OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH 2024

TOPIC: TRUE PROPHECIES

MEMORISE:
“Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!” - (Ezekiel 13:3)

READ: EZEKIEL 13:1-6 (KJV)

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;

3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.

5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.

6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.

MESSAGE:

True prophecies come from the mind of God. A prophet hears from God and relays the message to the people. Whenever a prophecy is given based on feelings, that prophecy is false, and the Bible describes people who do this as fools (Ezekiel 13:3). A true prophecy is an echo of what God has said.

When I was younger in ministry, I recall prophesying that a particular airline will never suffer loss because I was excited over their services to the church. I prophesied based on my feelings without hearing what God had to say. Not long after, the airline suffered a plane crash. I should have just prayed for them and blessed them for their benevolence, rather than giving a prophecy in my excitement. I learnt my lesson from that - if God has not spoken, I do not prophesy.

Beloved, don’t be too much in a hurry to say ‘God said’ when God didn’t say anything. Don’t allow pride to push you to prophesy; prophesy only according to the will of God. Push pride aside so that you can hear God clearly. Long before the Nigerian elections in 2023, people were agitated as to who will become the next president. They put pressure on me to tell them what the outcome of the elections will be. Even with all that pressure, I made sure not to say anything I had not heard God say because I knew that it would be a lie. I told them a few weeks before the election, “God has still not spoken. Until God speaks, I won’t say anything.” You must become comfortable with keeping quiet when God is quiet. If you are truly His mouthpiece, when His mouth is shut, yours will be also.

Prophecy must also be in line with the word of God. If a prophecy does not echo the word of God in the Scriptures, it is false. A man came to me and said, “I heard that you are a prophet, and anything you say comes to pass. Can you tell me my future?” I responded, “That is easy. Are you born again?” He said, “No”. “Then, your future will be terrible,” I responded. He asked, “How do you know? You’ve not even asked for my name.” I told him, “Isaiah 3:11 says, ‘Woe unto the wicked. ’” Anyone who has not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour is condemned already (John 3:17-18).

A true prophecy comes from God and always aligns with His word in the Scriptures.

KEY POINT:
Any prophecy that does not echo God's word is fake. Let it not come out of your mouth.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: AMOS 5-9

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 28 - GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH

1 Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.

2 Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.

3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell's Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.

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3. Refer Friends: Invite 5 new users to Itakun who complete steps 1 and 2. - https://itakun.net/settings/invitations
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4. Register on Kaichain: Use the Itakun referral link to sign up - https://kaichainmarketingpro.online/members/refferal_link.php?user_id=itakun

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY SEPTEMBER 16TH 2024

TOPIC: DON'T TRY TO OUTRUN GOD

MEMORISE:
“A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.” - (Proverbs 28:20)

READ: ECCLESIASTES 3:1-11 (KJV)

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

MESSAGE:
God makes everything beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The pursuit of the vanities of this world has robbed many people of far greater and better blessings from God. It is not bad to want to achieve something great or pursue a good cause, but if you try to outrun God, you may never achieve that goal, and worse still, you may pay for it with something very precious to you. God knows your desires; in fact, it is likely that He is the one who put them there. He knows the best times and the best ways for those desires to be accomplished, so, don’t try to act smarter than the One who made your brain.

Years ago, I was duped by a man who promised to make me a commandant of a paramilitary group. This man had been sending messages to me through my secretary for a while, and so, one day, I gave him audience. He explained to me how a Boy-Scouts-like group had evolved into this new agency, and that he was sourcing for who would lead the group spiritually. Normally, I ask God before getting involved in anything at all, but this time, my love for the military in my younger days beclouded my best instincts, and I agreed to be their head. He told me that they needed some funding, which I gave as the prospective head. However, I later found out that the man was a fake. My desire to be part of a paramilitary group made me run ahead of God, but God had already purposed for Redemption City to have its own corps of chaplains as well as a local Police post. He knew the desire of my heart, and He had planned for it to be fulfilled in His own time. I thought that I could bring my desire to fulfilment at my own time, but I was wrong. What I lost in that experience was money, but for someone else, it might have been their life or a loved one.

The Bible makes it clear that God delights in our well-being and prosperity (Psalm 35:27), (3 John 1:2). Therefore, it is not wrong to desire wealth. He will definitely make you prosper, but in His own time. Beloved, follow God’s timing; don’t try to outrun Him.

