OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2026
TOPIC: TRUE HOLINESS IS OBEDIENCE
MEMORISE
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. - (1 Peter 1:15-16)
READ: 1 Kings 17:1-10 (KJV)
1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
2 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
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.
MESSAGE
Holiness, as far as I am concerned, is complete and prompt obedience. I learnt this from my study of Elijah's life. Whenever God instructed him to do anything, his response was always, "Yes, Lord." God told him to hide by a brook, and his response was, "Yes, Lord." (1 Kings 17:3-5). When God told him to go and live with a widow, he obeyed (1 Kings 17:9-10). Even when God instructed him to go and show himself to King Ahab, he did as the Lord asked, even though the king wanted to kill him (1 Kings 18:1-2).
When you begin to live in complete and prompt obedience to the Lord, you will not have the time to do the things He hates. Elijah was so sold out to the Lord that he did everything that God instructed him to do. No wonder, as soon as he finished praying in (1 Kings 18:36-38), fire fell from heaven and consumed the sacrifice he had prepared. When you are willing to obey God completely and are prompt in doing His will, He will be willing and prompt to answer your prayers.
Some years ago, four other people and I started a Bible study fellowship at the University of Ibadan (UI). The Bible study was held in the home of Professor Aboaba. The fellowship grew, and more professors joined us. At a point, the sitting room could no longer contain us, so we moved to the backyard. One day, as we were settling in for Bible study, it started raining, and the professors prepared to leave to avoid getting drenched. In response, I lifted my hands and said, "Rain, you can't fall now." That day, it rained everywhere in UI, except in the compound of Professor Aboaba.
People often try to put the cart before the horse in their walk with the Lord. They want God to do all their bidding without bothering to do the things He wants; however, it doesn't work that way. When you obey God's instructions to abstain from the things He hates and keep yourself unspotted from the world, He will do whatever you want, even before you ask Him. This is because a person living a holy life will desire only what God loves, and this makes it easy for God to do whatever such a person requests. Beloved, delight yourself in living in complete obedience to the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
REFLECTION
Are you truly living a holy life? Do you do the things God loves and obey Him promptly?
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Mark 12 - 13
HYMN 30 - WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD
1. 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.
CHORUS
Trust and obey!
For there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.
2. Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it
away; Not a doubt nor a fear,
Not a sigh nor a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey.
3. Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share
But our toil He doth richly
repay; . Not a grief nor a loss,
Not a frown nor a cross, But is blest if we trust and obey.
4. But we never can prove the delights of His love, until all on the altar we lay, For the favour He shows And the joy He bestows Are for them who will trust and obey.
5. 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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