Topic: Why sit we here until we die?
Text: And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said to another, why sit we here until we die? 2 Kings 7:3

Someone once said “the fear of death kills faster than death itself”. Long ago when I was in the secondary school, I heard the rumor of a General in the Nigerian Army who committed suicide because his second in command told him to do so. The news of the coup they both planned had leaked and they were both going to be executed. This was a deception by the second in command to enthrone himself. As soon as the General was confirmed dead, his second in command took control and overthrew the government, becoming the head of state instead of his boss. There are so many in the graves today who died running from the battle than those who died in the war.

The main reason there are few laborers in the kingdom harvest field today is not necessarily because there are few potential laborers, but that many able-bodied potential laborers are afraid of dying in the harvest field of the nations. Fear is the greatest obstacle to millions of laborers arriving on the right harvest fields and arriving on time. I have learnt a few lessons from the story of these four leprous men at the gate of Samaria that I will like to share in this short devotion:

1. God is always committed to performing His word through the obedience and labors of His servants who serves the Church in the purpose and in the interest of His kingdom and Glory.
2. God just needs selflessness and faith in a few men to fight the war that the nations are afraid of winning.
3. Whenever there is unity of purpose, faith is magnified in the right direction and God is committed to the miraculous.
4. God can win the nations by himself, but He always waits for the feet of men to announce His coming to the battle fields.
5. The victory of any denomination should be the breakthrough of the entire church, you may have fought the battle alone with God, but God wants you to share the harvest with all the brethren.
6. Esther said “if I perish I perish”, these men were ready to die in pursuit of victory than to live a shameful life of agony and defeat.
7. The same death you are afraid to conquer at the gate, will soon come to take your territory from you at home, the earlier you rise, the better for you.
8. In Matthew 28:20 He said “and I will be with you till the end of the age.” The greatest guarantee of God’s victorious presence is on the harvest/battle field.

Prayer:
Ask the Lord to move the hearts of His disciples in Nigeria to the harvest field and magnify their faith to take the nations despite the risk; trusting God to preserve the harvest and the labourers all together.

Pastor Victor Idakwoji
Director of Mobilization and Networking
NEMA, Abuja, Nigeria.