OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: TUESDAY 1ST MARCH 2022
TOPIC: WHO SAID WHAT? V
MEMORISE:
Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper."
2 Chronicles 20:20
READ: 2 Kings 7:1-20
1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.
6 For the LORD had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.
8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.
9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.
10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.
11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.
12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.
13 And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.
14 They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.
15 And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.
16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.
17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.
18 And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:
19 And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
20 And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.
MESSAGE
The place of the Bible as the unchangeable and living word of God should be firmly established in our hearts. Apart from the fact that the word is Holy Ghost inspired, it is also prophetic. That is why Mark 13:31 says,
“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away", which is also echoed in Luke 16:17 that says,
“And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one little of the law to fail”
Therefore, the word of God according to the Bible is empowered to work for whosoever believes and acts on it for salvation, healing, deliverance, prosperity, and so on.
Having faith in God and the power of His word is vital to successful Christian living. Faith in God is the sure way to be established and experience all round success in life. Belief in God's prophets is a sure means to growth and prosperity.
Anyone who fails to believe in God may have great parents, be filled with great talents and endowments, have great abilities and strength, be well connected, and even reach celebrity status, yet such a person will not be established or end his or her sojourn on this earth well. Isaiah 7:9 says,
“...if ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established”.
This brings us to the memory verse today which shows that our belief in God and His genuine prophets will ensure that we succeed in life. Just like that lord in our Bible reading for today, he disbelieved the word of the prophet and it cost him his life while others enjoyed the abundance prophesied.
We have numerous examples of how the lives of individuals and even a whole nation were turned around for the better through the intervention of a prophet. Great personalities in the Bible like David, Saul, Rebecca, Jehoshaphat, the widow of Zarephath, Nebuchadnezzar, and others, benefited greatly from the services of prophets, therefore it is necessary to identify genuine prophets of God in order not to trivialize prophetic ministrations to our own disadvantage.
We must also avoid falling into the trap of false prophets. The fact is that if God said it, that settles it.
By the grace of God, I know from personal experience that the word from the mouth of a genuine prophet of God is one of the most potent weapons on earth. I therefore prophesy to you today that it is well with you, your family your business and ministry, in Jesus’ name.
KEY POINT:
Having faith in God and the power of His word is vital to successful Christian living.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Deuteronomy 17-19
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 24: THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR
1. Through the love of God our Saviour,
All will be well;
Free and changeless is His favour,
All, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us;
Perfect is the grace that sealed us:
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
All must be well.
2. Though we pass through tribulation,
All will be well;
Ours is such a full salvation ,
All ,all is well:
Happy still in God confiding;
Fruitful if in Christ abiding;
Holy through the Spirit's guiding;
All must be well.
3. We expect a bright tomorrow; All will be well;
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
All, all is well:
On our Father's love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
Or in living or in dying ,
All must be well.
