BE FAITHFUL - OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL:SATURDAY 7TH OCTOBER 2017

THEME: BE FAITHFUL

MEMORISE:
"But godliness with contentment is great gain". 1Timothy 6:6

READ: LUKE 16:10-13

16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

16:12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

MESSAGE:

A lot of people think it is impossible to live a life of faithfulness, and for this reason, unfaithfulness has become a norm in today’s world. The world may tolerate unfaithfulness and live with its consequences, but we as children of God cannot afford to live a life of unfaithfulness. The Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 4:2 notifies us of God’s requirement in this regard:

“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

Faithfulness has a secret which many may not recognize because its simplicity. This secret is revealed in today’s memory verse. It is contentment. Discontentment - an off-shoot of godlessness - makes a person live an unfaithful life. When you are contented with what you have, you won’t indulge in ungodly or immoral acts in order to get what you do not have. When you live a life of contentment, you won’t like King Ahab misuse your position to entrap an innocent person, so that you can take over what belongs to him or her (1 Kings 21). Contentment will prevent you from being envious of people under you who are being celebrated for faithfully discharging their duties to the glory of God. Lack of contentment made Haman hate Mordecai, so much so that he planned to get rid of an innocent, dutiful but uncompromising doorman (Esther 5:11-14). Haman misused his position as a member of the king’s cabinet to pursue the destruction of innocent people (Esther 3:8-11). This is exactly what some people in privileged position are doing today, even though this is their own peril.

Faithfulness applies in terms of money and position, but it is also applicable in the use of your time. This is manifested in such areas as the time you are expected to spend at your place of work. It is ignorance that makes a child of God to think that he or she can spend just two out of the required eight hours at work, and then expect commendation by the God of Justice, when he or she brings the tithes of wages he or she did not work for. The Name of the Lord is blasphemed when a so-called child of God absconds from work for days - pursuing “missions”- only to come back and collect full wages covering the period of absence, in the full glare of unbelievers. God’s requirement of our faithfulness in stewardship applies to every area of our lives. My prayer is that the Almighty God will open your eyes to see the different areas of life you are lacking in faithfulness, and grant you grace to live faithfully in all areas. Through faithfulness, unbelievers will see the light and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. This virtue of faithfulness was the reason why employers of labour came to our Church in those days to recruit workers for their secular establishments. May God bring such days back to us in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, through Your Spirit, please help me to be faithful in life as a steward of the Name of Jesus Christ.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Corinthians 4-6
Daniel 4:4-18

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.

Refrain:

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

Refrain:

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

Refrain:

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.

Refrain: