Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

DATE: WEDNESDAY MAY 31ST, 2023.

THEME: LIFE: SEASON  4

MEMORISE: 

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

Ephesians 2:10 

READ: Joshua 13:1 -6

1 Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

2 This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,

3 From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:

4 From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:

5 And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath.

6 All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.

MESSAGE

Today we will discuss the fourth season of life. This is a period when you are primarily focused on fulfilling your purpose in life. At this stage, you suddenly realise that you do not have much time left and if you are not careful, you may not fulfil your purpose in life.

Being in this season of life is however, not a function of age. At whatever age you suddenly realise you need to wake up to the need to fulfil your purpose in life and that is all that matters to you, you have entered into the forth season of life. In this season, you are not concerned so much about how much you have done; rather, your major concern is if you have done what you were created to do.

In Joshua 12, you can see Joshua boasting about the Kings he defeated, but when we get to Joshua 13:1 we see how far he had actually gone in the fulfillment of his destiny.

Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

                                                                           Joshua 13:1

Joshua appeared to have achieved a lot, but he was still very far from reaching his goal in life.. There is a big difference between what you achieve and whether you fulfil your destiny. Unfortunately, many people go to the wrong direction all their lives only to discover at the end that they were on the wrong path. This is a big disaster.

Apostle Paul was one man who was determined to fulfil his purpose. He said in Acts 20:24:

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Thus when he was about to leave the earth, he left a fulfilled man and said in 2 Timothy 4:7:

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

Are you working towards fulfilling destiny?

REFLECTION 

Are you where God expects you to be at this stage of your life?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 17-20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HYMN12: MY FAITH LOOKS TO THEE

 1 My faith looks up to thee,

thou Lamb of Calvary,

Savior divine.

Now hear me while I pray;

take all my guilt away;

O let me from this day

be wholly thine!

2 May thy rich grace impart

strength to my fainting heart;

my zeal inspire!

As thou hast died for me,

oh, may my love to thee

pure, warm, and changeless be,

a living fire!

3 While life's dark maze I tread,

and griefs around me spread,

be thou my guide.

Bid darkness turn to day,

wipe sorrow's tears away,

nor let me ever stray

from thee aside.

4 When ends life's transient dream,

when death's cold, sullen stream

shall o'er me roll,

blest Savior, then, in love,

fear and distrust remove;

O bear me safe above,

a ransomed soul!