OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SUNDAY MAY 19TH, 2024.
THEME: BE A DOER
MEMORISE:
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
James 1:22
READ: Matthew 7:24-27
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
MESSAGE
James 1:22-25 tells us that we must not be hearers only, but doers of the word of God. It says that people who are not doers of the word are deceiving themselves and are qualified to be called fools. According to our Bible reading for today, a fool is someone who hears the word and will not act on it. Such a person is like someone who is building a house on sand. Some of the people God called fools according to Psalm 14:1, are those who say that there is no God.
If I were to ask many Christians if they believe there is God, they are likely to say 'Sure'. The question is, why then are they careless with His words? Those He calls fools are those who do not take His words seriously. Those who don't obey the word of God do not have the fear of God. Proverbs 1:7 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. If we all fear the Almighty God, we will not disobey His words. Those who disobey God are fools.
For some people, their ideology is, "l obey when I want, the way I want, and only the part of the word that is convenient for me." Such people have lost the fear of God. In Matthew 21:28-32, Jesus told the story of a father who said to his son, "Go and work on my farm. The son replied, "l am not going." He later repented and went. How can your father give you an instruction, and you tell him to his face, "I am not going?" If you were raised the way I was, some lashes will definitely follow such effrontery. As for the second son, the father also gave him an instruction, and he said he will obey but he did not obey. Proverbs 25:19 says that such a son is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint; Someone who lets you down at a critical moment. However, there was a third son that you may not easily notice in that passage; He was the one telling the story. Jesus Christ Himself was the Son who said, "I will go," and went (Isaiah 6:8). In Matthew 26:39, this sane Son said, ...not as I will, but as thou wilt"
Let your disposition to God's word always be, "Not as I will, but as thou wilt" My prayer is that you will always do the will of God, just like Jesus Christ.
KEY POINT
Obey the word of God promptly and completely at all times, whether it is convenient or not.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezra 8-10
AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD
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.
Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
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 blessed if we trust and obey.
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.
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.
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