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Open Heaven Devotion

  • 18 Mar 2023

THE WORD GUIDES I

MEMORIZE: All scriptures is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2 Timothy 3:16

BIBLE READING PSALM 119:97-105

97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.

99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.

100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.

102 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.

103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

MESSAGE

In (1 Kings 17:2-16), God sent His word to guide Elijah to where he would get food for a period of time. When the time elapsed, the word came again, telling him to go to Zarephath where God had already made arrangements for his feeding through a widow.

The word of God guides; He tells you what to do when there seems to be no way out of a difficult situation. I pray that the Lord will open your ears so that you can begin to hear from Him. You will solve problems faster if you can hear directly from God.

When I was working on my Ph.D. thesis, I ended up with many simultaneous equations. Even solving one of these is stressful enough, talk less of the volume I had to deal with! I tried and tried to solve them but I couldn’t. One day, before going to bed, I read Exodus 14 where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. Suddenly, I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Bring your equations”. I did just that and then He began to say, “Put this one on the right, put this one on the left, and so on”.

By the time I finished and took a look at those on the right, they all had something in common. It was the same thing for those on the left. Because they were all jumbled together before, I couldn’t see that. The Lord then said, “Solve the ones on the right separately, the ones on the left separately, then combine.

That was exactly what happened at the Red Sea. The sea parted, the Israelites passed through and the sea came together again killing Pharaoh and his army.” Five hours later, my thesis was ready. God’s voice solved in 5 hours what I hadn’t been able to solve in 18 months.

When my thesis was taken to the external examiner, he read through it and said, “Award this boy his Ph.D.; I have no question for him”. He was told that there must be an oral examination, but he insisted that he had no questions for me. He had no questions because I wasn’t the one who solved that problem, it was the Word of God Himself who did.

If you allow the word of God to be your guide for every decision you make, you will never walk in darkness and He will guide you to the fulfillment of His purpose for your life John 8:12).

KEY POINT: Make God’s word your guide in all decisions you make.

BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: JUDGES 14-16

HYMN: IN CHRIST ALONE

1 In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My comforter, my all in all

Here in the love of Christ I stand

2 In Christ alone who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless babe

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save

Till on that cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live

3 There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth in glorious day

Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory

Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me

For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

4 No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From life’s first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

Till He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand