Theme For Open Heavens Daily Devotional 5th February – PREPARED FOR THE STORM?
MEMORISE:
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrew 4:16
READ: Matthew 7:24-27
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
MESSAGE
As seen in today’s Bible reading, the Holy Spirit often uses the characteristics of storms figuratively to teach about human situations. I therefore believe that understanding the nature of storms will help us triumph over the challenges of life. In the physical realm, storms are violent disturbances of the atmosphere, usually accompanied by rain, strong winds, thunder, lightning or snow. Approaching with high speed, storms often render their victims virtually helpless, leaving them with few or no options in terms of defense or counter attack. For this reason, storms can leave behind a trail of destruction of life and property of catastrophic magnitude.
The good news is, irrespective of their nature, God has control over storms! Even the strongest storms are subject to His authority. Nahum 1:3 declares that the Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and several other passages of the Bible depict God as walking on the wings of the wind and riding on storms (2 Samuel 22:11, Psalm 18:10, Psalm 104:3). Job 38:1 tells us that God answered Job out of the whirlwind as though He has been reclining there, and in Mark 4:39, amidst a terrible storm, Jesus Christ arose, rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, “Peace, be still!” in obedience to His command, the wind immediately ceased, and there was a great calm. In the Name that is above all other names, I command every raging storm in your life to cease now.
Since little or nothing can be done to neutralize a raging storm by way of prevention or defense, the Holy Spirit teaches that the wise thing to do is to prepare for it. Preparing for the storms of life ranks so high in importance that today’s Bible reading classifies all of mankind according to their preparedness. The well prepared ones are tagged wise, while the unprepared are called foolish. Note that both the wise and foolish will be subjected to the adversity of the storm, and no one will be exempted. You therefore need to be adequately prepared for storms by holding on to Jesus, who is a shelter in the midst of the storm! God will deliver you from every storm of life in Jesus’ Name.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please grant me the wisdom to adequately prepare for the storms of life. You know all things before they happen, please guide my feet to the place of all-round security in You in Jesus’ Name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 20-21
Isaiah 32:9-33:9
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 13: I AM A VICTOR
- Yes, I know I am a victor
For the Bible tells me so
God made me more than a conqueror
Much stronger than all my foes
CHORUS
Jesus loves me and I love Him
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word
- Yes, I know I am a victor
Stronger than demons I am
To Satan I am a terror
I am free, o yes, I am - Yes, I know I am a victor
Stronger than lack, poverty
All my needs Jesus provides for
I have life abundantly - Yes, I know I am a victor
Barrenness no more indeed
Fruitful is the God I live for
All my dreams shall be fulfilled - Yes, I know I am a victor
By His strength I shall succeed
No more loss and no more failure
Glory to glory proceed - Yes, I know I am a victor
No more sorrow, no despair
Jesus Christ is my own Succour
Tomorrow is joy and cheer - Yes, I know I am a victor
Very soon I’ll reign with Him
His promise is my sure anchor
He’s coming to take me home - Jesus loves me and I love Him
We rule this world together
As He is so right now I am
Hear me shout Halleluyah - Jesus loves me Halleluyah
Hear me shout Halleluyah
Halleluyah, Halleluyah
Glory be to God on high
Credit – Pastor E. Adeboye