FRIDAY 3RD AUGUST 2018 THEME: DIVINE SET-UP.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

 
DATE:  FRIDAY 3RD AUGUST 2018

THEME:  DIVINE SET-UP.

 
MEMORISE:

Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? 1 Samuel 10:1

READ:     1 Samuel 9:15-10:1

15 Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,

16 To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.

17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.

18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.

19 And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart.

20 And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?

21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?

22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.

23 And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.

24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.

25 And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.

26 And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.

27 And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on), but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God.

10 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

MESSAGE

The ways of our God are unsearchable and beyond human comprehension (Romans 11:33). You need to understand this if you will not miss out on the good things the Lord has in store for His Children. Using natural methods to search out or predict the plans of God in not just counterproductive, it also leads to frustration. This is why Romans 8:5-6 says:

“5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

Anyone who tries to box God into a pattern will definitely miss His visitation when it happens. In Genesis 18:1-6, when the guests from heaven seemed to be passing by Abraham’s tent, little did he know it was a divine set-up for him to be blessed. Thanks be to God that Abraham did not miss his blessing. His gesture of hospitality brought to fulfillment God’s promise which he had waited on for so many years. When the Lord asks you to do something unusual, He is only setting you up for an unusual miracle. In Joshua chapter 2, the visit of the two spies to Rehab was a divine set-up to make her an agent of salvation for her entire household. My prayer is that the grace to do the unusual that will bring the type of miracles nobody has ever experienced before will be given to you today in Jesus’ Name. do you know that God’s commandments on paying tithes, offering and first fruits are nothing but divine set-ups for superabundant blessings? When you get a taste of this, you will testify that the Lord is good indeed.

Today’s Bible reading narrates the story of divine arrangement in favor of the first king of Israel, Saul. God wanted to anoint him king over Israel, so He caused his father’s donkeys to go missing. This made Saul go searching all over for them, till he got to Samuel the king-maker. Before Saul’s arrival at the place where Samuel was, the Lord had spoken to Samuel about his visit and instructed him to anoint Saul king over Israel. Meanwhile, unknown to Saul, while he and his servants wandered around by divine set-up, the missing donkeys were already found. I pray for you today that the Lord will divinely set you up for promotion and breakthrough in life in Jesus’ Name. Where we cannot see a single way, God can see uncountable ways for carrying out His agenda. When the Lord was leading me to the Redeemed Christian Church of God in 1973 in search of peace in my life and home, little did I know it was for the purpose of fulfilling His own agenda for my life. If I had any hint then that I would become a pastor, maybe I would have sought spiritual help somewhere else, where I would not be considered for pastoral work. The Lord’s ways are indeed unsearchable!

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please cause me to be sensitive to Your set-up for unusual breakthrough in my life, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 1-4

Matthew 13:1-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4:  TRUST AND OBEY.

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.

o Refrain:
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 or a fear, not a sigh or 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 or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed 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 favor He shows, for 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.