Where Am I Wrong?

Devotion for Saturday November 11, 2017

Topic: Where Am I Wrong?

Text: Jeremiah 2:5

God lamented His efforts to make Israel good and productive (Isaiah 5:1 – 7) which never materialized. Rather He got the opposite which brought His anger on them. He laments again in our text about unfaithfulness of the Israelites. He had called Abram out of Chaldea or a purpose (Genesis 12:1 – 3) as He wanted to make a nation of people who will faithfully and obediently walk with Him. He chased out the people of Canaan from their land because of their idolatry life and gave the land to the Israelites. He had bestowed upon them abundant labour and grace, and had expected from them an abundant harvest of righteousness. Thus He asked to know if they have ever discovered anything cruelty, unjust, oppressiveness, unkind laws or tyrannical in His government. Why then have they become idolaters?

In the same manner, God has bestowed so much grace on us and has done all that is needed for our salvation. We can’t charge God of neglecting us as the reason for our barrenness or sinning. He has done so much for us.

How do you reciprocate God’s love and grace upon you? Do not make God to regret the grace and mercies He shows you on daily basis. When we backslide, it dishonours God as it is a virtual declaration before the world that we have tried His service and found it unreasonable or hard. Are you in this group? God can only endure your faltering between two opinions for now (1 Kings 18:21) for His anger awaits sinner later.

Food for Thought: Isaiah 5:4

Memory verse: Jeremiah 2:5

Prayer: Lord God, grant me the grace never to make you regret the grace and mercies you have shown me in Jesus name. Amen. 

Wrong Judgement and Criticism

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Sunday February 12, 2017         

Topic: Wrong Judgement and Criticism

Text: 1 Samuel 17:31 – 37

Yesterday, we saw how Eliab took on David because of questions he asked about Goliath.  Eliab saw it as being arrogant (cocky). But it wasn’t so as David came in there and saw things differently. To him, how can an uncircumcised be challenging the army of Israel, the people of the Almighty God and nobody cared to respond? He saw Goliath as defiling the army of Israel and by extension, God their leader. He saw that as a challenge to God which he can’t tolerate.

Before Saul, David was judged and criticised (1 Samuel 17:33) despite his optimism in 1 Samuel 17:32, 34 – 37). When he answered Eliab, he did that with meekness but before Saul he answered with faith, confidence and full assurance. When you know the God you serve, you speak with full assurance and faith. His testimonies drove away fear in Saul. Thus he approved David as one who will fight the Philistine. What is your testimony as a child of God? Can your testimony remove fear from people and instil faith?

A shepherd lad of about 15 years came the same morning from keeping sheep and had more courage than all the mighty men of Israel. It is good to know God! If you know the Almighty God, nothing whatsoever can intimidate you. This confirms the word of Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:27. Do you know that you can shame your critics? All you needed is just to use the stones they had thrown on you to build monuments.

A female doctor told my wife that I was already dead in 2003. My wife rejected that and vow that I will live. Here I am today. Prove those critics wrong by doing what seems impossible and God will back you up. Take a step of faith today and don’t procrastinate. God will honour you.

Food for Thought: 1 Corinthians 1:26 – 29

Memory verse: 1 Samuel 17 verse 33 - And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.”

Prayer: God, grant that I will not judge people wrongly. Help me to rise about criticism and wrong judgement to become a hero and iconic.

WHY NOT ACCEPT WRONG? Devotion for Tuesday October 18, 2016

WHY NOT ACCEPT WRONG? Devotion for Tuesday October 18, 2016

Text: 1 Corinthians 6:1 – 7     Memory verse: 1 Corinthians 6 verse 7

The greatest desire of Jesus Christ concerning His disciples is unity. He prayed earnestly about it. In the New Commandment He gave to His disciples, He charged them to love one another. This shows His desire for His church. This notwithstanding, there are bound to be misunderstanding where more than one person meets. This led to the problem Paul addressed in this First Epistle to the Corinthians.

Paul’s opinion about disputes between Christians is that such cases shouldn’t be filed in a lawsuit. This is in every aspect the standard that Christians should adopt.  He suggested that disputes between Christians should be handled by qualified Christian leaders in the church. This is so because Christians are seen as brothers and sisters. If that be the case, why should people of same family go outside to settle disputes?

Some other reasons Paul had against secular court settling disputes between Christians because (1) if the judge and jury were not Christians, they would not likely be sensitive to Christian values and standards. (2) The basis for going to court is often revenge; this should never be a Christian’s motive. (3) Lawsuits make the church look bad, causing unbelievers to focus on church problems rather than on its purpose. Above all, Paul’s position was that the best thing a Christian should do is to accept wrong for the sake of peace which ordinarily is the emblem of Christianity.

That these Corinthian Christians had to resort to lawsuits to settle disputes among them was a worldly act and condemnable. It showed that they were still immature in their Christian faith. Paul explained the direction in which they needed to grow; they needed to willingly accept injustice if that would mean protecting the church from abuse and scandal.

Beloved, you should not wrong and defrauded someone especially fellow Christians for any reason at all in the first place. Mature believers would not act in that manner. Such act of defraud is peculiar to unbelievers and non Christians.  A matured Christian should be willing to turn the other cheek when wronged (Matt 5:39) as Jesus taught us. How matured are you in the things of faith? Will you be willing to turn the other cheek?  

Food for Thought: Romans 12:17 – 19

Prayer: Almighty God and my Father in heaven, grant me the grace to grow unto maturity in this Christian race.