Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
MEMORIZE: “Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, it is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.” (2 Sam. 21:1).
READ: 2 Samuel 21:1-6
Besides spiritual famines, there are physical famines. Usually, these are economy-based. In the Bible, we have at least 11 famines recorded. It is interesting to note that patriarchs such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Elijah, Elisha, and even Paul witnessed famines. These famines had different intensity and durations. There are however, vital lessons for us from these documented cases. For example, the famine during the days of David shows that famines are provoked and can sometimes be mitigated when atonement is made.
According to one account, King Saul, out of zeal, killed some peace loving, but tricky, Gibeonites, whom the Israelites had earlier covenanted to protect during the days of Joshua (Joshua 9:3-17). Years later, a famine came upon the land for truce-breaking. God hates the breaking of covenant. If you have entered into an agreement with someone, keep your part of the bargain, except in the case of an unholy covenant. If you break a wholesome covenant, famine may ensue, sooner or later, and you and your generations after you will be consumed in it.
“Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, it is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites” (2 Sam. 21:1). Apart from truce-breaking, it is possible to provoke a famine by spilling blood. Anyone who takes the life of another is calling for a famine. Believe it or not, those who use others for rituals, either to get wealth or to live long, have a famine ahead of them and their generations. Famine targets the life of its victim. If you take a life, famine will come to take its harvest of lives. Another thing we can observe from this passage is that it took King David at least three years to wake up to the reality of the famine. In the first two years, David took it for granted that the famine was just another natural one, and so he did nothing about it. It took at least three years before he woke up to ask God about its cause. Do you know that if he never cared to ask, the famine would have been prolonged, and he would not have had the antidote to stem it on time? Never take any famine for granted! Find out from God the cause of that dearth you are going through and how to terminate it. What are you doing to atone for that famine?
ACTION POINT
If you do not do something about a famine, it may be prolonged. Always seek the Lord’s face!
Bible in One year: 1Kgs 5-8
MEMORIZE: “Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, it is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.” (2 Sam. 21:1).
READ: 2 Samuel 21:1-6
Besides spiritual famines, there are physical famines. Usually, these are economy-based. In the Bible, we have at least 11 famines recorded. It is interesting to note that patriarchs such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Elijah, Elisha, and even Paul witnessed famines. These famines had different intensity and durations. There are however, vital lessons for us from these documented cases. For example, the famine during the days of David shows that famines are provoked and can sometimes be mitigated when atonement is made.
According to one account, King Saul, out of zeal, killed some peace loving, but tricky, Gibeonites, whom the Israelites had earlier covenanted to protect during the days of Joshua (Joshua 9:3-17). Years later, a famine came upon the land for truce-breaking. God hates the breaking of covenant. If you have entered into an agreement with someone, keep your part of the bargain, except in the case of an unholy covenant. If you break a wholesome covenant, famine may ensue, sooner or later, and you and your generations after you will be consumed in it.
“Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, it is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites” (2 Sam. 21:1). Apart from truce-breaking, it is possible to provoke a famine by spilling blood. Anyone who takes the life of another is calling for a famine. Believe it or not, those who use others for rituals, either to get wealth or to live long, have a famine ahead of them and their generations. Famine targets the life of its victim. If you take a life, famine will come to take its harvest of lives. Another thing we can observe from this passage is that it took King David at least three years to wake up to the reality of the famine. In the first two years, David took it for granted that the famine was just another natural one, and so he did nothing about it. It took at least three years before he woke up to ask God about its cause. Do you know that if he never cared to ask, the famine would have been prolonged, and he would not have had the antidote to stem it on time? Never take any famine for granted! Find out from God the cause of that dearth you are going through and how to terminate it. What are you doing to atone for that famine?
ACTION POINT
If you do not do something about a famine, it may be prolonged. Always seek the Lord’s face!
Bible in One year: 1Kgs 5-8
God bless sir
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