YOU CAN SUCCEED: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, 20TH DECEMBER 2018.

MEMORISE:

And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Deuteronomy 28:2

READ: Luke 5:1-10

1And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

MESSAGE

To succeed in life, one must know how. Many people are failing today not because they want to, but because they were not taught how to succeed. 

However, we thank God who has given us the Bible, where we can learn how to succeed. The problem is how many people read and study the Bible, which contains the secrets o f success? One of these secrets is found in Deuteronomy 28:2, which says:

“And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.”

In Luke 4:4, our Lord Jesus Christ also showed us that the secrets of success are hidden in god’s word. Quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, He said:

“………..It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”

It is an exercise in futility for a fellow to seek success outside the dictates of God in His word. I am a living testimony of this truth. My success as a PhD student of mathematics was gotten from a Bible passage. 

An equation that would have made it impossible for me to solve the problem in my thesis was solved with the aid of a passage of scripture. If God’s word can be applied in such scenario, it is grievous for a pastor to attempt using human gimmicks in order to succeed. 

The secrets of Church growth and growth in other endeavor of life are in the Bible; if only we care to read, study, meditate and act on it. A good example of success through diligent listening and acting on God’s instruction is found in today’s Bible reading. 

Peter and his colleagues toiled throughout the night, using all their expertise in fishing to no avail. As they were washing their nets and mending them for another night of struggle, Jesus came into the scene. 

After allowing Him to use their boat, the “Rewarder of those who diligently serve Him”said to Simon Peter in Luke 5:4b:

“ Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.”

Take note of the words of this instruction. The Lord said to Peter that they should let down their nets not just for some fishes but for a draught, meaning a great catch. 

Our Lord is not a gambler: He gives precise instructions because He is the Almighty who make the impossible possible and brings success out of failure. He knew what He was saying when He told Peter to let down his “nets” and not “net”. 

Beloved, you will succeed if only you listen to what God is telling you to do about that business, project or career. The Lord will teach your hands to war, and you will not be a victim but a success in Jesus’ Name (Psalm 144:1-2).

PRAYER POINT:

Father, the listening ear, the receptive heart and the grace to do according to your word, give them to me today, and cause me to succeed in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Amos 7-9

John 14:15-31

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.