Open Heavens Daily Devotional 16 September 2019 – Negative Influence

Open Heavens Daily Devotional 16 September 2019

Theme For Open Heavens Daily Devotional 16 September 2019 – THE NEGATIVE INFLUENCE OF WEALTH.

MEMORISE:
“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in THE LIVING GOD, WHO giveth us richly all things to enjoy;”
1 Timothy 6:17

BIBLE READING: Proverbs 30:7-9
7• Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
8• REMOVE far from me VANITY and LIES: give me NEITHER POVERTY nor RICHES; feed me with FOOD CONVENIENT for me:
9• Lest I be full, and DENY THEE, and say, Who is THE LORD? or lest I be POOR, and STEAL, and take THE NAME of MY GOD IN VAIN.

MESSAGE:
A. Having tasted both POVERTY and WEALTH, I can categorically say that WEALTH IS BETTER OF THE TWO.
1. Nevertheless, if not handled with THE FEAR OF GOD, WEALTH CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE INFLUENCE on those who possess it.
2. Agur’s prayer in today’s Bible Reading is food for thought in this regard.
3. From his prayer, we understand that wealth can influence a person to question God’s Relevance and deny His Existence.
4. Frankly speaking, COMFORT and RICHES can cause a person to conclude that he or she has no need for God.
5. We see this manifested in rich countries today.
6. Nebuchadnezzar came under this negative influence of wealth, and he did not have a good story to tell.
7. Intoxicated by prosperity, he boasted in Daniel 4:30, saying: “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?”
8. Through this statement, he claimed SELF-SUFFICIENCY and denied God who gave him wealth and power.
9. God had to school him for seven years among animals before he realised his folly.
10. Daniel 4:33 “The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.”
11. This is why it should not surprise us to see wealthy people in those societies that deny the existence of God manifesting animalistic tendencies in their desires and lifestyle choices.

B. Usually, those who are rich have a quest to be richer still.
1. While there is nothing wrong with this, it is disheartening that in an attempt to gain more wealth for themselves, many rich people exploit the downtrodden workers who labour to make them wealthy.
2. Sometimes, they may decide not to pay their wages on time, leaving the money in the bank to yield interest for their own pockets.
3. Some don’t even bother to pay at all, while some others choose to pay a token of what their workers are due.
4. People like this should realise that they are committing fraud, and God may choose to fight them Himself.
5. James 5:1-4 “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
6. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
7. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.”

C. We see from the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that wealthy people who acknowledge The Almighty God as their source of power to get wealth hardly misbehave.
1. Deuteronomy 8:18 “But thou shalt remember The Lord Thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His Covenant which He sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
2. Such people will not use their wealth to have extra-marital affairs or to entice the vulnerable into evil acts.
3. They will see their staff as their own brothers and sisters, and will not toy with their wages.
4. Above all, it will not be difficult for them to Honour God with FIRST FRUITS, TITHES and OFFERINGS and WORKS OF CHARITY.
5. Are you free of THE NEGATIVE influence of WEALTH?

PRAYER POINT:
Father, Please give me POWER TO GET WEALTH and HELP ME USE IT JUDICIOUSLY for YOUR GLORY and KINGDOM, in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Kings 22, Daniel 3:16-4:3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN: LET OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU.

1. While passing thro’ this world of sin,
and others your life shall view,
Be clean and pure without, within;
Let others see Jesus in you.
Chorus:
Let others see Jesus in you,
Let others see Jesus in you.
Keep telling the story, be faithful and true;
Let others see Jesus in you.

2. Your life’s a book before their eyes,
They’re reading it thro’ and thro’
Say, does it point them to the skis,
Do others see Jesus in you?

3. Then live for Christ both day and night,
Be faithful, be brave and true,
and lead the lost to life and Christ.
Let others see Jesus in you.
EMMANUEL=GOD WITH US!

Credit For Open Heavens Daily Devotional 16 September 2019 – Pastor E. Adeboye

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