DCLM Daily Manna 14 April 2025 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — God Desires Your Salvation
TOPIC: God Desires Your Salvation (DCLM Daily Manna 14 April 2025)
KEY VERSE: “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die. O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11).
TEXT: Ezekiel 33:8-20 (KJV)
8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?
11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.
16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.
MESSAGE:
Some people do not know that their best interest in life lies only in submitting themselves to the dictates of the Lord. They take God for granted and remain adamant in their rebellious and foul lifestyle while choosing to live as they please. Many times, believers give up on such people, turning instead to more receptive ears.
Prophet Ezekiel was tasked with warning the people of Israel to turn away from sin or face judgment from God. As a watchman over Israel, he had a duty to call the wicked to repentance. While God would hold him accountable for not delivering the warning, Ezekiel would be blameless if the sinners did not heed his message. He was also responsible for reminding the righteous to stay true to God and not backslide. God’s desire was for all sinners to repent and turn back to Him so that His plans for them could be fulfilled. He would forgive those who genuinely repented and made amends for their wrongs but would punish the righteous who relapsed into sin. God’s standard was fair and just, showing mercy to those who return to Him in repentance.
God takes no delight in the death of any sinner. He desires that everyone should repent of their sins and be saved. Once saved, God does not reckon with our past offences irrespective of how grievous they were. At the same time, we must never become wilfully indulgent in sin, counting on our past righteousness. Once a person relapses into sin, it invalidates all his/her previous good deeds before God.
Today, the Lord calls all sinners and backsliders to repentance and to take refuge under the redemptive shelter of Jesus Christ. The righteous is also called to steadfastness. Only by responding to this call can we live meaningfully here on earth and gloriously in eternity.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Every attempt to ignore God comes with too great a cost.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Acts 13-14
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.
