Daily Topic for February 09, 2009
God admonishes us, as He did Jeremiah’s scribe Baruch, to abandon a selfish ambition, which is not only futile but is also irrelevant. Most people spend their lives pursuing either things or accomplishments. It is nothing less than tragic when believers chase personal aspirations to the ignorance or neglect of the clearly-revealed purposes of God. In light of what God is doing and wants to do among the nations, can we possibly justify seeking great things for ourselves? “Seek them not.”
Pray to yield your aspirations, ambitions and dreams to His perfect will.
The Iku people of Nigeria have no Christian resources, no current contact with mission agencies, and no Scripture in their language. A majority of them have never heard the gospel clearly presented. They are nominally Muslim, and practice ancestor worship. Their artistic talents are wasted on making dodo masks, which are worn during an elaborate ceremony. During this ceremony, they summon the spirit of an ancestor, who is thought to possess both mask and its wearer. The Ikus believe in evil spirits, but they do not live in fear of them. They pray to the “sky god” for health and prosperity.
Their lifestyle makes health and prosperity a challenge. Men and boys work hard in the fields. Women and girls are also expected to help in the fields, but they must also forage in the forests and prepare meals. This can be very dangerous because the tsetse fly inhabits these woods and carries the dreaded sleeping sickness that slowly destroys the brain of its victim. Girls and women wash pots in the river, which is their water source, but is also the home of many crocodiles. Families look forward to the evening communal meal when it is cooler, and they enjoy the dry season when there is less work to do and more time for recreation.
Learn more at joshuaproject.netPray that God will raise up prayer and evangelistic work to reach these precious people for Christ.-CH