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I was talking to someone recently, and the person told me about all the rumors floating around in their workplace. So I told the person,

“It looks like there is not much work at your workplace.”       

The person did not struggle at all to agree with me!

How could you have time for gossip and rumors when you have deadlines to meet, projects to deliver, and clients to attend to?

I once worked with a company for years without knowing details of the personal lives of the directors. Then it was sold off to another company where hedonism, gossip and rumors were the culture; and within days I knew so much about the personal lives of the directors! I left the new company within a year; and the company went under a few years after! While many companies might survive these; they will still pay for it dearly by vital loss of productivity!

Show me a church where there are rumors and gossip, and I will show you a church which is highly divided! Normally, the divisions take the form of amorphous cliques; which are usually based on social classification, or perceived levels of sanctimony! These make it very difficult to mobilize cohesive, multi-functional teams for the work of God!

The devil just used some lips as his mouthpiece to impede the work of God!

Jesus gave a vivid picture of how Satan uses unoccupied people in Matthew 12.

READ Matthew 12:43-45

“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.

Then he says,

‘I will return to my house from which I came.’

And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.

Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

(Matthew 12:43-45 NKJV)

He said the demon comes to find it “empty, swept and put in order”! This means the man was capable and ready, but unoccupied! So this demon goes out to mobilize seven more spirits, more wicked than him, to come and join him!

It is always dangerous to be capable, and ready; but unoccupied!

Jesus, while approaching Jerusalem on the triumphal entry; and perceiving that His disciples thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately, told them a parable in Luke 19:11-27, to the extent that they needed to keep working! The RSV calls it “The Parable of the pounds” and the ESV calls it “The parable of the Minas”. It was about a nobleman who went to a far country to receive a kingdom for himself.

The nobleman called his ten servants, and gave them ten pounds (vv. 13), and said unto them,

“Occupy till I come.”

The story didn’t go well for one of the servants when the master returned (vv. 20-27) because he did not “do business”, as instructed, till the master came back.

God has given us so much; He has given us talents, skills and abilities. But above all, He has given us life!

 As one preacher put it, “God demonstrates His mercy towards us by giving us more time — time to right the wrongs!”

How are we using His time? How are we responding to His mercy?

Are we giving it back to Him as sweet smelling living sacrifices (Romans 12:1); or are we giving it to the devil to use as his mouthpiece?

We need to occupy till He comes.

Occupy in useful work which enables us to support the work of God materially; and occupy by offering our bodies as a living sacrifices in service to God.

By all means let us occupy till He comes; and the devil will have no room to use us as his mouthpiece!

MEMORY VERSE

“I fear that there may perhaps be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.” (2 Corinthians 12:20)

QUESTIONS

1. Are you occupied with useful service to God, and useful work?
2. If not, do you know the devil can use you as his mouthpiece?

PRAYER TIP

Father God, please help me to occupy till the end.

Written by:
BENNY MALM

For:
TESTIMONY DEVOTIONAL

URGENT CALL

By nature, we are all sinful, and alienated from God. We ultimately face the wrath of God!

But God in His mercy and love gives us a chance to reverse this trend, join His family, be part of His household, and become His children.

The first step to becoming a member of God’s household is for us to be saved. 

Salvation comes through accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Personal Savior.

It is a very personal decision. No one can make for you.

If you make that decision today, there will be great singing and rejoicing in heaven; because one new member has joined the family and household of God!

Do you want to make that decision today?

Please visit “The Believer’s Prayer” for guidance if you want to make that decision.

We will be happy to hear from you through the contact information on that page.

God richly bless you

SPECIAL GRATITUDE

Thank you for visiting the Testimony Devotional Website. 

We would not have gotten here without your prayers, goodwill and overall support. We are grateful, and humbled.

We thank God for counting us worthy to share in His Great Commission; and we thank you for sticking with us through this journey.

God richly bless you.

The Testimony Devotional website addresses are:

https://testimonydevotional.org/
https://testimonydevotional.com/
https://mytd.org/