ESOCS Devotional 8 June
TEXT: JOHN 7:1-19
MEMORY VERSE: “Then Jesus said unto them, my time is not yet come…” John 7:6 KJV
Every vision, purpose, mission, and assignment under heaven will always require a waiting time. “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). Habakkuk 2:3 says, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” To jump out of the waiting time is to waste in life and destiny. Any egg that refuses to be incubated by the mother hen and decides to roll out cannot be hatched to become a cock or hen, neither can it be useful (eaten) as an egg; it becomes rotten and stinks, thus a waste. ESOCS Devotional 8 June
The brethren of Jesus tried talking Him into showing Himself to the world, instead of secretly doing the wonders when it was not yet time: “His brethren therefore said unto him, depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth anything in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world” (John 7:3-4).Notice that it was His brethren that championed this course, they were not strangers; these were people very close to Him.
Read yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
It is imperative we state here that most of the people that will talk you into a thing when it is not yet time are fellow brethren, church members, friends, and relatives. Church members must be very careful on how they lead others into temptation and forcing them into what God has not proposed for their life. There are instances where people have been encouraged by fellow members in the church to open their own ministry, church, or branch; some of them give the assurance of joining them once they take the step. Certainly, a crash is inevitable, as has been witnessed overtime. For some others, they are pushed to the pulpit, prophetic platform or music podium because of one skill or the other they saw in their life, not minding whether they were actually called into that ministry; or the time for the full manifestation of that evangelical, prophetic, or musical grace has arrived. That is why it appears as though some persons starting time is their crashing time because they could not wait for their time.
See this: “…for neither did his brethren believe in him” (John 7:5). Therefore, understand that some of the people singing your praises are more or less making a mockery of you. They are out for your downfall and want to kill the grace of God upon your life. Jesus had a perfect understanding of this and their whole intention; hence, His reply: “… for my time is not yet full come” (John 7:5). The realization of when your time is fully come is one of the things that would enable you become patient, begin at the right time, and successfully fulfil your purpose in life. If you show up when it is not yet your time, the world will consume you.
BOTTOM LINE: Waiting time is not a waste of life.
CHALLENGES
- Do not be carried away by the songs of the sycophants around you.
- The voice of men in not always the voice of God; be guided.
- Do not be in a hurry; wait for your appointed time of manifestation.
PRAYER POINT: Lord, thank you for opening my eyes to your word. Grant me the grace not to be in hurry. Give me the wisdom to discern and wait for my appointed time, in Jesus name. Amen
FURTHER READING: Lamentations 2:16–22; 3:1–34; John 7:20-53
