04-14-2019, 09:27 AM
OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SUNDAY 14TH APRIL 2019
THEME: THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE.
MEMORISE:
Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. Malachi 3:16
READ: Esther 6:1-13
1On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
3 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
4 And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5 And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.
6 So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?
7 And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,
8 Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head:
9 And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
11 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
12 And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.
13 And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.
MESSAGE
The book of remembrance is a divine record of those who fear God and obey His commands. Kept before the throne of God, it documents their righteous deeds. In today’s memory verse, some godly people were discussing among themselves the challenges they faced in an environment where the ungodly seemed to be prospering while they were not. The Lord took note of their conversation and immediately opened a book of remembrance on their behalf. This tells us that God listens in on their heartfelt discussions, and His attention is always drawn to our good deeds and challenges, so much so that He even documents them. In times of uncertainty and when faced with challenges, you can draw on this truth to call God to remembrance and cause Him to move on your behalf. Nehemiah knew this, and so when he was faced with the challenge of building the walls of Jerusalem in times of uncertainty and adversity, he prayed this prayer in Nehemiah 13:14, saying:
“Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.”
I pray that God will bring your righteous deeds into remembrance for due reward today in Jesus’ Name.
Indeed, God rewards the righteous deeds of those who persistently hold on to Him. I am a living testimony of this. The Holy Spirit says in Galatians 6:9:
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
This suggests that God can never forget our contributions to the progress of His kingdom. He will ensure that we receive proper recognition and reward for our righteous deeds. Speaking in Hebrews 6:10, the Holy Spirit further says:
“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward
his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”
Any attempt to deny anyone the reward of their labour is an act of unrighteousness before God, and because God cannot be unrighteous, it is part of His nature to call a person’s deeds into remembrance for adequate recompense. He did this with Abraham, Noah, Cornelius, Rachael, Hannah and the nation of Israel. God will therefore remember your contributions to the growth of His kingdom and adequately compensate you in Jesus’ Name.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please remember my labor of love in Your vineyard today, in Jesus’ Name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 5-7
Jeremiah 17:14-27
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 8: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!
2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!
3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.
4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!
DATE: SUNDAY 14TH APRIL 2019
THEME: THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE.
MEMORISE:
Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. Malachi 3:16
READ: Esther 6:1-13
1On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
3 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
4 And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5 And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.
6 So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?
7 And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,
8 Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head:
9 And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
11 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
12 And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered.
13 And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.
MESSAGE
The book of remembrance is a divine record of those who fear God and obey His commands. Kept before the throne of God, it documents their righteous deeds. In today’s memory verse, some godly people were discussing among themselves the challenges they faced in an environment where the ungodly seemed to be prospering while they were not. The Lord took note of their conversation and immediately opened a book of remembrance on their behalf. This tells us that God listens in on their heartfelt discussions, and His attention is always drawn to our good deeds and challenges, so much so that He even documents them. In times of uncertainty and when faced with challenges, you can draw on this truth to call God to remembrance and cause Him to move on your behalf. Nehemiah knew this, and so when he was faced with the challenge of building the walls of Jerusalem in times of uncertainty and adversity, he prayed this prayer in Nehemiah 13:14, saying:
“Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.”
I pray that God will bring your righteous deeds into remembrance for due reward today in Jesus’ Name.
Indeed, God rewards the righteous deeds of those who persistently hold on to Him. I am a living testimony of this. The Holy Spirit says in Galatians 6:9:
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
This suggests that God can never forget our contributions to the progress of His kingdom. He will ensure that we receive proper recognition and reward for our righteous deeds. Speaking in Hebrews 6:10, the Holy Spirit further says:
“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward
his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”
Any attempt to deny anyone the reward of their labour is an act of unrighteousness before God, and because God cannot be unrighteous, it is part of His nature to call a person’s deeds into remembrance for adequate recompense. He did this with Abraham, Noah, Cornelius, Rachael, Hannah and the nation of Israel. God will therefore remember your contributions to the growth of His kingdom and adequately compensate you in Jesus’ Name.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please remember my labor of love in Your vineyard today, in Jesus’ Name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 5-7
Jeremiah 17:14-27
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 8: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!
2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!
3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.
4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!