Your Refreshing Daily Devotional

As in some other themes of the Bible, the subject of grace is grossly misunderstood. Not a few will define it as unmerited favour from God. The argument follows that since it is not what can be merited, no effort whatsoever is required from man’s end. I think Ruth the Moabite would argue otherwise. Since favour and grace are sometimes used interchangeably, our text could easily pass for a woman going in search of grace. This woman of Moab conveys wonderful truths on the subject of grace. She did not need to be prodded by anyone to go look for what to do. Even though she was a stranger and the terrain was totally new to her, she decided to go and try her luck somewhere. Here is the first lesson: the grace of God does not condone laziness. Had Ruth made no effort, she would probably not have met Boaz, and the sequence of things that followed may have eluded her as well.

When there is no diligent effort on our part, we end up frustrating the grace of God.

Many believers like to hide behind the expression that they are trusting in the grace of God. But grace cannot produce in a vacuum; there must be something it will latch unto. Paul understood the mix very well. “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (I Corinthians 15:10 NKJV). There has to be a balance between work and grace. There is a line found in Jesuit writings and sermons from the 17th century that can serve as a sweet counsel for us – “Pray as if everything depends on God, and work as if everything depends on you.” When there is no diligent effort on our part, we end up frustrating the grace of God.

Long before I could trace it to a verse of scriptures, I grew up hearing a proverb that some kind of words can fetch you gift while some others can draw out the sword against you. Later on as I progressed in the study of the Bible, I came across where God told the children of Israel that He would do to them as they had spoken. Before then they had recklessly said they preferred to die in the wilderness. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” Even the words of Jesus will fit into the same frame – “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:37 NKJV. All these are a pointer to the fact that words are weighty, and they have consequences.

Whenever you speak, you are either destroying or building; making enemies or friends. Those who have their way with words can almost have their way in anything and everyone else.

After the death of Solomon, the people came to make a deal with Rehoboam who succeeded him. They were ready to be his loyal subjects, only they wanted him to shed off some of the heavy burdens put on them by Solomon. Instead of acceding to their request, he answered them roughly and promised them a more burdensome regime than they had known under his predecessor. He lost the kingdom, except the tribe of Judah. People skill entails knowing how to speak. This is a skill-set that all leaders must possess. Without it, one can ruin everything one is trying to build. It is not in vain that the Bible says death and life are in the power of the tongue. Whenever you speak, you are either destroying or building; making enemies or friends. Those who have their way with words can almost have their way in anything and everyone else.

Oftentimes, God’s people blame the devil for every wrong. However, God sees things differently. He does not see our mishaps as being from the devil, but from our own ignorance of His truth. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” ( Hosea 4:6 KJV). God says He would reject His people because they lack knowledge. Note this, until God rejects a people, the devil has limited access to invade.

…until God rejects a people, the devil has limited access to invade… Our outcry should be more of light that comes via His word. Once we contact the light, we should learn to boldly declare it… What we declare with full assurance is what Heaven performs.

In both testaments, the idea of salvation means more than forgiveness of sins. It embraces liberty, deliverance, and prosperity. Altogether, that spells of the good desires of human beings; they are all available in God. There is a sequence in our text; light comes before salvation. Before the Lord becomes your salvation, He has to be your light. Light here represents the whole law of the Lord. It is translated illumination. The extent to which God illuminates you is the extent to which you can enjoy liberty, deliverance and prosperity. Job recalled the time when God’s light was his navigational tool. “When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness” (Job 29:3, KJV). That was the most prosperous and happiest moment of his life. When we also have the light of His word, we will walk in victory and dominion. Our outcry should be more of light that comes via His word. Once we contact the light, we should learn to boldly declare it like Psalmist did. What we declare with full assurance is what Heaven performs.

From the life of Mordecai, we can learn a couple of lessons about reward. He had certified to the king of a clandestine move by two of the king’s servants to kill him. That timely information saved the life of the king; but there was no immediate reward for him. This teaches us that it is only in our power to determine when we do good deeds, not when to reap the harvest. By the time the reward came, it was not only for him, but all the Jews in the empire benefited from it. From our passage, we can glean another important lesson. It is the fact that we must never foreclose which channel the Lord will use to reward us. God can never run short of channels; we should just realize that He is the source of our blessings. He asked Esther to intervene on behalf of her people, adding that if she failed, help would come from another quarter.

…it is only in our power to determine when we do good deeds, not when to reap the harvest…whatever we do should be as unto the Lord, since no labour ever goes unrewarded by Him.

The story of a pastor who I know personally can serve to illustrate this powerful truth. He dutifully served in an organization before he retired. After that, he was led to start an independent ministry. God used a man who gave a parcel of land to the new church and bought a second one for his personal use. As if that was not enough, the man pledged to build a personal apartment on the land for him. What makes this extra-ordinary is that the donor is not a member of his ministry. His reward did not necessarily come from the organization where he served but through another channel. This is why whatever we do should be as unto the Lord, since no labour ever goes unrewarded by Him.

One of the ways by which God demonstrates goodwill to us is by answering our prayers. This was the focus of our meditation yesterday. The other way is by talking to us. David encountered the Lord on several fronts. He knew the Lord as his Shepherd. That was the theme of the 23rd Psalm. In psalm 27, he described the Lord as his light and salvation. In our current text, the Lord was his rock. Of particular interest to us today is David’s fear. He seemed scared of God rendering Himself incommunicado; and this for good reason. He realized that if God were to be perpetually silent, that would spell his doom. I love what the Archbishop Clement Kirby once said: “God does not create fools; He only stops speaking to wise men!” When God stops speaking, even a wise man will resort to doing stupid things.

When God stops speaking, even a wise man will resort to doing stupid things…Obeying God is the way to remain connected to the heavenly signals.

David must have been inspired to write our text by what happened to Saul. God stopped talking to Saul, and the end was disastrous. He therefore prayed not to join the statistics. While we may all join David to pray God not to be silent to us, we must be wary of those things that put Him off from people. God did not just stop talking to Saul abruptly; His silence was born of Saul’s reckless disobedience. Just as disobedience shuts the gate against our prayers, even so will it render us incapable of receiving divine signals. Obeying God is the way to remain connected to the heavenly signals.

The Bible records that Jesus led an incredible life of prayer. Something else that is clear is that there was none of His prayers that was not answered. Jesus showed the secret in one verse – “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”” (John 8:29 NKJV). Jesus maintained a relationship with the Father, one that was characterized by obedience. The dynamic relationship made whatever Jesus asked to go through without hitch. How does this affect us as children of God? We are all expected to hold the same dynamic relationship with the Father, ensuring that we do not rupture our sweet fellowship with sin. Any time there exists a gulf between us and the Father, we are robbed of the confidence of approach.

Any time there exists a gulf between us and the Father, we are robbed of the confidence of approach…As long as we live to honour Him through obedience, He will not withhold anything good from us.

I can relate with this as a father. I have known times when relationship between any of my children and I was frosty. At such times, they found it difficult to freely ask me for favour or any of the things that should naturally be theirs. But whenever we are on the same page, they exploit their liberty to the greatest extent and enjoy goodwills. At such moments, too, I don’t usually wait for them to ask me anything; I simply do for them what would enhance their joy. It is not different in our relationship with God. He knows what we need even before we ask Him. As long as we live to honour Him through obedience, He will not withhold anything good from us.