MEMORY VERSE: Alas, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am too young. Jeremiah 1:6
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 4
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” It is one thing for God to want to bless an individual; it is another thing for that to happen. It is one thing for God to want to give an individual a major breakthrough; it is another thing for that to materialize. It is one thing for God to want to take an individual to the very top; it is another thing for that to happen at God’s time or even happen at all. It is one thing for God to want to give a brother a good sister as wife or a sister a good brother as husband; it is another thing for that to happen for the brother or the sister. One of the things that has prevented many from becoming who God wants them to be or becoming who God created them to be is ‘excuses’.
Moses was born to be a deliverer. God created him for the sole purpose of leading the children of Israel out of Egypt to the promise land. When the Lord sent him to Pharaoh, he came up with an excuse. Exodus 4:10 says, “And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” The same thing with Jeremiah, God ordained him to be a prophet from his mother’s womb. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” When the Lord called him into ministry, he too gave an excuse. Jeremiah 1:6 says, “Alas, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” How about Esther? The Lord raised her from dunghill to sit with kings and queens. She was an ordinary orphan before the Lord elevated her to become the queen of a whole kingdom. When it was time for her to speak for her people because that was why God put her there ( to speak for her people), she too came up with an excuse. Esther 4:11 says, “All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days."
I thank God that He did not allow Moses, Jeremiah, and Esther to have their way. He insisted, directly or indirectly, that they carry out His assignment. They did and profited greatly from carrying it out. One thing that will hinder you from becoming who God created you to be is the excuse you are giving not the devil or household enemy. Those excuses will not take you anywhere. There is no man or woman alive who does not have an excuse. Every great man or great woman you read about today or hear their stories had excuses not to do those things they did that made them great. Many miss church because they are not feeling well. Not everyone who comes to church feels well. Some despite their menstrual pain still come to church. Friend, you are not the only one who has excuses. I read the inspiring story of a man named Stephen Sutton. At the age of 15 he was diagnosed with cancer. He decided that although it was over for him, he would raise enough money to cater for other cancer patients. Before he died at the age of 19, he had raised over 4.96 million pounds from over 340,000 donors. This young man had a genuine excuse to be unhappy. He had a genuine excuse to complain and moan. He had a genuine excuse to sit back and wait for death but he didn't. He decided to raise money for charity.
NOTE: Excuses and self-pity will not take you anywhere.
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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.
