19 February
Deut.28:1-2
God’s abundant blessings come through full obedience
Here again the Scripture states that obedience is
the condition or basis for God’s blessings (Deut.28:1-2; cf.Deut.26:10-19). The
obedience acceptable to God for this purpose is full obedience to all
His commands (Deut.28:1; cf. Deut.6:5). It is not partial or half-hearted
obedience that the Lord requires for His blessings (Deut.28:1; Deut.6:5).
It is not also obedience to some of His commands that is acceptable
to Him (Deut.28:1). It is only full obedience to all His commands that
is acceptable to Him as a basis for His blessings (Deut.28:1). One
must not turn aside from His commands to the right or left. The blessings
that accompany full obedience are enumerated (Deut.28:3-14). The blessings
include everything that is needed for a happy and successful living
(Deut.28:3-14). As was the case for the Israelites, so is it with us
today: the blessings of the Lord are ours on condition or basis of
full obedience to all His commands (Deut.28:1-2). The blessings are
forfeited if we refuse to obey all His commands fully (Deut.28:1-2).
If we desire God’s blessings, we must obey all His commands
fully (Deut.28:1-2).
PRAYER: 1. Father, please enable me to obey you and
all your commands fully.
2. Father, please take away the spirit of disobedience completely
from me.
20 February
Mk.12:43-44
The best offering
By Jesus’ own measurement, the poor widow offered
the best offering in the instant case(Mk.12:43-44). What makes
her offering the best
is not its quantity, but quality(Mk.12:43-44). Others offered huge
quantities, but did not surpass her smallest amount(Mk.12:43-44).
It is not the quantity of offering but its quality that counts before
God(Mk.12:43-44;2Cor.9:6-7). Like Ananias and his wife, many pretend
to make quality offerings to God(Acts5:1-2). But God truly loves
a
willing, cheerful, and generous offering(2Cor.9:6-7).
PRAYER: 1. Father, please enable me to give you quality
offering always.
2. Father, please take away anything that prevents me from making
quality offerings to you always.
21 February
Deut.28:15, 45
Disobedience brings God’s curses
As the Lord promised to bless those who obey Him (Deut.28:1-2),
He also promised to curse those who disobey Him (Deut.28:15, 45).
As obedience
is the basis for His blessings (Deut.28:1-2), so is disobedience
the basis for His curses (Deut.28:15, 45; cf. Deut.4:25-28). As those
who
obey Him are objects of His blessings (Deut.28:1-2), those who
disobey Him are objects of His curses (Deut.28:15, 45; Deut.4:25-28).
The curses
accrue or apply to the disobedient, not the obedient (Deut.28:15,
45; Deut.4:25-28). Similarly, the blessings accrue or apply to the
obedient,
not the disobedient (Deut.28:1-2). The obedient cannot reap curses
but blessings (Deut.28:1-2; Ps.1:1-3). In the same way, the disobedient
cannot reap blessings, but curses (Deut.28:15, 45; Deut.4:25-28,
Ps.1:4-6). As the blessings are enumerated (Deut.28:3-14), so are
the curses (Deut.28:16-68).
Full obedience to the Lord is the condition for avoiding curses
(Deut.28:15, 45). One who desires to avoid His curses must be fully
obedient to
Him. No truly wise individual will allow himself to come under
God’s
curses by living a life of disobedience to Him.
PRAYER: 1. Father, please keep me from being disobedient
to you in anything.
2. Father, please take the spirit of disobedience from me.
3. Father, please give me the spirit of obedience.
22 February
Deut.29:5-6
The Lord is our God
According to this passage, the Lord led the Israelites
through the desert on their journey to the promised land and took care
of their
needs so that the people will know that He is their God (Deut. 29:5-6).
But in spite of what He did for them, the Israelites forsook Him and
worshipped the gods of the nations the Lord drove out before them.