KEY POINT:
Don't try to outrun God so that you will not lose far more than what you set out to gain.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOEL 1-3

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 21 - STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST MY KING

1 Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

2 Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

3 Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God

The Haastrup Story

Oba Fredrick Kumokun Adedeji Haastrup, Ajimoko 1, was the 34th Oba of Ijesha land. He was from the Bilaro royal families of Ilesha.

History has it that he was captured by the Ilorins at the age of 14 c.1820s-30s and was sold into Slavery, He was transferred from one slave market to another, finally reaching the coast where he was put on a slave ship chained to other slaves, fortunately, the ship was intercepted by the British Man O' war marines who diverted the slave ship to Sierra Leone.

In Sierra Leone, the young Kumokun met a CMS missionary by name Niels Christian Haastrup, who took a liking in him, Kumokun became his ward and was later Baptized taking the name Fredrick Haastrup. After nearly three decades, he returned home first arriving in Lagos and later in Ijeṣaland to re-establish contact with his Ijeṣa royalty.

In Lagos, he acquired large tracts of property which became known as Igbó Obį Haastrup, contracted to the present day Igbobį, at Ibeju Lekki where he cultivated Kola-nuts on a commercial scale. His business interests meant he often took ship up and down the waterways trading in dry fish and other commodities. On one of these journeys, he was instrumental in steering the vessel to safety. He described himself as steering the ship in the manner of a caucasian: Ajimọkọ bi oyinbo.

He became popular in Ijéṣaland during the Kiriji wars when he was a member of the Ekiti parapo solidarity group in Lagos. The organization supplied arms to Ijeṣa warriors who were at war with Ibadan. He was later pivotal in advising the Owá (King) during peace negotiations with the British and Ibadan that brokered the end of hostilities.

In April 1896, when he was well into his seventies, Frederick Kúmókụn Haastrup became the Owá Obokun of Ijeṣaland and took the title Ajimọkọ I (derived from his nickname: 'Ajimọkọ bi Oyinbo'), though he was the first Christian Ọba of Yoruba land. He died on September 1, 1901.

#haastrup #ijesha #owa #owaobokun #ajimoko @highlight

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 13TH 2024

TOPIC: GOD'S COMMANDMENTS

MEMORISE:
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” - (1 John 5:3)

READ: LUKE 11:27-28 (KJV)

27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

MESSAGE:
When God gives a commandment, many people think that it is for His own good, whereas every commandment that He gives is for our good. When you disobey God, you are actually hurting yourself; He remains God whether you obey Him or not. Those who choose to disobey God are the ones that are actually losing, not God.

When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son to Him, it was not because He wanted to eat the boy for breakfast; it was because He wanted Abraham's obedience to open the door to irreversible blessings for him and his seed. If Abraham had disobeyed, he would have missed out on such a great blessing. When Elisha told Naaman to go and wash in the river Jordan, it was not because he wanted to humiliate him, it was because he wanted him to be healed of leprosy. Naaman almost missed his healing because of his pride. If he had not gone to wash, Elisha would not have lost anything, but Naaman would have died a leper. When God gives you an instruction, no matter how difficult it seems, you stand to gain a lot more from obeying it.

God gave man a special gift, and that is free will. This free will is one of the things that makes us more special than all His other creations. You can decide to obey or disobey Him if you want. However, to justify any blessing that He wants to give to you, He wants you to obey Him out of your free will. If you disobey His instruction, you are using your free will against Him, and that will disqualify you from receiving the blessings that are attached to the instruction. When God sent Elijah to the widow of Zarephath for food, he told the woman to give him her last meal. It was not Elijah who needed a miracle; God had already been feeding him supernaturally up until that time. God wanted to test the widow to see if she would use her free will for herself or Him. She passed the test, and in return, she had more than enough food to last her through the famine. Also, when her son died in (1 Kings 17:17-22), because she had obeyed God, Elijah was there to bring him back to life.

Beloved, obeying God is always for your good.

KEY POINT:
Never miss an opportunity to show God that your free will is for Him.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hosea 1-4

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 30 - WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD

1 When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]

3 But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

4 Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we'll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain

*📖📖OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE*

*DATE: THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 12TH 2024*

*THEME: THE POWER OF SERVICE*

MEMORISE:
“He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.” - (Matthew 10:41)

READ: 2 KINGS 4:8-17 (KJV)

8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.

9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.

10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.

12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.

13 And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.

14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.

15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.

16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.

17 And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

MESSAGE:
Today’s teaching may be controversial to some people, but I will share the complete truth anyway.

