Morning Devotional For Wednesday, 22nd August

[Edoman]

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES


WEDNESDAY, 22ND AUGUST.

FOCUS ON YOUR HARVEST.

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease (Genesis 8:22).

The purpose of any seed is harvest. A seed is useless if it doesn’t, or isn’t going to produce a harvest. Once this is clear to you, the principle of giving and receiving becomes easy to understand. Sowing and reaping is a spiritual law in the Kingdom of God. When you sow a seed, be it monetary or material, your focus should be on your harvest, not on the seed you’re sowing. Galatians 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

When you sow an orange seed, you’re to expect orange fruits, but first the tree will grow and then produce oranges. When you sow a corn seed, your expectation is a harvest of corn. You don’t have to start praying for the earth to produce a harvest if that seed is planted in the right environment. There’s no need for prayer when the law of sowing and reaping has been applied. Thus, in your giving to the Lord, your harvest is guaranteed.

Where many have missed it is not focusing on the harvest in their giving as they should. They sow money-seed and are praying about their seed, even though the harvest is sure, and certainly bigger and greater than the seed itself. Just one seed is able to produce a bountiful harvest.

The Lord Jesus likened this to how the Kingdom of God functions: “…the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come” (Mark 4:26-29).


The task of sowing or giving isn’t, and should never be a mystery to you at all. Sow your seeds with confidence and great expectations with the picture of your harvest in your mind. Don’t ask, “How will the harvest come?” Every time you give, you set an irrevocable law in motion, and according to the law, whatever you give is multiplied back to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over (Luke 6:38).

PRAYER

Dear Father, I thank you for the knowledge of your Word that has come to my spirit today. Now, when I sow seeds, I know that the law of sowing and reaping is operational. Therefore, my harvest is as sure as your Word is sure. Thank you for multiplying my seeds sown and increasing the fruits of my righteousness, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:

Ecclesiastes 11:1-4 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. 2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. 3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty [themselves] upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. 4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

1-Year Bible Reading Plan
1 Corinthians 7 & Psalms 119:113-176

2-Year Bible Reading Plan
Colossians 1:19-29 & Jeremiah 7



#AFFIRMATIONTRAIN

22ND AUGUST.

I affirm that I am alive to God; having been brought into fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I and the Father are one, and I belong in the Kingdom of God’s dear Son, where I reign and rule by the power of the Spirit! My address is Christ; I’ve been brought into such a beautiful place of glory, beauty, honour, and prosperity.

Christ has been made unto me wisdom and that wisdom causes me to walk in the will of God, and fulfill my destiny in Christ. I am walking worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in all things as I joyfully anticipate His soon return. I walk in the light of my new life in Christ, conscious of my right standing with God, having received abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness.

I am reigning in life through Jesus Christ, making progress and moving forward; I am heaping success upon success. I am not of this world; therefore I am immune to the negativities and vagaries of the natural world. Glory to God!

SPEAK IN OTHER TONGUES NOW

• Be bold to say the same things that God has said concerning you in His Word. That is what takes you beyond salvation, to enjoy the benefits of salvation ~ Pastor Chris Oyakhilome.

God bless you.

[Edoman]

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL


DATE: WEDNESDAY 22ND AUGUST 2018


THEME: PERFORMING BELOW POTENTIAL?


MEMORISE:

I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth Ecclesiastes 10:7

READ: Proverb 6:4-11

4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

MESSAGE

The preacher’s observation in today’s memory verse is worthy of our reflection. It is indeed an interesting sight to see servants promoted to the level of riding on horses; of course, God is more than able to do this for those who love Him. However, it is an evil thing when princes are relegated to the position of walking on foot as servants. For those who profess to be God’s special people, such a situation is an anomaly and must be avoided. It is practically the same as performing below potential. The pertinent question we should consider is how come those who should be served are now in servitude? Thankfully, our Bible reading does not only reveal the cause, it also reveals the cure.

Laziness is the root cause of performing below potential. Any prince caught in the web of laziness will not amount to anything in life. Instead, his or her inheritance will go to other hands that are diligent, because God’s principle set out in Proverbs 12:24 says:

“The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.”

