Friday, 20th September, 2024
Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 1: 1-9
Memory Verse: History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NLT)
An irony is something that has a different or opposite result from what is expected. Life is full of such ironies. The illusion of permanence is the greatest tragedy of life. Money does not buy happiness. Material things do not bring fulfilment. Looks do not last. Social status has no meaning. Fame is hollow. The irony of life is that most people spend all of their life chasing these things, but love is the only real thing in life. It takes bitterness to know sweetness, it takes the darkness of a tunnel to feel the light of the sun, it takes the glamour of youth to understand the grace of wrinkled age, it takes the ugliness of the thorn to appreciate the beauty of the roses. It takes a writer’s block to understand the glory of outpouring of words, it takes the pain of sickness to experience the relief of wellbeing.
It takes hatred to understand the power of love, it takes wickedness to understand simple goodness, it takes the problem of plenty to understand the joys of frugality. It takes the barren earth to feel the refreshing drops of rain, it takes the labour of a woman to beget the wonderful fruit of her labour. It takes death to value life. It takes greed to understand the sacrifice of all things material, it takes ignorance to understand the joys of learning, it takes deprivation to understand contentment, it takes littleness to understand large-heartedness, it takes cruelty to understand the healing power of mercy.
It takes a Man to be impaled on a cross to rescue the world and forgive mankind its iniquities. It is only when you experience loneliness in a crowd that you can experience the glory of solitude on a mountaintop. It takes simplicity to understand all things complex. It takes noise to understand the soothing sound of silence. There are temples and cathedrals so ancient that they are forever new. Every saint has a past; every sinner has a future. The flower sheds fragrance at the heel that has crushed it. The small bird carries the vast sky on its back. Even as we are dying, the world is coming to life emphasising its continuity. Every stranger is our kin by the tie of human brotherhood.
We may live individually but we can only survive collectively. The stars will always shine, the flowers will always bloom and the grass will always be green, the enduring realities of life as against our private joys and sorrows. It is part of being human to experience and understand the “contraries” of life. We all require devotion to something more than ourselves for our lives to be endurable. Our devotion should be to God through His Son Jesus Christ. Accept Jesus into your life today.
Quote: Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter – Francis Chan, Cr
Prophetic Decree: Receive wisdom to understand the dynamics of life, in Jesus name.
Prayer Focus
1. Author of life, I thank You.
2. In my lifetime, negative history shall not repeat itself, in Jesus name.
3. I receive wisdom to understand the dynamics of life, in Jesus name.
4. I receive grace to understand the power of unity and collectivity, in Jesus name.
5. I receive grace to handle the vicissitudes of life, in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Zechariah 1-4