OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.. DATE : SATURDAY 24th JANUARY 2015 THEME : ENEMY OF DIVINE BLESSINGS Memorize: The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringth low, and lifeth up. 1st Samuel 2:7; The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. 1 Samuel 2:7 Read: Hosea 5:3-9, 3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled. 4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD. 5 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them. 6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them. 7 They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions. 8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin. 9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be. Hosea 5:3-9 New International Version (NIV) 3 I know all about Ephraim; Israel is not hidden from me. Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution; Israel is corrupt. 4 “Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. A spirit of prostitution is in their heart; they do not acknowledge the Lord. 5 Israel’s arrogance testifies against them; the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin; Judah also stumbles with them. 6 When they go with their flocks and herds to seek the Lord, they will not find him; he has withdrawn himself from them. 7 They are unfaithful to the Lord; they give birth to illegitimate children. When they celebrate their New Moon feasts, he will devour[a] their fields. 8 “Sound the trumpet in Gibeah, the horn in Ramah. Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven[b]; lead on, Benjamin. 9 Ephraim will be laid waste on the day of reckoning. Among the tribes of Israel I proclaim what is certain. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JEREMIAH 3:6-4:31 and ACTS 13:48-14:18 Message: At the beginning of Ephraim’s history, Ephraim was God’s favourite and a symbol of blessing. In Genesis 48:20, Jacob pronounced these blessings of Ephraim: “… In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.” David also spoke about the blessings of Ephraim in Psalm 108:8. Without any doubt, Ephraim was indeed a beneficiary of divine blessings. But at some point in history, Ephraim became an object of ridicule (Jeremiah 7:15). How did Ephraim come to this state? The answer is in Hosea 4:17: “Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.” What is idolatry? Idolatry is the act of reverencing anything other than the Almighty God. It can take the form of esteeming your culture, race, idea, achievement, etc over and above the Almighty and His Word. Idolatry can also be an insatiable craving for the material things of this world (1st John 2:15-17). When you esteem your children, your cars or your educational qualifications so highly that you make them “no go areas” for the One who gave them to you in the first place, then you are guilt of idolatry. This was the undoing of King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:30-33). Idolatry is one of the archenemies of divine blessings. The Almighty God warned His people against idolatry in Exodus 20:3 saying: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” When the children of Israel become comfortable in the Promised Land, they joined themselves with the natives to worship their gods. For this reason, they suffered series of servitude under neighbouring kingdoms. At some point, they were even carried away into captivity by the Assyrians and Babylonians. A nation that had hitherto enjoyed divine blessings in the land flowing with milk and honey became slaves all over again because of their sin of idolatry. This was exactly what turned Ephraim’s divine blessings into a curse. The word of the Lord is coming to you today to beware of idolatry. Put God first in all you think, say or do, and you will not be a victim of the sin of idolatry. Prayer Point : Father, today, I put down every strange altar I have consciously or unconsciously erected to compete with you in my life, home, business or ministry, in Jesus Name. AUTHOR : Pastor E. A. ADEBOYE
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 23:47:09 +0000