GOD HAS A NEED!: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, 11TH OCTOBER 2018

MEMORISE:
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. John 14:23

READ: Revelation 21:1-3
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.


3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

MESSAGE :
Our God is the Creator of heaven and earth. “The All-Sufficient One” is one of His many Names, and it describes an important attribute of His. As a self-existing Spirit, He does not need anything outside of Himself for substance or existence (John 5:26, 1 Timothy 6:16). 

It therefore seems strange to think that God has a need. Let us ponder on what the elders in heaven are saying in their worship, as revealed Revelation 4:11:

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

From this statement of adoration, “God’s need” can be understood from the perspective of the purpose for which he created all things. He created all things for His own pleasure, and He specifically created mankind for the purpose of communion or fellowship. 

This truth is reinforced by the words of our Lord in today’s memory verse. The constant fellowship that God had with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day is also a manifestation of this truth (Genesis 3:8). Several scripture passages speak of a link between the creation of mankind and acts of devotion such as praise and worship. Isaiah 43:21 says: “This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.”

God’s desire for fellowship is therefore not a need as we understand “need”, but an expression of God’s grace, mercy and love towards humanity (1 Corinthians 1:9). 

The essence of the Christian life is to fellowship with God. Everything created before man was not suitable for this purpose because they were not created in His image and so could not relate with Him on a n interactive level. Genesis 5:22-24 contains the fascinating account of Enoch who walked with God in close fellowship, so much so that God took him away with Him. 

Similarly, Abraham also fellowshipped with God to the extent that he received the distinction of being called the friend of God (2 Chronicles 20:7, James 2:23). David’s fellowship with God was also exemplary that God testified of him in Acts 13:22c, saying: “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.”

As a result of the finished work of redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ, God now makes His permanent abode with us, in the form of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us (John 14:23, 1 Corinthians 6:19). Therefore, our fellowship with God is established on the spiritual union we have with Jesus, which will be made perfect when we see Him face to face (John 14:20-21). I pray that everything hindering your fellowship with God will be destroyed today in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please cause my heart to continually hunger for Your presence in Jesus’ Name.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 51-53, Luke 4:38-5:16

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.