May 8, 2020 CAC Living Water Devotional :- LIVING ABOVE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES (I)
Read previous CAC Living Water Devotionals here
CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH
THE LIVING WATER {Jan ~ June, 2020}
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Friday, May 8, 2020
– World Ovarian Cancer Day
TOPIC: LIVING ABOVE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES (I)
Read Judges 6:11-16
[11]And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.[12]And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.[13]And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.[14]And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?[15]And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.[16]And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
MEMORISE: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)
EXPOSITION
The undeniable truth is that, often, people find themselves in circumstances that are beyond explanation, and go beyond their control. Peradventure you find yourself in such situations, what do you do? You need to develop the capacity to live above the circumstances. What that means is that, you should be careful not to become victim of your circumstances.
Gideon would have been victim of his circumstances, if God had not intervened for him. God had purposed to use him as a judge to deliver his people from the hand of the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to him, Gideon, who was not lazy at all, as he was found working hard in his workplace, gave the angel a number of reasons why he could not do the divine task. He said to Him, ‘O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the last in my father’s house’ (v. 15).
Gideon looked down on himself. Or, better still, he was himself as not being capable enough to execute the task being put at his doorstep. He thought God used people because of their great status, and since he had no great family background, and hailed from the least tribe in Israel, he thought God could not use him – that he wasn’t fit for the job. What circumstances are you in, that is making you to look down on yourself and your God-given capacity? Gideon was probably asking these questions: How can God raise a leader (deliverer) for His own people (Israel) from a tribe like my own? (cf. Jn. 1:46). If God would raise someone for that special and honourable task, could he be someone like me? To fulfil your God-given purpose in life, learn to live above your circumstances. With Christ in you, you can do all things (Phil. 4:13). That is what kept Paul going, despite the roughness of the road to fulfilment that he had to ply. Don’t be different!
PRAYER POINTS
1. Lord, I ask for the grace to see myself above those threatening situations and circumstances of my life.
2. The Cross and the grave couldn’t hold Jesus down. Nothing will stop me from fulfilling God’s purpose for my life, in Jesus’ name.
3. Pray for missionaries who are at the verge of going on A. W. O. L. because of the challenges they are battling with, that God should help them, like He did, Paul.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: 2 Samuel 6 – 7 & Romans 13
Author: C.A.C WORLDWIDE
Remain blessed!