No Mighty Works There

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Wednesday January 25, 2017

Topic: No Mighty Works There

Text: Matthew 13:53 – 58     

The people of Jesus’ hometown had known Him since He was a child and were acquainted with his family. They saw him grew up, go to places with His mother, Mary. They saw him with Joseph in his carpentry workshop. They were too familiar with Him to have believed where he got the powers He was displaying. They could not bring themselves to believe in His message.

Jesus Christ came to them as a prophet, who challenged them to respond to unpopular spiritual truth. Jesus was almost thirty years old before He began His public teaching ministry, and He was not trained as a rabbi. For the years before that, He had been at home, learning carpentry from his father, Joseph. These made them wonder how He could so much do the things He did without formal training.

They did not listen to the timeless message He was preaching because they could not see beyond the man. Their familiarity with Jesus blinded them to the spirit in Him. Jesus did few miracles there “because of their unbelief.”

Unbelief blinds people to the truth and robs them of hope of salvation and deliverance. Over familiarity is the problem with so many Christians today. Because they can preach and teach the word of God, they find it had to submit to other teachers of the gospel too. At conferences and seminars, you will see them loitering about when the message is going on just because they are preachers also. Most times we don’t belief what other preachers can offer. Such spirit is pure manifestation of pride. This is a way Satan robs us the blessings of God in the church activities and programmes.

How does your faith measure up? Do you believe God to do that thing bothering you? If you can’t see God’s work, perhaps it is because of your unbelief. Today, believe, ask God for a mighty work in your life, and expect Him to act. Look unto God with the eyes of faith and you will certainly see Him working in your favour.

Food for Thought: Familiarity breeds contempt

Memory verse: Matthew 13 verse 58 - And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

Prayer: God, help me not to be too familiar with you that I despise your words and lose my miracles in Jesus name, Amen.

FAITH THAT WORKS: Devotion for Saturday June 18, 2016

FAITH THAT WORKS: Devotion for Saturday June 18, 2016

         

Text: Luke 17:5 – 10     Memory verse: v 6

This request in 17:5 was motivated by the difficulty of avoiding and forgiving “offences.” Jesus tells His disciples, that if they have the smallest degree of true faith; lively, operative faith, it will enable them to perform this difficult duty of forgiving injuries, and all other duties, with much ease as a miraculous faith would enable them to remove mountains and transplant trees. When we obey Jesus’ instructions, we have only done our duties and should regard it as a privilege. We shouldn’t expect thanks, for we were only doing what we were supposed to do. Jesus used the example of a slave who renders service and does not expect to be thanked. Obedience is not something extra done for God; it is the duty of anyone who desires to be Christ’s follower. We must lay aside selfishness and treat others with respect and common courtesy. How deep is your faith in Christ Jesus? It is not how big but how deep to counter deep problems of life.

With these words, Jesus was not rendering service as meaningless or useless, nor was He doing away with rewards. He was attacking unwarranted self-esteem and spiritual pride; perhaps such as many of the religious leaders were exhibiting, or what the disciples themselves might be tempted to fall into as they would seek to serve God when their faith has been increased. Christians should focus their eyes on God with their goal only to serve and please Him. They don’t work for recognition or rewards or even for God to praise them for their hard work. Don’t allow self esteem and pride for what God is using you to do in your generation enter into your head.

Food for Thought: No obstacle can withstand a confiding faith in God.

Prayer: Grant me a strong faith to believe every word that comes from your mouth, O Lord my God.