‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬Believers who are quick to lay curses on others have no understanding of their root or role. When God instituted the priesthood under Aaron, He had specific ideas in mind. As our text indicates, priests of old were to bless the people in the name of the Lord. One of the pillars on which the Protestant Reformation was based is the truth of the priesthood of all saints. Several passages in the New Testament can be cited to buttress this, that all believers are priests. A clear one is penned by Peter. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). In two separate accounts in the Book of Revelation the Bible says we have been made priests unto God. (See Revelation 1:6; 5:10).

Before we can be effective in blessing people, we must first “stand before the Lord to minister unto Him”. Ministering to the Lord releases the power to bless in His name.

There is nothing to suggest that New Testament priests are to do anything less than bless people. Believers ought to be agent of blessing to one another and to their world. It flies in the face of duty, therefore, to see some believers who are more ready to curse than to bless. It is lack of understanding of the dispensation of grace of which we have become partakers, and which we are to equally dispense to the world.  There is one last word; before we can be effective in blessing people, we must first “stand before the Lord to minister unto Him”. Ministering to the Lord releases the power to bless in His name.

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬If you are looking for what made David such an outstanding man, they are all in this verse of scripture. The first thing that came up for mention was his skill. He had great skill both in composing songs and in playing of instruments. Next, you have his courage on parade. Without this he would never have been able to slay the lions and bears, much less confront Goliath. This verse also indicates that David was prudent in speech. He always had the right word for the right occasion. Another way to look at that is to see him as a wise man. Of course, he had a good carriage as he was described as a handsome person.

Anyone who desires great height must learn to court and cultivate the presence of the Lord…It is fruitless to expect divine presence while doing things contrary to His will.

There is something like a glue that held all these together, and that was God’s presence in his endeavours. No doubt, he posted an incredible profile; but they would be inconclusive and inconsequential had God not been on his side. God’s presence helped to advance his course to destiny. Anyone who desires great height must learn to court and cultivate the presence of the Lord. Jesus did not mince words about this when He said, “without me ye can do nothing”. This is where pleasing the Lord comes in. It is fruitless to expect divine presence while doing things contrary to His will.

The multiplicity of religion across the world is a pointer to a deep seated belief in the hearts of men that there is a Supreme Being. Religion calls Him by different names and holds divergent views, and human beings tried to reach Him. In Genesis 11, we read of the attempt made to build a tower.  At that time, human beings all had one language and were united at one purpose. The plan was to build a tower to reach the heaven. This could be taken as man’s effort to reach God. That is what religion always do. Babel represents the religious system of whatever bent. Religion seeks to reach God on man’s terms, but it never works. The Babel project failed miserably, as they were all soon confounded and scattered. The Bible has already concluded that the best of righteousness that man can produce will be nothing more than a filthy rag before God.

The ladder was supernatural, because no ingenuity of man could produce that feat…If ever we are to reach God, it will be by the means established divinely. Metaphorically speaking, Jesus is the ladder that heaven sent.

A different picture is painted of Bethel. The ladder in Jacob’s vision had its base on the earth and the top of it reached the heaven. Angels were seen ascending and descending on it. The ladder was supernatural, because no ingenuity of man could produce that feat. The thing to go with is this: If ever we are to reach God, it will be by the means established divinely. Metaphorically speaking, Jesus is the ladder that heaven sent. He is the only ladder we can climb to get to God. When we put our trust in Him, we begin a climb of faith to the heart of the Father.

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬If living is a privilege, then service should be considered as gratitude for that privilege. Some may actually consider service as an obligation. The legendary boxer, Muhammad Ali was quoted as saying, “Service To Others Is The Rent You Pay For Your Room Here On Earth.” In this sense, living without serving makes one a debtor. Our text was a passing reference made by Paul as a proof of resurrection of Christ. He meant to show that whereas David died and his body decayed, it was different for Jesus. This terse comment sheds additional light into what made David thick. He served his generation. In other words, he paid his rent.

It is not so much of what we like to do, nor what we are capable of doing. It is about what is in His will for us to accomplish. We must never confuse good service with God’s service.

