OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL
BY Pastor E.A. Adeboye
BY Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Date: - Friday, 13 March 2015
Topic: - The Pains of Disobedience
Memorise: For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. - 1 Samuel 15:23
Read: (1 Samuel 15:10-11 KJV)
10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,
11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 47-48, Revelation 21:9-27
MESSAGE:
The sin of disobedience is a terrible sin. Nothing hinders the children of God from fulfilling their purpose in life like disobedience. Disobedience comes in many shades. It can take the form of refusal to keep to specific instructions, functioning in an office God has not called you to, courting a wrong relationship or operating in a place you are not meant to be in at a particular time. No matter what form it takes, the truth remains that disobedience is a terrible sin in the sight of the Almighty God. Disobedience compels God to turn blessings into curse, as we see in the account of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:17). Every act of disobedience erodes your reservoir of God's blessings. Nothing destroys a man faster than the sin of disobedience. That is the reason why you have to check your life today and take stock of your soul, so that your sky will not be turned into brass (Deuteronomy 28:23). When this happens, instead of favour, you will experience closed doors.
In 1 Samuel 15:1-23, King Saul lost his crown because of partial obedience. God expects full obedience form all His children. He prefers total obedience to partial obedience. This is one of the reasons why many of us are yet to access the blessings of God fully. Abraham was called to leave his father's house behind but he suffered the consequences of disobedience by taking Lot along with him. Who are those people the Lord expects you to have dropped but you are still hanging around? What are those things the Lord has warned you about that you are still engaging in? These are the things that will deny you the full blessings of God. Numbers 12:8 says Moses was so close to God that he conversed with God mouth to mouth. But when he was told by God to speak to the Rock and he struck the rock instead, he was severely punished: he never got to the Promised Land (Numbers 20:12). Check your life and find out those things that are capable of hindering you from becoming the best that God wants you to be. Drop them now before they make you drop out of the journey to the Promised Land.
Check your life today. If you are experiencing perpetual sorrow, suffering, disappointment and unfulfilled desires, check and find out the factors responsible. Don't pretend to be okay when you know all is not well with you. If you confess those hidden sins of disobedience, you will surely find mercy, but if you pretend about it, you will be undoing yourself. Some people keep making effort, yet they never record any success. Several trials and much effort do not guarantee success when disobedience is present.
Action Point: Examine yourself today and repent from every act of disobedience in your life.
