Obedience, A Prerequisite For Abundance Blessings

Devotion for Friday March 23, 2018

Topic: Obedience, A Prerequisite For Abundance Blessings

Text: Deuteronomy 28:1 – 14                

Moses took only 14 verses in this chapter to explain obedience which is a secret to abundance (blessings) life and used the remaining 54 verses of this chapter to speak about disobedience and its consequences (curses). Why did he spend so much time talking about disobedience? He did that because human nature is always inclined to sin and disobedience. 

Moses was emphatic that obedience is the very key (Deuteronomy 28:1, 2) to assessing the numerous blessing mentioned in Deuteronomy 28: 3 – 14. The blessing is promised, upon condition that they diligently hearken to the voice of God. God requires them live righteously in their families and nation at large, and then by God’s providence all their outward concerns would prosper. This is God’s assurance of His blessing upon His people. Those blessings which others greedily follow after, and never overtake, shall follow after them, and shall be thrown into their laps by God’s special kindness because they are His people who obey His voice. 

Naturally, there is the tendency to bless those who obey us and this is same with God. How obedient are you to God’s commandments? Do you make light of them? Remember that just as the whole destiny of Israelites was laid before them, as it was to result from their obedience or the contrary, so it has been laid out for us. Make the right choice now. 

Sing SS&S 493; Abu 175

Food for Thought: Only he who believes is obedient and only he, who is obedient, believes.

Memory verse: Deuteronomy 28:2

Prayer: God, I need the grace to obey your commandments which is a prerequisite for abundant blessing in Jesus name.

The Bitter Experience

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Saturday January 14, 2017

Topic: The Bitter Experience

Text: Ruth 1:3 – 5       

When God called the Israelites and brought them into the Promised Land, He discouraged friendly relations with the Moabites (Deut. 23:3-6) but probably not forbidden, since the Moabites lived outside the Promised Land. Marrying a Canaanite (and all those living within the borders of the Promised Land), however, was against God’s law (Deut. 7:1 – 4).

Moabites were not allowed to worship at the Tabernacle because they had not let the Israelites pass through their land during the Exodus from Egypt. Unfortunately, this was the land

Elimelech chose as his destination for succour in time of famine and it left bitter experience for Naomi who survived the succour in the land of Moab.

As God’s chosen nation, Israel should have set the standards of high moral living for the other nations. Ironically, it was Ruth, a Moabitess, whom God used as an example of genuine spiritual character. This shows just how bleak life had become in Israel during those days.

There are things that can bring bitter experience for us especially when we remove ourselves from the terms of covenant we have with our God. The major thing that can bring bitter experience to us is sin. Sin is disobedience to God’s law and command.

God had set boundaries for us where we must remain or else there will be consequences. We must remain within the confines of God’s grace to enjoy that grace. We will only remain within the confines of God’s grace when we live in obedience to His word and commandments. Remember what the bible says that, he that breaks the hedge, the snake will bite.

Naomi lived 10 years in Moab and had nothing to show for it except Ruth who was used by God to console her for the wrong decision of the husband. Have you taken wrong decisions and they are now hurting and hunting you? God is ready to heal the hurt and remove the hunt if only you can return to Him and ask for forgiveness of your disobedience and sins. The choice is all yours. Have a great day.

Food for Thought: Wrong decisions can affect you and your posterity. Always seek God’s leading in your decisions.

Memory verse: Ruth 1 verse 5 - ​ And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband (ESV).

Prayer: God, grant that I will not take decisions that will bring bitter experiences to my families in Jesus name.

THINGS THAT PROVOKE GOD : Devotion for Wednesday June 8, 2016

THINGS THAT PROVOKE GOD : Devotion for Wednesday June 8, 2016

Text: Ezekiel 36:16 – 20                           Memory verse: v 17

One characteristics or nature of God is that He doesn’t punish or restore us without telling us our wrongs. Most cases He sets before us the wrong and its consequences, and the right and its blessings (Lev. 24 and Deut. 28). The scripture has the story of how God spoke about the impending danger on the house of Eli but they did not heed the warning (1 Sam. 2:27–34). Here God told Ezekiel what made Him to drive away the Israelis from their land into exile. This was God’s reason: “When the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity.” These actions of the Israelis were contrary to the covenant they made with God in Sinai when they came out of Egypt. They chose their ways rather than that of God. This was the thing that provoked God’s anger.

Beloved, by virtue of our new birth as Christians, we entered into a new covenant with God. In that New Covenant Jesus Christ commands us to believe in Him and keep His commandment. It was for this reason He gave us the New Commandment that we should love one another as He loved us. Do we keep the commandments as required of us? Do we love one another as He loved us? Failure means that we have chosen our own way as against the ways of God as the Israelis did. By that action, we have severed ourselves from God’s kingdom. Is that your wish and desire?

Food for Thought: Obedience to God is required from us if we hope to have a place in His kingdom

Prayer: Grant me the grace I need, O Lord, to always do things according to your will and not mine in Jesus name.

WALK IN HIS FOOTSTEPS: Devotion for Monday January 11, 2016

WALK IN HIS FOOTSTEPS           Monday January 11, 2016

Text: 1 John 2:3 – 6                           Memory verse: v 6

Our profession as Christians is proved true by obedience and proved false by disobedience. John the beloved asserts that true fellowship with God should be evidenced in the life of a Christian by his or her obedience to God’s word (2:3–6) and love for the brothers (2:7–11). Obedience is linked not merely with knowing God but with loving Him. To be perfect in the love of God (2:5), we should appreciate God’s act of love and walk as Christ walked. Our behaviour is one of the observable models for knowing if a person is in or out of God’s light. In 2:6, John used the words ‘live in’ (‘to remain,’ or ‘continue in’) as the equivalent to confessing Jesus to be the Son of God (4:15) and believing in Him (2:24; 3:23–24).

Walking in His footsteps doesn’t mean we can as well do all the miracles He did and die on the cross. No! Rather we are to follow His example of complete obedience to God and loving service to people. Other examples Jesus gave us are; His humility, passion for souls, empathy for the plights and needs of people, zeal for God’s work, etc. How much of these examples are you following today? John expects us to walk just as He walked (2:6).

1 John 2:6 was the basis J. E. Bode wrote the hymn titled, O Jesus I have promised to serve the till the end (Ancient & Modern 331). Stanza 5 says;

O let me see thy footstep and in them plant my own;

My hopes to follow duly, is in thy strength alone.

O guide me call me, draw me, uphold me till the end;

And then in heaven receive me, my Saviour and my friend

The idea of J. E. Bode is that following the footsteps of Jesus demands that we should depend on Him for grace to run this Christian race. We can do this effectively by yielding our lives to Christ and allowing Him to take preeminence over our lives. It is the life of Christ in you that qualifies you to answer a Christian and not the bible in your hand (Acts 11:26).    

Food for Thought: John 13:15.

Prayer: Help me O God, to walk as Christ walked in obedience, service, humility and passion for souls.