By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
MONDAY
THEME: YOUR BREAD WILL BE PROVIDED THAT YOU SHALL KNOW THAT . . .“
SCRIPTURES: Exodus 16:12
“I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”
REFLECTIONS
Due to global challenges and their impact on people, especially those in vulnerable situations, have you feared that you will go hungry? Or have you been scared by the soaring cost of living? Are you worried about the meager income you receive or the unemployment situation you find yourself in? Are you challenged by fending for your family, especially giving the children adequate food? Have you been pondering if there is any hope at all? Assuredly, in desperate situations, your God is in the shadows, waiting for your call.
Are there times when you can demonstrate to the world that your God is above every other self-acclaimed god? Every Christian’s life must be a testimony to God’s power. Our limitations, powerlessness, frailties, and weaknesses make our need to depend on God urgent and inevitable. Paul could not have said it better when he said in 2 Corinthians 12:10 – “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” after he was assured that God’s grace despite the difficulties he faced, was sufficient for him. There is power in the Lord, and those who connect to Him receive abundant power that causes miracles and glorifies God’s name. When we walk with God in faith, His word comes true: “You shall know that I am the Lord your God.”
When humans fail to recognize God in their lives and doubt His intentions, God often surprises them with revealing interventions so that they “shall know that I am the Lord your God.” Acknowledging that the Lord is God and there is no other is a firmly grounded faith that God rewards. To survive in this life, you must have some essential knowledge about the truth that the Lord is God. We need to understand that God has the power to perform, the resources to provide for our needs, and the compassion and love to take care of our needs. The evidence of His divinity is displayed through His actions. When the Israelites complained about their need for food, God was disappointed by their murmuring; nevertheless, to demonstrate His will to them, He provided them with what they yearned for. God rained manna from heaven and gave them angels’ food (Psalm 78:23-25).
The manna was a perpetual testimony that the Lord alone is God – and He provides to satisfy the needs of His creatures. In times of need, God supplies bountifully. He even makes ravens caterers to supply food (1 Kings 17:4,6) and causes angels to feed hungry ones (1 Kings 19:6-8). Philippians 4:19 is highly relevant to our times: “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 510 – “If You But Trust in God to Guide You”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for His provisions; thank God for supplying your needs in fulfillment of His promise; pray to trust God to provide all your needs;
– Pray for famished families, children who go hungry daily, displaced people struggling for their daily rations, victims of war who are cut off from regular supplies of food and other non-food items;
– Pray for God’s children with difficulties meeting family needs to trust God for His constant provisions; pray for Christians to step up efforts to be Christ’s hands and feet to supply the needy with assistance;
– Pray for our nation to demonstrate care, where everyone gets food to eat; pray for rains and a good harvest this year; pray for farmers to have good health and input resources; and hope in the Lord for good yields.