Much more than serving, he did it in accordance to the will of God. It is indeed possible to offer “strange fire” in our service. The two sons of Aaron were caught up in this. They tried to serve God in ways and manners contrary to what God stipulated. They ended up miserably. There was hardly anything David did, big or small, that he did not first clear with God. After the death of Saul, he sought direction of where to go. God asked him to go to Judah. That did not suffice for him, as he pressed for the specifics. It was then God led him to Hebron. It is not so much of what we like to do, nor what we are capable of doing. It is about what is in His will for us to accomplish. We must never confuse good service with God’s service.

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬Responsibility is the price we pay for access and greatness. Nowhere is this more spelt out than in David’s story. Assuming responsibility was a great factor in what David became. It began when he was mandated to keep the family’s few flocks. You will recall that on the day that Samuel came to look for Saul’s replacement, he was in the field. It is curious how his elder brothers were all at home while he was saddled with responsibility to watch the flocks. David was always ready to run errands for those in authority. He did it for his father, and in our text it played out under Saul. The passage in focus says David went everywhere Saul sent him.

Responsibility is the price we pay for access and greatness…When next you are given a responsibility, handle it as if your destiny depends on it.

I can imagine some of those errands were menial. They were not tasks that would put his name on the cover page of a glossy magazine. But he went all the same. It is also no stress at all to say that some of the assignments must have been risky too. The young man defied the odds and put his life on the line. He never complained as he went about carrying out the orders of his boss. Proving responsible was what took him to the battlefield. His father asked him to go and check on his three elder brothers at the frontline. He went; and that was when he chanced on the champion from Gath. We probably would not have heard of David if he refused to do his father’s bidding. We can add that both Joseph and Saul encountered destiny by accepting responsibility. When next you are given a responsibility, handle it as if your destiny depends on it.

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬God has just one expectation of us when we sin – confession of the wrong and turning over a new leaf. However, human beings are generally inclined to cover their tracks after wrongdoing or look for a scapegoat. The reason for this is not far-fetched. Sin attracts shame and embarrassment. In an attempt to save face, people will resort to all manner of means to avoid taking responsibility. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they found themselves naked and ashamed. It is clear from their experience that man’s true covering is God, and that is activated through obedience. Disobedience uncovers us and increases our vulnerability. Meanwhile, Adam shifted the blame to Eve who in turn shifted it to the serpent. Cain slew his brother, and when asked about him, he answered most impudently, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” On his part, Moses tried to cover-up the slaying of the Egyptian in the field. The cover-up did not last beyond a day.

Disobedience uncovers us and increases our vulnerability…As far as wrongs are concerned, there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed eventually. To think otherwise is to dwell in a fool’s paradise.

Other characters that attempted a cover-up included Achan and Gehazi. It was a futile attempt on their parts as well. One thing is clear from all these cases; that is, none of them really succeeded in covering up their evil deeds permanently. This is confirming the words of Scriptures, that our sins will find us out. There is only one way to have sins and wrongdoings taken off; it is by the shed Blood of Jesus. His Blood does more than cover; it cleanses and closes the case. As far as wrongs are concerned, there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed eventually. To think otherwise is to dwell in a fool’s paradise.

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬When it comes to technology and being social media savvy, the older generation must defer to the younger ones. My last son saw me typing something with long digits, one after the other. He came to my rescue when he instructed me to highlight, copy and paste. That helped to cut the chase. Much before that encounter, my second son said something that became quite instructive to me. I was out of the country at the time. I told him to be online at a particular time of the day so I could communicate with him. It was then he told me, “I am always available even if I am invisible”. I am sure he did not understand the spiritual weight of that statement.

God is always available even if He is invisible…the invisible things of God can be discerned through those things that are made manifest.

