OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: MONDAY 19th APRIL 2021.
THEME: THE CHILDREN’S MEAT.
MEMORISE:
But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. Matthew 15:26
READ: Matthew 15:21-28
21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
MESSAGE:
Revelation 22:15 says:
“For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”
Miracles are the meat for the children of God and not for dogs. According to the Scripture above, sinners are dogs. Now the question is, “are you a child or dog?”
It is unfortunate that many people remain in the position of a dog when they can have so much more as children. One woman had kept another woman's husband un an illicit marriage. Unfortunately for her, she Still did not have any child. She had been going to different church programmes until one of my children-in-the-Lord told her to stop wasting her time because God would not answer the prayer of a sinner. He advised her to return the man she "stole" to his wife and then trust God for her own husband. That marked the beginning of a new life for her as a child of God.
Who is a dog from the point of view of the Bible? From Psalm 22:16, we can see that the wicked are dogs. Isaiah 56:10-11 described dogs as greedy. Paul the Apostle, in Philippians 3:2, also likened evil workers to dogs. In light of these, we can say that sinners who refuse to repent can also be likened to dogs.
On the other hand, those who are forgiven of the Lord are His children, according to Psalm 32:1. They are therefore the only ones who can access miracles. Psalm 23:1-3 gives insight into what qual1fies a person for miracles: you must first be a sheep of the Good Shepherd. Unless a sinner repents and believes in the saving name of Jesus, he or she will remain a dog. John 1:12 says:
" But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"
Get ready for a big miracle this season if you are truly one of God's children. If you are not, give up your pride, give up your self-righteousness and repent so you can be adopted by Jesus. Miracles are meant for children and not dogs. Submit to the Lord today and you too would have your testimonies.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, I need a miracle urgently. Adopt me into Your family today through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 1-4.
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 16: O GOD OUR HELP IN AGES PAST.
1. O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
2. Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
3. Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.
4. Thy Word commands our flesh to dust,
“Return, ye sons of men”:
All nations rose from earth at first,
And turn to earth again.
5. A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
6. The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in foll’wing years.
7. Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the op’ning day.
8. Like flow’ry fields the nations stand
Pleased with the morning light;
The flow’rs beneath the mower’s hand
Lie with’ring ere ’tis night.
9. O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.