The Light of Life Daily Devotional

Tuesday, 24th May 2022 

TOPIC:  LIVE FOR SOMETHING HIGHER 

FOR READING & MEDITATION:  ROMANS 8:35-39

35 Who then can ever keep Christ’s love from us? When we have trouble or calamity, when we are hunted down or destroyed, is it because he doesn’t love us anymore? And if we are hungry or penniless or in danger or threatened with death, has God deserted us?

36 No, for the Scriptures tell us that for his sake we must be ready to face death at every moment of the day—we are like sheep awaiting slaughter; 

37 but despite all this, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us enough to die for us. 

38 For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, 

39 or where we are—high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean—nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us.

MEDITATE

We live in a world full of activities – some noble, some ignoble – but daily these activities go on. Why do men and women literally wear themselves out in the name of work? Recently, on my way home after a hectic day in the office, worn-out as I was, I asked my driver why men do the things they do in this world?  I was actually thinking aloud. Before he could answer, I put the question more pointedly: why are you my driver? He answered: "If I don't work, how would I eat?" I told him  what he had just said meant that the reason for his living was solely for what he would eat. 

This line of thinking is a true representation of most people in our world today. In fact many people have no higher values than this low level of existence and this explain why they are willing to kill, steal, lie and do anything to make money.  A popular adage says, "You don't live to eat but eat to live." If you don't live to eat but eat to live, then you are living for something higher than just eating. Food to the body is just like fuel in an automobile to sustain you so that you will live for something of a higher value. That is why I always say, "You are created for a higher purpose" not just to eat, drink, clothe, build houses, buy cars, marry and have children. If these are your only reasons for existence, then you have missed it. 

While still on my way back home that day I continued to ask myself the purpose of working? You may discover that the reason why most people don't take their work serious is due to their lack of understanding of the purpose of work. They feel that all they are labouring for is to get money to meet physical needs. If they can get money and make ends meet through other ways, they see no need to be faithful in their work. That is the reason why when their boss is around, they pretend to be working hard, but the moment he is not there, they slow down or even stop work and engage in time wasting, idle talks. However, what we all need to know is that we are created for a higher purpose than just eating, drinking and clothing. These things as important as they are only help us to accomplish the purpose for which you were created.

VERSE OF THE DAY: “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good...” (Ephesians 4: 28).

QUOTE: “If you stay idle, you may not even know what you are capable of doing”.

PRAYER: Lord, give me your grace to start working with my hands; I don't want to be idle anymore.  Amen.   

AUTHOR: Rev William Okoye