DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL AUTHOR:- REV (ENGR) J.A. OBILOMO TUESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER, 2014 TOPIC:- BOUNCING BACK TEXT:- 2 CORINTHIANS 3:17 “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ” I want to live in freedom, but to do that I must be willing to let the Holy Spirit flow through me. MSG:- Problems, challenges and failures happen at times in life, people become discouraged, distressed and depressed. These things happen to get us off the purpose of God for us. Thank God for His word which has not left us in the dark. In 2 Corinthians 4:1, Paul says, “We never give up.” We have so many examples of people who at one time or the other were discouraged but who did not lose heart. They never gave up. Peter denied knowing Jesus but came back to be the leader of the early church after repenting of his deeds. In the Old Testament, Joseph went through years of slavery and prison, but ultimately God lifted him up to a place of leadership because he persevered. As Christians we must persevere. Paul the apostle described his life in 2 Corinthians 11:24-27. He was persecuted, beaten with rods, pelted with stones, experienced ship wreck, gone hungry and thirsty so many times, have been cold and naked. That would certainly be enough for most of us to give up. However, Paul’s reaction was recorded in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” No matter what the devil threw at him, he bounced back. We too may have passed through some messy circumstances, persecution, lack, sickness, joblessness, unemployment, different challenges of life but no matter how many times we are knocked down, we will get back up. Proverbs 24:16 says, the righteous may fall 7 times but shall rise again. We might fall, it is a reality of life, but we have an option either to hit the bottom like egg and lie there broken and defeated, or to bounce back to the same level only to repeat the same cycle or we use that failure to launch into new heights, new challenges, and new dreams? Proverbs 24:10 warns that to fail in times of adversity means our strength is small. If we are to stand, we must prepare beforehand. What is that problem that has bowed your head down? What is the issue that has buried your head in the mud of shame? Are you sick and tired? Do you think your sins are too grievous to be forgiven? Is your hope going down the drain on a very crucial issue in your life? Are you always going forth and coming back to the same spot? What are the challenges you are passing through? His word says, Let us persevere because we don’t know when life’s defining moments will come, but if we establish a pattern of obedience, those moments will not catch us unprepared. Psalm 19:11 reminds us, “In obedience there is great reward.” Since we are created in God’s image we can never be a failure because God is not a failure. We will surely bounce back. Stay blessed. PRAYER:- Father, teach me to rely on your strength, teach me to persevere in times of problems and encourage me to leave in your words so that I will not miss my defining moments of victory in Jesus name. Amen. Contributed by Tola Obilomo
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 05:24:16 +0000
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