Tuesday Week 6 – Cost Cutters

by | Feb 6, 2018 | Daily Devotional, General |

Today’s Scripture Reading: Leviticus 26:3-33
 
 There is something in man that just loves a good bargain. Don’t you do too?
 
Even people who have immense wealth still seem to pride themselves in being able to get as much as they can for as little as they can get away with; this after all, is one of the cornerstone principles of capitalism and investments – Spend as little as possible to get as much as possible in return. It is called profit.
 
 A common saying exemplifies this:

“Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves.”

Counting The Cost

Many times, in order to achieve the objective stated above, people will often look for ways to cut costs, with a view to maximising their returns. However, even in business, there comes a time when cutting costs will actually cost your business a lot more than you save.

This is the same with obedience:

“The real cost of disobedience is actually a lot more than what you thought you were losing by obeying God – what you stand to lose by disobeying, is always a lot more than what you were unwilling to pay to obey”

As the saying goes: “Pay now or pay later; but pay you will”

Disobedience is like a delayed payback programme with interest and penalty charges added on top. Disobedience will always cost you a lot more in the long term, than what you thought you were gaining in the short term

Our scripture today lays out the contrast in fortunes between obedience and disobedience. It also sheds some light on a question you may have asked from the closing scripture verse from yesterday’s devotional:

“If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land” Isaiah 1:19

 

What does it mean to “eat the good of the land”?

 

Some Blessings of Obedience – Leviticus 26:3-13

– Fruitfulness: I will give you your rains in their time, so that the land will give its yield and the trees of the field will produce their fruit.

  • – Overflow: There will be a continuos overlap; an overflow of your seedtime and the time of your harvest into each other.
  • – Security: Safety from the attack of enemies
  • – Peace: You will lie down and sleep without anyone terrifying you
  • – Victory: Triumph over enemies
  • – His Glory: The blessing of God’s manifest and abiding presence

Look at these verses from the NET translation (Leviticus 26:9-12)

“9 I will turn to you, make you fruitful, multiply you, and maintain my covenant with you.

10You will still be eating stored produce from the previous year and will have to clean out what is stored from the previous year to make room for new.

11”’I will put my tabernacle in your midst and I will not abhor you.

12I will walk among you, and I will be your God and you will be my people.“

 
Child of God, looking at the list above, do you not get excited about living a life of obedience to God? I know that I am!
You can read up the rest of the verses (Leviticus 26:14-33) to see the contrasting fortunes of those who live in disobedience to the will of God. I pray that will not be your portion in the Name of Jesus.
 
As Apostle Paul says in Hebrews 6:9-12 (NET):

“9 But in your case, dear friends, even though we speak like this, we are convinced of better things relating to salvation.

10For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints. 11But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end,

12so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.”

Amen.
 
Shalom,

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?

 

PRAYER FOCUS

Mediate on Leviticus 26:3-13; examine your life and see if any of these promises are lacking or not manifesting.

Ask God to show you if there is any breach of disobedience in your life.
 
Repent and make it right.
 
Take these promises back to God; claim, confess and prophesy every single one of these blessings into your life in the Name of Jesus.
 
Command your life to align with the word of God to begin to manifest the blessings of obedience from this moment in Jesus’s Name.

 

THIS WEEK’S MEMORY VERSE: Philippians 2:13
 
Song For Today: Trust and Obey – Don Moen