OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: SATURDAY JUNE 29TH 2024

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TOPIC: WHO DO PEOPLE SAY YOU ARE? MEMORISE : “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” - (Matthew 16:13) READ: Matthew 16:13-16 13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. MESSAGE : Today’s topic is a question you must be conscious of. In today’s Bible reading, Jesus asked His disciples whom people said that He was. He wasn’t confused about His identity; He knew who He was, but He was concerned about how people perceived Him. You must be conscious of how people perceive you too. People will only relate with you based on what they think about you and not what you th
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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. TIME FOR EVERYTHING: THURSDAY 29TH MARCH 2018

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MEMORISE:
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:6

READ: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

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.

MESSAGE
Our loving Father commanded His prophets and apostles of old to record the words of the Bible so that through these sacred writings, we may live profitable lives to Him, ourselves and to all of humanity in general. The wisdom of God manifested in these writings can make us wise, if we apply our hearts to His teachings. This wisdom speaks to us Ecclesiastes 3:1 saying,

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

When a man knows the appropriate time to act and not to act, he is considered wise. It is profitable for the children of God to be observant of times and seasons so that they are not found to be labouring against the divine timetable. Our memory verse speaks of the time of sowing, which is often not as pleasant as the time of reaping, even though there is an assurance for the sower that in the time of harvest there shall be rejoicing. In other words, the Bible teaches us to endure in the time of sowing so that there could be a time of harvest. Consequently, if there is no sowing, there will be no reaping. It takes the grace and wisdom of God for us to know the correct time of sowing and the correct time of reaping. It is calamitous for man to be sleeping when he should be reaping, because his harvest would have been wasted before he wakes up from his slumber. On the other hand, if by the time you ought to be sowing you are sleeping, at the time of harvest you would have nothing to reap.

Timing is so important that there is even a time to speak and a time to be silent. There is a thought provoking message that sounds paradoxical but is perfect in wisdom, found in Proverbs 26:4-5:

“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.”

In other words, although not speaking out during an argument is wise and virtuous, it becomes a vice when there is a need to speak out and you keep your mouth shut. At such times, silence insinuates consent or denial of the truth. Our Lord Jesus Christ kept mute in the face of malicious and unfounded allegations against Him until He was asked if He was the King of the Jews and if He was the Christ (Matthew 27:11, Luke 22:67-70). To these questions, He answered in the affirmative. He could not have denied who He was because that would have contradicted or negated the Scripture. As a born-again Christian, do you deny or refuse to affirm who you are in front of friends and colleagues? Ask God for forgiveness and begin to take a stand for your faith.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me wisdom that will make me accurately discern the right time and season for all things.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 23-24, Ephesians 6.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 15: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE

1. Nearer, my God to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
E'en though it be a cross
That raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be.
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

2. Though like the wanderer,
The sun gone down.
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone.
Yet in my dreams I'd be
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

3. There let the way appear
Steps unto heaven;
All that Thou send'st to me
In mercy given:
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

4. Then, with my waking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I'll raise
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

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