SUNDAY - 18TH FEBRUARY, 2024
MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Olusola ADEJUMO
HE BROUGHT YOU AN EQUIPPING BEFOREHAND
Read Luke 15:11-32
Luke 15:14, KJV
"And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want."
"What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visits him" (Psalm 8:4). Put that somewhere. God is never unjust. He'll sure visit you, as well your neighbour. What you do with His visitation is all that matters. If hundred visitations or blessings of God are not trapped or maximized, it will surely look as if God had not visited. If it rains and you do not collect the descending water, in a matter of time, you won't have evidence that it once rained. Do you know why? The ground would have dried up. That's what Joseph was telling Pharaoh. After those seven years of plenty come severe seven years of famine (Gen. 41:29-31). It'll be worst if the abundance is not trapped at all; because by then, the seven years of plenty will not be traceable?
The story of the prodigal son serves to teach us that. This young man arose and asked his father for a fair share of his estate. The father obliged him. Gathering all together, he travels into a far country. There, the Bible records he wastes his substance on riotous or wild living. In the statement of his elder brother to their father, we have more specifics on what riotous living was. It included spending on harlots and all sorts of debauchery (Luke 15:30). However, after this wastage of resources comes what the Bible calls, "a mighty famine."
"And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land..."
Believe it, that famine didn't spare him because we have testimony that "he began to be in want." Now, we ought ask some purposeful questions. Did God plan that this young man would be in any want on the long run? Obviously no. As far as God is concerned, he has not been forlorned but visited. He was succinctly equipped by the substance his father shared with him. It was that substance God intended would be his means of survival. However, what did he do with it? He wasted it in riotous living. He went about on a spending spree as a ragamuffin. This way, he lost what could have been his potent key of survival at a hard time.
God is merciful. You are meant to leverage His mercy. Like I said, He does well by visiting man beforehand with what he needs for life and godliness. He seeks to impart to us a stay or strength before the days of adversity come on us. What matters is to be aware of your visitation so you won't be caught unawares in unpreparedness in hard times like a fish taken in an evil net. The problem of this young man is the problem of many. They aren't futuristic at all. They are sensual and ephemeral. They are people of the now - eat-it-all people. As such, they suffer when the season of life changes. God came for the prodigal son. He was equipped with wealth that could make him laugh at famine. However, it was not invested. It was wasted. So, he suffered.
Therefore, no man should accuse God of unfairness when their poverty comes like an armed men. God will give to you. What you do with such released blessing is what that matters? Take note also, that "mighty famine" didn't arise before or when he still had empowerment or equipping to handle it. If it came before he spent it all, he could have exercised caution and be warned. Rather, it came after he had spent all, after all has been squandered and nothing is left to survive on. This goes in line with the predictive dreams of Pharaoh. There shall be seven years of abundance after which there will be seven years of staunch scarcity. The famine always follow your abundance season and God intentionally makes it so that no man may gain say over Him. He does it in order to have you equipped and ready for what will come upon the earth. Even in the temptation or test, there's always a way of escape - something to give God the glory for.
The Bible has spoken well of us in Job 5:19 saying, "He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee." Now, one of those troubles is famine. The Bible confesses that, "At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh..." (Job 5:22, KJV). Now, if you'll laugh at famine, is it by just confessing that Bible verse or by acting upon it and putting structures on ground to contain famine at appearance? Some people have repeatedly made that mistake. They only confessed thinking manna or bread would fall from the sky on them. No! Not like that. God wants common sense to be common today. What He's advocating for is to put your susbtance to work. The prodigal boy got his own but he didn't put it to work by investing or multiplying it. Rather, he spent it all until it finished.
God isn't unjust I repeat. He always give seeds to the sower and bread to the eater (II Cor.9:10). Once He gives you seed which you must sow, you'll be wise not to eat it at all. Not doing so is wanting to reap poverty plentifully. You might soon find yourself in the situation of this boy. At the peak of his want, the Bible comments that, "and he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat but no man gave him" (Luke 15:16, KJV).
Once you blow up your opportunity, you're literally left to yourself. You'll look at the ceiling, at the sky, at the hills and even when help comes, it'll be as an oasis in the desert. It won't appear until you have reaped some consequences for your unreasonableness. For this purpose, let us ask again, "what is the purpose of the susbtance in my hands at this time?" Should I gather it to squander or should I use it to build a system that can endure and give more yields? Do answer.
PRAYER: Give me financial wisdom. Teach me how to build and put structures on ground. Teach my mind business and profiting.
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Leviticus 4:1-5:19, Mark 2:13-3:6, Psalm 36:1-12, Proverbs 10:1-2
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