Tuesday Week 5 — Eventually…

by | Jan 30, 2018 | Daily Devotional, General |

Today’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 12:1-5

 In this week’s devotional theme, we will be looking at a few men from the bible and see if we can identify some traits in their character that could be a reflection of ours.

The first man we will be looking at is Abraham.
 
Abraham or Abram as he was originally known, is one of the Patriarchs of faith that features very prominently in Judaeo-Christian theological writings.
 
This is what the bible says concerning Abraham in Genesis 15:6 –

“Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD considered his response of faith as proof of genuine loyalty.”

 
Abraham walked so intimately with God, that God declared concerning him, that Abraham was His friend:

“But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:8‬‬

 “And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”And he was called the friend of God.” James ‭2:23‬ ‭NKJV‬

So many times in his walk with God, we see in Abraham’s life, a single-minded commitment to obeying God and acting on His word with incredible faith andtotal dedication to the will of God. But this was not always so!

 

You see, Abram (as he was originally called), had a major flaw in his life – he was human; just like you and I are. He was also subject to human frailties and bouts of “flesh-ititis” (a new word I think I just invented…I googled it); times where the “realities” and pressures of life dictated responses in him, that were in disobedience to God’s instructions and will for his life, and a stark contradiction to the character of the man Abraham, that he would eventually be called.

Abraham obeyed God….Eventually.

Just as it was with Abraham, our acts of disobedience can be very subtle and will not always be very plain to see; especially not to ourselves. Our actions can sometimes be masked in seeming acts of generosity or loyalty which blind us to the reality of the fact that we are actually walking in disobedience to God’s perfect counsel in those situations.

 

Abraham made so many mistakes early on in his life. Mistakes that were the direct or indirect consequence of his disobedience to God; mistakes that caused him loss; cost him time, and delayed the fulfilment of God’s promises concerning his life and almost compromised his destiny. We will be examining some of these over the next few days.

Dear friend, think carefully about this –

You will always find a reason good enough for you to justify or excuse your disobedience if you look hard enough.

Maybe you are not even inclined to look at all, because you have now become blinded by the deception of the flesh into thinking that all is well.

Maybe you reading this today, are holding back on tithing and you are struggling against the conviction of the Holy Spirit who is gently nudging you not to withhold, so that you can see the awesomeness of God as He honours your obedience to His word.
 
Maybe you have been blindsided by the spirit of disobedience – anger, offence, unforgiveness, delay, comfort, convenience, fame, popularity, reputation, lust, hardship, challenges of life. These are some of the things that the flesh will take advantage of, to lure you or lull you into disobeying God.
 
Disobedience will sometimes yield you with seemingly “welcome results” or a fleeting “relief”; and that right there, is the unfortunate snare in its deception.

The so-called gains of disobedience are only temporary. It will always produce fruit that will surely go rotten in time.

Are you doing what God said for you to do, when He said to do it and how He said you should do it? Are you delaying, neglecting or even out right refusing to obey God’s instructions to you and have chosen your own way instead?
 
Hear what the word of God says to you today:

“There is a way that seems right to a person,
but its end is the way that leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12

Selah,

Pastor Wale Ola

LIFE APPLICATION
1. What is God saying to me in today’s message?

2. What was ministered to me in the bible verses that I read today?

3. What are the changes or adjustments I need to make in my life to align with the word of God?

4. What is my commitment to the word for today?

5. What practical steps can I take to benefit from the word I have read today?

 
This Week’s Memory Verse: Proverbs 14:12

PRAYER FOCUS
Repent of any act of disobedience that the Holy Spirit will reveal to you today.

Make a commitment to address and redress the situation(s) immediately. Bind the spirit of procrastination and ask God to quicken an urgency in you to obey His word.
 
Consecrate yourself and pray a prayer of surrender to the will of God for your life.
 
Ask God to shut any doors in your life through which the accuser and devoured have been empowered to come in to attack you.
 
Pray that God will keep you by His grace and might in the Name of Jesus.
 
Song For Today: Holiness – Micah Stampley