Above Only Daily Devotional june 8 2019 By Archbishop Margaret E. Benson Idahosa Topic: Celebrate and Honour the Righteous

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Psalms 16:3 (NLT) The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them!

Psalms 13:3 (GNB) As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.

Psalms 16:3 (NIV) If you welcome a prophet because he is a man of God, you will be given the same reward a prophet gets. …

Matthew 10:41 (LB) … If you welcome good and godly men because of their godliness, you will be given a reward like theirs.

We emulate what we celebrate. When we celebrate people, we are unconsciously encouraged them in their ways and encourage others to celebrate and emulate them as well. As such, we must be deliberate about loving and celebrating the people and things that God loves and celebrates. We must celebrate and honour people who practice faith, hard work, integrity, sacrifice, love, patience, prayers and the study of God’s word, 1 Tim. 5:17-18. Hebrews 13:17 (NIV) implores us to “remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” God bless us for loving righteousness and hating iniquity, Heb. 1:9.

Do not be deceived or carried away by anything. God doesn’t see as men see. He sees the heart. No matter what an unsaved person looks like or has in their life, the absence of Jesus as Lord and Saviour of their life renders them dead and doomed for destruction. They are under the devil’s bondage and control. Not everybody we relate with will be godly and we cannot touch and reach the unsaved with the love and gospel of Christ if we do not interact with them. We must, however, remain conscious of the fact that we are the ones to influence them – not the other way around, Psa. 1:1. Jesus reminded us that the world loves its own and they hated Him and will hate us because we are not of the world, John 15:18-19. Do not compromise because you want the world to love and celebrate you. Keep celebrating and allowing yourself to be influenced by righteous and godly people.

Prayer:

Thank God for the lives of the godly people and leaders around you. Pray for more of God’s grace and strength upon them.

Bible in one year reading plan: 2 Chronicles 30-31, John 18:1-18.