METHODIST DAILY REFLECTION FOR TODAY TUESDAY, 29TH SEPTEMBER 2026 - THE UNITED CHURCH
DATE: TUESDAY, 29TH SEPTEMBER 2026
THEME. THE UNITED CHURCH
PASSAGE: EZEKIEL 37:15-24
15 The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,
16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions:
17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. 18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?
19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.
23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
MESSAGE:
The greatest weapon the devil uses against the church is division. The Nigerian moto is, "United we stand, divided we fall." Unity is the strength of any family, or T organization flies. Some years ago, a hospital in Kano by name Madonna, in a strategic junction in the town called, "No Man's Land", was being operated by three friends. This hospital was greatly patronized, but as soon as the unity treaty was quashed the place became a shadow of itself.
The children of Israel were divided by bad counsel, immaturity and quest for power. And this division brought upon them hatred amorig brothers, defeats by neighbouring enemies and many more, so that the nation that used to be one, fighting a common course, was now turned to two hostile enemies, thereby nursing in-house hatred and national conflict amongst brethren of the same decent. This was of Satan at work and must be dealt with wherever such is found.
God is merciful and will continue to be merciful. He looks for His own even when they are at their farthest not thinking of home coming. God knowing that the only way Israel can be better is by being together. So, He initiated the move by instructing Ezekiel to get two separate sticks, write the names of the divided kingdoms, Ephraim (Israel) and Judah, and then bind them together for them to become one, not just in sight but in heart for hence- forth they shall be gathered into one place, from wherever they were scattered back to one Kingdom and be ruled by one King.
The condition of Israel in Ezekiel's time is being repeated today. In many families, hatred and grudges reign. In the nation and civil society, we see all manner of division taking the places of obedience and patriotism. Unfortunately, the body of Christ is not saved from this menace, to the point that in a local assembly, division exists in the little units like choir, ushers, even among ministers of God. Apostle Paul discourages it, saying that such should not be named among the body of Christ.
Dear servant of God, you know where the hands of the enemy are at work where you are. Be the Ezekiel that God is sending to make peace and unite the divided house today.
MEMORY VERSE:
"That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. John 17:21
HYMN: MHB 701(7.6.7.6.D) THE Church's one foundation
1. THE Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She Is His new creation
By water and the word;
Prom heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
2. Elect from every nation,
Yet one o'er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth,
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued.
3. Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed;
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up :How long?
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.
4. Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace for evermore,
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
5. Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee.
Amen.
PRAYER
Faithful God, in Your power, remove every barrier that has put the church asunder. Unite her in body and spirit for the purpose it was created, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
READ.
DAY: Zechariah 1-4
NIGHT: Zechariah 5-7
