WASTE NOT YOUR SHORT LIFE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JULY 11, 2023.

SUBJECT: WASTE NOT YOUR SHORT LIFE!

Memory verse: “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow." (Psalm 144 vs 4.)

READ: Psalm 39 vs 4 - 6:

39:4: “LORD, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am.

39:5: Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.

39:6: Surely every man walks about like a shadow; surely they busy themselves in vain; he heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them.

INTIMATION: 

Life is short. In our anchor Scripture, David reminds us that it “is like a breath” and that our “days are like a passing shadow.” The apostle James puts it this way, “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4 vs 14). And because life is short, a good, proper, and adequate use of it should be everyone’s target. 

The clarity of the shortness of man’s life is enunciated in Job’s despondent prayer: “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue. Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass. But man dies and is laid away; indeed he breathes his last and where is he? As water disappears from the sea, and a river becomes parched and dries up, So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor roused from their sleep.” (Job 14 vs 1 - 2; 5; 10 - 12.)

What then is the good, proper, and adequate use of your short life? It’s living for God—living by the word of God—the will of God for you; living in consonance with God’s predestined purposes for your life. Consequently, you should live for God while you have the time. Don’t waste your life by selecting an inferior purpose that has no lasting value. Only God can make your life worthwhile, purposeful, and meaningful. 

Ironically, people spend so much time securing their lives on earth but take little or no thought about where they will spend eternity. The Scripture is very clear on the fact that amassing riches and busily accomplishing worldly tasks would not secure you eternity with Christ.

Many are blindfolded in the deceitfulness of worldly pleasures, and standards. Worldly standards use honor, power, wealth, or prestige to measure people. And the worldly thinking is that such people are really getting ahead in life. But on God’s scale, these people are a puff of air. Worldly standards and pleasures are insignificant in God’s standard of measurement.

What, then, can tilt the scales when God weighs us? It is trusting in God and working for Him. Wealth, honor, power, or prestige add nothing in our value in God’s eyes, only the faithful work we do for Him has eternal value. 

Life is short no matter how many years we live. Don’t be deceived into thinking that you have lots of remaining time to do what you please now, and later live for Christ, thereby oscillating between life in Christ and worldly pleasures. Because life is short, do what is truly important; start living for God today! Then, no matter when your life ends, you would have fulfilled God’s plan for you. You must not put it off for what you may consider a better day. Now is the time! Start with surrendering your life to Christ now.

Whatever you have on earth is only temporary. It cannot be exchanged for your soul. If you work hard at getting what you want, you might eventually have a pleasurable life, but in the end you will find it hollow and empty when it is outside the Will of God for you. Are you willing to make the pursuit of God more important than selfish pursuits? Follow Jesus, and you will know what it means to live abundantly now and happily ever after to eternity with Christ. 

Possessions, and pleasures are good only if gotten within the ambit of God’s law and Will. It’s good to have them because they are good in themselves, but they can disappoint us if we leave God out of them. There is no point doing anything in your short life as though God does not exist, because the future is in His hands. 

Nothing, not even life itself, can compare to what we gain in Christ. He wants us to choose to follow Him rather than to lead a life of sin and self-satisfaction. He wants us to stop trying to control our own destiny and to let Him direct us. This makes good sense because, as the Creator, Christ knows better than we do what real life is about. Jesus asks us only to lose our self-centered determination to be in charge of our lives; He asks for our submission, not self-hatred. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are the Creator and Owner of the universe. All things are under Your control and for Your predetermined purposes. Give me the grace to live for You in my short span of life on earth, and earn Your approval for a crown of life in eternity with You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

We Experience the Spirit Through Faith

Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? (Galatians 3:5) 

Every Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul said, “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Romans 8:9). The Spirit came to you the first time when you believed in the blood-bought promises of God. And the Spirit keeps on coming, and keeps on working, by this same means.

So Paul asks, rhetorically in Galatians 3:5, “Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?” Answer: “By hearing with faith.”

