OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: TUESDAY, AUGUST 04, 2026

Image
TOPIC: HE WHO THINKS HE STANDS II MEMORISE : Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 READ : Matthew 7:21-23 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. MESSAGE It is one thing to stand for Jesus, and it is another to keep standing for Him until the end. To stand in Christ until the end requires God’s help (Jude 1:24), and you must consistently enquire from Him to know how you are standing. 2 Corinthians 10:18 says: For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the lord commendeth. Many people comme...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. THE TURNING POINT lll. Tuesday 19th May 2015

Memorise:
And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? Genesis 25:32

Read: Genesis 25:29-34

29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

Message
While the decisions made at crossroads resulted in a great future for Moses, Elisha, Daniel, Peter, Paul and Ruth, the decision of Esau at such a moment blighted his future.

Esau found himself at a crossroads when his brother, Jacob, offered him food (a present need) in exchange for his birthright (a future asset). He experienced a negative turning point when he chose to sell his birthright. He filled his stomach with bread and pottage of lentils, gulped some drinks, rose up and went his way, but he forever lived to regret it.

The Bible in Hebrews 12:16-17 says:
“Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel for meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”

Another figure who took a decision that led to a negative turning point was Reuben, the first son of Jacob. He defiled the bed of his father by sleeping with his father’s concubine. When Reuben was taking this decision to humiliate his father, little did he know that he was destroying his own future. Our Father in heaven deserves our honour and not humiliation.

We humiliate our Heavenly Father when we offer Him worship that is polluted with sinful habits (Malachi 1:6-7). As Priest of God (Revelation 1:6), when we lift up unholy hands in worship of God, we are offering polluted “bread” on His altar. This is the reason why the Bible in Romans 12:1 says:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

The most fearful thing in the story of Reuben is that after he did the abominable act, he did not realise that his father knew about it, because his father never even mentioned it (Genesis 35:22). However, on the day of reckoning, his father placed a curse on him (Genesis 49:3-4).

I will therefore encourage you to pray that the Lord will, through the blood of Jesus Christ, undo whatever you have done wrong in the past that is troubling you now even as a Christian.

Prayer Point :
Father, please undo whatever I have done in the time of ignorance that has placed a curse on me.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 2 SAMUEL 3-4 and MARK 11:1-19

AUTHOR : Pastor E.A. ADEBOYE

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: WEDNESDAY AUGUST 6TH 2025

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: THURSDAY MAY 9TH 2024

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: SUNDAY, 22ND JUNE, 2025