Poverty sends people to the field of servitude, and this is inevitable for the indolent. There is the story of two friends who went to the oracle to know their future. The seer turned to one of them and said, “Hail, the future king!” on hearing these words, he went away and began to celebrate himself as the future king, even though he was still in rags. The seer turned to the other man and said, “You will die in abject poverty.” He was dejected, but determined in his heart that he would fight to be successful, and so he went into the jungle and began to farm. After many years, he became prosperous, having plenty goods with male and female servants. A famine came to the town where his friend was living, still waiting for his “kingdom” to come. While searching for food, citizens of this town discovered the hardworking man and his abundance of supplies. They begged him to become their king, promising to serve him in exchange for food to survive the famine. That was how a man who was supposed to die in penury became a king. While an expectant “future king” remained poor for the rest of his life.

In conclusion, please note that diligence itself is time bound. There is time for everything under heaven. When some things are done belatedly, their purpose ends up being defeated. Our Bible text teaches about the ant, which provides food in the summer and gathers what it needs in harvest. What you do today determines what becomes of you in future. The cure for poor performance is proper preparation. For example, if your ambition is to become just a messenger, you don’t need a university education for that. However, if you desire to become a captain of industry, more often than not, you will need more than elementary education to achieve this. A word is enough for the wise.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, Lift me up above mediocrity, and grant me the grace to pay the price of good success.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 45-50

Matthew 24:15-35

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: TRUST AND OBEY.
1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

o Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

[Edoman]

*SEEDS OF DESTINY*

WEDNESDAY 22ND AUGUST 2018

*DEALING WITH THE LIFESTYLE OF LAZINESS*

(FROM AUGUST 2018 SEEDS OF DESTINY DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY DR. PASTOR PAUL ENENCHE)

SCRIPTURE: Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? Isaiah 51:9

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: A lazy person has no deadline and when there is no deadline, there can be no headline.

Laziness is a destroyer of life and destiny. Lazy people are not active people. Lazy people are not smart people. Through laziness, time is wasted and destinies are ruined.

A lazy person has no deadline and when there is no deadline, there is no headline. Lazy people do not make headlines for positive and impactful news in life. That is why the lifestyle of idleness and laziness must be totally dealt with.

Now, how can a person deal with idleness and laziness?
i) Destroy idleness by all means
Refuse to sit down doing nothing; ensure that you are busy for God and with your life. Do not watch time move and nothing is happening; work for God; give out a tract; lead a soul to Christ; do something!

ii) Do what you find until you get what you want to do.
Do what is findable. Many people are too selective, that is why they have found nothing to do with their lives. Sometime ago, a young man went to an office where they were looking for dispatch riders to distribute letters. When he gave them his credentials and they discovered that he was a graduate, they told him that they were looking for a Senior School Certificate (SSCE) holder and that he was over qualified for their employment. He told them that he was available to do the work. When they saw his willingness to work, they employed him and made him a supervisor and still went ahead to look for another person to do the dispatch rider job. They saw in him unusual sense of responsibility and they could not let him go; they needed someone like him in their workforce.

Beloved, my counsel is, do what you find until you find what you want.

Remember this: A lazy person has no deadline and when there is no deadline, there is no headline.

ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Avoid idleness by all means.
2. Do what you find until you find what you want.
3. Be busy for God; evangelize and share tracts.

PRAYER: O Lord, I make demands on Your Power to destroy idleness from my life. I receive the grace to be busy for You, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: DEADLY ENEMIES OF DESTINY (PART 5)

DAILY READING: Job 4:1 to 7:21, 1 Corinthians 14:18 to 40, Psalm 32:30 to 40, Proverbs 21:27

AMAZING FACT: Swell shark is a species of shark that can bark like a dog

TODAY IN HISTORY: 22/08/1865 - A patent for liquid soap was issued to William Sheppard.

QUOTE: The easiest way to get a destiny rotten is to be inactive. Culled from 21 FOOLISH THINGS PEOPLE DO by Dr Paul Enenche.