COME BACK HOME
Open Heavens 2 August 2016: Monday
daily devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye – Come back home.
Memorise: There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked. Isaiah
48:22
18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had
thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of
thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor
destroyed from before me.
20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with
a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the
earth; say ye, The Lord hath
redeemed his servant Jacob.
21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the
deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the
rock also, and the waters gushed out.
22 There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto
the wicked.
Bible in one year: Hebrews 9-10, Psalm 25
There was a point in the life of
the children of Israel when God had to bring to their remembrance what He had
done for them. He had to draw their attention to their rebellion over the years
starting from the point when He used Moses to deliver them from captivity. The
children of Israel soon forgot the faithfulness of God and began to attribute
their freedom and victory to idols. How easy it is for us to forget the
investments of God in our lives. He delivered them from their afflictions. He
made them partakers of His glorious presence. He never left them alone for a
moment. He enlightened them and guided them to their destinations. Yet, they
began to praise the idols they had made with their hands. God tried different
methods to get their attention but they ignored Him. He sent them prophets and
raised judges for them. He sent His servants to them to forewarn them of the
consequences of their actions and occasionally appeared to them but they never
listened until they met their destruction. They forgot the reason for which
they were called ‘the people of God. They refused to retain God in their
knowledge; they trusted in their idols and intellects, and as a result began to
engage in what was not convenient until they lost the peace and joy of the
living God.
This is also true of the time and
days we live in. God wants us to come back to His love, despite our state of
wickedness. God is still interested in having us to Himself for our good. There
is great joy and happiness for those who repent and come back to God. The
opportunity is here and I want you to take advantage of the grace of God that
is available now. Choose good and not evil. Choose life and not death. Choose
blessing and not curse. There can never be peace for a wicked man because he is
a stranger and an enemy of God. There is no peace for those who stand in
opposition to the Almighty God. They do so to their own peril. Unspeakable
happiness and joy comes to those who align themselves with God but uneasiness,
fear, sorrow, trouble and destruction comes to those who forget where He is
bringing them from. When you are on the Lord’s side, there will be quietness,
peace, calm and comfort because you are a friend to God and not an enemy.
Like the prodigal son, you may
have wasted all that has been committed into your hands. You may have gone
beyond where help can reach you but the grace of God is longer than the stretch
of your iniquities, therefore return home. Remove rebellion from your heart.
Let there be light and a change of heart. Make a fresh resolution that you
won’t backslide again.
“Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had
walked in my ways!”
Psalms 81:13
As you make this strong decision,
you will begin to see the peace you desire in your heart. All the good your
heart has desired and all the comfort you have ever longed for becomes a
reality. Your peace is a function of His presence in your life. Begin to relate
with Him daily, praise and worship Him. See His Word as what you must feed on
and obey Him even when you don’t seem to understand. As you do this, you will
enjoy the prosperity and protection of the Almighty God. His blessings in your
life will never be interrupted and you will continue to enjoy all that God has
to give. (2 August 2016 open heavens)
Prayer Point
Father, please help me to return to you fully
Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A
Adeboye
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