“…..But godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of life that now is, and of that which is to come.” – 1 Timothy 4:8(KJV)
In continuation of our discussion of yesterday, it has become imperative that we look at the life of those who lived and practiced godliness. The purpose of this is to evaluate their level of achievement vis-à-vis their contemporaries. We will consider four personalities, among many, in the scriptures whose exploits are tied to living godly. They made great gain through living godly in line with 1 Tim 6:6 – “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
This was what Joseph practiced in Egypt. Joseph, a slave boy in the house of Potiphar, refused to sin against his God. Joseph was tempted in his master’s house by his lustful mistress. Alone with her, she desired to lie with Joseph. Hear Joseph’s response… “But he refused, and said unto the master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” – Genesis 39: 8-9(KJV). Please note that this lure to sin by the master’s wife was day by day. Joseph’s response exemplifies godly living. On the date she made her move on Joseph, the bible recorded that he went to do his business and there was none of the men of the house around. Despite this, the fear of sinning against God prevailed in Joseph’s life. His godly living led him to the prison enroute to the topmost top of the prime minister of Egypt. In prison, he prospered as he obtained favour of the Chief Prison Warder. Overnight a Hebrew slave was elevated to the position of prime minister in a foreign land.
Daniel refused to partake of the defiled kings meal, but put his faith in the God of his father’s. “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank.” – Daniel 1:8(KJV). He also refused to adhere to an obnoxious decree that challenged the supremacy of God in his life. He refused to obey the erroneous decree of the King but chose to obey the injunction of his God, damning the consequences of being fed to the lions. Heaven intervened to compensate him for honouring his God with a godly living. His deliverance from the lion’s den remains a generational testimony; “My God hath sent his angel and hath shut the lion’s mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt”. Daniel became famous and he prospered.”So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.” Godly living positioned him to be of great honour in almost six kingdoms that were antagonistic to each other.
Living a godly life is incontestably profitable in every way here on earth and in that which is to come.
Prayer: Father, strengthen me to live godly in the fear of the Lord.
Bro. Joel Ezeugo