BORN FOR A PURPOSE: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, 12TH OCTOBER 2018

MEMORISE:

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah 1:5

READ: Jeremiah 1:1-10

1The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

2 To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

MESSAGE:

The Almighty is a God of plan and purpose. By His wisdom, He preordained events and occurrences right from the beginning of creation to the end of time in eternity. From His words to Jeremiah in today’s Bible reading, we understand that the purpose for which a person is born is hidden in His divine will. 

It is reassuring to know that irrespective of human objections or the devil’s opposition, the thoughts of God and His predestined plans for all things shall come to pass (Isaiah 14:27). 

It is also humbling to note that whatever God has purposed to do in any circumstance will surely be accomplished with or without us. Let me share a strange occurrence that happened to me as I was growing up in my small village, Ifewara, in Southern Nigeria. 

I once saw a prophet and laughed at him. As I laughed, the prophet turned to me and said, keep laughing at me, but one day you also will be a prophet. “I laughed the more and sarcastically said, ” Not just a prophet, but indeed a prayer warrior.” Obviously, this prophet saw a glimpse of what God had in store for me, but I was completely ignorant of it. 

I pray that the power of God will bring the purpose for which you were born to pass, even in the face of opposition in Jesus’ Name.

No one can successfully thwart God’s efforts or frustrate His purpose, especially with respect to predestination. Ephesians 1:11 says:

“ In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:”

In light of this scripture, when you cooperate with His divine purpose, you will experience unprecedented success, but when you choose to work against His purpose, the result is bound to be failure. I once told my children that all human beings are only playing their predefined roles in the script written by God before the creation of the world.

It is only sensible for wise actors to diligently study the script to properly interpret their roles and memorize their lines, so that their performance will run smoothly in sync with other players and in accordance with the overall purpose of the production. 

In this regard, Romans 8:28 says,

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

This means that irrespective of what you are passing through in life, the most important thing is to ensure that your life is in agreement with the God’s purpose as revealed in His word. 

After you do this, you can sit back and watch God crown your efforts in life with success. In order to give you an expected end, He will work everything out in line with His predetermined purpose. What a glorious God we serve! Halleluyah!

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please grant me grace to fulfill Your purpose for my life in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Isaiah 54-57

Luke 5:17-39

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.

o Refrain:
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 or a fear, not a sigh or 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 or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed 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 favor He shows, for 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.