DEVOTION
FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 1, 2016
Topic: WHY
GOD BLESSED THEM
Text: 1 Chronicles 13 verse 14
There is nothing we do for God wholeheartedly
that doesn’t have a reward. When David honoured God by killing Goliath who
defiled His name and army, God honoured him by establishing him as a king. When
Joseph honoured God in a foreign land, God blessed him and made him a leader. If
you want the blessings of God to rest upon you, serve Him wholeheartedly. Give
yourself to His service and see what will be the result.
From our scriptural reading for the day, one
would have expected Obed-Edom to refuse housing the Ark of Covenant after the
unfortunate incident that took the life of Uzza but he couldn’t disobey the
King’s order. Moreover, he was a Levite (1 Chron. 15:18). The order from a king
is always obeyed whether it is convenient or not. He accepted it in good faith.
His action was like the submission of Mary to God's message through Angel
Gabriel (Lk. 1:38). Obed-Edom may also have warned his family to steer clear of
the Ark of Covenant, which made the entire family to enjoy God's blessings and
peace within the period that Ark was there. It is the duty of husbands and fathers
to teach their families obedience and reverence to God and all that belongs to
Him. The reverence Obed-Edom and his family had on the Ark of Covenant brought
blessings to them. God blessed him and all he had because of the Ark which
stayed there for just 3 months.
What would have happened in the family of
Obed-Edom if the Ark had stayed longer than 3 months? The fear of what might
happen didn’t affect the way his family treated the Ark. Sometimes in our
actions, we focus only on the blessings God gives us, while forgetting that
when we sin, God punishes us (Heb 10:31). At other times, however, we
concentrate so much on judgment that we miss His blessings. Don’t fall into a
one-sided view of God. Along with God’s blessings comes the responsibility to
live up to His demands for fairness, honesty, and justice which we must adhere
to, if we desire His blessings. Let this be your watchword this day, this month
and always in Jesus name. Happy new month!
Food for Thought: Do you reverence Holy Things of God?
Memory verse: 1
Chronicles 13 verse 14
Prayer: Grant me the wisdom to do things that will bring blessings to me. 
