Daily Devotional

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Fruitless Efforts

16th December 2020

Scripture Reading: Luke 1: 5-37

Focus

“6. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.” (Luke 1: 6-7)

Our Focal Scripture paints an ironic picture of Zechariah and Elizabeth. They were both described as being righteous before God, and blameless in all commandments and ordinances of God. Despite how good they were, they had no child. Despite how good they were, they were yet to harvest a good result of child birth. They had nothing to show for their goodness. They were perfect people in wrong situations.

Friend, hear me as I hear the Lord: you will not be empty handed despite your efforts. It will not be said that you were excellent but had nothing to show for it; it will not be said that you were perfect but lacked results; it will not be said that you did everything right but had no results; you will not be empty handed after serving God uprightly; you will not be counted among those who labored hard but had no results to show for it.

Zechariah and Elizabeth served God, yet they remained barren. Their situation was a mockery of their service to God. Hear me as I hear the Lord: your situation will not be a mockery of your service to God. You will not serve God with all you have in you and still end up like one who didn’t serve God at all; you will not make giant strides in God’s kingdom, only for your giant strides to leave you at the same level of empty-handedness.

Henceforth, your efforts shall fetch you results; your investments will bring you profits; your seed will fetch you multiple harvests; your results will exceed your efforts; your walk with God will impact positively on your results; your walk with God will cause your harvest to be heavier than it would have ordinarily been; your walk with God will make a way for you, more than you would have made for yourself.

Get set: the season of empty-handedness is over. Henceforth, results will give way to greater results. Your efforts will fetch you results. Your service to God will fetch you results. No more fruitless efforts.

Declaration

I shall not be empty-handed; my efforts will bring me results, in Jesus’ name!

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Further Reading

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Memory Verse

“They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” (Isaiah 65: 22)

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