Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
MEMORIZE: “And when they had brought their ships to land,
they forsook all, and followed him.” (Luke 5:11).
READ: Luke 5:8-11
In addition to calling His people upwards and unto
separation, God calls them unto consecration. To be consecrated to God means to
be completely sold out to Him. For instance, when He called Peter, he left
everything to follow Him (Luke 5:1-11). That is total consecration. When you
are consecrated to God, He takes charge of your life. He makes the decisions,
while you carry them out. Being totally consecrated does not mean that you have
to become a full-time pastor but that He is free to decide how you spend what
you earn. Let me share my experience with you. After God called me into
full-time ministry, at some point, I was paid my gratuity. I was very glad! In those
days, it was a large sum of money. More so, since as a full-time pastor, I could
no longer tell where my next meal would come from. While busy calculating how
best to invest it, the Lord interrupted my thoughts: “You have not even asked
me. Remember you are no longer your own”. Thereafter, He asked me to divide my
gratuity into three. He asked me to give one part to the ministry. I said ‘Yes
Lord’. He asked me to give the second part to the ministry. My ‘Yes’ suddenly
became low-pitched. Then He asked me to give the third and final part to a
particular individual, adding that from then on, He would be my source. When God
calls you to consecration, you may need to ask Him what you should spend and
what to keep to yourself of your legitimate income. How consecrated are you?
Another nature of God’s call is that He calls to
distinction. If He calls you to the mountain top, it means you are to be
distinct from the crowd. Hence, Matthew 5:14 says, “… A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hid”. When Elijah was about to go to Heaven in 2 Kings 2:1-15, it
was only he and Elisah that stood on the other side of Jordan. Across the
Jordan were some sons of the prophets watching at a distance. But on Elisha’s
return, they recognized that there was transference of the anointing and they
bowed to him. Have you been called? Then you must be different. You have been
called to shine as light. How different are you? Among other believers, how
distinct are you as a representative of Jesus Christ?
KEY POINT
God wants a closer walk with you. Yield to Him completely
today.
Bible in One year: Job 11-13
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