DCLM DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL FOR OCTOBER 30, 2023 (SHOW GRATITUDE)
TOPIC : SHOW GRATITUDE
Text: Romans 16:1-16 (KJV)
16 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
6 Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.
7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
8 Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.
9 Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.
10 Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus’ household.
11 Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.
12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.
13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
14 Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.
15 Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.
16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.
KEY VERSE: “Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus.” – (Romans 16:3)
MESSAGE
Charles Spurgeon said, “When joy and prayer are married, their first born child is gratitude”. Gratitude is an art that is fading away in the lives of many people today because they have concentrated much on what man is doing and less on what God is doing. Gratitude makes us to see God at work every time. In our reading today, there are twenty-four individual names mentioned by Paul and six among them are women. Even though Paul had not physically been to Rome, yet he had such a healthy relationship with many of the people from a distance.
He not only mentioned their names, but states clearly what specific things the people did. For example, he wrote: “Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. Salute Apelles approved in Christ… Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus… Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord. Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine”. What a detailed picture of a beautiful relationship.
No man is an island. We all operate among people who sacrifice on a regular basis to keep us sustained physically and spiritually. Many people are too busy and too successful for their own good. When you are so busy that you do not have time to appreciate the people around you in your family, at work or in the church, you are indeed too busy for your good. Like Paul, we should make it our priority to appreciate God and all the people He is using to build us up and make us humanly relevant. God used someone to give you a lift on your journey in life.
Thank God for such people today and celebrate them by giving them a call or sending a message. Remember, God is at work in the team He has built around you.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Gratitude, like a ball, always bounces back to you.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 25-27
Daily Manna is the daily devotional of the Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry (DCLM) written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi. It is an extraction of God’s Word designed to draw the sincere seeker closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word.