Therefore, the Spirit came the first time, and the Spirit keeps on being supplied, through the channel of faith. Whatever he accomplishes in and through us is by faith.

If you are like me, you may have strong longings from time to time for the mighty working of the Holy Spirit in your life. Perhaps you cry out to God for the outpouring of the Spirit in your life or in your family or church or city. Such cries are right and good. Jesus said, “How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13). 

But what I have found most often in my own life is the failure to open myself to the full measure of the Spirit’s work by believing the specific promises of God. I don’t mean merely the promise that the Spirit will come when we ask. I mean all the other precious promises that are not directly about the Spirit but, perhaps, about God’s provision for my future — for example, “My God will supply every need of yours” (Philippians 4:19). God’s Spirit is supplied in an ongoing and powerful way precisely through specific acts of faith in specific promises for specific situations. Do I trust him right now to do what he has promised to do?

This is what is missing in the experience of so many Christians as they seek the power of the Spirit in their lives. The Spirit is supplied to us “by hearing with faith” (Galatians 3:5) — not just faith in one or two promises about the Spirit himself, but about all the soul-satisfying presence of God in our future to do for us, and be for us, whatever we need.

UNDERSTANDING GOD’S FAVOR!

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JULY 10, 2023.

SUBJECT: UNDERSTANDING GOD’S FAVOR!

Memory verse: “And having come in, the angel says to her, ‘Rejoice highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women." (Luke 1 vs 28.)

READ: First Samuel 2 vs 26; Luke 2 vs 40 & 52:

First Samuel 2:26: And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men.

Luke 2:40: And the child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. And the grace of God was upon Him.

2:52: And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

INTIMATION: 

Favor is described as kindness; approval, friendly regard from a superior. Favor is, objectively, the grace in a person. When the Favor is of God, it is known as divine or supernatural favor—the grace or power from God in a person that enables him act graciously or favorably. And grace is described as unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor; the power that comes from God through the Holy Spirit indwelling us to help a person overcome all life’s challenges, and to meet every of our needs. 

The word “grace” and the word “favor” are both translated from the same Greek word “charis.” So, the grace of God is the favor of God. And favor of God is the grace of God—that which causes things to happen in our life that need to happen through the channel of our faith. It is the power of the Holy Spirit we receive to change us and to change our circumstances. One of the twenty-five names of the Holy Spirit found in the Bible is "the Spirit of grace." It is by God's Spirit of grace that we find favor with God and with man.

To be favored is to be featured—you attract a special attention or presented prominently; the Lord shining His light upon you, all to His glory. Although that light is real, it is usually invisible to the human eyes. Most of the time people don't even know why they look upon you with favor. They don't know why they like you, accept you, trust you, approve of you, enjoy being around you, prefer you over others. They just do, because God shines His light of grace upon you and gives you favor. If we keep our attitude right; giving God the glory, instead of becoming haughty and proud, then He will continue to pour out His favor upon us and treat us like His favorite.

Being featured, in my considered opinion, is not pride when the favored or featured position comes from God, not from our own personal ambitions or our own selfish efforts to call attention to ourselves. In all honesty, I find it very delightful to be featured by God. I like to see God move on my behalf, and I think everyone feels the same way. I must admit that it is fun to watch God single out someone for special attention and preferential treatment, especially in the presence of others. 

For example, have you ever found yourself standing in a long queue and worried about when to take your turn? Have you ever prayed for God to help you get through quicker? In April, 2009, I and my whole family (seven of us) went for visas interview at American embassy in Lagos. That morning, before leaving the hotel, we asked God for favor. At the embassy, we were on the line for barely five minutes when one of the security officials of the embassy worked up to my last daughter and child, and asked her to come to the front with the rest of us that came with her. In less than twenty minutes we were in the interview hall. While standing before the white lady interviewing us, the lady had her whole attention on the children and after granting us visas on virgin passports for a family of seven, she advised the children to keep the visas to enable them go to America for further studies in feature. 

