Saturday 1, December 2012
Bible Passage(s): Psalm 112:1-10
Memory Verse: “A good man showeth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.” Psalm 112:5-6
When money was discovered many years ago, a more robust and reliable medium of exchange for goods and services was found. Thereafter each nation of the world began to devise its own currency as an article of exchange that is reliable and widely acceptable.
Some of these include the US dollars, the British Pound Sterling and here in Nigeria the Naira. These articles of exchange have endured over time and are widely accepted as the currency of the respective countries. Apart from gold, US dollar has become the most dominant currency of exchange worldwide, no matter the vagaries of time and the state of the economy of the world. Similarly, the value of gold does not diminish. It continues to increase and is widely acceptable from one generation of the world to another. Even many countries still hold a lot of their wealth in gold reserves because of its stability and reliability. So is a good name.
A good name is like the currency of money; the gold standard. It endures from one generation to the other. The Good News Version of the Bible gives a clearer view of verse 6: A good person (i.e. one who has a good name) will never fail; he will always be remembered.
Also The Message Bible succinctly puts Verses 3 and 4 as follows: ‘…. the homes of the upright – how blessed! Their houses brim with wealth And generosity that never runs dry’. From the foregoing, we can surmise that when you have a good name, you will have a continuous flow of blessings. Money will flow to you of its own accord. This is because; with a good name, you have lots of goodwill. Like the gold standard, goodwill is the currency of a good name. With a good name, people will trust you as they see in you reliability and stability. They will not have any inhibitions to do business with you, because you run your business honestly and they know you will deliver and not run away with their money. If you have a good name, even if you are in paid employment, be it secular or spiritual, you will always find favour with your bosses and employers and you are sure to go high in the organisation.
Unfortunately, people with good names are becoming sort of extinct in our world today! Even in the household of God! People are being swindled and manipulated right from our pulpits in the name of prosperity, divine healing and so on. The sad thing is that, most times, you will find good people outside the church!
The situation in our land calls for a sober reflection. Good people are becoming scarce commodities in our nation! Most of us have soiled the good name that our fathers bequeathed to us. By our acts of omission or commission, some of us have mortgaged the future of our children and unborn generations. You know, something with the currency of money is that if it is not well managed, its value goes down. We have seen some nations today whose economies are currently going through a tumultuous time and their currencies are losing value every day. This is a result of bad management of the value bequeathed to them. Have you inherited a good name? If so what are you doing to ensure that this name does not lose its value in your time and that you will, in turn be able to bequeath it to your children and generations after you?
Therefore as we enter the month of December, the closing month of year 2012, I want you to please ponder on the name you have or the kind of name you will want to leave as a legacy for your children and unborn generation. Do you want your children to become pariahs in the world, or because of the evils you have committed they will be forced to change their name? If this happens, it then implies that your name has become a curse and not a blessing to them. They will not be proud to bear your name!
Please take some time today and throughout this month to ponder on this message and make amends where you see that you have fallen short. The Lord will help you. Amen.
The Lord bless and keep you, may He make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace, now and forevermore.
Have a very merry Christmas and a most happy new year in advance.
Prayer(s) for the Month
1. Thank the Lord for bringing you to the month of December 2012. It is the Lord’s doing and it is precious in our eyes.
2. Look back over the months of the year and identify things to praise God for. Thank Him for all He has done for you in this year 2012.
3. Look back at your life, if there are things you have done that have mortgaged the good name that you have, confess these areas to the Lord and ask for forgiveness. The Bible says, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and there is no truth in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and unrighteousness.
4. Pray that your children shall be mighty upon the earth and that your generation shall live uprightly and be blessed forever.
5. As you look forward to entering the year 2013, pray that the light of God shall arise in the darkness in your life and that the Lord shall be gracious, full of compassion and be righteous unto you.