They Despised God's Warning: Devotion for Tuesday, April 21, 2020

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Tuesday April 21, 2020

Topic: They Despised God’s Warning                         

Text: Genesis 6:13 – 22

There are many ways God warns us. It could be through spoken word, through dreams, through natural events or through signs and wonders. The essence is for us to avoid the impending danger. Daily on the media, we see and read about warnings on environment, nutrition or religious, politics and many other warnings. Most people have even stopped listening to these warnings. That was probably how people responded to Noah.

Our text tells the story of how Noah and his family built an ark in obedience to God, in response to His warning that the earth would be destroyed. Then, Noah was the only righteous person living. The Bible didn’t state that people mocked Noah, but it certainly shows that no one listened to him or to God.

Noah got right to work as God commanded (Genesis 6:22). From 1 Peter 3:20 it seems that people were warned about the coming disaster but, apparently, did not expect it to happen. This is how people today often react to warnings, even warnings from God.

Daily, thousands are told of God’s inevitable judgement, yet most don’t really believe it will occur. This is same with the Covid-19 pandemic. Most people are adamant to warnings of stay at home. When it hit them, they will realize that Covid-19 is true.

As Christians who go out to preach the gospel, we shouldn’t expect people to welcome or accept your message of God’s coming judgement on sin. Some will scorn you but don’t let it trouble your heart. Nevertheless, for our good, we should not neglect the warning about the second coming of Christ as Noah’s generation did.

Food for Thought: How do you take God’s commandment?

Memory verse: 1 Peter 4:7

Prayer: Grant me O Lord, an obedient heart to do as you command me

Babel – A Place Of Confusion

Devotion for Tuesday December 12, 2017

Topic: Babel – A Place Of Confusion

Text: Genesis 11:1 – 9

Babel simply means confusion; the name of a lofty tower, begun to be built by the descendants of Noah among who was Nimrod their leader, about 120 years after the flood.

At creation, God told man to fill the earth (Genesis 1:28). Instead of obeying God’s instructions, they chose to live together. Going against God’s instruction attracts punishment. Sometimes, God allows us to wallow in our ignorance when we are at not complying with His instructions but other times, He will insist that His bidding should be carried out to the letter. He confused the language of the people and the work stopped (Genesis 11:7 – 9). Unable to communicate with one another, they scattered abroad to comply with God’s directives at creation. They wanted to evade dispersion by building a tower to accommodate all of them.

Many a time, what we fear will always come to us (Job 3:25). Are you afraid? See Isaiah 44:2. Things we do that are not in consonant with the will and purposes of God cannot prosper in our hands. We should be mindful of what we do as the motives as the motives behind our actions are well known to God and He will judge our motives on the Judgement Day. What is your motive for that plan you are making; that style of dress you have made for Christmas, that job you are pursuing, that marriage, journey, etc? If it is not of God, it will end in confusion.

Food for Thought: Are the motives behind your actions pleasing to God?

Memory verse: Genesis 11:7

Prayer:  Grant me the wisdom, O Lord, so as to make right decision that will not go against your will for my life in Jesus name.

So He Did As Instructed

Devotion for Sunday November 19, 2017

Topic: So He Did As Instructed

Text: Genesis 6:22

Noah was a man of faith who obeyed God. His faith and obedience singled him out in his generation as a righteous man. What God demands from us is obedience. God revealed to Noah His plans to end the world through deluge because he was very obedient. He gave him the instruction to build the ark. He did what God instructed him to do with care and diligence which could be attributed to his faith in the word of God. He believed God’s word about drowning the world and he prepared the ark according to specification.

We should not doubt God’s word about impending wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. People doubted Noah but at last God’s word came to pass and so shall the reality of hell fire come to pass too. Noah did as God instructed him. His obedience was ready and resolute. Having begun to build, he did not leave off till he had finished. Such dedication to our call is required of us.

Just as Noah was warned, so we have a more solemn warning for us, to flee from the wrath to come. How prepared are you? Are you doing as God instructed you so as to flee the second death in hell fire? Noah did as God said and we must do as God said if only we hope to escape the wrath of God on the Last Day.

Food for Thought: Are you living your Christian life according to God’s instructions?

Memory verse: Genesis 6:22

Prayer: Lord God, I need your grace to live according to your instructions so that I can avoid the wrath that is to come upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men in Jesus name. Amen.

Noah Found Grace In The Eyes Of God

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Friday February 17, 2017

Topic: Noah Found Grace In The Eyes Of God

Text: Genesis 6:6 – 9

In Noah’s time, the earth was filled with violence and corruption just as it is now in our days. Hardly will a day pass we don’t hear or read about violence especially in my country, Nigeria. These include kidnapping, communal clashes, herdsmen attack on farmers and their farms, assassination, insurgency, militancy, etc.

Then in the days of Noah, people blatantly manifested sin in two primary ways: sexual lust (Genesis 6:2) and violence (Genesis 6:11). It was so rampant that God decided to destroy the world, yet Noah did not allow these evils to rob him of his fellowship with God. He stood out as the only one who “walked with God” (Genesis 6:9), as was true of his great – grandfather Enoch (Genesis 5:22).

