DCLM HIGHER EVERYDAY 27 July 2022 — Pressure under persecution
DCLM Higher Everyday 27 July 2022 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Pressure under persecution
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TOPIC: PRESSURE UNDER PERSECUTION
TEXT: EXODUS 5:13-22
14And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?
15Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
16There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.
17But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.
18Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.
19And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.
20And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
22And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
MEMORY VERSE: “And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?” (EXODUS 5:22).
MESSAGE:
A philosopher, Thomas Carlyle, once said, “No pressure, no diamond.” His statement implies that pressure stimulates and energizes people to better performance and achievement. But in many cases in life, people always act on the negative side when they are under pressure.
King Pharaoh increased the daily task of the children of Israel because Moses sought permission from him to allow them to go and worship their God. The intense persecution put the children of Israel under pressure and they began to scold Moses, their leader. But thank God for Moses. He was able to manage the pressure by going to God for solution.
Ability to manage pressure under persecution is a sign that you are truly born again. Are you under pressure to go back to the world because of your faith in the Lord Jesus? Is your local Church being persecuted for Christ’s sake?
The antidote to pressure during persecution is to draw closer to God in prayer, fellowship and meditation on His word. Let pressure stimulate your love for God. He will definitely show you the way out.
QUOTE: Let pressure stimulate your love for God.
CHALLENGE: Call on the Almighty God for peace in persecution.
PRAYER: Holy Father, give me wisdom to manage pressure always.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
