12-31-2019, 09:18 AM
OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: TUESDAY 31ST DECEMBER 2019
THEME: YOU SHALL LAUGH LAST.
MEMORISE:
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5
READ: Psalm 30:1-5
I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
MESSAGE
The story was told of two women married to two men who were closely related. The husband of the first woman got a lucrative job and within three years, he had built a house for his family of five. Meanwhile, the husband of the second woman was not gainfully employed; he was just surviving by doing different menial jobs around. Unfortunately, because of her family’s good fortune, the first woman deployed a negative attitude towards the second woman. The most disheartening aspect of this story is that these two women were worshiping in the same assembly. The rich woman taunted the other woman so much that she almost left her local church. As God would have it, the husband of the second woman got employed by a company, and six months down the line, the company where his relative worked was liquidated and sold to his new employers. The management of the buying company was magnanimous enough to absorb the workers of the liquidated company into their workforce, but at lower cadre compared to their initial designations. So, the husband of the first woman had to manage with a subordinate position in the buying company, and he wasn’t happy when he discovered that he would be an assistant to his relative, and that his salary was 50% less than that of his relative, who was less than 6months on the job. The ways of God are past finding out! I pay that this year will end with you laughing last in Jesus’ Name.
The laughter that is most desirable is the one that comes last, because Ecclesiastes 7:8a says:
“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof:”
Are you going through a trying period? The word of the Lord comes to you today from John 16:20 as follows:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
Are you living your life in wickedness? The Lord is also saying to you today in James 4:8b-10:
“Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
He also says in Matthew 5:4:
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”
In other words, those who mourn in repentance for their sins and misdeeds will laugh last. Beloved, to be able to laugh last, you need to give your life to Christ today, and you will escape the everlasting agony of an eternity in hell. Jesus is holding out His arms to welcome you into His kingdom today. Run into His arms and you will discover you and peace like never before.
ACTION POINT:
Take stock of how well you did in all aspects of your life this year, and thank God for bringing you thus far.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Song Solomon 5-8
Malachi 3:16-4:6
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 1: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
o Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
2. There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
3. There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
4. There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
5. There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.
DATE: TUESDAY 31ST DECEMBER 2019
THEME: YOU SHALL LAUGH LAST.
MEMORISE:
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5
READ: Psalm 30:1-5
I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
MESSAGE
The story was told of two women married to two men who were closely related. The husband of the first woman got a lucrative job and within three years, he had built a house for his family of five. Meanwhile, the husband of the second woman was not gainfully employed; he was just surviving by doing different menial jobs around. Unfortunately, because of her family’s good fortune, the first woman deployed a negative attitude towards the second woman. The most disheartening aspect of this story is that these two women were worshiping in the same assembly. The rich woman taunted the other woman so much that she almost left her local church. As God would have it, the husband of the second woman got employed by a company, and six months down the line, the company where his relative worked was liquidated and sold to his new employers. The management of the buying company was magnanimous enough to absorb the workers of the liquidated company into their workforce, but at lower cadre compared to their initial designations. So, the husband of the first woman had to manage with a subordinate position in the buying company, and he wasn’t happy when he discovered that he would be an assistant to his relative, and that his salary was 50% less than that of his relative, who was less than 6months on the job. The ways of God are past finding out! I pay that this year will end with you laughing last in Jesus’ Name.
The laughter that is most desirable is the one that comes last, because Ecclesiastes 7:8a says:
“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof:”
Are you going through a trying period? The word of the Lord comes to you today from John 16:20 as follows:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
Are you living your life in wickedness? The Lord is also saying to you today in James 4:8b-10:
“Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
He also says in Matthew 5:4:
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”
In other words, those who mourn in repentance for their sins and misdeeds will laugh last. Beloved, to be able to laugh last, you need to give your life to Christ today, and you will escape the everlasting agony of an eternity in hell. Jesus is holding out His arms to welcome you into His kingdom today. Run into His arms and you will discover you and peace like never before.
ACTION POINT:
Take stock of how well you did in all aspects of your life this year, and thank God for bringing you thus far.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Song Solomon 5-8
Malachi 3:16-4:6
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 1: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
o Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
2. There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
3. There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
4. There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
5. There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.