MORNING DEW: 20/02/2019
THEME: DON'T LET A LARGE RANSOM TURN YOU ASTRAY
TEXT: JOB 36:16-20
16 “Indeed, he drew you away from the brink of distress to a spacious place without constraints, filling your festive table with bountiful food.
17 But now you are occupied with the case of the wicked; but justice and judgment will be served.
18 So that no one entices you with riches, don’t let a large ransom turn you astray.
19 “Will your wealth sustain you when you’re in distress, despite your most powerful efforts?
20 Don’t long for night, when people vanish in their place.
JOB'S PAST GLORY AND PRESENT PREDICAMENT
“Indeed, he drew you away from the brink of distress to a spacious place without constraints, filling your festive table with bountiful food.
But now you are occupied with the case of the wicked; but justice and judgment will be served." (Job 36:16-17).
Elihu here remembered Job of his past glory, how God honoured him, gave him a spacious place without constraints.
Your past is good because it helps you appreciate your present. Sometimes the past helps you define the present very well.
Everybody has a past. Yours may be rough, good, maybe it was rocky, or thorny, yet it is a past.
One thing you should be mindful of is not to allow your past to kill your present. Don't allow your past to send you to hell fire. Do you know that Job past could have led him to destruction?
Looking at the life he lived in the past compared to the present, he could have killed himself.
You can use your past to fight your present. Jabez did it. Jabez did not fold his hands, cried and rained insults on his mother. He didn't accuse his mother for causing him pain. What did he do? He went to God and prayed earnestly.
The Bible says:
And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested." (1 Chronicles 4:10)
DON'T LET YOUR WEALTH TURN YOU ASTRAY
Elihu, however, admonished Job to take it easy with wealth. Job was troubled for being poor. He was once the greatest man in the whole of East, but now he became the laughingstock of the whole of East.
So Elihu said:
"... don’t let a large ransom turn you astray.
“Will your wealth sustain you when you’re in distress, despite your most powerful efforts?" (Job 36:18-19).
He told him not to allow riches or wealth to send him away from God. When wealth enters your head you become a monster in your world. Many people cannot be found in Christ due to riches. They got employed, had good pay and the job is now their new god.
"Why didn't you come to church?" "Oh my job". The moment a Christian begin to give excuses, then begin to pray for him.
Everything on this earth, including your wealth has an expiry date except the Messiah Jesus Christ. He has no expiry date. What makes you misbehaving before Him will crush before your very eyes and you can't help it.
Your flash cars, beautiful houses, clothings, your companies, and the like will all perish one day.
Don't be carried away by your wealth beloved. Your wealth cannot help you. Take away every obstacle or weight from your body if not they will change your direction.
MEMORY
"So that no one entices you with riches, don’t let a large ransom turn you astray." (Job 36:18).
PRAYER
Despite my status, Lord, I will still honour you forever, nothing will change my services to you, help me Lord.
Amen!
Rev. John Wundengba
020 9 422 159