[January 4] FIRST THINGS FIRST
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:31-33Many times, we get overwhelmed by too many things. Modern life tends to be cluttered with too many things demanding for our attention. The presence of the cell phone and social media can make us run our lives around in circles without achieving much for God and ourselves. That is why we need to have priorities.
Our vision and goals must be based on right priorities. First things first. When we learn the alphabets, we begin with, ‘A, B, C…’ When we learn numbers, we begin with, ‘1, 2, 3…’ in both instances, we start at the point which will lead us to the next logical step and build on that foundation. In the same way, when we want to order our lives, we need to start from the point that will lead us to the next logical step and build up on that.
Our Lord Jesus gave us the first thing to seek for. He said our priorities must be set by putting the things of God first in our lives. In our rush to acquire the comforts of life, we are tempted to push the things of God on to the back burner. However, when we seek God first, all the other parts of our lives fall in place.
Here are some ways to make God first in your life:
- Read the Bible for at least ten minutes daily
- Pray a minimum of ten minutes daily
- Attend church services regularly
- Serve God with your time and talents
- Honour Christ with every choice you make
- Win one soul to Christ this year
- Generously support the work of God with your finances
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are the priority of my life. Give me the grace to live my life in a way that pleases you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 6 : 31 - 33
31 Therefore do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?` or `What shall we drink?` or `What shall we wear?`
32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
[January 3] HAVING A VISION AND SETTING GOALS
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Proverbs 29:18
For us to make the most of a year, we must see ahead of the year and work with specific targets. We need to have a vision for the year and set goals to achieve them.
• Vision. Where there is no vision, people perish. Vision is a clear picture of what you desire to achieve or experience in the future. We are sustained and kept on track in life by the quality of our vision. When we live our lives without any clear picture of where we are headed or what we want to do with the talents and opportunities we have, we waste the days and squander the gift of life that God has blessed us with.
• Goals are part of a vision. They are the vision broken down into achievable parts. We can use days, weeks, and months to set clear targets for our vision. When we do that, we are able to measure our progress as the days turn to weeks; and weeks turn to months.
Without a clear sense of where we are going and where we want to get to, we will settle for any destination. Without vision, we will accept anything that comes our way and allow other people to set the agenda for our lives.
The NIV renders today’s verse as, ‘Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint’. To cast off restraint is to have no guide or control. Can you imagine what would happen if there was no pipe to guide the water from the pump station into your house? That pipe acts as the ‘restraint’ that controls and guides the water from the pump station. Without it, the water will be wasted.
That is what vision is like. Without it, you waste your precious life. Don’t go through this year and the rest of your life without a clear vision. Invest your time in reflecting on what you want to do and achieve this year.
This year, God is calling on you to develop a vision that will provide guidance and direction for every effort you make and all the energy you spend.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to live purposefully this year. Give me the discipline to follow through with your plan for my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 29:18
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
[November 3] WHEN GOD CALLS
WHEN GOD CALLS
And before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!”(1 Samuel 3:3-4)
God called Samuel ‘before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle’. This term refers to the period just before a new day began. The practice was for the lamp in the tabernacle to be turned off at sunrise. The Bible makes a reference to this time to show us a unique trait of Samuel; he was alert and watchful. In the stillness of dawn, he was alert enough to hear God whisper his name.
God called Samuel while he was lying down. It bears noting that the passage does not say he was asleep; simply that he was reclining. The impression you get was that, although Samuel was lying down quietly, he was not in a deep sleep. The young man was probably in a praying mood. What if Samuel had been deeply asleep? Would he have heard the Lord whisper his name?
‘The Lord called Samuel’. God mentioned Samuel’s name. God’s calling to each of us is by name. He knows each name and where to find us when He is ready to speak to us. Our Lord does not give one person’s message to another by mistake. The Lord specifically addresses each one of us when He has to do so.
From Samuel, we learn to wait on the Lord at all times. We learn that even when it seems like we’ve waited so long and it’s almost too late, the Lord will show up ‘before the lamp goes out’. He will not be late. He will be on time.
