OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: FRIDAY 17TH DECEMBER 2021.
THEME: THE HABITATION OF THE LORD.
MEMORISE:
If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
Job 8:6
READ: Psalm 97:10-11.
10 Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
MESSAGE:
God is Holy, His habitation is holy, and He is to be worshipped in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 96:9). The habitation of the Lord is the place where God blesses His people with diverse kinds of blessings- spiritual, physical and material. However, only the pure and upright can be inhabited by God, only people in whom the Lord dwells can enjoy the blessings of God’s presence that guarantees security, according to Psalm 91:1 which says:
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
If you live holy, you live holy for yourself because the Lord watches over the righteous, according to Psalm 5:12. Also, there is promotion for those who abide in the habitation of the Lord, according to Hebrews 1:9 which says:
“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”
The price of righteous living is what those who want to abide in the habitation of the Lord must pay. Today’s text emphasizes the necessity of righteousness if we would access protection.
Nobody is careless about his or her precious possession. Anyone who chooses to live a consecrated life will enjoy divine protection. Such people are precious stones in the sight of the Lord. The Lord watches over His heritage. This is why the Scripture says:
“For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.” Psalm 125:3
God has promised to inhabit the praises of Israel- His people (Psalm 22:3). The question however is “Are you one of God’s people?” You can only be one of His people if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and are living a righteous life. It is the best decision anyone can ever make.
God keeps the righteous under His protection and ensures that evil does not befall them. My prayer is that the Almighty God will inhabit your praises, and he will fill your life with blessings far beyond all expectations, in Jesus’ name.
KEY POINT:
Commit to living in holiness and the Almighty God will make you His habitation now and always.
Click here for TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS PRAYER POINTS.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 7-11.
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 20: PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.
Praise to the Lord, who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.
Praise to the Lord, who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light, chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.
Praise to the Lord, oh, let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him;
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.