God is known for many attributes. In our text, four things are attributed to Him – He is eternal, immortal, invisible, and wise. Let’s focus on His invisibility. Because we don’t see Him, we may be tempted to think that He is distant from us or assume that He is an absentee God. However, God is always available even if He is invisible. This is the problem; as humans, we love to relate with what we can see, feel, and touch. In the absence of these, we must learn the importance of connecting with God through faith. This is why the Book of Hebrews says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews‬ 11‬:6‬ NKJV‬. While we cannot see God with our natural eyes, we should be reminded that the invisible things of God can be discerned through those things that are made manifest. We see the sun and the moon; the birds fly swiftly in the air. All these are pointing to God who is Almighty.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬Looking at Jacob’s family tree, it is safe to say that some things ran deep in that lineage. Clearly was their penchant for hospitality. Abraham exhibited that trait when he entertained strangers. It turned out that he attended to heavenly beings without knowing. Our text is the report of the second trip of the sons of Jacob to Egypt in search of grains. The result of the first trip was a mixed fortune. They had obtained corn at no charge as everyone’s money was returned to their sacks; but one of them had been held as a surety that they would bring Benjamin to the officer. As they made ready to make their journey, Jacob asked his sons to take off the best fruits of the land for the man in Egypt. This he did in spite of the dearth in the land. Here is a lesson: difficult times are no reason to close the door on basic courtesy and hospitality. No giving is of greater value than the ones we do when we don’t have everything in abundance.

no matter how bad the season appears on the surface, it will not be without “good fruits”. There is always a witness of God’s kindness in all situations. Look out for it.

On the surface, something like contradiction is in this narrative. In one stroke, the Bible says there was famine in the land, and in another it talks of “best fruits in the land”?  If indeed there was famine, where did they get those fruits? It is common knowledge that some fruits thrive well in arid land. Scarcity of corn, which was the main stable, did not suggest that there was nothing of value in Canaan at the time. The application of this to real life situation is that, no matter how bad the season appears on the surface, it will not be without “good fruits”. There is always a witness of God’s kindness in all situations. Look out for it.

Jehovah jireh was the name that Abraham gave to the place he had encountered God. Two things occurred on that mount. Firstly, he received Isaac back to life in a figure. Secondly, He saw the miraculous provision of God. The literal meaning of the name is Jehovah will see to it. That must have grown out of the confidence that Abraham had in God. Earlier when Isaac sought clearance on the lamb for the sacrifice, he replied by saying that God would provide Himself a lamb. Indeed God came through for Abraham. From that experience he could say that God would always see to whatever is committed to Him. We too can be sure that the Lord will see to it that every genuine need of our life is provided for.

We cannot put God in a straightjacket, asking Him to meet our needs certain way. Always be open in your mind for the uncommon acts of God.

God’s provision on the mount stirs another lesson. The lamb that was used for the sacrifice was reportedly caught in the thicket. That was an unlikely place to find a lamb. As much as we know, lambs are domesticated animals; they are not found in the wild. How did this one get there? Well, it only proves that God delights in meeting our needs in uncommon ways. At the wedding feast in Galilee, they ran out of wine. Jesus asked them to fill the water pots with water which He later turned to wine. Those pots were not even used to store drinking water; they were only for ceremonial cleansing. From that unusual source they not only had their wine replenished, but they tasted the best wine they had ever known. We cannot put God in a straightjacket, asking Him to meet our needs certain way. Always be open in your mind for the uncommon acts of God.

‬‬‬‬‬Our text underscores God’s desire from the beginning of time – He longs to manifest Himself to man whom He made in His own image. Successive generations are to grow in their understanding of God’s ways and dealings and then proceed to make Him known to the world. In dealing with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He showed Himself as the Almighty God. Another dimension was added when God called Moses, He revealed Himself as Jehovah. “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” (Exodus 6:3). This new revelation was all that Moses needed to do breathtaking miracles and deliver the people of God. The extent to which God is manifested to us is the extent to which we can manifest Him to the world.

To love the Lord is to receive the commandments of the Lord and keep them. Doing this will make us see more of His manifestation, and to that extent too we can exhibit Him to the world around us.

In the passage before us, Jesus speaks of His readiness to manifest Himself to anyone who meets the condition. The word manifest means to exhibit. Jesus wants to exhibit His name and worth in whosoever is willing. There is a condition to make this all work out: we need to love Him supremely. By Scriptural definition, loving the Lord is not a subject of mere verbal affirmation. To love the Lord is to receive the commandments of the Lord and keep them. Doing this will make us see more of His manifestation, and to that extent too we can exhibit Him to the world around us.

