Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
MEMORIZE: “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Col. 2:7).
READ: John 6:5-13
In Genesis 1:20-23, God brought forth living creatures to foot the fields, float the air and flood the waters—all out of nothing. This is as amazing as it is frightening. If God can bring out something out of nothing, then He does not require your service or mine to do what He wants to do. That means He can simply do without us completely. Nobody is indispensable before God. Sometimes ago, a young brother learnt this lesson. He was such a useful worker to his pastor. His service was virtually needed everywhere. He was doing so well that at a point he began to think he was indispensable. One day, he came late for a meeting and his pastor suspended him for one week. He went to him in a nonchalant manner, saying that, the suspension would afford him some time for himself. ‘Really?’ asked his pastor. ‘Then you will go for two weeks!’ Those were his most miserable two weeks ever! He was sidelined while the work he thought would stop without him, continued as though he was never there. May the Lord never relieve you of what He has given to you. The truth is: those who are complaining of being too loaded with various assignments in church or ministry, do not know that God is doing you a favour. The day He relieves you of those assignments, you will know what it means to be unimportant. That will not be your portion in Jesus name.
Apart from bringing something out of nothing, God can take little and turn it into much. In 1 Kings 17:8-16, He took the meager meal of a hungry widow, multiplied it, and it became an abundance that sustained the man of God, the woman and her family for over two years. Similarly, in John 6:5-13, God took the meal of a young boy-five tiny loaves of bread and two fishes, multiplied them and fed a crowd of 5000. God is still in the business of multiplication. You would observe in today’s reading that the emphasis was on being thankful. After the boy’s meal was brought to Philip, like many of us, had a pessimistic view and demeaned the handful offering. Jesus, however, thanked God for the little and it became more than sufficient. If you want to enjoy a life of abundance, you must learn to be thankful. Complaining cannot increase you or yours, it can only hinder or decrease you. Have you thanked God for that little provision? If you can do so sufficiently well, it will outgrow its limits and become more than sufficient.
ACTION POINT:
Spend one hour thanking God for little mercies you can see in your life and family. Ask God to place God-fearing leaders, who will relieve the oppressed and foster progress over your nation.
Bible in One year: 1 Pet. 1-3
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