When there is an opportunity to serve God through a prophet that you are sure is sent by Him, no matter how small the service may be, don’t let the opportunity pass you by. When you serve or give to a prophet, because of God’s anointing on his or her life, you will receive a blessing from God.

I went to a foreign country for a programme, and throughout my stay, a very rich man drove me around.

When he dropped me off at the airport, I wanted to show my appreciation, but since he was richer than me, I put some money in an envelope and said, “Please give it to your children on my behalf.” He collected the money and said, “Amen” several times. I became embarrassed, and I turned to the other pastor who came with us. The pastor said, “He has been waiting on God for the fruit of the womb.”

On hearing that, I said, “Glory be to God, I don’t have money, but I am connected to the Most High God.” The following year, when I arrived in that country for another edition of the same programme, the man came to drive me again.

This time, he had a gift with him and said that it was from his son. You might have prayed for certain things and not received them yet, but offering your service to God through a prophet could bring them to you immediately.

When you check through the Scriptures, you will see that those who served prophets genuinely got great rewards for their service. Samuel became a kingmaker and king-remover because he served Eli. Elisha got a double portion of the anointing because he served Elijah diligently.

The Shunammite woman got a child even when she had lost hope because she served Elisha. Whenever you get a chance to serve God through one of His ministers, make the most of the opportunity.

Ministers of God, however, should not take anyone’s willingness to serve God through them for granted. God shows appreciation to those that serve Him, and His ministers ought to do the same.

However, if you are serving God through one of His ministers and it seems like you are not being appreciated, as long as you are sure that he or she is a genuine minister of God, you will surely receive the rewards of your service from God.

KEY POINT:
God never ignores a genuine heart of service to His representatives on earth.

*📖📖OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE*


*DATE: TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 10TH 2024*


*THEME: REJECTING NEGATIVE PROPHECIES II*

MEMORISE:
“Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.” - (2 Kings 20:5)

READ: JOSHUA 6:26, 2 KINGS 2:20-21 (KJV)

JOSHUA 6:26 (KJV)

And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.

2 KINGS 2:20-21 (KJV)

20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.

21 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.

MESSAGE:

Yesterday, I talked about rejecting negative prophecies from false prophets.

However, sometimes, a real prophet can prophesy something that you are not comfortable with. God sometimes tells us things just for our information; at other times, it is so that we can do something about them. How then do you reverse negative prophecies if you receive them?

Like Hezekiah in (2 Kings 20:1-11), the first thing you can do is to cry to God to reverse the prophecy. If He listens, He will send the same prophet back to you with a new prophecy.

Secondly, you can get a prophet with a higher anointing to cancel the negative prophecy. This is what the people of Jericho did in today’s Bible reading. Joshua had placed a curse on the land, but Elisha was able to cancel the decree that Joshua made because he had a double portion of the anointing.

Years ago, a man told me that he met a prophet when he was 44 years old who told him all that would happen to him for the next 40 years and that he would die at 84. He said that everything the prophet told him had come to pass, and it was now two weeks to his 84th birthday. I asked if he wanted to serve God, and he said, “Yes,” so I told him that he will live. He insisted that everything the prophet told him had come to pass, but as a higher prophet, I replied that as long as he was willing to serve God, he would live until he was ready to die. A few weeks before his 100th birthday, he sent for me and said that he was ready to go; he died a few days before turning 100.

Sometimes, negative prophecies can come to you directly from God, either in a dream, trance, or even in an audible voice. In such instances, you can meet a prophet who is closer to God than you and ask him to help you plead with God to change it.

Years ago, a wealthy man, who had just given his life to Christ and had been of tremendous help to me in fulfilling God’s work, had a dream where God told him to put his house in order because it was time for him to be called home. He came to me, and I said, “No!” I told him, “Don’t worry, I will discuss it with my Daddy.” I told God, “Lord, I still need this man here, please don’t take him yet.” God answered me, and the man lived.

KEY POINT:
Negative prophecies, even when genuine, can be reversed.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DANIEL 4-5


AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE


HYMNAL: 8 - I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

1 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
Refrain:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Ev'ry hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

2 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
Stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r
When Thou art nigh.

[Refrain]

3 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

[Refrain]

4 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill.

[Refrain]

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY SEPTEMBER 9TH 2024

TOPIC: REJECTING NEGATIVE PROPHECIES 1

MEMORISE:
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” - (1 John 4:1)

READ: EZEKIEL 13:1-9 (KJV)

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;

3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.

