Prayer: Father, teach me today, by Your Spirit. Amen.
Reading: 1 Chronicles 26 key: vs. 5b-10 “(for God had blessed him). To his son Shemaiah were born sons who were leaders of their clans, for they were men of great ability. The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, Rephael, Obed and Elzabad. His brothers Elihu and Semachiah were also valiant men. All these were descendants of Obed-edom. They and their sons and their kinsmen were capable men with the strength to do the work—62 of Obed-edom. Meshelemiah had sons and brothers—18 able men. Also Hosah, a descendant of Merari, had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father made him the first).” TLV
Attention: I want to recommend a great read if you are interested in finding out a few things about yourself. It is titled, The Birth Order Book by Dr. Kevin Leman. He addresses how birth order affects various aspects of one’s life, including career, parenting, and relationships. It even affects how one sees life, how they may see God, and see one another in your own family.
I am a first born and both of my parents were first born. First born people make up many of our first astronauts and presidents. They are leaders and are given responsibilities because they exhibit the characteristics of leadership.
Notice that in today’s scripture, it is all first-born males who are mentioned as “men of great ability, capable men, and able men.” The one who was not a first born (vs.10), was made first born because the first born was not capable of fulfilling his role as first born. Dr. Leman addresses this phenomenon in families, where a first born is born with an illness or disability which renders them incapable of fulfilling their role as first born.
I suggest Dr. Leman’s book whether you are a first born or not. You see, Dr. Leman was not the first born and was living up to his prescribed birth order. Once he understood himself, he was able to rise above his birth order and become a Dr. of Psychology. His message is you do not have to allow your birth order to determine your success in life.
Action: I choose to live up to the God given potential of my being.
Yield: I choose to submit to the leading and inspiration of the Spirit of God.
Engage: I choose to engage in the process of becoming all that God designed me to be.
Relationship: I choose to live in intimate, obedient relationship with God.
Prayer: Father, it is You who bless and curse. It is You who grant birth order. It is You who make great men. Amen.
Memory Verse: Psalms 139:14-17 “I praise You, for I am awesomely, wonderfully made! Wonderful are Your works— and my soul knows that very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was unformed, and in Your book were written the days that were formed— when not one of them had come to be. How precious are Your thoughts, O God! How great is the sum of them! TLV
Music Video: For King & Country—God Only Knows https://youtu.be/fhS83a5Ky84?si=KMymI3SZmTaXx88_
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!”