STOP BARKING AT THE WRONG TREE
Read GENESIS 30v1-2
- AMP:When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister, and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I will die!
- AMP:And Jacob became very angry with Rachel and he said, Am I in God’s stead, Who has denied you children?
MEMORISE
Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb (Genesis 30:22).
EXPOSITION
As today commemorates Mothering Sunday, every mother who is barren receive your fruit of the womb in Jesus’ name. Your cries shall be heard by God. Your tears shall be wiped away. But first, stop barking at the wrong tree. Stop laying charges against the arm of flesh that is incapable of making anything happen. Jacob angrily answered Rachel, *Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?* He was like telling her to stop chasing shadows or barking at the wrong tree. Rachel eventually learnt to face God, not man, and as soon as she started talking to God, the much-awaited miracle happened (Gen. 30:22). Stop barking at the wrong tree.
Imagine a dog barking at a man’s statue holding a stick because it wants him to throw the stick for a play. Obviously, given the lifelessness of the statue, the dog is asking for help from what cannot help. That explains the expression, Barking at the wrong tree. It means looking in the wrong direction for help. Every good and perfect thing comes from God alone (Jas. 1:17). Looking for it elsewhere can be irreversibly disastrous. She who consults idols for a child has chosen to dine with the devil. The length of her spoon cannot save her from being brutalised by the devil, in the end. What is it you are going through? Persistently tell it to God in earnest prayers (Lk. 11:8-10). Don’t look the wrong direction. Stop accusing your Jacob of withholding your child when you should call on God for His intervention!
Suggested Hymn for Today: CAC GHB 821
1. lgbagbo mi wo O.
Iwo Od‘agutan
Olugbala,
Jo, gbo adura mi,
M‘ese mi gbogbo lo;
K‘emi lat‘oni lo
Si je Tire.
2. Ki ore-ofe Re
F‘ilera f‘okan mi;
Mu mi tara;
B‘Iwo ti ku fun mi,
A! K‘ife mi si O
K‘o ma gbona titi
B‘ina iye.
3. ‘Gba mo nrin l‘okunkun
Ninu ibanuje,
S‘amona mi;
So okun di ‘mole;
Pa ‘banuje mi re,
Ki nma sako kuro
Li odo Re
4. Gba ti aye ba pin,
T‘odo tutu iku
Nsan l‘ori mi,
Jesu, ninu ife,
Mu k‘ifoya mi lo,
Gbe mi d‘oke orun
B‘okan t‘ara.
Amin.
1. My faith looks up o Thee,
Thou lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine.
Now hear me while I pray;
Take all my guilt away;
O let me from this day
Be wholly Thine.
2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire:
As Thou hast died for me,
O may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire.
3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside
4. When ends life’s transient dream.
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll,
Blest saviour, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove ;
O bear me safe above,
A ransom’d soul.
Amen.
Prayer points
1. Let my cry reach You, O Lord, and grant the good desires of my heart.
2. Lord, teach me to direct my hopes and faith towards You.
3. Lord, help our church ministers to direct people’s attention and expectations to You and not themselves.
Extra Reading for Today: Judges 14-16
Remain blessed.