5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.

6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.

7 Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken?

8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD.

9 And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

MESSAGE:
There are all kinds of ‘prophets’ these days. While there are genuine ones, many are false and give false prophesies that are sponsored by the devil. When a negative prophecy is from a prophet who genuinely hears from God, the fellow involved can cry to God like Hezekiah did in (2 Kings 20:1-11), and God can decide to change it. Tomorrow, I will discuss more about what you can do concerning negative prophecies but the discussion today will be centred on false prophecies.

We don’t have many accounts of false prophets in the Bible because God said in Ezekiel 13:9 that they will not be in the assembly of Israel or written about in the books of Israel. These days, false prophets try to plant fear in people with their prophecies. If these people allow fear to take root in their hearts, they have given those prophecies the power and permission they need to be accomplished. This is because what a person fears is likely to come upon him or her (Job 3:25-26). As a Christian, when such prophecies come your way, don’t allow fear into your heart; God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Rather than being afraid, meditate on the word of God that negates the false prophecy and pray to God about it. Many false prophets have told me, “Thus saith the Lord.” However, God would always tell me, “Don’t mind that fellow; that message is not from Me.”

Not long after the great Archbishop Benson Idahosa went to be with the Lord, some investors opened a bank and invited me to pray before they commenced operations. After praying, they asked me to open an account with them so that I will be their first customer. I told them that I didn’t have money to open the account, so they opened it for me with 50,000 naira of their money. Shortly after that, some newspapers reported that I had started a bank with 50,000,000 naira; the news was everywhere. We had a meeting of Pentecostal pastors in Nigeria just after that, and one ‘prophet’, misled by the newspaper reports, prophesied that I would soon be called home just like the archbishop. Others at the meeting urged me to react, but I stayed quiet because I know what the word of God says about my life. The man who made that prophecy is no more today, and I am still here by God’s grace.

KEY POINT:
Fear will give room for false prophecies to be fulfilled. Believe only in God's word concerning you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DANIEL 1-3

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 21 - STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST MY KING

1 Standing on the promises of Christ, my King,
Through eternal ages let his praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.

2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

3 Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord,
Bound to him eternally by love's strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List'ning ev'ry moment to the Spirit's call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8TH 2024

TOPIC: MARRIAGE - A BLESSING OR A CURSE?

MEMORISE:
“And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” - (Genesis 2:18)

READ: ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12 (KJV)

9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

MESSAGE:
Today, divorce rates are as high as 50% in some countries, and some people believe that they are better off not being married. This brings up the question, is marriage a blessing or a curse?

Some people argue that marriage is a curse because if Eve was not created, and marriage was not instituted in the first place, there would be no sin in the world. Adam also seemed to believe this theory because he blamed God for giving him Eve when he was asked why he ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:12). However, we must remember that Adam was alone, and God created Eve for his good. Everything was going well until sin came in. So, Eve was not the problem, the problem was sin.

Marriage can either be a blessing or a curse, depending on what either of the couple allows into their union. If marriage is done in line with God’s word, it will be a blessing. However, if either of the couple goes outside the will of God and lets sin in, there will be trouble. Today makes it 57 years since I have been married, and I can tell you without a doubt that my marriage became a blessing when my wife and I gave our lives to Christ and started living according to His will. Before then, we would have disagreements that would last for weeks, but these stopped when we surrendered to Christ.

I recall the story of a couple who fought every single night. One day, someone invited them to a RCCG parish in their city, and when an altar call was made, they gave their lives to Christ. Over the next three weeks, their neighbours didn’t hear them fighting. Curious, the neighbours asked the couple why they had not been fighting. They replied that they had brought Christ into their marriage, and He was the reason they stopped fighting. If your marriage is to be a blessing, you and your spouse must truly be born again, living according to God’s word. You and your spouse should study the Bible, pray, and evangelise together. You should both be on fire for God. When you do these regularly, you will discover how beautiful marriage is. I am enjoying my marriage, and I pray that you will enjoy yours too, in Jesus’ name.

ACTION POINT:
If you are married, ensure that you surrender your marriage completely to God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: OBADAIH 1

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 16 - 'TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS

1 ’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word;
Just to rest upon His promise;
Just to know, Thus saith the Lord.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er,
Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more.

2 O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
Just in simple faith to plunge me,
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood.

3 Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life, and rest, and joy, and peace.

4 I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end