"Give freely and spontaneously. Don’t have a stingy heart..... There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors" - Deuteronomy 15:10-11 (MSG)
In 1783, the harvest in France was a terrible one, and there were many who suffered as a result. However, Lafayette’s farms were unaffected by the devastating crop failures. One of his workers then offered what seemed to be good advice to Lafayette, “The bad harvest has raised the price of wheat. This is the time to sell.” After thinking about the hungry peasants in the surrounding villages, Lafayette disagreed and said, “No, this is the time to give.” (Lesson Commentary, August 2009, Daniel Lioy)
As at September 2021, Nigeria was among the countries with the highest inflation rate in the world. The price of beans grew by 60% compared to the previous year, while price of palm oil increased by 40% (statista.com). It is obvious that year 2021 has been a very challenging year for most families; they groan endlessly as prices of food stuff and other essential commodities keep on increasing astronomically on daily basis. However, in the midst of this harsh economic condition, there are some people whose pot of oil has never run dry. They have been living in Goshen with their harvest preserved and sustained. These people are "the Lafayette" of our time.
Friends, are you one of "The Lafayette" of our time? Congratulations! I celebrate you and pray that God will keep you in Goshen till Christ returns. However, as you enjoy your harvest this Christmas season with your loved ones, please remember the hungry peasants around you. In such a time like this, please don't sell your wheat to less privileged friends, class mates, colleagues and neighbours. God never blesses you for your own benefit only, but that you can be a blessing to others in need. So, don't be tempted to hoard your wheat but rather open your hands wide to the needy at all times (Deut 15:7-11). Every act of kindness to the needy is a loan to God and would be repaid in due time (Proverbs 19:17). However, the rewards for withholding help from the needy are heavy rain of curses and impoverishment from God (Proverbs 28:27, 11:24-25).
"If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord, and He will repay you!" Proverbs 19:17 (NLT).
One special poem that summarises God's expectation from every Lafayette of our time is titled "Ten Things God Won’t Ask On That Day". Please prayerfully meditate on this poem and trust God to help you become a true Lafayette of our time.
TEN THINGS GOD WON'T ASK ON THAT DAY
God won’t ask what kind of car you drove,
He’ll ask how many people you gave a lift to who didn’t have any transportation.
God won’t ask the square footage of your house,
He’ll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
God won’t ask about the clothes you had in your wardrobe,
but He’ll ask how many you helped to clothe.
God won’t ask what your highest salary was,
but He’ll ask if you compromised your testimony to obtain it.
God won’t ask what your job title was,
but He’ll ask whether you performed your job to the best of your ability.
God won’t ask how many friends you had,
He’ll ask how many people to whom you made sure you were a friend.
God won’t ask in what neighbourhood you lived,
He’ll ask how you treated and behaved with your neighbours.
God won’t ask about the colour of your skin,
He’ll ask about the quality and growth of your character.
God wont ask you how much of your time you used watching television,
but He will ask how much you used caring for others?
God won’t ask why it took you so long to seek salvation;
He’ll just demonstrate how pleased He is to have you and take you to your mansion in heaven.
May God destroy every spirit of greed and selfishness that can make us hoard/sell our wheat to less privileged ones around us. As we open our hands wide this season, may God honour His word and bless us abundantly in Jesus name, Amen.
In the spirit of the season, you are cordially invited to Jesus Supermarket 3.0 at RCCG Kingdom Life Parish, 109, Shasha Road, Egbeda, Lagos on the 19th of December, 2021. Please come and shop for Christmas with only N50 per item.
Good day, Merry Christmas and a prosperious new year in advance.
Maranatha!
Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo
For more articles, please visit -
http://okanlawon.webnode.com
http:// okanlawontaiwo.blogspot.com
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Twitter: @tammytaiwo
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