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬Sacrifices were at the core of Old Testament worship. Twice daily they offered sacrifices – morning and evening. They had sacrifice at the sighting of new moon every month. Then you have the sacrifices that went with the three major feasts of the Lord. Sacrifices were made continually. The time that the sacrifices stopped coincided with period of apostasy in Israel. We concluded yesterday that giving thanks is equivalent to making sacrifices to God. For us thanksgiving is not just acknowledgment of what God has done, it is our duty and calling. Understandably, our text enjoins us to give thanks continually, much the same way the sacrifices in the Old Testament were perpetual.

For us thanksgiving is not just acknowledgment of what God has done, it is our duty and calling…our text enjoins us to give thanks continually, much the same way the sacrifices in the Old Testament were perpetual.

Can we have enough items for ceaseless thanks unto God as long as we live? Yes, if we follow the pattern. Psalms 136 segmented thanksgiving into three. The first focus offers thanks to God for His creative enterprise displayed in the universe. This has nothing to do with any specific act of God received. This is the loftiest form of thanksgiving, appreciating His genius for all the wonderful things He created. The second portion deals with God’s hands of deliverance towards Israel. In adopting this model, we can equally thank God for keeping the seed of Abraham alive till today in the face of stiff oppositions that have vowed to discontinue them as a nation. As an extension of this, we can thank God for His blessings upon the spiritual Israel, the Church. Finally, there is a portion devoted to thank God for His supplies for all flesh. You will never run out of what to thank God for if you follow this pattern.

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬Our previous meditation made a case for thanksgiving. Showing gratitude for what God has done creates access to enjoy more of His kindnesses. There is a different case we will like to make here for thanksgiving. The opening verses of Hebrews 5 details the work of the High Priest. He is called to offer gifts and sacrifices unto God, having the Levites for assistance. In the Old Testament setting, no one could presume to do that on his own. Not even the crowned kings. Saul made a sacrifice to God and it marked the beginning of the end of his reign. Understandably, then, the author of the book of Hebrews noted that those who were called to offer sacrifices unto God have been brought into a position of honour which others could not presumably appropriate.

The good thing is all believers have been made into a nation of priests. We can all offer sacrifice to God by giving thanks and praises to His holy name.

In the New Testament context, thanksgiving is the Old Testament equivalence of the sacrifices offered by the Priests. The good thing is all believers have been made into a nation of priests. We can all offer sacrifice to God by giving thanks and praises to His holy name. The essential truth we are trying to emphasize today is that we should see this duty as a privilege, an honour from God extended to us. If there is any truth in popular saying that the only food God eats is thanks, then we must be honoured indeed to be called His servitors in this regard.

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬The plight of lepers then and now hasn’t changed much. In Bible days, they were usually confined to the outskirts of the city because they were considered unclean. Interacting with other people was not permitted so they would not make them unclean as well. This segregation and stigmatization must have informed the action of the ten leprous men who came to Jesus. They cried for help with a loud voice, indicating how desperate they were for solution. The Master did not disappoint them, as He gave them instructions of what to do. He sent them to go and see the priest, holding in their hands the things that the law required of someone who had been cleansed of leprosy. Literally, Jesus taught them to act in faith. Their obedience produced result; they were cleansed in the way as they went.

By thanking the Lord, he gained access into more of God’s goodness. Ingratitude will shut the door of blessings, but gratitude will give you access to more.

One of the lepers cut short his trip to the priest, returning to Jesus to offer thanks. From our text, we noticed that he made his voice of thanksgiving as loud as he had made his plea earlier. Watch how Jesus reacted. He showed surprise that the remaining nine did not return with the same mind of gratitude as this stranger. This gives us a reading into the mind of God whenever we receive any extension of His hand in our affairs; He wants us to come praising Him. Then Jesus asked this man to go “and be made whole”. By thanking the Lord, he gained access into more of God’s goodness Ingratitude will shut the door of blessings, but gratitude will give you access to more.

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬Years ago, a couple sent me an interesting text message. The message read in part:  “Nothing improves your driving like the police car behind you”. I think this applies universally. No matter how bold you think you are, the moment you notice the police in sight you are bound to make some adjustments. For instance, if you have not put on your seatbelt, you clip that in.

There are things believers won’t do if they knew that God follows their every move. God is everywhere and He sees it all… If we carry this thought with us, we will not be lured easily into unfruitful works of darkness.

