Skip to main content

ABUNDANCE OR VANITY: CHOOSE Wisely - THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)

THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)

DATE: SATURDAY, 30TH OCTOBER, 2021 

TOPIC: ABUNDANCE OR VANITY: CHOOSE WISELY

TEXT: ECCLESIASTES 5:11-20 

11.  When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners Except to see [them] with their eyes?
12.  The sleep of a laboring man [is] sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.
13.  There is a severe evil [which] I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt.
14.  But those riches perish through misfortune; When he begets a son, [there is] nothing in his hand.
15.  As he came from his mother's womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand.
16.  And this also [is] a severe evil -- Just exactly as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he who has labored for the wind?
17.  All his days he also eats in darkness, And [he has] much sorrow and sickness and anger.
18.  Here is what I have seen: [It is] good and fitting [for one] to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it [is] his heritage.
19.  As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor -- this [is] the gift of God.
20.  For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps [him] busy with the joy of his heart.

MESSAGE:
In continuation of the second phase of yesterday's passage, focusing on charity, the preacher explained further the conditions of two men he noticed under the sun. First, the man who got his riches through his labour and how God favoured his labour with enough blessings such as sweet sleep, peace of mind, and contentment (vs. 12, 18-20). Second, the man who acquired wealth in a dubious means to satisfy his self-desire and the consequent results like misfortune, sorrow, sickness, vanity, etc. (vs. 11, 13-17).
          
It is time we need to check our lives as Christians. Many have forgotten that our journey in this world is but a pilgrimage. We are Christian Pilgrims and are not to be carried away with material pursuit. We have a lasting home where we have all things in abundance. It is time to choose wisely what to pursue as Christians. 
             
This is a call to live our lives in a way that pleases the Lord. Yes, God has favoured our labour to bring us riches. Despite this, we should be very careful and make use of our riches judiciously considering the benefit of others around us. Lastly, we should not be carried away by our wealth (Luke 12:16-21), lest we labour for the wind (Eccl. 5:16).

PRAYER: 
Help me, Oh Lord, to always be contented with the abundance in You, and never to set my heart on vanity Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHURCH OF NIGERIA ELECTS NEW BISHOPS AND ONE ARCHBISHOP

The Episcopal synod of the church of Nigeria Anglican Communion has elected six new Bishops, and one Archbishop. The election which took place at the Basilica of Grace Apo, Gudu district in the Diocese of Abuja on Thursday October 29, 2009 has the following:- The Rt. Rev. Friday John Imaekhai Bishop, Diocese of Esan, Elected: - Archbishop of Bendel to replace The Primate elect, The Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh The very Rev. Ralph Ebirien of St Stephen’s Cathedral Bonny Elected: - Bishop of Niger Delta Diocese The Venerable Ezekiel Bolarinde Dahunsi of Church of Pentecost FESTAC Lagos Elected: - Bishop Diocese of Ido- Ani The Rev. Canon Justus Emeka Mogekwu of St. Paul’s Kakuri, Kaduna Elected:-Bishop Diocese of Asaba to replace Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh. The Venerable (Prof.) Dapo Folorunso Asaju of the chapel of Light, Lagos (LASU) Elected:-Bishop for Theological Education in the office of the Primate The Venerable James Olaoti Akinola of St. James Iludun Oro, Kwara S...
Post a Comment
Read more

EXCERPTS FROM: 24/7 WARFARE PRAYERS AND SUPERNATURAL BREAKTHROUGH MANUAL

INTRODUCTION Right from childhood, the number “SEVEN” has always been an intrigue, an interesting puzzle, a fascination, and a great phenomenon to me. I was actually born on the seventh day of the month; perhaps this was one of the reasons why something leaps inside of me whenever I see the number. But as I grew up in the Christian faith I began to see a regular reference to it the scriptures. I was kind of saying, whoa! Holy bliss! Seven occurs 257 times, or 7 × 41 Seventh, the fractional part occurs 98 times or 7× 14 Seven –fold occurs 7 times. Seventy occurs 56 times or 7× 8 “Seventy” in combination with other numbers occurs 35 times or 7× 5. God is pleased to stamp the number “Seven” with the seal of perfection and completeness. God never down played the importance of the number, because it was the number of God. It is a carrier of God’s mysteries. It pleased God that, the Seventh man from Adam – Enoch sh...
Post a Comment
Read more

FIVE NEW FULL FLEDGED ANGLICAN DIOCESES

Five new Dioceses have been created in the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion. The Church's official website - http://www.anglican-nig.org/main.php?k_j=12&d=352&p_t=index.php? posted the information thus: The Standing Committee Meeting of Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion has approved the creation of five new full fledged Dioceses at their meeting at the Cathedral Church of St. Stephen’s Umuahia, Abia State. They are Shendam Diocese carved out of Langtang Diocese, Plateau state, Ido-Ani Diocese from present Owo Diocese, in Ondo state, Igbomina West from Igbomina Diocese,Kwara state, Ilesha North East from Ilesha in Osun state and Ijebu South West from Ijebu Diocese in Ogun state. At the presentation, the head of the Committee responsible for creation of new Dioceses, the most Rev. Joseph Akinfenwa Archbishop Ibadan Province and Bishop of Ibadan who led a team of four assured the house that the stage is set and the New Dioceses have met all the requirements for creation...
Post a Comment
Read more