METHODIST CHURCH NIGERIA DAILY REFLECTION FOR AUGUST 1, 2024: TOPIC – NO EXTRA LUGGAGE
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METHODIST CHURCH NIGERIA
DAILY REFLECTION FOR TODAY
DATE: THURSDAY, 1ST AUGUST, 2024
THEME: NO EXTRA LUGGAGE
PASSAGE: GENESIS 12:1–18
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And Canaanite was then in the land.
7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
14 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.
15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.
17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.
18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
MESSAGE:
Airlines have policies on the type of goods that you can carry with you as a passenger on their aircraft. They also specify the volume, number of items and weight of luggage that are allowable. These instructions are clearly stated on air tickets. Regrettably, people flout these instructions with consequences that range from making payment for excess luggage, forfeiting some goods, and even ending up in prison.
The instruction God gave to Abram in Genesis 12:1 was to go out of his country, from his family and father’s house; to a land that the Lord wanted to show him,” which marked the beginning of his salvation story. Abram, however, did not only take Sarai, his wife which could be admissible, but also Lot his nephew and the people whom they had acquired in Haran with him. This eventually led to the problem between his herdsmen and with Lot’s herdsmen (Genesis 13:7-11) and he later put his life at risk to save Lot and his family (Genesis 14:1-16).
Our personal salvation story starts the day we acknowledge our sinfulness and accept the Lord Jesus as our Lord and Saviour by faith. From that point, we leave behind our old lifestyle and embark on a journey of righteousness. That is why Paul said that, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Bringing some of the old habits and behaviour into our new journey of faith is like carrying extra luggage with us. It could be very costly and fatal. Our God, who is very meticulous, wants His people to obey His rules, Judgments and precepts to the letter, irrespective of its seeming impracticability. His will must be respected at all times.
MEMORY VERSE: Genesis 12:5 “Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot, his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.”
HYMN: MHB 516 (6.6.9.D and refrain) WHEN we walk with the Lord
1 WHEN we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word
What a glory He sheds on our way !
While we do His good will,
He abides With us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.
2 Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt nor a fear,
Not a sigh nor a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey•
3 Not a burden we bear .
Not a sorrow we share
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief nor a loss,
Not a frown nor a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey .
4 But we never can prove
The delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favour He shows,
And the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
5 Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go—
Never fear, only trust and obey.
John Henry Sammis, d. 1919.
PRAYER: Lord, empower me to discard old habits and plant in me a new heart that runs away from sin, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.