*Text: John 14: 27*
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (NLT)
A gift is an act of benevolence from one person to another. It can be financial, material and it can even be a highly coveted position. A gift is not earned and is totally at the discretion of the giver. He decides who to give, what to give and the quantity or the quality of what to give. The bible encourages us to give and this is communicated to us through many passages in the bible. For example, Acts 20: 35 says, “And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Every true child of God therefore must be a giver because to do otherwise is to be disobedient to the word of God.
The Almighty God Himself, our heavenly Father is a giver. Acts 17: 25 says, that He gives life and breath to all and satisfies every need. Out text reveals to us another thing that God gives to man. It says that God gives us peace of mind and heart. Peace is a priceless gift that no one other than God can give. The world cannot give it, in fact the world itself needs peace. This gift is priceless not because it is cheap but because it is so valuable and precious that no price can adequately equate its value. As precious as it is however it comes to us freely from God.
There is no doubt that this is a very appropriate gift for us as sojourners in this world. A world where peace is elusive, all we see is conflicts, wars, unrest and destructive acts all over. History has shown that man lacks capacity to live at peace with himself not to talk of living at peace with another. We engage ourselves in a lot of self destructive acts and the way of peace we do not know (Isa. 59: 8).
Yet this peace is a necessity for a good and healthy life because it frees our minds and hearts from fear and also from being troubled. It gives rest to the weary and it is an important recipe for wellness and long life. This peace of God will not be absent in your life in Jesus name.
This gift of God is available to all who will genuinely turn away from the life sin and rebellion and seek God. The moment you turn to God in faith His peace floods your life, you will feel it and you will know it. Receive that peace now in Jesus name. Amen. Shalom
Prayer Points
1. Father you are the greatest giver of all time, you have given to humanity the greatest gift of all. Praise be to your name forever and ever in Jesus name.
2. Father thank you for the gift of peace of mind and heart that you have freely given to me
3. Father in all my journey through life may this peace from you rule my life such that no matter the situation that confronts me, I will be troubled in Jesus name
4. Father because I belong to you grant me grace to be a cheerful giver as well
5. Father through the act of giving make me a blessing to my generation in Jesus name
Courtesy: Rev’d Canon Oladele Odumosu
What is Greed?
Greed has to do with the state of always wanting something which belongs to someone else. It is a state of mind in which, no matter how much power, wealth or possessions a person has, he is never contented or satisfied. It is an insatiable desire for acquiring more and more things than necessary in life. Thus a greedy person is one who is never satisfied with the power or material things that he has. He looks with envy on what others have and wished that they were His own. He is selfish and covetous. He will do everything to satisfy his greed. He is prepared to defraud, cheat, deceive, prostitute, betray his loved ones and country and even kill to satisfy his greed. Thus, greed is a very bad thing. In the bible, we are told of the greed of Ahab and Gehazi and the catastrophic effects it had on them and their families. This is a warning for us to avoid greed and practice its opposite: self-control, self-restraint, contentment and charity.
The Significance of Ahab's Greed
Ahab's greed, which led him and his wife to kill in order to satisfy his greed, lies in the disastrous consequences it had on him and his family. Greed is s sin which separates man from God. Thus, Ahab was separated from God by his greed. He found himself an enemy of God when he told Elijah: "Have you found me, O my enemy"
His guilty conscience automatically made him an enemy of God, here represented by the Prophet Elijah. Elijah told Ahab that his greed has made him to sell himself to the devil by doing what is evil in God's sight. Hence, through greed, Ahab became a slave to the devil. Ahab's greed brought divine punishment upon himself and his wife. Elijah predicted that dogs will lick Ahab's blood by Naboth's vineyard on Jezereel and also that dogs would eat Jezebel's body. Ahab's greed affected his family as the divine punishment was extended to his family. Elijah predicted that evil would befall his family and all his male children (that is, the dynasty of Omri) would be wiped out.
Ahab's greed and the effect on him and his family shows that there is a need to curb greed which is rampant in our society today. Students are prepared to cheat and indulge in examination malpractice to get certificates which they do not merit. Parents, looking with envy on the success of their neighbour's children are prepared to buy examination questions for their children to pass and get certificates which they are not qualified for. Men and women are prepared to cheat, defraud and kill to get rich overnight. Some do engage in Advanced Fee Fraud (419) and drug trafficking in order to get easy money to satisfy their greed. All these are seriously affecting the moral fabric of our nations in West Africa.
Greed for power exhibits itself when politicians rig elections and use the military to topple legitimate government to acquire power. Civil and rebel wars are fought between parties who have insatiable lust for power. The results are social, political and economic devastation on the people, the country and the WestAfrican sub-region at large. As Christians, we should make concerned efforts not only to condemn greed as Elijah did, but also be good examples in modest living through self-control, contentment and charity.
The Significance of Gehazi's Greed:
Gehazu suffered adversely just like Ahab did. His greed which he though was secret was exposed and he was publicly disgraced, thus implying that greed can be uncovered and can lead to public disgrace. God punished Gehazi for his greed. He was cursed with the leprosy of Naaman and immediately he became leprous. The curse of leprosy was to be transferred to him and his generations forever. Thus, greed affects the lives of innocent people as well. Gehazi lost his job as he was dismissed by Elijah for his greed. The leprosy which he inherited as a result of his greed, made him a social outcast since leprosy was regarded as an unclean disease and lepers stayed only on the outskirts of the town and were not allowed there.
Shalom!