I wish we can put a spiritual spin on this; then we will enjoy tremendous progress in our Christian faith. There are things believers won’t do if they knew that God follows their every move. But is He not really following? Hasn’t the Bible declared that the eyes of God run to and fro the entire earth? If we don’t make adjustment, it is not that God is not following; it is failure to recognise it. God is everywhere and He sees it all. Nothing can be hidden from Him. If we carry this thought with us, we will not be lured easily into unfruitful works of darkness. Gehazi followed Naaman for some illicit gain. If he knew that the eye of the Master was following him, he would not have dared. We need to build into our consciousness that God is the ever present One. While this is to caution from wrongdoing, we should not be living with fear as if God is waiting for every mistake so He could pounce on us. That He is ever present should actually be a consolation; because that means we will not be stranded. His presence guarantees continuous help and guidance.

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬At the first hearing of Jesus of Nazareth, Nathaniel retorted, “Can there anything good come out of Nazareth?” In the time of Jesus, Nazareth was a little city on the Galilean hill. It was looked upon with contempt at that time. This could be the reason why Nathaniel dismissed it with a wave of the hand. He concluded that nothing good could ever come out of the place. Was Nathaniel reflecting the sentiments of the time or there was something else to it? Could his statement be a smokescreen of his own discouragement about life? It is often the case that when one is sarcastic of self, it may be carried over towards other people. A negative perspective of self will produce a negative perspective of others.

His mercies can reach out to us and change our perspective and experience.

What lends credence to this is the fact that Jesus would later say to Nathaniel that he saw him under the fig tree. Sitting under the tree will immediately provoke the thought of Elijah who was similarly sitting under the juniper tree. Of course, that was at the lowest point of his life and ministry. Could Nathaniel have been despondent with life at the time Jesus took a glance at him under the tree? We may never be too sure. One thing is clear though; that is, even when we sit down because we feel the weight of life’s problems and responsibilities, His eyes are still following us. His mercies can reach out to us and change our perspective and experience.

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬Conscience is to man what a rudder is to a ship. It serves as man’s moral compass. Without it, man will end up in destruction. The conscience is that inner faculty that tells wrong from right. If it is not seared, it is capable of guiding the believer to a safe haven. People only run into trouble with God when they neglect the conscience. But there is another thing from Paul’s other writing that can equally have adverse effect on our Christian faith; and this has to do with wrong association.  Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:33 that evil company corrupts good habits. A man is probably not better than the caliber of close association that he keeps. Those who want to please the Lord must be circumspect about people they allow into their lives.

A man is probably not better than the caliber of close association that he keeps. Those who want to please the Lord must be circumspect about people they allow into their lives.

It is not only true that evil association corrupts good morals, but it can also ruin a business venture. The story is told of Jehoshaphat, one of Judah’s righteous kings, who went into alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel reputed for his wickedness. They built a ship to go to Tarshish in search of gold. That was a good business proposal. Tarshish was also the right place to go for gold. But the whole thing ended up a disaster. 2 Chronicles 20:37 concludes, “Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.” Was God against the business plan? Not at all; but He was against the alliance of right with wrong. It is high time you considered who you are doing business with and what effect they are having on you.

‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬The hymn NEVER GROW OLD paints the picture of the glorious, immortal body that believers would have in heaven. It was written by James Cleveland Moore, Sr. The inspiration for the song came after he listened to the waning voice of his father who for many years had led their congregation in worship. He knew he would not have him around much longer, so he anticipated the land where we will never grow old. It is always a spectacle when you watch obituaries. Pictures used for the deceased are usually the ones taken in their younger and more vibrant years. This is a pointer to the yearning in human beings. We not only want to live long but also exhibit the vitality of youth.

And what a blessed hope to know that at an appointed time He will come again, and change our vile body into His own glorious, resurrected body…We rejoice in hope that someday we will see and be like Him.

The quest to remain forever young is what is driving the cosmetic industry. But no matter how much we try, age and decay will ultimately set in. What man seeks to achieve through technology is what God has freely offered through His Son. Jesus has brought immortality to life for the believers. It is only through Him we can live forever. And what a blessed hope to know that at an appointed time He will come again, and change our vile body into His own glorious, resurrected body. A believer can therefore strengthen himself in this hope, that even though there might be some disaffection in his present body, it will not last long. We rejoice in hope that someday we will see and be like Him.