TOPIC: ACHIEVING DREAMS
MEMORIZE:
I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3: 14
READ: 2 Chronicles 15:7-9
7 Be ye strong therefore and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.
8 And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.
9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
MESSAGE
On the same day I graduated from the University of Ife in 1967, the then Ooni of Ife, the traditional ruler of the city, was given an honorary doctorate degree. It was a very glorious occasion, and that day, I told my closest friend, “One day, I too will get an honorary doctorate degree from this university.” He looked at me, laughed, and said, “If it’s possible to earn it by studying, I would agree with you because you’re intelligent, but you’re not qualified to be honoured. Honorary doctorate degrees are not given to every Tom, Dick, and Harry.” What he said appeared to be true at the time because I didn’t look like someone who could be given an honorary doctorate degree. My friend and I were so ordinary that we celebrated our graduation by eating amala and ponmo, a meal made from yam flour and dry cowhide, at a motorpark. Years passed, and one day, I got a letter from the university that the council had decided to award me an honorary doctorate degree.
There is no height you cannot reach if you remain close to God and work hard towards your goals. In Genesis 37:5-10, Joseph dreamt of himself as a great ruler. At that time, even his father didn’t consider him mature enough to work with his brothers to shepherd the family’s flock (Genesis 37:12-13). Later on in life, he found himself as a slave, and he worked hard in that role while ensuring that he did not offend God (Genesis 39:9). Before long, he went from being a prisoner to becoming the Prime Minister of a country considered the world superpower at the time.
In 1 Samuel, when Samuel went to anoint a king among the sons of Jesse, David was not even presented among his brothers initially. However, by 2 Samuel, he was already sitting on the throne as Israel’s king. Even when his life was threatened by Saul, he did not give up or lose his focus. Some people turn every little challenge into an excuse for not being able to achieve their goals. Excuses are for failures; highflyers will use their challenges as fuel to reach their goals.
Beloved, people who fulfil their purposes and dreams are single-minded in their pursuits. They refuse to be distracted by anything until they achieve the things they have conceived in their minds. Focus on your goals, work hard, and don’t give up. Trust in God, and He will help you to achieve your dreams
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to remain focused and connected to You as I work towards achieving the dreams You have put in my heart, in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 104-106
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 21: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS
1 My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
2 When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
3 His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
4 When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
In Him, my righteousness, alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
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