MEMORISE:
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Matthew 5:15
READ: 1 Samuel 17:22-31
22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.
23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.
26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.
28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.
31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.
MESSAGE
In Colossians 2:18, the Holy spirit warns us to beware of those who will try to intimidate us against doing what God has laid on our hearts to do in furtherance of the gospel. Using accusations and eye-service, some people resorted to emotional blackmail to deter zealous children of God from their passion. Unfortunately, such behavior is usually rooted in envy and jealousy, and it exist even among children of God. For example, when a child of God chooses to bless his or her pastor, or decides to single-handedly execute Church projects, some people would accuse them of bribing their way into the pastor’s heart for undue advantage. In the face of such accusations, unless such a child of God is well rooted in God, he or she may chicken out of doing the good work the Lord has ordained him or her to do. Beloved, beware of doing things to discourage other believers from putting their God-given gifts to use in advancing the cause of God’s Kingdom. I suffered this when my wife and I newly became born again and were zealously working to redeem the time we had wasted before knowing Jesus Christ. It seems to me that the “brethren” who engage in acts as this are not aware of what the Lord said in today’s memory verse.
Before David triumphed over Goliath, he also faced discouraging accusations from his brethren. By God’s divine arrangement, David was sent by his father to his brothers on the battlefield. When he got there, he heard Goliath insulting the host of the Lord’s army, and he could not take it because of the Spirit and anointing of God upon his life. God had actually prepared him to give Israel victory against the Philistines. He therefore began to make enquiries as to how he could enlist in the army to fight on behalf of the God of Israel. Amazingly, his eldest brother, Eliab, became very angry with him for this! David’s response to his anger shows the mind of someone who knew his life had a purpose (1 Samuel 17:29). Children of destiny should learn from this and also from the fact that David turned away from his brother’s envy-driven anger and talked with someone else, until news about him got to king Saul. Beloved, do you know the God that you serve? Do you know why he made you who you are? Do you allow people to deter you from your God-given assignment? Remember, everyone will give account of the talent given to them by the Master (Matthew 25:14-30, Romans 14:12). Therefore, use your all to advance the cause of God’s kingdom on earth, and you will receive commendation and reward when the Master returns.
ACTION POINT:
Use every gift and opportunity God has given you in life to advance the cause of His Kingdom.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 24-25
Jeremiah 35:12-36:3
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 13: I AM A VICTOR
• Yes, I know I am a victor
For the Bible tells me so
God made me more than a conqueror
Much stronger than all my foes
CHORUS
Jesus loves me and I love Him
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word
• Yes, I know I am a victor
Stronger than demons I am
To Satan I am a terror
I am free, o yes, I am
• Yes, I know I am a victor
Stronger than lack, poverty
All my needs Jesus provides for
I have life abundantly
• Yes, I know I am a victor
Barrenness no more indeed
Fruitful is the God I live for
All my dreams shall be fulfilled
• Yes, I know I am a victor
By His strength I shall succeed
No more loss and no more failure
Glory to glory proceed
• Yes, I know I am a victor
No more sorrow, no despair
Jesus Christ is my own Succour
Tomorrow is joy and cheer
• Yes, I know I am a victor
Very soon I’ll reign with Him
His promise is my sure anchor
He’s coming to take me home
• Jesus loves me and I love Him
We rule this world together
As He is so right now I am
Hear me shout Halleluyah
• Jesus loves me Halleluyah
Hear me shout Halleluyah
Halleluyah, Halleluyah
Glory be to God on high
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