There are many of God’s children who are tired of waiting as they see their lamps burning out without hearing from the Lord. Some wonder if God really knows about them; they wonder if they still matter to the Lord. Yes, you matter to Him. He knows your name. He knows where you are, and He knows what tone to use to speak to you.
Samuel’s answer to God is the answer that many godly people had used before him, ‘Here I am’. That is how Abraham answered when God called. That is how Moses answered when God called. However, that answer did not seem to be sufficient in Samuel’s case. He answered, ’Here I am’ but heard nothing more.
That tells us that God demands different responses from each of us when He calls. We cannot just respond as others ahead of us have done. We have to respond as God wants us to respond.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know you know me. You know my name and where I am. I am ready for you. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1
[November 2] GRACE FINDS US
GRACE FINDS US
Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 3
Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. (1 Samuel 3:1)
This week, we will consider Samuel’s call by the Lord. Samuel was a miracle gift that the Lord gave in answer to his mother, Hannah’s, prayer. He was also a gift that his mother gave back to the Lord after he was born. He was a gift from the Lord that was given back to the Lord.
The calling of Samuel is a clear picture of how God’s grace finds us when we don’t seem to qualify for what God wants us to do. Let us turn our attention to a couple of indications in the passage.
The first is that Samuel was not born into the priesthood family. Samuel was not a Levite. He was from the tribe of Ephraim, of which there was no mention of the priesthood. Yet, our passage tells us that Samuel ‘ministered to the Lord, before Eli’.
Although, his natural tribe did not qualify him for the service of the priesthood in Israel, God brought him in by grace. It appears that Samuel was able to minister to the Lord in Shiloh because his mother gave him totally as a gift to the Lord. Samuel’s mother’s act of faith and generosity opened a path for him into an area of operation that was closed to his family.
The second is the spiritual state of Israel. The passage describes the spiritual condition of the nation with these words, ‘the word of the Lord was rare in those days’. That phrase did not mean that God was not speaking; instead, it meant that people were not hearing from God.
Eli, the priest, had grown physically weak and ineffective as a leader; while his sons defiled the Temple with their immoral acts. This troubling state of Israel’s priesthood was the atmosphere that Samuel ministered in. In spite of the wrong things happening all around him, Samuel kept his heart for the Lord and ministered to the Lord in holiness.
Although from a non-priesthood tribe, Samuel ministered to the Lord. We learn about God’s grace from how He allowed Samuel into the priesthood. The Lord we serve can call people who may not have all the natural qualifications to do things reserved for a select group.
We cannot write ourselves off simply because of a natural limitation in our lives. The same God who bypassed the sons of Eli, who were from the priesthood family, to speak to an Ephraimite boy, can bypass many to reach out to you. May grace find you today.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your grace that is able to locate me wherever I am. Help me to serve you with a true heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
[November 1] ANOINTED HANDS
ANOINTED HANDS
And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. (Acts 5:12)
We have been studying different expressions of our hands this week; today, we wrap up with a focus on anointed hands.
The term ‘hands of the Apostles’ used in today’s passage does not refer to their physical hands. It refers to the work God did through them. The book of Acts records many signs and wonders that God enabled them to do.
As was the case with the Apostles, God is able to anoint our hands for signs and wonders in the things we do. This includes every area of human endeavour: our workplace, our businesses and various other activities we are daily engaged with. God gives us grace to function, excel and produce results that can be best described as signs and wonders.
Jesus instructed us to lay hands on the sick. This is because the hand of the believer is an extension of the hand of God. What He is able to do by His hand, He has given us grace to do by our hands:
• Our hands can bring deliverance to people just as the Lord’s outstretched hand brought deliverance;
• Our hands are healing hands to touch the world with His hand of healing and power.
Our hands represent our work We must not use our work to cause pain. God’s has anointed our work to build rather than to destroy others. Our work must not bring sickness, pain and misery to people. It must pull people up and help them to fulfill their life’s mission.
God wants to use us to heal a sick world. May you be a conveyor of the grace of God to many people. May every aspect of your work minister the glory, beauty and power of Christ to the world. That’s what your hands have been anointed to do.
