Labourers and Harvesters

Text: I Cor . 3: 6-8
MORE  LESSONS: John 4: 37-38
Bible Reading in one Year: 2Chronicles 7-9

A young missionary came from Europe to Africa and after investing all his lifetime in a community he had only one young convert. He lost his wife and child to malaria in the land and after all the years, he went back to his country, an old man, thinking he had wasted the bulk of his life. He would have died a bitter man, if not that close to the time of his death he met someone from the same field who gave him a report: the one convert he had for all his labour had grown to become a great evangelist and church planter in that country, with thousands of people saved and many churches planted in nations through him.

The gospel is waxing stronger and stronger in that land. The old missionary repented of thinking that he wasted his labour and praised the Lord for the harvest that others were reaping from his labour. Then he passed on to glory.

When you look at life, you realise that everything you enjoy today is a result of the labour of people who have gone ahead of you. In everyday life, technologies like cars, phones, computers and others that make life easy for us today are the results of the efforts and labour of some people in the past. Some of the labourers of the past didn’t even get the chance of benefitting from the results of their labours; it was after their lifetime that their efforts began yielding results for other people.

This is true in the spiritual also; all your labour in the spirit like your prayer, fasting, giving and diligent service to God are harvests for the future. Even if you leave this world, other people, including your children, will benefit from them. Many of us are reaping the good of the spiritual labours of our parents. This is the reason why every person should be very diligent in all the things of God because such is laying up harvest for his seed and the future generation.

The converse is also true, laziness in the things of God and all the evil that men might do today are also to be paid for by future generations, including the children of the perpetrators of evil. Many countries are suffering and struggling today because of the lack of vision, corruption, embezzlement and evil of the past leaders. Of a truth, ...one soweth and another reapeth. . . other men laboureth, and ye are entered into their labours: John 4: 37-38.

Today, I charge you to start laying up spiritual and physical labours that others will reap from even when you are gone. This is the path to making everlasting impact.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that your labour in life will never be a waste.
* Pray for a life of impact beyond your generation.
* Ask for a life filled with results.
* Pray for divine speed and fulfilment in life.

Handling Challenging Times

Text: Job 14:14
MORE LESSONS: Hab 2: 1-3
Bible Reading in one Year: 2 Chronicles 4-6

God's desire is that His children ceaselessly enjoy good times. God is good at all times and this means good for us in every season. But as believers we ought to know how to handle challenging times because even though we are blessed people, things can sometimes be really bad; we need to know what to do and what not to do at such times. Going through the Scripture, you can see that bad times sometimes come even to righteous people. The age long question many ask is, why should a good person run into bad times? Job was a righteous man who experienced a great calamity, but he declared, . . . till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live: Job 27:5-6. What a faithful worshipper of God. Job refused to speak against God or compromise in the situation; no wonder he finally came out greater and better (Job 42: 10-17). When times are really bad, you still must stand for God and for righteousness and He will finally elevate you.

David, the man after God's heart, was another man that was familiar with difficult times. On one occasion he burst out in frustration, My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword: Psa. 57:4. On another occasion he despaired, And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest: Psa. 55:6. David felt like giving up and running away just like you feel like throwing in the towel many times but he did not. Rather he affirmed his faith in God, As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice: Psa. 55:16-17. David went through it all and at the end he had the testimony of being Israel's greatest king in history and the reference point for other kings. When you wait for God and prevail over a problem you become a reference point for uplifting many. This is the reason you must emerge victorious over that issue. The strength of God will not fail you, in Jesus’ name. In difficult times do like David did, pray; add Job’s strategy, maintain your integrity. Finally, trust in God and wait on Him by faith till your change comes.

Prayer/Action
* Pray for God’s help never to quit in adversity.
* Pray like David- But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory , and the lifter up of mine head:Ps3:3.
* Declare like Job, all the days of my life will I wait on you, Oh God till you change my situation.