The miracles of God upon our lives are intended to reveal Him to us
and draw us to Him (Deut. 29:5-6; Jn.20:30-31). Like the Israelites
of old, many of us have forsaken the Lord in spite of his goodness
to us. This is most unfortunate. We must learn to see God in His goodness
to us and in His miraculous works on our behalf. This will bring more
blessings upon our lives. But if we forsake Him in spite of His miraculous
acts on our behalf, He will certainly forsake us. If His goodness and
miracles do not reveal Him to us and draw us closer to Him, then His
purpose for them is not being served in our lives.
PRAYER: 1. Father, please enable me to confess and
acknowledge you alone as my God.
2. Father, please me to see you in your acts of goodness to me.
23 February
Mk.10:45
Jesus’ leadership example
Jesus did not only recommend a way of ministry or
leadership (Mk.10:42-44; Mk.9:35-37), He used it Himself (Mk.10:45).
He recommended a method
that He Himself used (Mk.10:45;
Jn.13:12-17). The method is so good that Jesus not only recommended it but made
use of it (Mk.10:45; Jn.13:12-17). The method of ministry or leadership is the
same for Jesus and His followers (Mk.10:45; Jn.13:12-17). There are not two ways,
one for Jesus, the other for His followers. This is true for all generations.
The path to successful ministry or leadership lies in being a servant, not a
lord (Mk.10:45; Mk.9:35-37; Jn.13:12-17). This is not only the path that Jesus
recommended, it is the one He used (Mk.10:45; Jn.13:12-17; Phil.2:5-11). If Jesus
recommended and followed it Himself, then there is no rival or better method
of ministry or leadership for us His followers than this. The way taught and
followed by our Lord Jesus Himself is the best and only way for His followers,
as far as ministry or leadership is concerned.
PRAYER: 1. Father, please give me a servant spirit
in ministry.
2. Father, please take away a lording spirit from me.
24 February
Deut.29:9
God’s covenant must be kept
The relationship between God and the Israelites was
a covenant relationship (Deut.29:1; cf.Jos.8:30-35). A covenant is
an agreement between parties
for a stated purpose
and is based on laid out terms agreed by the parties (Deut.29:9). Parties have
their respective terms to fulfill in a covenant relationship (Deut.29:9). The
success of the covenant relationship depends on parties fulfilling their agreed
terms (Deut.29:9). For their covenant relationship with God to work, the Israelites
needed to fulfill their own terms of the covenant, as God fulfilled His own (Deut.29:9).
Thus, this call by Moses (Deut.29:9). But we know that the Israelites did not
fulfill their terms of the covenant (see Judg.2:7-15). They forsook the LORD,
followed other gods, thereby incurring His anger (see Judg.2:7-15).
Like the Israelites, Christians are also in a covenant
relationship with God (see Jer.31:31-27). This new covenant, as it
is commonly called, is also based
on laid out terms (see Jer.31:31-27; Gal.2:15-16; Heb.8:6-13). Like the Israelites,
we must fulfill our own terms of the covenant to enjoy its benefits. We undermine
the covenant when we fail to fulfill our own terms of it. Nothing undermines
covenants more than the failure of parties to fulfill their agreed terms.
God has always kept His own terms of the covenant. The problem has
always been with
us His children (Rom.3:23). Failure to keep their own terms meant disaster
for the Israelites (see Judg.2:10-15). So it is with us today (see
Jn.3:16,18, 36).
PRAYER: 1. Father, please enable me to keep your covenant
most faithfully.
2. Father, please take everything that prevents me from keeping your
covenant 25 February
1 Thess.1:4-5
The power of the gospel
Paul explains that one way by which he knows that
God has chosen the Thessalonian believers to belong to Him is that
the gospel came to
them not simply with words,
but with power (1 Thess.1:4-5). This means that the gospel came to them with
the intended result or effect. It did not come to them without effect or
result. This is true of all believers. The gospel is indeed a
message of power (1 Cor.1:18,22-24).
The gospel without divine power is no gospel at all. Therefore, anyone of
whom the gospel is not efficacious cannot claim to have been
chosen by God. The proof
of God’s choice is in the working of His mighty power that is in the
gospel upon anyone who believes (cf.Eph.1:18-22).
PRAYER: 1. Father, please let the gospel go forth
with power everywhere, every time.
2. Father, please let the power of the gospel be my portion.
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