May God use you to make a difference in the lives of many.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I present my hands to you. Anoint them and use them to bring healing to many and glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Scripture Reading: Acts 5:1-16
[October 31] RESTORED HANDS
RESTORED HANDS
Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.(Matthew 12:12–13)This is the account of a man who came to the synagogue on the Sabbath Day with a withered hand. He needed a miracle and Jesus was ready to help him; but there was strong resistance from the Pharisees, who were advocates of strict adherence to the sabbath. Jesus asked the man to ‘stretch out his hand’; and he was instantly healed to the total dismay of the Pharisees.
Luke’s account notes that the withered hand was the man’s right hand. To the Jews, the right hand represented power and favour. The right hand was used figuratively to signify strength and expression.
The man’s situation was not life-threatening, but it was life-limiting. It was not likely to kill him, but it would significantly limit his options in life.
A withered hand represents the things that do not threaten our lives but which render us totally ineffective. A withered right hand could be:
• A sense of inferiority that keeps you timid; you may have failed at something several times and concluded that you don’t have what it takes.
• A painful memory from the past that freezes your vision of the future; sometimes a sense of regret about missed opportunities can cripple you and hold you captive to your painful past.
• Negative words implanted in your mind that crush your self-esteem; the verdicts and opinions of others may threaten to confine you to a place of limitation.
Christ is able to restore your withered hands, regardless of what form they might take. Yours may probably be your work, or something you owned which has been forcibly taken away from you. Sometimes, a potentially productive venture in our hands ceases to be fruitful and we are left wondering what to do. You may also be under pressure because time may not be on your side. Whatever it is, allow Jesus to bring restoration into your life.
Today, may the Lord restore your withered hands and give back to you anything the enemy has stolen from you.
Believe and declare that the works of your hands that have been lost are being restored.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, restore to me time, opportunities and work that I have I lost. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Scripture Reading: Matthew 12:1-14
[October 30] BLESSED HANDS
BLESSED HANDS
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 28:1-13
The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 28:8)
Not only does God train our hands for work; He is also able to bless the work of our hands. He can command a blessing on all that we set our hands to do.
A commanded blessing is a blessing that God intentionally speaks into existence. The idea is similar to God commanding light out of the darkness. Just as God brought light into being when the opposite, darkness, had covered the earth, God can bring a blessing into being when a curse has covered the earth.
A commanded blessing is a blessing that cannot be overturned. No spiritual authority can overrule a blessing that the Lord has commanded over His people.
As God’s covenant children, we are eligible for His commanded blessing. At a time when things are going down for so many, the Lord has commanded that things should go up for us.
At a time when our world is shaken and unstable, the Lord has commanded establishment in our lives. At a time when people’s hearts fail them, the Lord has commanded a blessing of peace over you.
God’s commanded blessing on what we do with our hands has no geographical limitations. He can command a blessing on the work of our hands in the village and the city.
God’s commanded blessing will improve the work of our hands during a season of famine or in plenty. No place or situation is beyond the reach of God’s commanded blessing.
Today, let us stand ready for God’s commanded blessing on the work of our hands. May the Lord of light cause our work to shine in the darkness.
May the Lord of the earth cause the work of our hands to flourish in the desert place. May the Lord of the heavens water what we have sown with our hands and make us fruitful.
Your labour will be abundantly rewarded.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your commanded blessing on the work of my hand. I receive it in fullness, in Jesus’ name. Amen!
The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 28:8)
Not only does God train our hands for work; He is also able to bless the work of our hands. He can command a blessing on all that we set our hands to do.
A commanded blessing is a blessing that God intentionally speaks into existence. The idea is similar to God commanding light out of the darkness. Just as God brought light into being when the opposite, darkness, had covered the earth, God can bring a blessing into being when a curse has covered the earth.
A commanded blessing is a blessing that cannot be overturned. No spiritual authority can overrule a blessing that the Lord has commanded over His people.
As God’s covenant children, we are eligible for His commanded blessing. At a time when things are going down for so many, the Lord has commanded that things should go up for us.
At a time when our world is shaken and unstable, the Lord has commanded establishment in our lives. At a time when people’s hearts fail them, the Lord has commanded a blessing of peace over you.
God’s commanded blessing on what we do with our hands has no geographical limitations. He can command a blessing on the work of our hands in the village and the city.
