“Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men” (Ezekiel 24:17).
TEXT — Ezekiel 24:15-27
Message
David Livingstone was considered the most distinguished European missionary in Africa in the 19th Century. He married Mary, daughter of Robert Moffat, a man of God who inspired Livingstone to go to Africa. Life was difficult for Livingstone and his family as the work plunged the evangelist deeper into the wild interior of the continent, with his wife suffering bouts of ill health. She and her six children went back to England so they could recuperate. Living in near poverty and separated from her spouse, Mrs. Livingstone died aged only 42 years.
Prophet Ezekiel had his own story of sacrificial service to the Lord. God said He would take away his beloved wife. He must not grieve nor cease preaching His Word to the wayward children of Jacob, who were in exile in Babylon. It was a tough deal for the prophet. When the wife died, as God said, He told His servant that it was a sign to him and the people that our conveniences, preferences, or comfort must always give way to heaven’s desires to draw multitudes away from looming damnation.
As we offer to give our lives to the Lord, it must be complete submission to His will. We must count the cost. For instance, ministers of the gospel need to sacrifice some of their family time to attend to the needs of members of the flock of Christ. We may need to give up our limited substance to take care of widows, orphans, the vulnerable, older people, and so on. The Lord also requires us to pay our tithes and give for projects in the church. All these translate to giving up some of our conveniences and gratifications.
Are all these, including our family, so important that they cannot give way to the Lord if He wants to use them for His work? Are we to tell God that we are ready to submit to His Will, but only on the condition that He does not demand our big car, luxurious house, fat bank account, or family? He gave His all to save us. We must also not hold back anything to fulfil His desire of “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” through our commitment to sacrificial giving and evangelism.
Thought for the day
The resolve to spend and be spent is the badge of true Christian service.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
1 comment
Oh to serve thee Lord is my heart desire! Hi e me the grace to always say YES
Oh to serve thee Lord is my heart desire! Hi e me the grace to always say YES