Your Refreshing Daily Devotional

The idea of the big picture is captured in our text. After years of running from pillar to post to escape Saul’s sword, David found a season of peace. Instead of having to “illegally” ask for the priest’s bread or beg a Nabal for food, he came to a season of abundance. David sensed a new season had come upon him. As he wrote in a Psalm, he perceived the lines starting to fall upon him in pleasant places. However, David understood that whatever was happening to him had a bigger lesson attached. God brought him into a new estate because of His people. His new found peace and prosperity was to better equip him to serve the people of God.

Catching men for God was the big picture behind the great catch of fish. Without the having the big picture, you may think that it is all about you.

The higher one rises in life, the greater will be the need to maintain a sense of decorum, humility, and gratitude. It is quite easy to develop a larger-than-life attitude when breakthrough comes. Invariably, a proud assessment of one’s position will mark the beginning of the end one way or another – a beginning of the end of greatness or of a quality walk with God. The panacea to this canker that eats deep into the life of many people is having a big picture. In other words, one has to understand the reason why God has brought a lift in the first place. A haul of fish followed a night of emptiness in Peter’s life. However, the catch was only to connect him with the path of destiny. Catching men for God was the big picture behind the great catch of fish. Without the having the big picture, you may think that it is all about you.

Our annual MISSION TO THE NATIONS this year took us to Zambia and Zimbabwe. The day we arrived Lusaka, our host had positioned an airport staff to take my wife and I to the VIP lounge while other team members were at the border control. When I saw the enthusiasm with which they received us, I told them that in divine economy there is no replacement for human beings. Even if it were possible to position a robot to say a word of welcome to us on arrival, it would still lack the warmth that the brethren supplied. It is often the case that when God wants to execute His plan for a person or group of persons, He makes provision for other human beings to make input.

While you may have experienced terrible disappointment from some people, be aware also that it is through people that certain extant plan of God for your life will be realized.

Moses understood the role of man in divine economy and had to literally beg Hobab his brother-in-law to accompany them. The man initially refused; and you can almost hear Moses begging him. “So Moses said, “Please do not leave, inasmuch as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes” Numbers 10:31. In our text, David asked help of a soldier that he had nursed back to health in order to locate the camp of the Amalekites that had seized their families and belongings. Here is the point: both Moses and David heard the word of the Lord in their respective pursuits. Both of them had the assurance of divine backing. However, that did not rule out their need of human input in the pursuit of their goals. While you may have experienced terrible disappointment from some people, be aware also that it is through people that certain extant plan of God for your life will be realized.

Prayer does not have to tend to some complicated formula before it can be effective. David was flying from his son’s plot when he heard that Ahithophel was in league with Absalom. Knowing how potent his counsel could be, he made his supplication in just one line. “And David said, “O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!” II Samuel 15:31 NKJV. Reclaiming the throne later had something to do with that timely prayer. One of the malefactors crucified with Jesus had requested to be remembered in the kingdom. As our text shows, that simple prayer in the last moment of his life gained him an eternity with God. It is not where or how you say the prayer that counts, it is the sincerity of the heart that determines the outcome.

What you can do even without a pay can be said to be a pointer to your calling… If you have just one last breath left, what would you rather use it for? Your answer can be a clue to what you are cut out to do.

Let’s turn our attention to Jesus’ conduct on the cross when He saved the malefactor. His action is a demonstration that service should not be left to our spare moments. It is not what we do when it is convenient. Despite the excruciating pain associated with being on the cross, Jesus did not stop serving. He served in His area of calling by saving one more life. There are clues to understand your calling. Firstly ask yourself, “What am I eager to do even without pay or reward?” What you can do even without a pay can be said to be a pointer to your calling. We can add something to this from Jesus’ experience. If you have just one last breath left, what would you rather use it for? Your answer can be a clue to what you are cut out to do. Jesus used His last breath to save a soul; and that was what He came to do.