God’s commanded blessing will improve the work of our hands during a season of famine or in plenty. No place or situation is beyond the reach of God’s commanded blessing.
Today, let us stand ready for God’s commanded blessing on the work of our hands. May the Lord of light cause our work to shine in the darkness.
May the Lord of the earth cause the work of our hands to flourish in the desert place. May the Lord of the heavens water what we have sown with our hands and make us fruitful.
Your labour will be abundantly rewarded.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your commanded blessing on the work of my hand. I receive it in fullness, in Jesus’ name. Amen!
[October 29] THE DILIGENT HAND
THE DILIGENT HAND
The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labour. (Proverbs 12:24)
A diligent hand is a working hand. But it is more than a working hand. The word, ‘diligent’, as used in this passage, carries the idea of being sharp and focused. It refers to showing intelligence and intensity in our work. It also speaks about doing our work with joy and enthusiasm.
The verse contrasts two different approaches to work and their consequences. One approach to work makes the worker rule or attain mastery; the other approach to work puts the worker to forced labour. Which of these two kinds of workers would you want to be? Obviously, the first is preferable. The worker who rules applies diligence, intelligence and intensity to their work.
God does not just want us to labour. Neither does He want us to do work that gives us no sense of fulfillment. Our Creator expects us to enjoy what we do, and give our best in all our endeavours.
The Lord does not want His children to feel like slaves on their job. He wants us to do our work as if we owned it, even if we are not the owners of the business. That requires diligence from us.
When we find out what God wants us to do with the gifts He has blessed us with, we must do all we can to use those gifts as part of our worship. We cannot claim to have received our talents from the Lord and use them as if He has no interest in how we do our work.
Of course, the Lord takes an interest in how diligently we do our work. He watches out for our faithfulness in little things before entrusting us with more important things.
There are things we can do to demonstrate our diligence with the work God has given us:
1. The first is WHEN WE SHOW UP for work. If we are habitually late for work, we will be marked as being lazy.
2. The second is THE THOUGHT WE GIVE to our work. We must think deeply about our work and engage our minds in finding creative solutions to the problems we face at work.
3. The third is COMMITTING TO THE IDEALS of your workplace. Be part of the team at work. Support others to achieve results.
That is how we show diligence with the work of our hands. As we show diligence, the Lord will cause us to always rise to the top.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to be diligent in my work. I commit to joyfully doing what you have called me to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 12:22-28
[October 28] WORKING HANDS
WORKING HANDS
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:25-32
Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labour, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. (Ephesians 4:28)
Trained hands must work. God ordained work for humanity right from our creation in the Garden of Eden. Since then, God has always required of us that we work to earn a living.
In our passage today, the Apostle Paul gives clear instructions for how Christians should conduct their lives in a community. It is clear that the Apostle’s instructions were addressing a real problem in the church; the issue of Christians who were not engaged in any profitable work. This problem had led to those Christians stealing from others.
The verse solves that problem by giving Christians a new assignment. Instead of stealing, we must be givers to those in need. Just imagine the profound change required for someone who had spent years stealing from others who now had to commit his life to giving to others. How can such a massive transformation take place? The answer is WORK!
In the end, work solves three problems for the Christian:
1. No stealing. When you value work, you also value every money you earn. When you appreciate the money you make, you also appreciate the money other people earn. As we respect our personal property, we also learn to value other people’s private property. Working with your hands will keep you from taking what belongs to others.
2. Have something good. Work allows us to live a good life. Although work will not enable us to have all the good things we want in life, it gives us a good sense of ourselves. Consider the sense of pride you felt when you bought your first clothes or shoes with money you had earned or when you bought something precious with your own money. No matter how small it was, you felt good. Working with your hands enables us to live a better life.
3. Help others in need. This is what the scriptures instruct us to do. We must seek to become givers and helpers. Instead of taking from others, God wants us to be givers to others. Giving enriches our lives. Have you ever had the privilege of doing something good for someone because you had the means to do it? It just makes you feel full. Working with our hands will make us bring joy to others.
May the Lord help us to work profitably with our hands.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me the grace to work profitably with my hands. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
