Open Heavens Devotional For Wednesday 25th October, 2023

TOPIC: NO ROOM FOR LAZINESS I

MEMORISE:  The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth. Proverbs 26:15

READ: Proverbs 6:4-11

4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

MESSAGE

Proverbs 23:21 says:

For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to,poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

If you are lazy, you would end up being clothed with rags. Some people don’t want to work hard, they just want to get rich overnight. It is not going to happen. Proverbs 19:15’says clearly: “Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle

As a child matures, he or she would get to the point when the parents can hand over some of their duties to him or her. In the same vein, as we mature in Christ, we are to start doing the works of Christ. That is why Jesus said in John 14:12 that we are to do the works that He did and indeed greater works.

Jesus was a teacher of the word. Apostle Paul said in Hebrews 5:12: “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

There comes a time in the life of a Christian when he or she ought to have started teaching others the gospel of Christ. Many believers don’t get to this level because they only read their Bibles rather than study deeply. When you read, you read to be informed, but when you study, you study to be transformed by the word that you begin to long to see that same transformation in others, and that longing  pushes you to start teaching it. There are those who have memorised the longer chapter in the Bible, but they cannot teach the simple doctrines of faith because the word hasn’t transformed them. Don’t just read the Bible, study it. When you experience the transforming power of the word, you will be eager to start teaching it too.

Another work that Jesus did which we are also expected to do is the working of miracles. Miracles are not the exclusive reserve of Pastor only;  they are for all Christians. Jesus said in Mark 16:17, “These signs shall follow them that beleive”. As long as you are a child of God, when someone is sick around you, you are to lay hands on them so that they can recover. Many Christians don’t do this because while they have been in the faith for long, they have not been deliberate about their spiritual growth. Such people don’t spend quality time in God’s presence, praying, studying His word and seeking His anointing.

You must be deliberate about your spiritual growth because our Lord Jesus expects you to grow in Him and perform greater works than He did during His earthly ministry.

KEY POINT

If you want to be great, you cannot afford to be lazy.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 9-10

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR
1 I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

Refrain:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Ev’ry hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

2 I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r
When Thou art nigh. [Refrain]

3 I need Thee ev’ry hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain. [Refrain]

4 I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill. [Refrain]

Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, is the author of Open Heavens Daily Devotional. One of the most widely read devotionals in the world is this one, which is published every day. It is intended to keep you inspired, encouraged, and elevated by supplying you with God’s Word on a regular basis. This Open Heavens Devotional offers powerful Christian resources that enable readers to achieve their destiny. You are encouraged to get closer to God and give Jesus your entire being.

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