Sow Your Seed And Reap: Devotion for Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Devotion for Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Topic: Sow Your Seed And Reap               
Text: Genesis 26:12 – 14                         
The instruction God gave Isaac in 26:2, 3 was "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.”
Isaac obeyed and stayed in Gerar (26:6).
He didn’t just stay, waiting for fulfillment of God’s promise.
He sowed in the land where he was a stranger and God blessed him 100 times more than what he sowed.
The blessing attracted envy of his landlords the Philistines (26:7). They made Isaac go out of their country.
Wisdom teaches us to give up our right, and to draw back from contentions. If we are wrongfully driven from one place, the Lord will make room for us in another.
So it was in the case of Isaac.
One thing we should understand in this text is that Isaac didn’t wait for God’s blessings as promised to start manifesting.
He went ahead to do something for himself. It was what he was doing that God blessed and he prospered therein.
God has promised to bless us. But we still have a part to play in bringing the promises to fulfillment. We have to sow our seed. That seed maybe money, training, studies, investment and many other numerous ways.
When God provided manna, He kept them outside and not inside their tent. He could have sent them into their tents but not so because He wanted to teach them that they have a part to play in their blessings.
Again it was to test their obedience. Isaac obeyed God and stayed in Gerar when God blessed him and he prospered.
How obedient are you to God’s instructions?
Food for Thought: Obedience is the very key that opens the door of miracles, blessings and favour
Memory verse: Genesis 26:12
Prayer: Lord help me to obey your instructions and to sow my seed so you will use it to bless me.

Action Generates Abundance

Devotion for Thursday March 22, 2018

Topic: Action Generates Abundance

Text: Genesis 26:12 – 17                           

God instructed Isaac to stay in the land of the Philistines instead of going down to Egypt as his father Abraham did (Genesis 26:2 – 4). Isaac obeyed and dwelt in Gerar (Genesis 26:6). God told him to stay and he took action to ensure that he walks in line with all the promises God made to him. He sowed and the reward was outstanding (Genesis 26:12). The description of the reward Isaac received is challenging (Genesis 26:13) – “The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous.” It was the action taken by Isaac that God required to bless him. God indeed blessed him which made the Philistines to start envying him. You need to enter into an action God needs to bless you so that it will make your enemies to start envying you in Jesus name. Beloved, if you desire to live in abundance, you need to take a step and action that God requires to bless you. God gave Israelites manna in the wilderness but He did not throw it into their tents. They went out for the manna. You need to take action today. Don’t fold your hands and keep waiting for the promised blessing. Isaac didn’t start sleeping and praying for blessings rather he took action. Today some Christians are lazy. They prefer to stay at home believing and claiming all the promises of God without a corresponding action. The action you will take now will determine what you will become or the kind of abundance that will attend your way this year and beyond. 

Sing A&M 483

Food for Thought: “Great ideas means nothing without world-class willpower to get the big ideas done” – Robin Sharma.  

Memory verse: Genesis 22:12

Prayer: Lord, lead me into what I will do so that your promised blessing will begin to manifest in my life and family in Jesus name. 

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: Devotion for Friday September 2, 2016

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: Devotion for Friday September 2, 2016

Text: Genesis 26:1 – 11               Memory verse: Genesis 26:7

Most behavioural traits of any man are usually transferred to his child. Outside that, most children copy what their father do a lot and grow up with them. Again, most men always like their son to take after them. My dad was a teacher. After my secondary school education, he talked me into going to a Teacher Training College. Then I hadn’t any courage to challenge him. I obliged.

In Genesis 12:10–19 we have the story of how Abram went to Egypt and told lies that Sarai is his sister. In the real sense, Sarah was related to him but now she is the wife and he ought to have acknowledged that. Instead, he talked Sarah into agreeing with him that she was the sister.

God had told him to go to Canaan but due to famine, he left for Egypt. He didn’t ask God before he left. The consequence of that visit was Haggai the mother of Ishmael. Here is a similar lie by his son, Isaac in Gerar, an ancient city south of Gaza in the land of Philistine. Isaac was on his way to Egypt too when God stopped him (26:2, 3). Moses, of the tribe of Levi didn’t enter into the Promised Land because of anger (Num 20:8–11). This was the trait he inherited from his forefathers, Levi (Gen. 49:5, 6).         

Beloved in Christ, we should understand that most of our behavioural traits are transferable. Therefore, as parents, we should be wise to ask God to deliver us from any trait in us that is not godly. Do you have a bad behaviour like anger, hatred, greed, pride, etc? Please ask God to deliver you out of it. Moses lived 120 years and used it to labour for his people. Because of anger, he was not part of the climax of his labour. This was very unfortunate. Had Abram not gone to Egypt, Haggai wouldn’t have come into his house. Are you still living in sin? Then you are like your father the devil (Jn. 8:41–44). Repent now because those who live in sin are not the sons of God.        

Food for Thought: Malachi 1:6

Prayer: God, you are my Father. Deliver me from the power of sin because anyone living in sin is a son of the devil.