Memorise: Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Isaiah 35:3
Read: Matthew 25:34-46
34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;
43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 “Then they also will answer [a]Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’
46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Bible in one year: Psalm 88 – 91, Matthew 27:15-44
AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL
1. Weakness can be such a terrible thing.
2. A person who is weak is helpless and sometimes even hopeless.
3. People can be weak in several ways; some are weak financially, emotionally, spiritually, academically, and so on.
4. People who are weak are not in a state where they can protect or defend themselves.
5. This is why anyone who oppresses the weak is a coward and a bully.
6. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, who Himself was a help to the helpless, if a person is financially weak, you should not use that opportunity to cheat him or her.
7. It is disheartening that some employers look for desperate people to employ so that they can pay them far less than the regular applicable wages.
8. Some other people constantly search for people in financial crisis so that they can buy off their properties very cheaply. Are you playing with the emotions of the opposite sex because they are emotionally weak? Do you condemn people because they are not as strong as you are spiritually? You need to have a change of heart today.
9. Believe me honestly, there is no seed sown that will not be reaped. There was a man who was very good at treating people who had broken bones. Whenever someone with a broken bone was rushed to him, because of their desperation, he would charge their family members an extremely high price that would be very difficult to pay. If they complained about the cost, he would get a cutlass and suggest to them that if they couldn’t afford his charges, he could amputate the victim’s broken limb at a cheaper price. Not desiring the amputation of a member of their family, they would agree to his exorbitant price and pay. Through these means, this man eventually became very rich and had many houses. Down the line, he fell sick and had to spend so much money diagnosing the cause of his ailment. Before long he started selling his houses in order to afford his medical bills, but the doctors still could not tell what was wrong with him. After he sold his last house, it was discovered that he had cancer, but by this time, it was already too late for him. He died a poor man. Beloved, don’t be deceived into thinking that you can get away with wicked acts. Whatever a man sows, he shall also reap (Galatians 6:7).
10. No real Christian should ever turn his back on someone who needs help. That is not the nature of our father. Our Lord Jesus Christ went about doing good, and He was always full of compassion (Acts 10:38). When He met a widow on her way to bury her son, without being asked, He wiped away her tears (Luke 7:12-15).
11. If you claim to be Christ-like, you must also be full of compassion for the weak around you.
12. As seen in our Bible text, helping the weak is synonymous with helping God, because He feels their pains. So ask yourself, are you helping to reduce Jesus’ pain, or are you ignoring Him?
SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS
If truly the DNA of Christ is in believers, there shouldn’t be any act of wickedness in the body of Christ. Like Pastor E.A Adeboye stated “No real Christian should ever turn his back on someone who needs help. That is not the nature of our father.” God is compassionate and full of mercy. Sincerely, exploiting the weak or taking advantage of the weak is sin against the almighty God. Today’s devotional is a warning to as many that are exploiting the weak around them, adjust your ways to avoid the wrath of God. May God continually strengthen and uphold Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.
Action Point: Make a list of weak people around you and reach out to them today.
Hymn
Nearer, my God, to Thee;
Nearer to Thee;
E’en though it be a cross
That raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.
Though, like a wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness comes over me,
My rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.
There let me see the sight,
An open heaven;
All that Thou sendest me,
In mercy given;
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.
Then, with my waking thoughts
Bright with thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I’ll raise,
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.
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