Tuesday January 31st, 2023
Meditate on: Hebrews 12:2 GNT
« Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God’s throne. »
Read: Matthew 16:25-26CP
25 Anyone who desires to protect their life will lose it, but whoever give up their life for My sake will find it.
26 For what profit is it to a person to gain the whole world, and loses their own soul? Or what will an individual give in exchange for their soul?
Understand
« I appeal to your spiritual leaders. I make this appeal as a spiritual leader who also witnessed Christ’s sufferings and will share in the glory that will be revealed » 1 Peter 5:1
If there is glory to be revealed and the best is yet to come, it means that the future is superior to the present.
Hence, a sensible person will not sacrifice a glorious future on the altar of the present.
Peter in the scripture above was telling the elders to be willing to sacrifice the present for the future.
The desire for instant gratification is a lethal weapon in the hand of the enemy.
In Genesis 25:28-34, we are told that Isaac loved Esau and was thus ready to hand over the baton to him.
Esau however lost his future for his present.
Whenever Esau killed an animal, he ate it immediately.
Jacob on the other hand kept few animals he could lay hands on. When it was time for Esau to prepare a delicacy for his father so as to get the firstborn’s blessing, he didn’t have any meat, so he had to go out to hunt; Jacob on the other hand who obviously had delayed gratification had meat in the backyard that he quickly cooked, served to his father and got the blessings before Esau got back.
If only Esau had restrained himself from eating just one of all the animals that he had previously hunted, if only he had delayed gratification a little, things would have turned out differently.
Peter said there is a crown of glory that never fades away (1 Peter 5:4).
Don’t trade the pleasures of today for that crown of glory. You don’t want to miss that for anything.
The things that look alluring to you now are just tools in the hands of the devil as he fights hard to ensure you don’t get that crown that never fades. The fight will not end until you get the crown.
Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus set His eyes on the joy ahead; hence He was able to endure the pain He suffered.
Set your eyes on that incorruptible crown and all the pleasures of this world will mean nothing to you.
Application: The future is glorious for those who choose to delay gratification.
Author: Pst E. A. Adeboye.
Edited by Naomie
Freely you received, freely you must give (Math 10:8) , kindly share this devotion, and the Lord will bless you for it ♥