Noah was a just or righteous man (Genesis 6:9). For this reason, God singled him out among all his contemporaries and chose him to accomplish a great work of salvation of humanity and other creatures. He found grace in the eyes of the Lord because he followed the footsteps of his grandfather in obeying and fearing God.

Today, sexual sins of all kinds and violence are prevalent in the society. We need the grace of God more than ever because human depravity has not changed; it is still through lust and violence that evil finds unrestrained expression in the society. If you set your face against popular public opinion and conduct, you will find grace like Noah did. Amidst the widespread wickedness, compromise and evil of today, are still in communion with God? Noah got the revelation of impeding deluge as a result of grace. When grace is at work in your life, you are sure of safety from evil and danger. The grace of God is always free and undeserved; it must not be taken for granted. Grace is humbly sought through the prayer of faith (Malachi 1:9) and knowledge of God (2 Peter 1:2). Seek for it always in obedience and humility.

Food for Thought: God accepts us on the ground of Christ's righteousness and not our own works. That is grace we need in a time like this.

Memory verse: Genesis 6 verse 8 - But Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord.

Prayer: Almighty God and my Father, may I find grace in your eyes and be distinct in this generation. Amen.

WARNING NOT HEEDED: Devotion for Sunday April 17, 2016

WARNING NOT HEEDED: Devotion for Sunday April 17, 2016            

Text: Genesis 6:13 – 22      Memory verse: 22

There are many ways God warns us. It could be through spoken word, through dreams, through natural events or through signs and wonders. The essence is to quicken us in order to avoid an impending danger. Each week we hear or read about numerous alarms from environmental and nutritional activists or religious and political zealots. Of recent is the alarm on impending flood on riverine. Most people don’t care to listen to the warnings of these ‘extremists,’ as they are labeled. That was probably how people responded to Noah. Our text tells the story of how Noah and his family built an ark in obedience to God, in response to His warning that the earth would be destroyed. Noah was the only righteous person living. The Bible doesn’t state that people mocked Noah, but it certainly shows that no one listened to him or to God.

Noah got right to work as God commanded (Gen 6:22). It seems that other people had been warned about the coming disaster (1 Pet 3:20) but, apparently, did not expect it to happen. This is how people today often react to warnings, even warnings from God. Daily, thousands are told of God’s inevitable judgment, yet most don’t really believe it will occur. We shouldn’t expect people to welcome or accept our message of God’s coming judgment on sin. Those who don’t believe in God will scoff at His judgment and try to get you to deny God as well. Let us not neglect the warning about the second coming of Christ as Noah’s generation did.

Food for Thought: How do you take God’s commandment?

Prayer: Grant me, O Lord, an obedient heart to do as you command me.

They did not know when it came: Devotion for Thursday December 17, 2015

They did not know when it came: Devotion for Thursday December 17, 2015

Text: Matthew 24:37 – 39                         Memory verse: v 39

In these verses our Saviour, Jesus Christ, declares that Jerusalem's destruction, and the world's final dissolution at the Great Day, would be much like the destruction of the old world in the time of Noah; and that in two respects: 1. In regard of unexpectedness. 2. In regard of security and sensuality. In Noah’s time, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, wholly given up to sensuality and debauchery, and did not know of the flood was coming. They did not consider it, till the flood swept them away. Thus was it in the destruction of Jerusalem, and so it will be in the end of the world. No man can tell. Therefore, we must be very cautious, watchful and prayerful.    

It is good that we don’t know exactly when Christ will return. If we knew the precise date, we might be tempted to be lazy in our work for Christ, hoping that there is still more time. Worse yet, we might plan to keep sinning and then turn to God right at the end. As Christians, heaven is not just our only goal; we also have works to do here and we must keep on doing it until death or until we see the unmistakable return of our Saviour. Keep the light burning like the wise virgins.

Food for Thought: 2 Peter 2:4 – 6

Prayer: Lord, may your second coming not take me unawares.

GOD SHUT THE DOOR

HE SHUT THE DOOR                Tuesday April 14, 2015

Text: Genesis 7:13 – 16             Memory verse: v 16

God has special way of taking care of those who trust and obey him. We have so many examples of men and women, God took special care of because they obeyed His words. One of them was Noah. God "shutting him in," intimates that Noah had become the special object of divine care and protection, and that to those outside the Ark, the season of grace was over. God has done this to make sure the Ark was properly sealed as to establish His covenant with Noah. God shut the door because he decided to take special protection of Noah for his obedience and faith, and thus He shut him in, to shut others out. God had waited one hundred and twenty years upon that generation; they did not repent; they filled up the measure of their iniquities, and then wrath came upon them to the uttermost. 

God’s works of grace are both sovereign and particular. In shutting the door, God also distinguishes between the righteous and the wicked. See also Matthew 25:10 – 13. Are you ready to enter into God’s Ark of Salvation today? Remember that those who believe God's declarations and obey His commands will receive His effectual protection and care. Don’t allow God to shut the door against you.

Food for Thought: “Wicked men obey from fear, good men, from love” –Aristotle. Where do you belong?

Prayer: Lord, grant me obedient heart to your declarations and commandments so that I will not be shut out with the ungodly in Jesus name.