Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
MEMORIZE: “Thus saith the LORD, what iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?” (Jer. 2:5).
READ: Jeremiah 2:2-5
“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Rev. 2:4). What was wrong the church at Ephesus may appear mild to many today, but to the Lord, it is most grievous. The church continued with their works and activities but left behind the only thing capable of giving meaning to their works –love. According to 1 Corinthians 13:13, any good deed that is done outside of love erodes the goodness of it and renders the deed as unprofitable. Is love the basis of your works? Why are you serving God? Is it because you want Him to deliver, save, heal or reward you? Any service you render to God’s Kingdom outside genuine love for the Master, is unprofitable.
If there is love in your heart, you will be motivated to express it in an act of goodness. Love propels action. The Spirit of love has a way of stirring the fire in you. If you have lost the fire, whatever you do will be mechanical. Leaving your first love amounts to undoing your foundation. If the foundation is destroyed, whatever is placed on it will surely crumble. Today, many people have eroded the foundation of their Christian service. If this describes you, repent and return to the Lord. Humbly ask for the return of your first love.
In the life of a user of this Devotional, the lord is longing for a return to how things used to be in your Christian walk. In Jeremiah 2:25, the once cordial relationship between God and the nation of Israel turned sour and God had to ask: ‘what did I do wrong to deserve this?’ In the same way, the Lord is asking you today, ‘What is my offence that made you jilt me?’ You once hated hypocrisy, covetousness and lies. But today you take lies as jokes. You once feared God, your heart was so tender and spiritually sensitive, but today, nothing pricks your conscience. It has become almost as dead as door nail. What you could not venture even in your thoughts, you now freely do. What has god done to deserve this? Are you fair to God going by the way you are treating Him? Where is your first love? Ask God to help you restore the lost Spirit of love.
ACTION POINT:
If you feel God has wronged you, please forgive Him. But if you carefully examine the situation prayerfully, you will find God is never wrong.
Bible in One year: 1Cor. 1-3
MEMORIZE: “Thus saith the LORD, what iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?” (Jer. 2:5).
READ: Jeremiah 2:2-5
“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Rev. 2:4). What was wrong the church at Ephesus may appear mild to many today, but to the Lord, it is most grievous. The church continued with their works and activities but left behind the only thing capable of giving meaning to their works –love. According to 1 Corinthians 13:13, any good deed that is done outside of love erodes the goodness of it and renders the deed as unprofitable. Is love the basis of your works? Why are you serving God? Is it because you want Him to deliver, save, heal or reward you? Any service you render to God’s Kingdom outside genuine love for the Master, is unprofitable.
If there is love in your heart, you will be motivated to express it in an act of goodness. Love propels action. The Spirit of love has a way of stirring the fire in you. If you have lost the fire, whatever you do will be mechanical. Leaving your first love amounts to undoing your foundation. If the foundation is destroyed, whatever is placed on it will surely crumble. Today, many people have eroded the foundation of their Christian service. If this describes you, repent and return to the Lord. Humbly ask for the return of your first love.
In the life of a user of this Devotional, the lord is longing for a return to how things used to be in your Christian walk. In Jeremiah 2:25, the once cordial relationship between God and the nation of Israel turned sour and God had to ask: ‘what did I do wrong to deserve this?’ In the same way, the Lord is asking you today, ‘What is my offence that made you jilt me?’ You once hated hypocrisy, covetousness and lies. But today you take lies as jokes. You once feared God, your heart was so tender and spiritually sensitive, but today, nothing pricks your conscience. It has become almost as dead as door nail. What you could not venture even in your thoughts, you now freely do. What has god done to deserve this? Are you fair to God going by the way you are treating Him? Where is your first love? Ask God to help you restore the lost Spirit of love.
ACTION POINT:
If you feel God has wronged you, please forgive Him. But if you carefully examine the situation prayerfully, you will find God is never wrong.
Bible in One year: 1Cor. 1-3
I'm a little behind on my devotion...
ReplyDeleteReading "Has God Wronged You", really ministered to my spirit. I realized that lately, I've been working in the vineyard out of obligation rather than, Love. I know that i love God but i guess i haven't been showing it. I will definitely begin to show it in every aspect of my life by God's grace.
Mo