ARISE AND EAT: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, 17TH NOVEMBER 2018

MEMORISE:
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1

READ: 1 Kings 19:4-8

4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.

8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

MESSAGE

Our God is the compassionate Father that everyone should desire to have. He is the strength of those who have no strength. 

Speaking about His compassionate nature, Isaiah 40:28-29 says:

“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”

It is however unfortunate that we allow the devil to deceive us into thinking that our Father is not as loving and compassionate as He says He is, especially in challenging times. 

The devil also malign God in the areas of His commandments. We need to understand that His commandments are for our own good. When God commanded Adam not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam did not realise that it was for his own good (Genesis 2:16-17). 

The devil deceived Eve into thinking that God gave this commandment out of wickedness. Even today, the devil is still in the business of attacking the integrity of God and His word through different false doctrines, but the devil is a liar. 

May you not fall victim to the devil's deception that maligns God's character in Jesus' Name.

In today's Bible text, we read about the travails of Elijah, a great prophet of God. While he was on the run for his dear life, he became so exhausted that he asked God to kill him! 

Discouragement and fatigue caused some fundamental things to go wrong in Elijah's mindset here. First and foremost, God does not kill without a just cause. Secondly, He is not an ingrate: how could He kill a useful and effective vessel who had been fighting valiantly on His side? God will not do that. 

If you are in the same situation Elijah was in, the Almighty God asked me to tell you that instead of killing you, He will rather encourage you, just as He encouraged Elijah. In his state of despondency, Elijah slept off, but before he woke up, there was a cake baked on coals and a cruise of water waiting for him to eat and drink. 

Elijah ate and slept off again, only for God's angel to wake him up a second time, instructing him to "arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee" (1 Kings 19:7). Our Father is so caring!

Beloved, no matter what the devil may be telling you about our Father in heaven, I stand to debunk it in the Name of our loving Saviour: it is not true. Our God is good, all  the time. Believe only what the scriptures say about Him and it shall be well with you.

ACTION POINT:
Pray for God's encouragement for all missionaries suffering discouragement and despondency.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Ezekiel 11-12, Luke 22:63-23:17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: THE GREAT PHYSICIAN

1. The Great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus!

Chorus:
Sweetest note in seraph song,
Sweetest Name on mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung,
Jesus, blessed Jesus.

2. Your many sins are all forgiv’n,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus;
Go on your way in peace to heav’n,
And wear a crown with Jesus.

3. All glory to the dying Lamb!
I now believe in Jesus;
I love the blessed Saviour’s Name,
I love the Name of Jesus.

4. His Name dispels my guilt and fear,
No other name but Jesus;
Oh, how my soul delights to hear
The precious Name of Jesus!