TOPIC: DON’T OVERWORK YOURSELF II
MEMORIZE:
"It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." Exodus 31:17 (KJV)
READ: Exodus 20:8-11
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
MESSAGE:
When I became the General Overseer of RCCG, I was so concerned about the church’s growth that I would fast, pray, and preach for years without taking any rest or going on holiday.
Suddenly, I discovered that whenever I preached for more than 15 minutes, I would lose my voice. I followed numerous recommendations from people to combat the issue, such as drinking tea with honey, but it persisted.
One elderly woman discovered what was wrong with me and said, “You are suffering from what is called ‘teacher’s disease’. You keep teaching without resting your voice, and now it is in rebellion.” I asked her for the cure, and she said,
“Don’t talk for 15 days.” I responded, “How am I going to do that with my busy schedule?” She answered and said, “When your voice no longer lasts for up to five minutes when you preach, you’ll do what I said.”
Therefore, for the first time since became General Overseer, I took a holiday and went to Germany. I stayed with the Nigerian ambassador there, who had a sauna in his house.
He told me that it warms the body from the inside out, and when I enter, I must exit after 15 minutes at most because I would have been sweating profusely. I went into the sauna, and 5 minutes later, I hadn’t sweated.
Ten minutes later, I still hadn’t sweated. It wasn’t until after 15 minutes, when I was supposed to be out, that I began to notice a little sweat.
I stayed in the sauna for 45 minutes before any real sweat came out. I had put my body under so much stress that it wasn’t functioning as it should anymore.
Since then, I have learned that I must not overwork myself and must rest from time to time if I am going to fulfil the assignment that God has given me.
In Exodus 20:1-17, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, and you will notice that four of the verses emphasise the law of the Sabbath. God emphasised the need for His people to rest on the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.
To emphasise its importance, God revisited the issue of the Sabbath in Exodus 31:12-17, instructing Moses that anyone who violated the law of the Sabbath should be put to death.
Beloved, getting rest from time to time is important. When you rest as often as you ought to, you will keep yourself refreshed and preserve your life.
KEY POINT:
You must always find time to rest if you want to fulfil your God-given assignment.
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: EZEKIEL 21-22
HYMNAL 59: I WANT TO BE LIKE JESUS
1. I want to be like Jesus,
So lowly and so meek;
For no one marked an angry word
That ever heard him speak.
Refrain:
I want to be like Jesus,
God's well beloved Son;
I want to be like Jesus,
The pure and holy One.
2. I want to be like Jesus,
So frequently in prayer;
Alone upon the mountain top,
He met his Father there.
3. I want to be like Jesus,
Engaged in doing good,
So that of me it may be said,
He hath done what he could.
4. Alas! I'm not like Jesus,
As any one may see;
Thy gentle Spirit, Savior, send,
And make me like to thee. [Refrain]
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