Open Heavens Devotion 13th April 2016

Open Heavens 13 April 2016: Wednesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Topic: The Sovereign God

Memorise: I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. – Isaiah 43:15

Read: Daniel 5:20-21 (KJV)

20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

Bible in One Year: 2 Samuel 1-2, Proverbs 9:13-10:7

MESSAGE:

After King Nebuchadnezzar was deposed from his kingly throne, his glory was taken away from him and he was disgraced to the point of eating grass like oxen, he came back to his senses to realise that the Most High God is the ultimate ruler in the kingdom of men. The problem with the king was that he got carried away with his achievements, thinking that they were the bye-products of his wisdom and physical power. This is the problem with many people like him through the ages. Any achievement that will not lead us back to the original Achiever could be very deadly. Jesus Christ spoke of a rich farmer who was boasting of his achievements in agriculture, only for his life to be taken away from him that same night.

“19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” - Luke 12:19-20

Apostle James warned against being boastful without giving consideration to the sovereignty of God in James 4:13-15:

“13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”

It is presumptuous for someone who does not know whether he will survive the next day to commence planning a programme that will take place in six months time. It is only the Almighty God that has the power to will and to do. One can see the cause of the calamity that befell kings Pharaoh and Herod. In case of King Herod, he took not only the glory that belonged to God but God’s sovereignty. The consequence was fatal because he was stricken by an angel of the Lord and he was eaten up by worms immediately.

“21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. 22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.” -Acts 12:21-23

May the sovereignty of God be made positively manifest in our lives so that we can live in the supernatural from now on in Jesus’ name.

Action Point: Always acknowledge the sovereignty of God in all you do so that you may be guided aright.