RECOGNIZING YOUR TIMES

Spirit & Life Devotional
Monday, January 13
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

RECOGNIZING YOUR TIMES

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV "To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven."

For whatever it is you desire to do, there's a time for it; same for whatever you are destined to be and for whatever God has asked you to do. This time I'm talking about is your own time and not another's. In other words, your times are different from that of another's own, the same way we were born at separate times. That's why it's unhealthy to compare ourselves with others, or to live a life of imitation.

Consider this: Jesus came to the earth to fulfil the most important task ever, but note that neither Him nor God the Father were in a hurry to get Him to the cross. He didn't die for man at age 12; He didn't even start ministering until He was about 30! People were dying all along, but Jesus waited until the time was right.

People struggle when they do things at the wrong times - before or after the appointed times. You must be wise enough, and sensitive to the Lord's leading to realize your appointed times. Jesus was concerned that man should not miss his time of visitation. Don't miss your times for whatever reason. However, if you think you may have missed any time, God can graciously restore the time lost. And if you don't understand timing, He can cause you to understand the times.

To do: Meditate on Ezekiel 16:8 then pray, "Lord, when you pass by at my set times, complete your good works in my life."

THE COMING DESTRUCTION OF THE EARTH

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, January 4
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

THE COMING DESTRUCTION OF THE EARTH

II Peter 3:10-12 NKJV "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of  persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?"

You know, we all love the good life: to have the best things, to visit the best places, and so on; we have fallen in love with the world, as it were, and we are constantly looking forward to buying more and more pricey items, cars, clothes, jewelry, businesses, houses, etc. And when we do get them, we celebrate and display them as our achievements.

One of the most sobering truths is found in I Timothy 6:7, which says, "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." The earlier we realized that the better. We won't even leave the earth with these beautiful bodies of ours that we spend so much on!

Therefore, what manner of persons ought we to be? What manner of lives ought we to live? What should our priorities be? What should we really be investing in and spending on? What exactly should we be more passionate about? Of course, I'm not asking you to abandon your earthly responsibilities and dreams, what I'm asking you to do is to remember that there's something bigger and better to live and die for; a life beyond this that we must strive to be a part of.

To do: Ask God for the grace to live a holy life, and for the wisdom to live here on earth.

PREPARING WELL FOR THE NEW YEAR

Spirit & Life Devotional
Saturday, December 28
Chinaemerem Joshua Ibezim

PREPARING WELL FOR THE NEW YEAR

James 4:3 NKJV "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."

As years end, we make plans for the new one; we also begin to make our requests known to God in prayer. I hope you have begun to do that: don't start the year without plans and expectations; start now if you haven't.

But to ask God for something is one thing, to receive from Him is another. Also, it's one thing to make plans, and another for you to achieve them. As we have read, one major reason why we don't receive from God is because we want to spend on OUR pleasures instead of HIS own pleasures. Prayer and fasting with wrong motives is a waste of time! So you desire that 2014 be a better year; why? Just so you can have more members in your church or fellowship and be more famous, increase the finances and capabilities, and probably earn more respect? Or so you can have more money to do whatever you want whenever you want and be more recognised in society? They may not be bad reasons; but do you think they are projects God would consider financing?

We were created for God's pleasure and for His glory. In other words, your first priorities should be to please God and to glorify Him. To receive swiftly from God, attach God-pleasing/glorifying motives to your requests and goals. Let pleasing and glorifying God be the foundation upon which every other thing is done. Not only that, beyond making requests that please God, let Him also be pleased with you! All things were commanded to hear Jesus because God was pleased with Him. Do as I've advised.