FRIDAY 24TH JANUARY, 2025
🎚 CENTRAL TRUTH:
True and practical Christianity requires us taking some hard decisions from time to time.
📖 BIBLE TEXT:
Genesis 21:9-14; Philippians 2:5-9
🔑 KEY VERSE:
"When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Mark 8:34).
🖊️ COMMENTARY
In the world today, people take hard decisions for results that do not augur well with them at last. A few years ago we saw on social media a young man who went viral for killing his mother to use her for money ritual. People are doing so many terrible and abominable things to acquire wealth, position and popularity.
But on the contrary, as children of God, the word of God enjoined us to also take hard decisions for the good of our souls and to the glory of our Father in heaven. Serving God requires a lot of sacrifice. Abraham took the hard decision of leaving his father's home for God-knows-where (Gen. 12:1-3). And decided to offer the promised son 25 years of waiting, (Gen. 22:1-18). For Abraham to walk with God, become a friend of God, father of many nations, a blessing to the entire world and father of the Christian faith, he needed to take such hard and painful decisions.
Without mincing words, the Lord Jesus told the people of His day the cost of following Him. Jesus Himself took the painful decision of leaving His throne in heaven, took the form of man and went through the excruciating pain and shame on the rugged cross of Calvary like a criminal for better results. His death brought us salvation, healing, deliverance, restoration and reconciliation to God.
Practical Christianity requires us taking some hard and painful decisions which may cost us some relationships, titles, associations, pleasures, comforts, positions, rights and privileges etc. We should be ready to pay the corresponding price if we must have the expected results.
🙏🏿 PRAYER
Father, help me to do your will at all cost and be pleased with what pleases you.
📜 ONE YEAR BIBLE STUDY PLAN Exodus 21:22–25: 9
⛅HEAVEN / ETERNITY:
Our Ultimate Aim.
HAPPY ❤️ FRIDAY!
"... We are One Big; loving; Peaceful; and United Family"
*Extracted and used on permission from *Evangel Devotional Meal of Assemblies of God Nigeria*
In case you missed the Wednesday's post Read it here
