Your Labours of Love is never in Vain: Devotion for Friday January 24, 2020

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Friday January 24, 2020

Topic: Your Labours of Love is never in Vain      

Text: 2 Samuel 9:1 – 7 

Naturally, most kings will try to wipe out the families of their rivals in order to prevent any descendants from seeking the throne. But David showed kindness to Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan and grandson of King Saul.

David was kind, partly because of his loyalty to God’s previously anointed king (1 Samuel 24:5-6) and mainly because of his vow to show kindness to all of Jonathan’s descendants (1 Samuel 20:14 – 17). David did not forget the love and sacrifice Jonathan showed him. Don’t forget the mercies you received from God and people.

People who are really godly will always remember the mercies they received from people and from God. David made inquiry because he knew he owe a great deal of responsibility to the family of Jonathan in particular. Jonathan was David's sworn friend; therefore he shows kindness to his son Mephibosheth. God is ever faithful to us; let us not be unfaithful to one another.

If Providence has raised us, and our friends and their families are brought low, we must look upon that as giving us the fairer opportunity of being kind to them. We can show kindness for love we have received from God by being more dedicated and committed to His service. And to those who have shown us love, we can pray for them always. When we do these, God will bless them and us, the more.

Food for Thought: “Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together” – Goethe.

Memory verse: 1 Corinthians 15:58

Prayer: God, may I ever be grateful for love I have received from you and from people.

Don’t Labour For The Wind

Devotion for Sunday October 29, 2017

Topic: Don’t Labour For The Wind

Text: Ecclesiastics 5:13 – 17

Solomon posted in a pertinent question for us in Ecclesiastics 1:3 saying, “What profit has a man from all his labour in which he toils under the sun?” Any man that labours looks forward to receiving a reward and a good reward at that. No one wants to work without getting something out of his labour. However, not all the people that labour reap rewards that will last. Some labour for the wind, some for sickness; for thieves and many other things. This is what Solomon called severe evil.

What are the things that lead to laboring for the wind? This could be as a result of robbing God. Another way we labour for the wind is when we refuse to use our wealth the way God, who gave them to us wanted us to use them. The case in Haggai 1:2ff is another way to labour for the wind because it can cause God to withdraw His favours and we earn wages only to put them into bags with holes (Haggai 1:6). These are some of the ways we can labour for the wind.

“He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind” (Proverbs 11:29a). Someone troubles his own house when he is greedy (Proverbs 15:27). Riches are unsatisfying, uncertain and transitory. No one can hold or stay in its course because they are all properties of the wind. Do you labour for the wind by being greedy, not recognizing the source of your wealth or by robbing God? Repent now to avert evil of labouring for the wind.

Food for Thought: Labouring for the wind is a curse. What can you do to avert it in your life?

Memory verse: Ecclesiastics 5:16

Prayer: Grant me the grace, O Lord my God, never to labour for the wind any more but rather that I will labour and eat the fruits of my labour in Jesus name. Amen

TOILING IN VAIN?

DEVOTION FOR TUESDAY DECEMBER 6, 2016

Topic: TOILING IN VAIN?                   

Text: Luke 5:1 – 11                            

Teaching is very important in pastoral ministry and when you have the word of God, people will come to wherever you are to hear the word. A good teacher of the gospel uses every opportunity to teach is disciples or members. He doesn’t wait till they gather in the church. This was the characteristic of Jesus’ earthly ministry. People came to Him to hear the word of God and He taught them. A friend complaining about the preaching of his pastor said, “We come to church because of the word and not story telling.”

Jesus understood this and used Peter’s boat to preach from the Sea of Galilee (Lake of Gennesaret). After preaching, he told Peter to cast down his net for a catch. Though they had taken nothing, yet Christ told them to let down their nets again. When Jesus met them at the sea, they were washing their nets apparently on the basis that the day’s business was over. They’ve called it a day. We must not abruptly quit our callings because we have not succeeded as we desired. Though they have toiled without success, Peter was willing to still try because Jesus has commanded. At last, there was a haul of fish. Jesus was true to His words. He showed His supremacy over creatures and laws of nature. 

As Christians, we are called to preach the gospel. We should not be discouraged when we have preached and laboured long without apparent successes; but according to Christ's directions, we should continue to labour in humble dependence on Him, and with believing expectations that in His own time and way He will give us success. On the other hand, have you been toiling in vain in your trade, craft, office, business, marriage, studies, etc? God is saying cast your net for a catch. All you need is simple obedience and things will begin to work. You may not need to change your business but patiently ask God to direct you on what to do that you have not been doing. God will certainly surprise you.   

Food for Thought: Obedience is the key to successes and miracles.

Memory verse: Luke 5 verse 5

Prayer: Lord, grant me a willing and obedient heart to trust and obey your commands 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.