Open Heavens Daily Devotional
Date: Monday 31st December 2018
THEME: VESSELS USED BY GOD
HYMN 16: STAND UP! STAND UP FOR JESUS
- Stand up! Stand up for Jesus!
Yet soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner,
It must not suffer loss:
From vict’ry unto vict’ry
His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished
And Christ is Lord indeed.
2. Stand up! Stand up for Jesus!
The trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict
In this His glorious day.
Ye that are men, now serve Him
Against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger.
And strength to strength oppose.
3. Stand up! Stand up for Jesus!
Stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you;
Ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the Gospel armor,
And. Watching unto prayer,
Be never wanting there.
4. Stand up! Stand up for Jesus!
The strife will not be long:
This day the noise of battle,
The next the victor’s song;
To him that overcometh
A crown of life shall be;
He, with the King of glory
Shall reign eternally.
Memorise: If a man, therefore, purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. 2Timothy 2:21
Bible Reading: 2Timothy 2:20-22 (KJV)
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of the earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man, therefore, purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Message:-
The God we serve is very result-oriented. He never does anything just for the fun of it, and so He created every one of us with a purpose in mind.
Not one person on this earth exists without a special assignment. He expects our lives to yield pleasant results for Him. Unfortunately, many people live life on their own terms. They just glide through life without a specific divine goal; the wind directs them to the south and they go to the south, and the next minute, the wind carries them to the north and they follow. They do not live their lives with a purpose in mind, because they don’t value their existence.
There is nothing as rewarding as being used of the Lord; He is the best boss that anyone can ever have. It is only in His organization that every act of service is generously rewarded. However, our God is also driven by His principles. There are things that you have to do in order to be used by Him. First of all, you have to be clean. God will use any type of vessel – broken vessels, young vessels, old vessels, poor vessels – but He will never use a dirty vessel, except, of course, for dirty and irritable things. The Holy Spirit makes this clear in 2Timothy 2:21, saying:
“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”
Secondly, you have to seek to know what specific assignment God has for you. Your assignment in life is specific to you. For example, even though there were many apostles in the early Church, God still chose Paul and sent him to the Gentiles. Even if it seems like you have similar assignments with your neighbor, you don’t have the same purpose with them. To know your specific purpose, your spiritual eyes must be open and fixed on God’s dictates. When your relationship with God is solid and strong, you will have no problem with keeping your purpose firm and focusing on Jesus.
It is also in maintaining a strong relationship with God that you will find the strength to do all that He asks of you. As you prepare to enter a new year, desire to know your specific assignment from God, and determine to be focused on it. In this coming year, God will greatly use you for His purpose in Jesus’ Name.
Prayer Points: Father, open my eyes of understanding to comprehend the specific assignment You have for me in life. I am ready Lord, please use me mightily.
Bible in one year: Malachi 1-4, John 21:15-25
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE