In our texts above (Acts 20:35), we are told to labor to support the week knowing that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Finding Rest and Profit in God
But when we look at our labor through our jobs, rising early and 9-5, it can be difficult to support any other people when we can hardly support ourselves. But we should be encouraged by the words of Jesus in Mat 11:28: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

We must understand that rest is in God, not in how much we labor to get a deserved vacation. He promised to give us rest, just as he said is he is the one that teach us to make profit. Isaiah 48:17 says, “Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.”

If God is our rest and profit, our focus should be on Him not in our work. Only when we do this can we support the weak, knowing that He is our supply and provider.

Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath
In the story of prophet Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, there was famine in the land and no one had anything to eat. The woman only had the last meal for herself and her son to eat and die. But Elijah, the man of God showed up hungry with no food or place to live. But God told him to go to the woman. “So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.”

Doesn't that sound callous and insensitive in such a dire situation, especially the widow’s condition. But the woman obeyed. However, in yet another “insensitive” stunt by the prophet, “And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand” (1Kings 17:11). 

The woman thought, this was getting too much and she replied, humbly though: “, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” That was the truth. The situation was that bad. She expected the prophet to be prophetic enough and understand.

But how did the prophet respond?

“And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son” (1Ki 17:13).

Doesn’t the dynamics of blessing and fulfilment in life defies the law of life itself! The way to the top is down. If you want a great harvest, you need to bury your seed. If you want a great dividend, you need to pay premium. Many times, it is not convenient. Many people bought certain shares when it was not convenient but over the years, it has become so big they forgot the pain and sacrifice of the initial purchase. So, it is with God and anything of God.

Giving What You Have to Get What You Need
God does not want you to consume everything you have on yourself. The doctrine of “me first” does not profit but then “others first” sound ridiculous as we are to love others like we love ourselves. But in the overall, God comes first. And since we can’t see God, whoever or whatever he chooses to represent him comes first. In God’s standard, the weak, the poor, the widows, the fatherless are priority. James calls it “pure religion and undefiled before God.” Jas 1:27. Book of Provers 21:13 says, “Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.”

The widow of Zarephath did exactly what the prophet Elijah requested from her in such critical circumstance; she gave up on her dream to just eat and die. She didn’t have to eat her last meal with her son and die, she gave and live. Her obedience paid off. She was so blessed that all the barrels and jars in her house was filled with so much food and water according to the prophesy of the prophet. “Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper” (2Chro 20:20).

Abraham was another example. He was called to give up his only son, whom he loved. In obedience, he gave up one son to get a nation of Israel (Gen 22). God also gave up His Son, Jesus to get a cloud of witnesses. They all could hold on to what they had, but they would never get what they needed.  

To Live is to Give
To secure a bountiful harvest, you need a sacrificial planting. To have a sumptuous dividend, you need a great premium.

Living requires sacrificial giving. If you want to have treasures in heaven, you need to give here on earth. You need to give to others and not eat all you have. If you eat alone, you die alone. God wants us to remember the weak, the poor and the vulnerable. “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Rom 15:1).
Remember the words of wisdom in Proverbs 19:17: “He that hath pity upon the poor lends unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.”

Even though we labor in our work, our survival is from God not from our works, and God wants us to remember that and from what he has given us, to support the weak and the poor. As difficult and crazy as it sounds, he wants us to trust him that he is our supply. Will you do that?

Would you give and live or rather eat and die?

Psalm 119 is not only reputed to be the longest chapter in the Bible, it also harbor in it’s 176 verses powerful gems of wisdom, knowledge, and quotes for believers – even unbelievers – to navigate the world.

From the 97th verses down through 105, David penned what can be called one of the most important eulogy about the law and the commandments of God, which in our today’s world can be simply called, the word of God, as we are no longer under the law but under grace.

Here in this passage are ten powerful benefits of meditating on God's word.

According to the passage above, there are several powerful benefits of meditating on God's word. 

This is Part 1 of the 2-Parts Series on ​10 POWERFUL BENEFITS OF EMBRACING GOD’S WORD.

Here in Part 1, let's explore five of the 10 benefits.

1.  It makes you wiser than your enemies.

• Imagine being wiser than your enemies.
• This means:
  • You’d always be a step ahead of them at all times and in all ways!
  • This means victory.
• Only the word of God can do that when we mediate on it “day and night” like God told Joshua to do.
• God told Joshua that if he did that, he would have ‘good success.’ (Josh 1:8).
• We will have “good success, too, if we meditate on the word of God ‘all day.’

2.  It gives you more understanding than all your teachers.

• This is divine! You understand more than, not one, or two, but ALL your teachers.
• Is this even possible?
• Well, David said he did. And if you read your Bible well, you know this is true. This is the result of not only reading the word of God but “Meditating” on it ALL DAY!
• There is power in the word of God through the Holy Spirit whom the Bible calls a “quickening spirit.’ he makes you to know and understand quickly beyond (Psa 143:11, Rom 8:11).

3.  It makes you to understand more than the ancients.

• Jesus at age 12 stood at the temple and expanded the words of prophet Isaiah who lived over a thousand years before him to the Pharisees who were older than him.
• Result? They opened their mouth wide.
• First, they couldn’t understand where Jesus learned the Greek language he was speaking with instead of Aramaic.
• Secondly, they were baffled where or how he knew anything about prophet Isaiah and what he said and how he fit in – that’s the power of meditating on God’s words – he will teach you all things (1Jn 2:27).

4.  He keeps your feet from every evil ways.

• Only the word of God can keep you from EVERY evil ways.
• This because Pro 4:12 says, “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
• But the word of God keeps you from the claws of a strange woman and from the deceit of a cunny man.
• When you meditate on the word of God “all day,” it keeps you from falling into the trap, arrows, and schemes of the enemy.

5.  It makes you accept God’s sovereignty – His judgments.

• Not departing from the ‘judgment’ of God is to accept Him as sovereign in all things even when we don’t understand.
• Job did not call God a fool despite his predicament – he accepted the ‘judgment’ of God until God came through for him
• When we accept the plan, purposes, and programs of God in our lives as sovereign, we embrace his judgment

​Are you broken-hearted, disappointed, tired, confused, and lonely?
Or you are full of regret for the mistakes or path you have taken?

You can draw strength and comfort from the words of the psalmist in Psalm 34:18: “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” 

Jesus says in Mat 11:28-30: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Mat 11:28-30).

If you are weak and lonely, he is meek and lowly.

You don’t have to carry that burden of whatever it is on you when you can turn it over to him. He is asking you to do that and he promised to give you rest.

Trust him for what he says he will do. He is not a man that he should lie, and neither is he a sin of man that he should repent.
If you are done running, trying, or doing it alone or by yourself, you can come to him today; He is waiting and willing.
​
He wants to strengthen, comfort, heal, and forgive you, and he can do all that if you will allow him to.

He is nearer than you think. Psalm 46:1 says, “he is your refuge and strength, “a very present help in trouble.”
Be encouraged with the following passages of scriptures:

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Being risen with Christ means seeking things above. it means to identify with Christ’s passion, including his suffering, death, burial, and resurrection. This has an upward effect in a believer’s life, he will desire to seek things that are heavenly.
​
Desire is like a treasure indicator. Wherever your treasure is, that is where your desire or affection will be, heaven or earth (Mat 6:21).

In Col 3:3, we are told that, “Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” But many a time, we know that our desires and thoughts do not resemble that of a “dead man.” The dead don’t desire what the living desire. The dead don’t think about expensive cars, fancy mansions, get  angry when you hit them, or worry about what to eat, drink, or live like we do.  

How can I, as a believer, control my desires and thoughts so that I can seek the things which are above as if I am truly dead with Christ?

The Bible teaches that the path of righteousness is like a shining light, ever-growing in brightness until the perfect day.

As Christians, we are called to live our lives according to the teachings of God, found in the Bible. We are to remain true to our faith and maintain a moral compass that guides us along the righteous path. We must strive to follow the example of Jesus Christ, walking in his footsteps, and living a life of holiness and righteousness.

The Bible offers us many examples of the path of righteousness, from the stories of Noah and Abraham to the teachings of Jesus. The Bible shows us that we can live a life of faith and morality, even when the world around us may be filled with darkness and despair.

We must continue to walk in the light of the Lord and strive to reach perfection. In doing so, we glorify God and honor His teachings. 

Discipline for a disciple means doing the right thing at the right time (Ecc 3:1, 1Cor 14:40, Jas 4:17).

One of the right things to do at the right time is having a personal time with God early in the morning (Mat 20:1, Mar 16:2; 21:38: 24:1, Joh 8:2).

Personal time with God precedes activities for God. If you cannot be with God in private you cannot be for God in public (Mat 14:23, 26:36).

Your first ministry is to God. Your second ministry is to your spouse, then children, family, brethren in that order. Since your first ministry is to God (Mar 12:30), not practicing personal ministry with God makes subsequent ministries a hypocrisy (Luk 16:11-12).

Our life is the first gift of God to us each day and God deserves the best gift from us every day for it. Our mornings are the perfect time to give God our first and best for the day as a sacrifice (Rom 12:1, 1Pet 2:5).

When you discipline yourself to give God your first and your best each day, you offer Him worship, for that is your first ministry (Mat 4:10).

Only what comes from God is acceptable to Him (Isa 58:1-10).

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