UNDERSTANDING THE SYNERGY OF LABOUR AND GRACE IN THE RACE OF DESTINY (Part 4)
Hello! A blessed and refreshing day to you my dearly beloved!
I welcome you to ARISE devotional for today, Thursday the 15th of August 2024 on the platform of the Builders Forum.
My name is Abraham Olufemi Ojeme
Today is the fourth day on our devotional series for this week with the topic,
UNDERSTANDING THE SYNERGY OF LABOUR AND GRACE IN THE RACE OF DESTINY
As our practice often is, let me give you a summary of our journey thus far since the beginning of the week.
- We have concluded that the grace of God is an inevitable demand for the believer in the race of destiny.
- But that grace alone is sufficient for a life of fulfillment for the believer, is not a complete message.
- You must be able to unravel the mystery of the combination of grace and labour in other to be truly victorious in life.
- Take it or leave it, Calvary is a mysterious combination of favour and labour.
- Though labour is required for grace to find full and lasting expression, it is not all labour that complement grace in the race of destiny.
- The number one labour demanded for grace in the race of destiny is the labour in the word of God.
- And yesterday, we looked at labouring in intentional prayers.
However, all labour must be within the context of the scriptures.
It is also pertinent to remember the checklist we outlined as indicators of the kind of labour that complements grace as follows;
- It must not be for personal gain even though it may bring personal blessings to you.
- It is always and not just some times. The labour must have become a lifestyle.
- It is not done by just anybody. You must be a child of God.
- It must be for a God purpose. It must have eternity in mind.
- It must be intensive.
We affirmed that while the labour may not be in the same area, you will find those denominators common to all of them.
May I request that you listen again and again to all the earlier editions of the week. Hallelujah!
Today, our focus is yet another labour that complements grace in the race of destiny and that is INTENTIONAL REASONING.
Before I go ahead today, I like to remind you that what we mean by labouring in this context is an existential involvement in something.
While it may be spiritual, it must have an existential connotation. It must be understandable and explainable.
So when we talk about reasoning, it must appeal to your consciousness.
Take a listen to Is. 1:18.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Let me give you the backdrop to that scripture.
Isaiah was one of the major prophets of the Old Testament.
Prophets like Isaiah, were the very voice of God.
God was not permitted to manifest Himself to His covenant people except through the prophets.
So the words of the prophet were the direct words of the Lord.
Take a listen to Hos. 12:10.
I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
The word similitudes is dâmâh in Hebrew and it means semblance and illustrations.
And the purpose of illustrations is to appeal to your consciousness and this is where reasoning comes in.
You cannot reason effectively except your consciousness is brought to bear.
Let’s get back to the demand of God on His covenant people in Is. 1:18
The phase let us reason together in that scripture is yâkach in Hebrew and it means figuratively discussion to the point of conviction.
If you therefore must do that as a believer, you must be able to bring the facts of scriptures to your consciousness.
Reasoning is actually posing questions to yourself and answering them by yourself on the basis of what you know with your conscience as a witness.
For instance, take a listen to the statement of the prodigal son in Lk. 15:18.
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Intentional reasoning will always take you to the point of action as a result of conviction.
After reflecting on his situation, he asked himself some cogent questions.
Take a listen to Lk. 15:17 and please permit me to read the GW translation.
(GW) “Finally, he came to his senses. He said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more food than they can eat, while I’m starving to death here?
Intentional reasoning will bring you to your senses. Your consciousness become activated to answer relevant and cogent questions.
And as a result, he came to the decision to take specific action, and he did.
That singular intentional reasoning ended all his frustrations.
No prayers, no fasting, no laying on of hands. Just intentional reasoning.
And by that reasoning, grace was provoked for restoration of dignity.
This was the same person who was struggling with pigs for food a moment previous and now he is celebrated.
My dear, the grace for greatness is loaded inside of you, provoke it through intentional reasoning. Hallelujah!
Another very relevant example is the story of Joseph.
As a teenager, he had the vision of greatness in life.
But life turned against him and he ended up from slavery into prison.
All these through a period of thirteen years.
But he never allowed what was happening to him to blurr the vision of greatness he had as a teenager.
Take a listen to Gen. 39:4.
And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
But in spite of the grace, life dealt him unfavorable moments.
However, he didn’t sit down mourning his misfortune. When the opportunity came, he took advantage of it by reasoning his way out.
He had the privilege to interpret a dream for the Butler and the interpretation came to pass.
He put his mind to work and took advantage of that interaction with the Butler.
Take a listen to what he demanded of the Butler in Gen. 40:14 and please permit me to read the ERV translation,
(ERV) But when you are free, remember me. Be good to me and help me. Tell Pharaoh about me so that I can get out of this prison.
It wasn’t the time to complain about the misfortune he had gone through.
Common sense demanded that it was time to take advantage of the occasion for a solution.
That is what intentional reasoning does. It gives you a way out of situations.
When Joseph put his mind to work, the grace he found began to find expression and the next thing we heard in Gen. 41:14 was that Pharaoh sent for him.
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
That is what reasoning does. It provokes the grace that makes favour to seek for you.
Reasoning takes advantage of opportunities for grace to find expression.
So my dear, don’t just sit down feeling sorry for yourself.
You can reason your way out of that unfortunate situation.
All you need is to be intentional with your reasoning.
Remember, intentional reasoning is asking yourself cogent and relevant questions and answering them conscientiously.
Would you take this as an assignment now?
The Lord will minister to your spirit man as you do that. Amen. Hallelujah!
Please let me pray for you.
- I pray for the activation of the mind of Christ in you.
- The Holy Spirit opens your understanding for intentional reasoning today.
- Wake up from your spiritual slumber today.
- Begin to see possibilities in your situation.
- I decree the wisdom for positive actions for you.
- I take authority over the spirit of depression and frustration now.
- Receive the helps of the Holy Spirit for a way forward.
- You will not be weary nor faint in the journey of life.
- Be strengthened with might in your inner man by the Holy Spirit.
- The grace of God will no longer fail you in the journey of life.
- It is a new dawn for you.
Welcome to your season of new beginnings. Congratulations. Amen and amen. Peace!
