OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SATURDAY JULY 25TH 2026
TOPIC: PUT JESUS FIRST
MEMORIZE:
"I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."
Psalm 16:8 (KJV)
BIBLE READING: 1 KINGS 17:8-16
8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.
MESSAGE:
One of the ways that believers can preserve and maintain their position as children of God is by putting Him first in everything. In Genesis 22:1-18, God tested Abraham to find out who was more important in his life: God's gift to him (Isaac) or the Giver of the gift (God). He asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, and he passed the test. Abraham put God first and chose to obey Him. He knew that the God who quickened his dead body to bear a son could also raise his son from death (Hebrews 11:17-19). When he passed the test, the Almighty God made a promise to multiply him exceedingly, and today, Abraham's seed can be found everywhere. When you put God first, He will single you out for mighty miracles.
In today's Bible reading, a man of God met a widow and asked her for food. The widow responded that all she had was just enough for her and her son to make one last meal before they die. However, she eventually gave up the meal to feed the prophet, and for the rest of the famine, she and her son didn't suffer hunger. In Luke 4:25-26, the Bible tells us that there were many widows in the land of Israel whom Elijah could have been sent to at that time. However, I believe that God singled her out for an unending supply because He knew that she would put Him first.
One way to put God first in your life is to give Him your firstfruits. I find it surprising when some people struggle to offer their firstfruits to God. In Proverbs 3:9-10, God says that when you honour Him with your firstfruits, your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. You cannot put God first in your finances and experience scarcity or lack. Just do as God has said and leave the rest to Him.
Another way to put God first is to make His priorities your priority. One of the most important things to God is the salvation of souls. In Luke 19:10, Jesus said that He came to seek and save the lost. Winning souls and making disciples are important to God; therefore, they should be important to you also. Beloved, tell others about Jesus today, and become actively involved in their spiritual growth. Go the extra mile to ensure that someone else follows Jesus, and the Almighty God will single you out for His marvellous miracles.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to put You first in every area of my life, in Jesus' name.
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 38 - 40
HYMN 21 - MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS
1. My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and
righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus name.
CHORUS:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I
stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.
2. When darkness seems to veil His face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
3. His oath, His covenant, and blood, Support me in the whelming Hood; When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.
4. When He shall come with
trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found; Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne.
No comments:
Post a Comment