UNDER AUTHORITY?: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, 21ST MAY 2018

MEMORISE:
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38

READ: Matthew 8:5-13

5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

MESSAGE

The reason why many children of God are not living a triumphant life daily is because they refuse to submit themselves to the authority and lordship of their Father, the Almighty. Some are like the prodigal son who sought premature freedom and independence from his father (Luke 15:12-13).

In today's Bible reading, we see a man who knew what it was to be under authority and the blessings that come along with it. This man is the centurion, whose faith our Lord Jesus Christ described as great. After Jesus had decided to go with him to heal his servant, this centurion did not deem it necessary for Jesus to go to his house, because he was a man under authority and he understood the attendant implications of this.

He knew Jesus Christ was under authority and had great authority. He also believed that if Jesus exercised His authority over demons from where He was, they would obey Him. Hear what he said in Matthew 8:8b:

“Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.”

It is interesting to note the contrast between the proud attitude of Naaman and the humble disposition of this centurion to spiritual authority (2 Kings 5:11). The Holy Spirit reveals the secret to spiritual authority in James 4:7 where He says,

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

This is where the problem lies with some children of God. First things first: we must submit to the authority of God in His word before we can resist the devil and his attacks. When we follow this order, the devil will definitely flee from us because we are operating under God's authority in His word. Regardless of who is speaking it, the word of God must be respected and given its rightful place in our lives.

You must submit to the authority of God's word by being a doer of it if you will experience a performance of its purpose in your life (James 1:25). Beloved, are you under the authority of the Almighty God in His word? It is all well and good if you are. However, if you find it difficult to submit to God's authority in His word, you will experience the frustration of the word not working for you.

If you are in this situation, repent today and submit to God's authority in His word that is forever settled. One more lesson you should learn from today's Bible reading is that while many shall come from all over the world to benefit from the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the children of the kingdom who refuse to submit to God's authority would be cast away. This will not be your portion in Jesus' Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please keep me under the pavilion of the authority in Your word today. Don’t let me depart from Your secret place.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 17-18, 1 John 1:1-2:6.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: TRUST AND OBEY

1. When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His word
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey

Chorus:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt nor a fear
Not a sigh nor a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief nor a loss,
Not a frown nor a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove
The delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favour He shows,
And the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we'll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do
Where He sends we will go
Never fear, only trust and obey.