If this is not the favor of God, what else can it be? If this kind of thing happens to you, you have been receiving God's favor, perhaps without even being aware of it. Just think how much more it will happen when you know to ask for it. And all that is left for you to do is to say, "Thank You Lord."

It is always enjoyable to have favor from God. It just seems that it doesn't happen as often as we would like. Part of the problem is us. There are so many things that God would love to do for us, but He cannot because we won't ask. One reason we won't ask is because we don't feel worthy. We don't have nearly as much fun with the Lord as we should. We should have more freedom and liberty, and less fear and legalism. The only time we will go to God and ask for special favor is when we are absolutely desperate, when we have gotten ourselves into a situation that we cannot possibly handle on our own.

The Lord wants to be personally involved in our lives. He wants to be involved with us in the gas station queue, He wants to be involved with us in the grocery store checkout line. He wants to be involved with us when we get caught in a traffic jam and can't move and so on. God is interested and wants to get involved in everything about us. God wants to give us supernatural favor because it provokes genuine praise and thanksgiving which are very delightful to God because it is the only thing He can't do for Himself.

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is that Your Spirit of grace rest upon me always, that I may continually obtain Your favor in my life in all the things I do, and all circumstances that may confront me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Proud Works vs. Humble Faith

 “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’” (Matthew 7:22)

Consider the difference between a heart of “faith” and a heart of “works.” 

The heart of works gets satisfaction from the ego-boost of accomplishing something in its own power. It will attempt to scale a vertical rock face, or take on extra responsibilities at work, or risk life in a combat zone, or agonize through a marathon, or perform religious fasting for weeks — all for the satisfaction of conquering a challenge by the force of its own will and the stamina of its own body. 

The heart with a works-orientation may also go in another direction and express its love of independence and self-direction and self-achievement by rebelling against courtesy and decency and morality (Galatians 5:19–21). But it’s the same self-determining, self-exalting works-orientation — whether it is being immoral or mounting a crusade against immoral behavior. The common denominator is self-direction, self-reliance, and self-exaltation. In all of this, the basic satisfaction of the works-orientation is the savor of being an assertive, autonomous, and, if possible, triumphant self. 

The heart of faith is radically different. Its desires are no less strong as it looks to the future. But what it desires is the fullest satisfaction of experiencing all that God is for us in Jesus. 

If “works” wants the satisfaction of feeling itself overcome an obstacle, “faith” savors the satisfaction of feeling God overcome an obstacle. Works longs for the joy of being glorified as capable, strong, and smart. Faith longs for the joy of seeing God glorified for his capability and strength and wisdom and grace. 

In its religious form, works accepts the challenge of morality, conquers its obstacles through great exertion, and offers the victory to God as a payment for his approval and recompense. Faith, too, accepts the challenge of morality, but only as an occasion to become the instrument of God’s power. And when the victory comes, faith rejoices that all the glory and thanks belong to God.

DISCOVER GOD’S PURPOSE IN LIFE FOR YOU!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JULY 09, 2023.

SUBJECT: DISCOVER GOD’S PURPOSE IN LIFE FOR YOU!

Memory verse: “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps." (Jeremiah 10 vs 23.)

READ: Psalm 139 vs 15 - 18:

139:15: My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

139:16: Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

139:17: How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

139:18: If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

INTIMATION: 

God created all things for His specific and specialized purposes. These specific purposes are His thoughts for each and everything He created. God has His reasons (known to Him alone) for creating you a female or male, a black or white, English, French or African, short or tall, and even, the reason of creating you at that time in history. He has His reasons for creating the animate and inanimate objects. According to Scriptures, God’s purpose for creating you is predetermined even before you were formed in your mother’s womb. Your days, as willed by God, and the details of your life, according to His thoughts and purposes, are already written in His book.

God is absolutely organized, and never does anything accidentally. When you consider the complex web of the world structures; the galaxies and all other creations coexisting without interference with each other, you will acknowledge the mightiness and uniqueness of His wisdom. He never makes mistakes. He has a reason for everything He created, and are designed with specific purposes in His mind. Therefore, to lead a purposeful life is to live in accordance with your God’s predetermined purposes for you.

How then do we find out our God ordained purposes in life? It’s only by going back to the Creator and enquiring from Him. God gave man specific mandates after creation to, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth” (Genesis 1 vs 28). God has given us the mandate to be productive, reproduce in large numbers, keep refilling the earth, overcome and bring it into submission, and have sovereign rulership over all things that move upon the earth. Within this sphere of authority given to man, are specific responsibilities to us individually, and collectively. 

God has ordained everyone for specific purposes, and consequently, equipped everyone with the necessary powers, skills and talents to serve Him accordingly. Therefore, for a purposeful living, in line with the Will of God, we must be guided by Him who created all things, prearranged, and preordained them to serve His predetermined purposes. To effectively access the information requires our fellowship with Him; total obedience and commitment to Him and His laws; being guided by Him in all our ways. And only in so doing can anyone be assured of receiving a good access to haven and walking in line with God’s preordained purposes for you.

God wants to help you carry out His Will for you. He allows us participate with Him in carrying out His will. Your task is to give your best effort in the work that needs to be done. It’s for this reason He sent us an Helper—the Holy Spirit who counsels, comforts, intercedes, advocates, strengthens, stands-by, encourages, and empowers us at all times if we turn to God and obediently do His bidding.

Apart from Jesus Christ, none has served out 100% of God’s purposes for them in their lives. God had series of disappointments from His trusted servants, who grossly failed Him one way or the other in the process of achieving His purposes for them. Great multitude of people have gone through life not serving their God’s ordained purposes at all, and many are still going in such direction, and many will eventually be gone that way. Many scratched the surface, and are gone. 

The question now is, “Do you know your purpose in life?” “How far and how well have you served your purpose?” The ultimate assessment of how well we have done is with God, and that will be at the appointed day of judgement! But before that day, in your honest and sincere reflection into your life, where do you categorize yourself as to belong? It’s a self-assessment that requires an urgent answer. The time is short, and the time to make amends is now! 

Prayer: Abba Father, without You I am nothing, and can do nothing to serve Your preordained purpose in life for me. Show me the path of life for me that I may walk in it, and obtain Your approval for the crown of life—eternal life with You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Smallest Faith

 It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. (Romans 9:16)

Let us make crystal clear at the beginning of the year that all we will get from God this year, as believers in Jesus, is mercy. Whatever pleasures or pains come our way will all be mercy. 

This is why Christ came into the world: “in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (Romans 15:9). We were born again “according to his great mercy” (1 Peter 1:3). We pray daily “that we may receive mercy” (Hebrews 4:16); and we are now “waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life” (Jude 1:21). If any Christian proves trustworthy, it is “by the Lord’s mercy [he] is trustworthy” (1 Corinthians 7:25). 

In Luke 17:5–6, the apostles plead with the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And Jesus says, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” In other words, the issue in our Christian life and ministry is not the strength or quantity of our faith, because that is not what uproots trees. God does. Therefore, the smallest faith that truly connects us with Christ will engage enough of his power for all you need.

But what about the times that you successfully obey the Lord? Does your obedience move you out of the category of supplicant of mercy? Jesus gives the answer in the following verses of Luke 17:7–10.

“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Therefore, I conclude, the fullest obedience and the smallest faith obtain the same thing from God: mercy. A mere mustard seed of faith taps into the mercy of God’s tree-moving power. And flawless obedience leaves us utterly dependent on mercy.

The point is this: Whatever the timing or form of God’s mercy, we never rise above the status of beneficiaries of mercy. We are always utterly dependent on what we do not deserve. 

Therefore let us humble ourselves and rejoice and “glorify God for his mercy!”

Eternity by Dax