OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: Tuesday 2nd October 2018
THEME: Refuse to be Hopeless
Hymn 11: O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST
1. O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
2. Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure
3. Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth receive her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.
4. A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the
night
Before the rising sun.
5. Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away
They fly forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.
6. O God. Our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while life
Shall last,
And our external home.
Memorize:
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13
Bible Reading: Ezekiel 37:11-14
11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.
MESSAGE
Hopelessness or despair is a state marked by great difficulty, doubt, desperation, heaviness and embarrassment, causing one to be confounded, to give up hope or to be at a loss on what to do. Shame is also implied, as hopelessness leads to hanging one’s head low in a daze or confusion.
What do you do when life leaves you with no money, no source of livelihood, no food and no place to lay your head? What do you do when there is no way of providing for your family, especially if you have little children?
What do you do when you are faced with medical, financial or physiological problems that seem to defy all solution? What do you do when calamity or devastation comes against you unexpectedly and you have exhausted channels of resolution without respite?
Many in such situations have chosen the dark path that eventually leads to death, either by way of murder or suicide. I pray for anyone who may be passing through difficult times at this moment: the Lord will help you, He will make a way for you out of your troubles, and you will live to share your testimony with the world in Jesus’ Name.
So much evil comes forth from situations of hopelessness. In 1 Samuel 31:4, after King Saul had been badly wounded, he lost every hope of divine intervention or recovery, and he committed suicide by falling on his sword.
Similarly, in 2 Samuel 17:23, the moment Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed he was filled with shame and embarrassment, so much so that he took his own life.
After Judas Iscariot had betrayed Jesus, his heart was stricken by guilt, and he hanged himself (Matthew 27:3-5). I pray that the type of hopelessness that drove these men to commit suicide will never be your portion in Jesus’ Name.
Are you confronted by a hopeless situation, or are you stricken with deep sorrow and pain? I want you to encourage yourself in the Lord your God, just like David did after he lost everything he had ever laboured for (1 Samuel 30:6).
The Almighty is our hope, our salvation, and our peace. In your deepest sorrow and greatest moments of despair, please avoid the temptation of seeking respite in alcohol, hard drugs or any other mind-bending substances.
Always turn to God for help, because you can always count on Him to console you and make a way out of that hopeless situation. I pray that no matter what you are passing through, you will not take any step that will lead to destruction in Jesus’ Name.
Prayer Point
Father, please turn every hopeless situation in my life around for good in Jesus’ Name.
Action point:
Take a look at your present church. If your spiritual growth has not increased significantly since you joined them, prayerfully look for another church where your spiritual needs will be met.
Bible in one year – Isaiah 28-29, Luke 1:1-25