March 23, 2021 CAC Living Water Devotional : Topic – LABOUR ATTRACTS FAVOUR
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CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE.
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
(World Meteorological Day)
LABOUR ATTRACTS FAVOUR.
Read Genesis 26:1-14
MEMORISE: Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; but much increase comes by the strength of an ox (Proverbs 14:4)
EXPOSITION
Meteorology is the scientific study of the Earth’s atmosphere, especially its patterns of climate and weather. On this World Meteorological Day, we have the liberty to look at a phenomenon that has to do with the impact of climatic conditions – famine.
Man often desires the blessings of God when God is actually asking what do he (man) has in his hands (cf. Exod. 4:2). In other words, He is asking, ” What are you doing that I should bless?” God’s blessings are like manure that is introduced into the plant for it to grow well. No one introduces manure to a land that is not cultivated. Isaac relocated to Gerar due to the famine in his place of residence (Gen. 26:1). On arrival, he got God’s mandate to remain in the land when he wanted to quit. There, God promised to bless him, and re-affirmed His covenant with him (vv. 3-4). Isaac obeyed God and it paid off (cf. I Sam. 15:22).
Isaac, being a promised Child and the direct heir to the Abrahamic Covenant, could have just folded his hands and waited for manna to fall from heaven, but he worked, he went out to invest, even in the face of the harsh hostility he experienced from King Abimelech and his people (Gen. 26:8-10,15). In spite of all these Isaac didn’t give up. He sowed and dug more wells (Gen. 26:12-14, 18-19), and God blessed his labours.
It takes the right labour and at the right place to attract divine favour. He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent make rich (Prov. 10:4). Isaac’s labour attracted God’s favour, and he became great. No lazy man has ever succeeded in life. In all labour there is a profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty (Prov. 14:23). This simply means, “No work, no profit,” or “No work, no food” Of course, “No food for a lazy man”.
Our memory scripture implies that livestock can only increase in the farm where there are livestock. Praying for God’s blessings without working to activate your faith is what the Bible calls faith without work, which is dead (Jas. 2:17,20). Rise up to work, call on God, and He will bless the work of your hands, in Jesus name. Then Isaac sowed in that land and received in the same year an hundredfold and the LORD blessed him (Gen. 26:12).
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Thank God who has promised to teach our hands to make wealth.
2. Ask for God’s blessings to come upon your labour (business and career).
3. Pray that our youths will move out of slothfulness and idleness to meaningful and productive labour.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Deut. 9:27 – 12:7; Luke 1:34 – 1:55.