Memorise: But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. 1Timothy 5:6
Read: 2 Samuel 11:1-5
1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home.
5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
Bible in one year: 1 Chronicles 28-29, Acts 21:37-22:11
AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL
1. While God is not against His people enjoying a comfortable life, He is against us living for pleasure.
2. There is a life of comfort and pleasure that can ultimately lead to spiritual death.
3. After God gave David rest from the life of wandering in the wilderness as a shepherd, fugitive, mercenary and warrior king, he started living in pleasure, so much so that he no longer went to battle. In the course of his life of leisure, pleasure and comfort, he fell into sin that would have destroyed his destiny, but for the mercies of God. He experienced spiritual death and had to cry to God for restoration (Psalm 51:1).
4. Spiritual death is a condition of alienation from God because of sin. It is the absence of spiritual life, which means being physically alive without having a relationship with God.
5. By nature, all of mankind is dead spiritually. However, whosoever accepts Jesus as Lord and Saviour becomes genuinely born again and experiences transformative change. Such a person is liberated from spiritual death and is made alive by the Holy Spirit.
6. After experiencing new life in Christ, we are encouraged to take pleasure in everything God has created, but never to allow pleasure in His creation to overshadow our pleasure in the Creator Himself.
7. We live in times when the desire to live a pleasurable life is most paramount on people’s mind.
8. We must not allow ourselves to become overtaken by the wanton desire for pleasure we see all around us. Remember that in last days, men will become lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:4).
9. In these perilous times, people are craving to satisfy the lust of the flesh through food, drinks, stimulants and sexual gratification.
10. They also strive to satisfy the lust of the eyes through fashion, materialism and the inordinate acquisition of the beautiful things of life.
11. Lastly, they live to satisfy the pride of life through the accumulation of titles, recognition, fame and other achievements.
12. Children of God must not be caught in the snare of the devil. With respect to the pleasure of this world, the Spirit of God recommends restraint and discipline to every child of God.
13. In 1 Corinthians 7:31, He says: “And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.” God’s people must have self-control, be generous and have consideration for others.
14. The Bible insists that anyone who places priority on pleasure or invests much time and resources into a pleasure-seeking lifestyle is spiritually dead, even though alive physically.
15. There are so many of such people in the church of God today (Revelation 3:1)!
16. I pray that God will help such people to recognize their state and move them to cry to Him for restoration.
SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS
Comfort is good but allowing it to overshadow the will of God is more dangerous. As the Bible says that we are soldiers of Christ and soldiers are always alert even in their sleep. Many believers have missed the purpose of God concerning their lives as a result of comfort after victory. Let’s not major in minor and minor in major. We must try to constantly engage ourselves in the things and will of God. There is more battle to fight both physically and spiritually in this race than the pleasures of this world afterall this earth is not our home. Jesus fought, overcame and promised to grant us sit with Him on His throne if we fight till the end. “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Revelation 3:21. However, we are not forbidden to enjoy comfort as believers but allowing it to cripple our spirituality is invaluable. God be praised for Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.
Prayer Point: Father, help me to overcome every craving in me that will lead to spiritual death in Jesus’ Name
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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