ESOCS Devotional 20 January 2021
TEXT: ISAIAH 45:18-25
MEMORY VERSE: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Isaiah 45:22
Our memory verse today gives us an insight and a wise counsel about what is expected of us now, especially as we rapidly draw near to the end of time. It says, “gird up the loins of your mind”. In other word, we are told to get prepared for something that is very demanding, a serious task that must be done. It would consume much of our mental and physical energy. We need to prepare ourselves for it; otherwise, we might fail. We need to be conscious about it continually, and work to see that we succeed.
We are to prepare ourselves and our minds to be strong enough to confront and overcome the temptations that would come to us at this end time. Many temptations would come, deeply touching even to the point of agony and tears, very painful. Unless we build and guard our hearts and minds to remain strong and focused in the Christian battle, we may lose the fight.
Time is far spent. A mopping-up is going on already in the spirit realm. Jesus is taking count of His saints. Those who are not for Him are being counted out, and forgotten. He keeps accurate record of people that belong to Him: those who have the Spirit of Christ in them. The Bible says, “… And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Rom. 8:9 NIV). Therefore, we have to be mindful of the kind of life we live. In Revelation 3:1, our Lord counted out people in the church of God at Sardis who were not true Christian; they were not practising Christians. As such, their names were not in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 21:27). He said to Apostle John the Divine, “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead.” Yes, they were physically alive but spiritually dead. How? They were separated from God completely because of the kind of life they live: a life that was devoid of holiness and righteousness (Isa. 59:1-21).
Read yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
What manner of life do you live? Do you give attention to the revelation and things said about the Second Coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and all the things that would happened thereafter? How important to you is the need to escape the fire of hell? Does is ever cause you to worry that if you do not enter the kingdom of God, you would spend your eternity in that horrible place, and in perpetual and agonizing pain? Have you ever troubled the Holy Spirit to reveal your score card to you to know if you have right standing with God? When last did you sit down to appraise your spiritual life? How fervent have you been in your prayers, for the Holy Spirit to recharge your innermost heart with the love for God, and zeal to be faithful to Him? Can God identify you as someone who is hungry in your heart and spirit to be like His Son Jesus Christ in attitude, thought, and deed.
Remember that the word of God counsels us to gird up our loins and be prepared for the demands of our kingdom race, which are basically that we become sensitive to God’s word and throw away the world like Paul did, in order that we gain Christ and His eternal kingdom. We owe ourselves no greater duty.
CHALLENGES
There is little time left. Spend it gainfully by eating up God’s word and practising it.
PRAYER POINT
Lord, help me to gain your kingdom at the end of my life on earth.
FURTHER READING: Isaiah 29:13–24; 56:1-6; Luke 1:46-55
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ESOCS Devotional 20 January 2021