A centurion who was considerate of the welfare of his servant came to Jesus when he fell sick. He wanted the Master to intervene and heal him. Jesus offered to follow him home to minster to the servant, but he felt that was not necessary. He believed that a word from Jesus would get the job done. He drew from his military background. In the old Roman army structure, the chain of command was that a centurion took orders from Senior centurion or Primus pilus who reported to Military tribunes, to Legate, to Provincial governor, and finally to the Emperor. Of course, below the centurion were a number of orders who looked up to him. The liberty that a centurion had to command his soldiers was tied to submission to his own superior.

Make no mistake about this: learning obedience will come at some cost…Our obedience to the Lord is what puts us in position of authority to subdue all powers of the devil.

Interestingly, one of the metaphors employed to describe believers is that of soldering. Every child of God must go through their obedience school. Without this, we will not be able to wield authority as God intends. Ability to pick instructions from the Spirit and act accordingly is cardinal in turning out as Kingdom ambassadors. Even Jesus had to go to learn obedience at a price. Though He is divine, the moment He took on human flesh He needed to learn what it meant to obey the Father. Make no mistake about this: learning obedience will come at some cost. Hebrews 5:8 says, – “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” Our obedience to the Lord is what puts us in position of authority to subdue all powers of the devil.

An incestuous relationship took place right under the roof of David when Amnon molested his sister, Tamar. It seemed that the issue was swept under the carpet as there was no account of any decisive step taken by David to right the wrong. Apart from the record that David was angry when he heard of this evil, nothing else followed. As events played out later, unresolved conflicts have a way of taking on new life which could be worse than their initial strains. David found this out when Absalom got Amnon killed two years down the line. Had the issue been addressed fully, there might not have been this disastrous consequence noted in our text.

It is common to see believers pray without sitting down to plan. However, we must learn to make planning an accessory to prayer.

There is something to learn from Absalom, though. He cuts across as a meticulous planner.  The revenge of his sister against Amnon had been two years in the making. It happened when everybody had forgotten and life seemed to have continued as normal. By killing Amnon, Absalom ended up in exile. On his return, it took two years before he could see the king, and that was after he literally gave a chokehold to Joab. After reconciliation, it took another two years to steal the hearts of all Israel and sack his father. Absalom believed in taking time to strategize. If that worked for evil plans, it will definitely work for noble ones. It is common to see believers pray without sitting down to plan. However, we must learn to make planning an accessory to prayer.

In theology, antinomianism is the belief that there are no moral laws God expects Christians to obey. It is like taking the liberty we have in Christ for license to sin. Whereas Christians are not required to keep the Old Testament Law as a means of salvation, we are still bound to the moral laws stipulated by God. The second item you have in the Ten Commandments deals with the name of the Lord. Right after the people were warned against idolatry, God taught them that His name should not be taken in vain. There are several strands to this commandment. It implies that the name of the Lord should not be fetched to authenticate falsehood. It also includes the idea that the name of the Lord must not be blasphemed. The seriousness of this was seen in Leviticus 24 when the son of an Israelite woman blasphemed and cursed the name of the Lord. He was stoned to death!

…the name of the Lord should not be fetched to authenticate falsehood… must not be blasphemed…hen believers commit sin, unbelievers have occasion to speak disparagingly of God’s name…Every effort we make towards a holy life is in defense of God’s name and honour.

Let us keep in mind that cursing the name of the Lord directly is not the only way we blaspheme His name. Any act of sin is blasphemy in some ways. When believers commit sin, unbelievers have occasion to speak disparagingly of God’s name. Paul certifies of this in Romans 2. Those who preach one thing and live differently make room for God’s name to be rubbished. It is in this light that David’s sin was judged severely. God forgave him, but the consequences lingered. Every effort we make towards a holy life is in defense of God’s name and honour. The rule of scripture is that those who honour the Lord shall in turn be honoured by Him.