The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 23 January 2023 – Change Your Garment
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TOPIC: Change Your Garment
READ: Genesis 35:1-15 (AMP)
- And God said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. And make there an altar to God Who appeared to you [in a distinct manifestation] when you fled from the presence of Esau your brother.
- Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, Put away the [images of] strange gods that are among you, and purify yourselves and change [into fresh] garments;
- Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make there an altar to God Who answered me in the day of my distress and was with me wherever I went.
- So they [both young men and women] gave to Jacob all the strange gods they had and their earrings which were [worn as charms against evil] in their ears; and Jacob buried and hid them under the oak near Shechem.
- And they journeyed and a terror from God fell on the towns round about them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
- So Jacob came to Luz, that is, Bethel, which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people with him.
- There he built an altar, and called the place El-bethel [God of Bethel], for there God revealed Himself to him when he fled from the presence of his brother.
- But Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried below Bethel under an oak; and the name of it was called Allon-bacuth [oak of weeping].
- And God [in a distinctly visible manifestation] appeared to Jacob again when he came out of Padan-aram, and declared a blessing on him.
- Again God said to him, Your name is Jacob [supplanter]; you shall not be called Jacob any longer, but Israel shall be your name. So He called him Israel [contender with God].
- And God said to him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you and kings shall be born of your stock;
- The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and to your descendants after you I will give the land.
- Then God ascended from him in the place where He talked with him.
- And Jacob set up a pillar (monument) in the place where he talked with [God], a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it and he poured oil on it.
- And Jacob called the name of the place where God had talked with him Bethel [house of God].
THE MESSAGE:
God told Jacob to return and live in Bethel. Before they left, Jacob asked his family members and all that were with him to put away the foreign gods they had with them, purify themselves and change their garments. Jacob acknowledged that God answered him when he was in trouble; he therefore intended to build an altar for Him at Bethel. On reaching Bethel God appeared to Jacob, changed his name to Israel and blessed him and his descendants.
If we must worship God, we must first put away the strange gods such as love of money, covetousness, idolatry, greed, cheating, bribery, etc. We must purify ourselves by removing lust, sexual immorality and all other defilements. We must indeed have a change of the garment of attitude to sin and live unto righteousness. Think and identify the various mercies and deliverances God showed you last year. Can you reciprocate this love this year by testifying, praising and thanking the Lord? If not for God’s mercies, you may not be alive today. If you do not have any material things with which to appreciate Him, your sincere worship and appreciation of His goodness will suffice. Decide to seek God today.
PRAYER: Loving Father, may You wash me in the blood of Jesus and change me.
