Topic: Working Something Out — Friday 22, December 2017.

Memorise: For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. – Philippians 2:13

Read: Genesis 50:15-21 (KJV)

15 And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

Bible in One Year: Proverbs 3-16, Zachariah 10, Hymn: Sing Hymn 4: Through The Love Of God Our Saviour

MESSAGE:

Not every seemingly negative situation is as bad as it looks or sounds. In fact, for those called according to God’s purpose, who love God and are in His will, every event works to deliver something good to them (Romans 8:28). This is why we are told that we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). If you view every incident with your limited understanding, you will be deceived. God can bring out something good from the evil works of your enemies, and in the end, they will end up being fooled, deceived or misguided. If you walk with the Holy Spirit and allow Him shed His light on events happening around you, you will see what He is working out for you, and you will react differently to seemingly unpleasant things. Instead of sorrowing or being aggrieved, you would be rejoicing and celebrating. Why? It is because you have begun to see as the Holy Spirit sees.

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” – Philippians 2:13

Beloved, if you are saved and standing in God’s will, please know that whatever God allows to come your way is for your good. In the various situations of life you are confronted with, God is working something out for you. He is always in control. The devil may brag, shake the whole place and get everyone afraid, but God is the One at the helm of affairs. He is the One holding the rudder of the ship. He is fully in control and He never stops working. As the devil is scheming, God tampers with his plans. By the time his plans materialize, instead of working against you as originally designed, the devil will see them working for your good and in your favour. Even in very bad situations, God can still work out something good. Can you imagine anything good ever coming out of Samson’s fall? After he fell and was arrested, he was shaved, blinded and made an object of mockery by the Philistines (Judges 16:17-30). However, when he repented, God tinkered with his situation and at the end of it all; the enemies he killed in his pitiable state were more than all those he killed while he had his eyes and freedom. Beloved, just submit to God in whatever situation you find yourself and you will be shocked at what great feat God can still achieve through you in that situation.

Prayer Point: Father, I thank You for always causing all things to work together for my good.

Hymn 4: Through The Love Of God Our Savior

1. Through the love of God our Savior,
All will be well;
Free and changeless is His favor;
All, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us;
Perfect is the grace that sealed us;
Strong the hand stretched out to shield us;
All must be well.

2. Though we pass through tribulation,
All will be well;
Ours is such a full salvation;
All, all is well.
Happy still in God confiding,
Fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
Holy through the Spirit’s guiding,
All must be well.

3. We expect a bright tomorrow;
All will be well;
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
All, all is well.
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
Or in living, or in dying,
All must be well.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Topic: Pride Kills! — Friday December 22, 2017.

Text: 2 Kings 14:8-16

Key Verse: “Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?” (2 Kings 14:10).

Although secular history is replete with the narratives of great men who paid the supreme penalty for their pride, the Holy Bible takes the prize for stories of classic examples of such persons. The cases of Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and others pale beside Bible characters that overrated their strength and did not hearken to what the Word of God says: “Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). After the king of Judah, Amaziah, had ascended the throne in Jerusalem, he embarked on a murderous vindictive spree.

First, he slew the servants who had assassinated his father the king. Next, he launched a military campaign against Edom and killed ten thousand of their troops, seizing their stronghold of Selah and changing its name. This conquering march of Judah planted the notion of invincibility in the mind of Amaziah. He began to fly on the weak and unreliable wings of pride. This led him to begin to see his northern Israel neighbour as the next in his growing list of victims. He launched a war against Israel and this became his undoing. He failed to listen to the warning of King Jehoash of Israel that he should desist from war.

This is what the Bible says of how Amaziah was humbled and disgraced: “And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents” (verse 12). When our Lord Jesus Christ spoke on the matter of self-conceit (pride), He did not mince words with regard to the fate that befalls the arrogant: “…whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:11). He also lets us know that all power really belongs to Him and that man, apart from Him, is weak and hollow, incapable of securing lasting victory and joy.

Thought for the day: Pride goeth before destruction.

Bible Reading in one Year: Proverbs 4-6

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.