SACRIFICE

SACRIFICE

I’m reading Hebrews 11 this morning the part that talks about Moses’ faith and I just pause and ask myself; Why wouldn’t God use Moses the way He did?

I know we all know the story of Moses, but for those of us that don’t, in verse 24 of Hebrews 11, the bible says: Heb 11:24  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

I’m reading this and trying to picture Moses in our day. Pharaoh in the then known world was the only world power and all the people answered to him. And Moses was the adopted son of his daughter, Oh what an exalted position to occupy!

Imagine the kind of noise Senators make these days by virtue of the small power they wield in their constituencies and try to compare it to what Moses would have been privileged to by virtue of his position. But bible tells us that he refused to even be recognized as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter but rather wanted to be associated with the people of God. What a great sacrifice that was.

By that singular decision, Moses automatically fell from the possibilities of being the strongest most powerful man in the then known world to being “A Nobody”. I have found out that when God has great plans for your life, the enemy always brings things to you that will look like greatness but hidden behind it will be slavery.

If that were not to be the case, why was it that of all the days for Pharaoh’s daughter to find a child by the River Nile, it was the day Moses was kept there? Why was it that of all the Hebrew children that she had come across, she chose to adopt this particular one? Why was it that the same Pharaoh who gave orders for Hebrew boys to be slain accepted this particular one?

My conclusion is that the devil will go to any length to try and truncate God’s ultimate plans for your life. But thank God that we have a God that is a master planner.

Back to my earlier chain of thoughts, I’m wondering, if I was the one in Moses’ shoes, would I have given up all of that comfort and prospects for the unknown? (I’m keeping my answer to myself *winks*smiles*) but I’m asking you the same question; Would you have given up all that comfort and privileges for the unknown? SELAH!!!

We live in a world today that is so materialistic it makes you wonder what will become of your children (I’m yet to have them, work in progress *smiles*). All around us, everyone is grabbing and acquiring and buying and getting which makes me wonder, is this all life is about? I was taught while growing up by my parents that there is always a higher calling in life than material things (Happy Wedding Anniversary Mum). I was told that we are here for a purpose and a greater good. But when I look around me today at the things going on in our world, I’m tempted to doubt the wise sayings of my parents.

Thank God for men like Moses whom God used to show us that life is not all about the material things. He gave up everything to pursue a vision that was imprinted in his heart (To lead the children of Isreal out of captivity). And God being who He is, does not owe any man, all the things that Moses gave up to do His will, was restored to him a thousand folds. He became the leader of the strongest most feared Nation in the then known world. He won battles and acquired so much than he could have assuming he was restricted to Egypt alone.

Question now is, what sacrifice have you made for the purpose of God upon your life? Can you comfortably point out things you have foregone for the sake of Christ?

You know it is so easy to join the band wagon and hustle like everyone else, making efforts to grab as much as is possible even when you don’t have need for them, but my question to you today is this; Are you by your current actions fulfilling the purpose of God for your life, or are you on the band wagon?

SELAH!!!

GOOD POVERTY

MATTHEW 5:3

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”.

Jesus was going to teach His disciples and when He opened His mouth to speak, the first words out of His mouth were the words contained in the verse above. Sitting with that verse of scripture, the word POOR always jumps at me each time I meditate on this scripture and I begin to wonder how one could be poor in the spirit; I thought Christianity was about attaining that spiritual height where we get to become like our father? So how come I have to be poor in spirit to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven?

Honestly, this has left me baffled for a long while now until I bumped into another verse of scriptures that threw more light on it for me; Is 66:2b “But on this one will I look; On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word”.  Hmmm

With this scripture, Matt 5:3 begins to take shape for me. We see the word poor show up again which tells me that there is definitely an association between Poverty, Spirituality and Heaven; which led me to study the word Poverty and everything that is associated with it.

In my studies, I found out that one characteristic of the poor is humility (circumstantial though lol). Poor people cower and hide in the presence of the rich and affluent people around them. They will readily accept hand-me-downs and handouts from the rich no matter how insulting it might look in the eyes of a by-stander. Genuinely poor people have past caring what other people think or feel, they just want to survive. It will amaze you the amount of insults a poor man is ready to take from the wealthy just to have access to one meal.

Now if you relate this to the scripture that says that God resists the proud, then it begins to make sense why God will say that the Kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit.

A poor man never has enough; he is always looking for more because he understands his situation. In essence, what Jesus was telling His disciples in Matt 5:3 was that the Kingdom of heaven is for those that are willing to thirst for and seek for ‘More’.

God says He will look at him who is poor and of a contrite spirit. One who is willing to learn, experience new things in God, listen to what He has to say and most importantly do them, also not forgetting to ask Him for things all the time because scriptures made us to understand that God is continually looking for people to reveal the things that are to come to.

Truth is, when we tremble at His every Word, it is difficult to fall out of line from His will and there is an open channel of communication.

Question is; How Humble am I? Do I get puffed up as a result of my little knowledge of spiritual things? If yes, then I need to re-trace my steps bearing in mind that the bible says that “He who thinks he stands should beware lest he falls”.

I need to be humble in all my deeds (dressing, spending, mannerisms, driving, giving), thoughts and words.

Lord help me look up to You for everything and please keep me in line with your will for me in Jesus name, Amen.

Poor in Spirit, that’s the only form of poverty that is allowed in my life sha lolz.