SUNDAY - 10TH AUGUST, 2025
MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL - Olusola ADEJUMO
LAYING IT DOWN - Laying It Down Series 001
John 10:15, KJV
"As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep."
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Let us talk about laying down. When Jesus said, "He laid down His life" here, what would you say He intended. He meant He gave up His life. As in, He willingly yielded it up and died to redeem humanity and as many who are saved from the number of the human populace today.
Meanwhile, I'll like to draw your attention to the use of words as it concerns, "laying down." The idea of "laying down" reveals willingness or voluntariness on the part of the one doing the laying down. Have you heard of induced labour before? They often do resort to that when labour is not coming naturally. So, we can call such a type of labour "forced labour." It wouldn't have come unless it is caused or precipitated. You have to demand that it happens before it happens. That's not what laying down means. When you lay down, it's by your consent, agreement and wise decision. You're at all not coerced or forced. You rather see the need to give your life up. Something might have been shared with you as the need to yield your life up. Not arguing with that but rather seeing reasons and doing so is what qualifies you to be regarded as having yielded your life up.
John 10:17-18, KJV
"17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."
Did you hear what Jesus said? He said, "no man takes it of me but I lay it down of myself." This verse just affirmed my explanation till now. Let me cite another example. I know you must have seen people who reluctantly gave something up. Listen to their defiant response later on. You'll hear them say something like, "I just had to give it up; it actually didn't come from my heart." That is not yielding up. Though it was given; it was never intended to be. And as far as we're concerned as Christians, it's the position of your heart God wants to see.
That's why many of you are still immature because in all the striving and struggling of the Holy Ghost with you in order to break you or collect something from you, you really never yielded up or laid down that thing. It was never from your heart. You know how till now the Holy Spirit has not been able to convert you from keeping malice with that fellow. You'll rather let her alone. Your words are, "I don't want to have more problems. So, I'll just let him be." That's a sign of a lurking unforgiveness, bitterness and reluctance in your heart. However, God's Spirit won't strive for you forever.
Genesis 6:3, KJV
"And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh..."
God is calling us to get where we are not forced before we release things. We must be like Jesus who said, "I voluntarily yielded it up. Not that I was forced to. It is mine to yield up and take up again."
Receive such grace.
PRAYER: Lord, I lay my life down for your use and demands. Not grudgingly but willingly.
BIBLE IN A YEAR
I Cor. 12; Psalms 79-81
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