RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL
MORAL EXCELLENCE .
Thursday, October 12th .
Pastor Chris
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue… (2 Peter 1:5).*_
“Virtue,” in our opening verse, means principle, moral goodness or excellence. God wants you to add that to your faith. You already have faith: _*“…according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith”*_ (Romans 12:3). But as important as faith is, there’re certain things the Lord requires you to add to your faith if you’re to have a life of persistent productivity and ever-increasing glory. One of it is moral excellence.
God wants you to run your life by some godly standards and principles, and you’re to employ diligence in doing this: _*“…giving ALL DILIGENCE , add to your faith virtue.” This isn’t something you should be casual about; you’re to painstakingly and conscientiously see to it that your life is marked by some high moral standards; standards and principles from God’s Word.
For example, the Bible tells us that Jesus went to the house of God, the synagogue, as His custom was (Luke 4:16). Is that your standard? Do you have it as a custom, a principle, to go to church when it’s time for church? Or do you only go when it’s convenient? Some people only go to church when they feel like it; they have no standards. They lack moral excellence.
However, for Jesus, it was customary for Him to go to the synagogue. You ought to have that kind of discipline in your life: when it’s time to go to church, you go, because that’s the right thing to do, irrespective of other considerations that may arise.
In addition, have definite prayer and Word-study programmes and schedules. Don’t pray or study the Bible accidentally or casually, only when you feel like it. Let these be activities that are hallowed parts of your day and routine. Inculcate the discipline; it’s an indispensable ingredient for a highly effective, successful, and persistently productive life.
PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for showing me the importance of lavishly supplying moral goodness or excellence to my faith. The Spirit of excellence at work in me brings discipline and stability into my life, causing me to be diligent, ever fruitful and productive, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 5:8-11 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them].
2 Peter 1:5 AMPC For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence),
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING
1-Year Bible Reading Plan: 1 Thessalonians 1-2:16,
Isaiah 54-56
2-Year Bible Reading Plan: John 5:19-27,
1 Kings 19