Christian Leadership

Text: 1 Cor 11: 1
MORE LESSONS: Mark 10: 35-45
Bible Reading in one Year: 2 Chronicles 1-3

Being a leader is a huge responsibility which is given to us and for which we must give account. Christian leadership, contrary to the world system, is not about seeking title, position or power but commanding emulation through positive spiritual influence. Spiritual leadership is about your life being a worthy example to people spiritually and in other aspects of daily life.

Each time you exert positive influence on people's lives, you are leading. This is the reason why when a person gets saved through you, it is said that you led him or her to Christ. A wise man once said, You are a leader if you have ever attempted to get someone to do something right.

Another wise man said, If your actions inspire others to learn more, do more and become more, then you are a leader. This understanding makes leadership accessible, available and possible for all and sundry; you mustn't be president, chairman or head before you lead. You can lead whatever your position in an organisation, group or family. All you have to do is to be a positive influence and add value to that place with or without recognition. Christian leadership is not about having all the privileges and having every one serving you. It is about serving others. It is pouring your life and resources to further God's cause and the welfare of the people.

If there is somewhere or somebody whom you can serve with your God-given ability, you are already progressing in leadership. Christian leadership is about caring, nurturing and raising people; it is both a privilege and a responsibility.

You can exercise leadership as a father or mother in the family, as a person positively impacting your friends, a teacher or coach influencing young people for Christ; you can exercise leadership one-on-one. It is not only when you face a crowd or you are in a big position that you are in leadership. In fact, it is faithfulness to God in little and seemingly unimportant areas of leadership and tasks that you do either in church, at work or at home that determines how God commits bigger things to your hands, He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much: Luke 16:10.

Christians should not lobby, seek or rush into leadership positions, most especially in the Body of Christ. They should allow God to place them according to the measure of grace He has given them, Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends.

Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards: James 3:1 (The Message). f God has made you a leader , His grace is sufficient for you even in your weakness. I pray you will not fail in your assignment, in Jesus’ name.
However, if God has made you a leader, His grace is sufficient for you even in your weakness. I pray you will not fail in your assignment, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Ask that God will make you an example of a true Christian leader.
* Ask God to help you reject any appointment in which He is not involved.
* Pray for believers in any area of leadership to find God’s help to lead righteously .

: God is a Rewarder

Text: Heb 11: 6
MORE LESSONS: Psalm 63: 1-11
Bible Reading in one Year: Romans 12-16

God has never been known to fail anyone that seeks Him. There is a prize in God that He reserves only for seekers who will go after Him with all their heart. The best and the choicest things of God are reserved for those who will seek Him diligently. Many people seek God half-heartedly and then complain that seeking God is not giving them the desired result. The Bible makes it clear that God rewards diligent seekers,

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him: Heb 11: 6. How diligent are you in the pursuit of God? And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart: Jer 29:13.

A diligent seeker will always want to be in God's presence and in the assembly of God's children. Diligence in seeking God takes spending time with Him and waiting on Him in prayer, fasting and studying God's Word. Fasting and prayer is not something you remember only when you are in trouble, it is an instrument for seeking God. When was the last time you fasted and prayed, just seeking to know God more? God rewards diligence in seeking Him. The priority of a diligent seeker is spending time with God; so in planning his day and programme, he carefully and uncompromisingly creates time for God. Even in the kind of job and appointment he takes, he considers whether he will have time for God.

The secret of grace, wealth, greatness, the anointing and a life of impact is diligently seeking God. Men seek for these blessings but these things keep eluding them because they do not understand that these blessings are rewards that come with a life devoted to a passionate pursuit and diligent seeking of God. Seeking God comes at a price. It will cost you time to wait on God, and resources and money to give to the Kingdom of God. It will cost you your effort and energy to serve God and to work in the church. But the rewards that God has reserved for diligent seekers far outweigh any sacrifice that might come with seeking Him.

A believer that is devoted to the things of God and another that is lackadaisical about God will never end up on the same platform, spiritually and physically. It is just a matter of time before the difference becomes clear and glaring. Today, I want you to choose to be a seeker of God because He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to help you renew your commitment to Him more than ever before.
* Ask for the spirit that thirsts and hungers for God beyond needs.
* Ask God to reveal Himself to you today.