GO THE EXTRA.

TEXT:- Luke 19: 1-10.

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY:-  “in the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” James 2:17

All of us know about Zaccheaus, and the most popular feature we all know him for is that he was a man of little stature and also a tax collector. These two prominent features made him stand out for all the wrong reasons and also at a disadvantage. As a man of little stature, it was hard to get noticed, and I guess, he was always ridiculed. Also, as a tax collector, he wasn’t popular amongst the people because tax collectors were considered cheats. With all these ‘limitations”, our reading for today said when he couldn’t see Jesus, he ran before and climbed a sycamore tree. He did something to change his stature and get noticed by Jesus; he went AHEAD and climbed a tree.

What is that “limitation” you feel you have as a Teen? Limitations can come in different forms. You are not beautiful or handsome. You are not brilliant. Your social class is low. You are not athletic. Have you allowed it to limit you in what you can achieve? Then, you need to go the extra, just like Zaccheaus. Develop other areas of your life that you know you are good at and make yourself the best in it by going ahead. Spur yourself to run ahead and enhance that ability, so that you can get noticed like Zaccheaus (v. 5).

For you to be noticed, by God or man, you must go the extra.

PRAYER POINT: Father, beyond any limitations, helps me to go the extra and become the best You have promised I will be, in Jesus name.

Part 2.

DO THE EXTRA.

TEXT :- 2 KINGS 4 :1-7

SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY:-  “do you  not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”1 Cor. 9: 24

I love athletes and athletics. Do you know why? It takes hard work and dedication to become the best in any field of sport you chose to engage in, it takes even more work and dedication to remain the best. You need to train harder, work harder and do more to remain the best, if not, someone who wants it more, comes and beats you to it. Today, we will be looking at doing the extra. From our text for today, the widow was told to get extra jars to fill in the oil, and she got as much as she could get, and filled until the oil stopped. There was no limit to the number of jars she could get and fill. The oil didn’t stop because it had finished, it stopped because the jars had finished. If she had gotten more jars, the oil would’ve continued flowing.

Today, we are being charged to do the extra. In every sphere of our endeavours, be it academics, spiritual, social, financial, there are extra things you might need to do to stand out. You might need to do extra study and carry out extra research to pass your exams. You might need to fast, in addition to your prayers to get a solution to a problem. You might need to do extra to mend the relationship between you and that family member or friend. Even Jesus told His disciples, “This one will not come out except by praying and fasting…” Doing the extra is not going to be easy, it’s going to take a lot of stress and effort on your part, but like the athlete, you will always come out the best in that endeavour.

Prayer Point:- Father as I decide to do the extra, give me the strength and zeal to do what needs to be done in every sphere of my life, in Jesus name.