LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Saturday 30th October 2021
AS FOR YOU, BE FRUITFUL
Scripture Reading: Genesis 9:1-17
And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; Bring forth abundantly in the earth And multiply in it.” Genesis 9:7
After living in the ark for about a year, Noah and his family stepped out onto a devastated planet. The flood had literally washed their world away. All that had been built by Noah’s generation and previous generations was gone.
Noah’s first act was to make a thanksgiving sacrifice to the Lord for the safety of all those who survived in the ark. After the sacrifice, God assured Noah of His preservation from danger. He also guaranteed Noah that the seasons of life would continue after the flood as they had been before the flood – seed time and harvest would not cease.
Having pledged protection and continuity to Noah, the Lord charged him to get back to work. He did not want Noah to wallow in despondency. I like the phrase: “as for you, be fruitful.” It means that is all that God expected from Noah. The Lord wanted Noah to produce fruit from the earth.
We can learn lessons about what the Lord wants us to do after the chaos of COVID-19. He is telling us the same thing He told Noah – “as for you, be fruitful.” He wants us to get to work to rebuild whatever has been lost.
Though we can’t predict everything that will befall our world, we are confident that the Lord will make us exceedingly productive. Though COVID is still around, as for us, we will be fruitful. Businesses may fold up all around us but, as for us, we will be fruitful.
We may not have all the resources we need but, as for us, we will be fruitful. People may try to pull us down but, as for us, we will be fruitful. Evil spirits and evil people will hate us but, as for us, we will be fruitful.
We will be fruitful on the mountain;
We will be fruitful in the valley;
We will be fruitful in the dry season;
We will be fruitful in the rainy season.
Today, we are like Noah stepping out of the ark. We are emerging from a troubled season. All around us, we see the evidence of devastation. Yet, our God will make us fruitful.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you have made me fruitful. I boldly declare that, as for me, I will be fruitful in all I do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.