THE SACREDNESS OF LIFE: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL 23RD AUGUST 2018

MEMORISE:
Thou shalt not kill. Exodus 20:13

READ: Genesis 21:9-21

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

MESSAGE:
Life is very sacred to God. it is so sacred to Him that its sanctity is guaranteed in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:13). Our Lord Jesus Christ also emphasized the sanctity of life in Luke 9:56a, where He said:

 “ For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.”

As children of God, we must therefore, ensure that we uphold the sanctity of life, irrespective of the philosophy or ideals in vogue in the world.

Today’s Bible reading shows in vivid terms how precious life is to the Almighty, who is the Giver of life. Hagar and her son Ishmael had been ejected from the household of Abraham by God’s instruction, and with a limited provision of water they wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

When their water got finished, the child became so dehydrated that it cried for survival. At the brink of death, God heard the cry of the lad and He supernaturally provided a well of water for them in the midst of the wilderness. One would have thought that the circumstances surrounding the birth of Ishmael would have made him a total outcast in the sight of God.

Instead of being an outcast, God heard his cry as the cry of an innocent lad, and this caused God to come to his rescue. God did not only save his life, he also made him an astonishing promise of greatness, saying in Genesis 21:18:

 “Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.”

One lesson from the story of Hagar and Ishmael is that while God was instructing their ejection, He was also preparing for their survival in the wilderness. Another lesson here is for those who abort unborn babies because they do not want them. Such people should know that they are making a grievous mistake against their own future and they are committing a grievous sin against the Giver of life.

What they don’t seem to understand is that although they did not prepare for the pregnancy, God who saw what lead to the pregnancy has plans for the life they are bringing to the world, even though they may not know it. That life you do not cherish matters to God who made it, and for this reason, you must be careful about what you do to lives within your sphere of influence. Why take a life you did not and cannot create? Takers of life will not be guiltless before God.

Therefore, in whatever form you are taking live, stop it today and cry to God for forgiveness.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, in whatever way I have disregarded the sacredness of life, please forgive me and help me to appreciate lives around me as you do.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 51-56 Matthew 24:36-25:13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE

1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.