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Topic: Your Family Matters To God
[DCLM Daily Manna 9 July 2020 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: Joshua 19:17-23
17 And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families.
18 And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,
19 And Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath,
20 And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez,
21 And Remeth, and Engannim, and Enhaddah, and Bethpazzez;
22 And the coast reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Bethshemesh; and the outgoings of their border were at Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages.
23 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.
Key Verse: “And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families” (Joshua 19:17).
MESSAGE:
One minister of God explains the importance of the family. “It is here (within the family) that human life begins and often closes its earthly pilgrimage. Here it is trained for this world and disciplined for the world that is to come…” Our text today reveals the inheritance of the children of Issachar: sixteen cities with their villages. This inheritance was shared according to their families, signifying the importance of the family.
Joshua, the servant of God, knew the importance of serving God with the whole of his family. He decided, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). One thing is sure about the resolution of Joshua: his attention was majorly on his family. He knew that he might not be able to influence all the Israelites as he desired, but he was sure he could do so much more in his own family. Thus, he was determined that whatever perversion might be going on among the Israelites as a whole, his family would remain consecrated to God.
Most times, we bemoan the state of our society and the state of the universal Church without giving much thought to the family – that pivotal fountain from which the society and the Church spring. It is never God’s desire that a member of a family be saved while others are lost in sin. His ultimate desire is that we and our entire household are preserved in His salvation.
Thus, we must be concerned about the salvation of our entire family and as many as are under our roofs. We must, therefore, make genuine efforts to win them over to Christ by demonstrating godly lives before them at all times and ensuring they attend church services and programmes.
Thought For The Day: Get your household into the ‘ark’ of salvation.
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