but a living Jesus. Hallelujah!

Beloved, for God to reveal Himself to you, you must show a strong commitment to His course. You should have shown yourself as one who loves God without reservations. Seeing God does not come through a mere wish but through love for God, dedication to His course and unwavering commitment. How much do you love God? Mary Magdalene showed her commitment to God by coming very early to the tomb, going to inform Peter and other disciples what she saw, and coming back again to the tomb. She sat there weeping in anticipation for news. Do you take the pain to seek for God in things that border you? Seek Him and you shall find Him (Matt 7:7) even in this new month. Happy new month!

Food for Thought: It takes good motives to attract God’s attention.

Prayer: As I seek you, O Lord, grant me right motives that will attract you to reveal yourself to me in Jesus name.

TOTAL COMMITMENT: Devotion for Wednesday October 7, 2015

TOTAL COMMITMENT          Wednesday October 7, 2015                           

Text: Romans 12:10 – 13         Memory verse: v 11

Proverbs 12:24 says, “The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labour.” Again Proverbs 14:23 posited that “In all labour there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty.” The truth in these two passages is that there are dignity and reward in labour. This made Paul to say that anyone who could not labour to provide for his family is worst than unbeliever (1 Timothy 5:8). Paul exhorts us on the imperative of diligence and industry in all our duties both to God and man, but particularly in the duties of our calling as Christians. We must avoid the two extremes of slothfulness on the one hand, and excessive drudgery (exhausting work) on the other, in the management of our secular affairs and worldly business.

However, in the service of God we must be fervent, and in the service of the world we must not be slothful. How diligent and committed are you in the work God has entrusted into your hands? We should be diligently occupied in our job and the work of the Lord. Do you hope to get a reward from God at the end of your race here on earth? Then be faithful and industrious in the discharge of all your appropriate duties.

Food for Thought: “Life gives nothing to man without labour” – Horace.

Prayer: Lord, make me diligent in all you have committed into my hands.