DCLM Daily Manna 29 April 2024 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — A Critical Choice
TOPIC: A Critical Choice (DCLM Daily Manna 29 April 2024)
KEY VERSE: “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him” (Isaiah 3:10,11).
TEXT: Isaiah 3:1-12 (KJV)
1 For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water.
2 The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.
6 When a man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:
7 In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.
8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
9 The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.
10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.
12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
MESSAGE:
A religious sceptic once asked the German reformer, Martin Luther, why God created man when He knew he would sin. Luther, the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation, replied, “Let us keep clear of these abstract questions and consider the will of God such as it has been revealed to us.” As a learned priest, Luther knew that God was not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). He also understood God’s desire that man should choose what is right over that which is evil.
God’s proposition, from the creation of the earth, showed that He wants man to obey Him freely, without force. He rewards such free will obedience, punishing disobedience as seen in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3).
Our text chronicles God’s expectations and the abysmal failure of man over the years. As it was in the days of Isaiah, so it is today. Men are still chasing the vanities of life while their lives are fleeting. God cannot be mocked. He diligently rewards the obedient with blessings and those gone astray with just compensation for their sins.
God is always fair to all. If you do what is right, it shall be well with you. For those whose choice is wrongdoing, God will never permit the unrighteous to go free. The only way out is to repent of all sins, forsake all evil ways and make Jesus your Lord and Saviour. Again, the choice is yours:
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God is always fair to all. He rewards what is right and punishes what is wrong.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Samuel 6-7
Deeper Life Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
