CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR SEPTEMBER 21, 2022 : TOPIC – THE UNGRATEFUL SPIRIT

By | September 20, 2022

CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR SEPTEMBER 21, 2022 : TOPIC – THE UNGRATEFUL SPIRIT

LIVING WATER CAC DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

Wednesday, September 21, 2022.

International Day of Peace, World Gratitude Day& World Alzheimer’s Day

THE UNGRATEFUL SPIRIT

Read: Malachi 1:1-14

[1]The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.
[2]I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,
[3]And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
[4]Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.
[5]And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.
[6]A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
[7]Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.
[8]And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.
[9]And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.
[10]Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
[11]For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.
[12]But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.
[13]Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.
[14]But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

MEMORISE: “I have loved you,” says the LORD, “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the LORD. “Yet Jacob I have loved” (Malachi 1:2).

EXPOSITION
To talk about the ungrateful spirit on this day which commemorates International Day of Peace, World Gratitude Day and World Alzheimer’s Day is not out of place. Have you ever showered love on someone with all you have, but the person, instead of appreciating you or reciprocating the love, simply throws it back at your face? The conversations here are between two parties. One says with emotional tone: ‘I have ALWAYS loved you!’ But the other party responds: ‘Really? How have you loved me?’ It is like, What have you done that other gods couldn’t and wouldn’t have done for me?’ This is what happened between God and Israel. God loved her, despite being few in number (Deut. 7:7), fulfilled His covenant terms of protection, provision, and preservation on her. But Israel, instead of appreciating God, threw it back at His face.

Our society is producing a bunch of ingrates; children who say to their parents: “I didn’t ask you to bring me into this world. So, it’s your responsibility to take care of me!” Siblings who take the generosity of Joseph’ that God had sent ahead of them for granted! Couples who don’t appreciate each other when one cries out: “Is it a crime to love you?” And the other party shouts back: “Really? Clap for yourself!” This is devastating!

How do you respond to God’s love? How do you pay Him back? With pain, or a grateful heart? What about your attitude to the good done to, and for you by others? Ingratitude hurts! It turns blessings to curses: If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house (Prov. 17:13 NIV).

PRAYER POINTS
1. Start appreciating God for all that He has done for you and your household.
2. Rebuke the ungrateful spirit, and pray that it never possess your heart, in Jesus’ name.
3. Pray for naughty children around you, who make their parents cry on daily basis.

HYMN FOR TODAY: CAC GHB VAR 17
1. Blessed assurance Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God;
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Chorus:
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Saviour all the day long
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Saviour all the day long.

2. Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Vision of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angel descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love

3. Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blest
Watching and waiting, looking above
Fill’d with His goodness, lost in His love.

Amen.

EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Nahum 2-3; Habakkuk 1-2

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