Isaac Boluwatise

David Jeremiah tells about the group of men gathered one Saturday morning to help paint a friend’s large, two-story home. Toward the end of the day when the job was almost complete, a small bit of trim, which actually could not be seen from the ground, remained unpainted. One of the men said, “Since nobody can see that piece of trim, I guess we don’t need to paint it.”

“Not true,” said another of the crew as he went for a ladder. “God sees it.”

The difference in the two approaches is the difference between working man’s way and working God’s way; working in light of the end of the day versus working in light of the end of life; working for immediate rewards versus working for ultimate rewards. It’s easy to get confused about who we really work for in this life. We go to work and interact with a human boss who makes the rules and signs the checks. We may face him at the end of the day; but at the end of the age, we will come face to face with the ultimate “Boss,” God Himself. What we got away with on the job will be made known, and what went unrewarded will be paid in full.

The best way to get high marks on our final “employee review” is to picture God as our employer each day.]

How God Reveals His Will To Us

“Did not our heart burn within us” – Luke 24:32 NKJV

Look at the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and you’ll discover how God speaks to us and gives us direction. They thought they’d seen the death of Jesus and His movement. Fearful and disillusioned, they packed their bags and headed for home, when suddenly Jesus appeared to them. How does the Lord reveal His will to us? The simplicity of the process may surprise you. First, through others. The travellers’ first mistake was to disregard the words of their fellow disciples. ‘… Today some women among us amazed us. Early this morning they went to the tomb, but they did not find his body there. They came and told us… Jesus was alive!’ (Luke 24:22-23 NCV). God still works that way. He still speaks to us through others. That’s why you need to attend church regularly and build relationships that strengthen you. Second, through Scripture. ‘… Starting with what Moses and all the prophets had said about him, Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about himself in the Scriptures’ (v. 27 NCV). Their second mistake was disregarding the Word of God and listening to their fears. Are you doing that? God still speaks through His Word; the answers you need are in your Bible. Third, through our heart’s desire. ‘They said to each other, “It felt like a fire burning in us when Jesus talked to us.”… ‘ God reveals His will to us by giving us a burning desire. What fuels and focuses you? Singles? The inner city? Untouched nations? Forgotten orphans? Whatever it is – heed the fire within you!

The Word for Today and scripture citations are copyright.

“Because you say so, I will” – Luke 5:5 NIV

Until we accept and cooperate with the law of gravity, we can’t fly. Until we accept and cooperate with the law of economics, we can’t succeed in business. Getting the idea? Surrendering to God is not weakness, it’s wisdom. Only a fool resists God, because it’s a fight we can’t win. It’s in surrendering to Him that we are empowered to succeed in what He’s called us to do. Surrender is demonstrated by obedience. It’s saying, ‘Yes, Lord’ to whatever He asks. To say, ‘No, Lord’ is a contradiction. How can we call Jesus ‘Lord’, and refuse to obey Him? (Luke 6:46 NKJV).

Peter demonstrated true surrender when Jesus told him to try again. ‘… “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish… ‘ (Luke 5:5-6 NKJV). Surrendered people obey God even when it doesn’t seem to make sense. Abraham followed God without knowing where it would take him. Hannah waited on God’s timing without knowing when. Mary expected a miracle without knowing how. Joseph trusted God’s plan without knowing why circumstances happened as they did. Each was fully surrendered to God, and they came out on top. ‘How will I know I’m fully surrendered?’ we ask. When we rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force our own agenda or control the situation. We don’t have to be in charge, we simply let go and let God have His way.

The Word for Today and scripture citations are copyright.

@iatbolu

A Baptist preacher and his wife decided to get a new dog. Ever mindful of the congregation, they knew the dog must also be a Baptist. They visited kennel after kennel and explained their needs. Finally, they found a kennel whose owner assured them he had just the dog they wanted.

The owner brought the dog to meet the pastor and his wife. “Fetch the Bible,” he commanded.

The dog bounded to the bookshelf, scrutinized the books, located the Bible, and brought it to the owner.

“Now find Psalm 23,” he commanded.

The dog dropped the Bible to the floor, and showing marvelous dexterity with his paws, leafed through and finding the correct passage, pointed to it with his paw.

The pastor and his wife were very impressed and purchased the dog.

That evening, a group of church members came to visit. The pastor and his wife began to show off the dog, having him locate several Bible verses. The visitors were very impressed.

One man asked, “Can he do regular dog tricks, too?”

“I haven’t tried yet,” the pastor replied.

He pointed his finger at the dog. “HEEL!” the pastor commanded. The dog immediately jumped on a chair, placed one paw on the pastor’s forehead and began to howl.

The pastor looked at his wife in shock and said, “Good Lord! He’s Pentecostal!”

IAT Boluwatise
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry …. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. Ps. 2.12