OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY 15/08/2013 - SET UP BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

SET UP

MEMORY VERSE

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6:11

READ

1 Samuel 11:1-5

1 Samuel 11:1 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

1 Samuel 11:2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.

1 Samuel 11:3 And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.

1 Samuel 11:4 Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.

1 Samuel 11:5 And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.

MESSAGE

In 2 Kings 5:20, Gehazi not only resolved to pursue Naaman but also to take something from him. Little wonder he got what he sought! Matthew 7:7 says it is what you seek that you will find. What are you seeking? When this question was thrown at Paul, he said he was seeking to know Jesus and the power of His resurrection, and he got it. Be careful of what you are searching for! However, there is a dangerous twist when Naaman turned to receive and attend to Gehazi. This simply tells us that the devil makes backsliding very easy. Gehazi did not have to run after Naaman for too long. If he did, he would probably have grown tired and could have changed his mind. It is common knowledge that you don't need much strength or effort to descend a hill. Usually, while facing a temptation, the devil makes it so alluring and easy to get. He tells his potential victim to go ahead and immediately feed on his or her lust. This is one reason to suspect any thing that seems good but appears so easy to achieve; it could just be a satanic booby trap!

Satan easily plans the fall of men and women. He sets people up. Have you ever wondered what Uriah's wife was doing naked at that time of the day, considering it was not yet night? David got up from bed and he felt like taking a stroll; unknown to him, Satan had set up both of them to fall into the sin of adultery. Every satanic setup to bring you down shall fail. Many years ago, while I was still young in the village, I overheard the native medicine man saying that if one is preparing medicine to heal the sick and seven leaves are required, which must be arranged in a particular order; that if one misses the order by one step, the healing charm would not work. But that if one requires seven leaves to prepare an evil charm, by the time the fellow gets five, the charm will take effect. James 4:8 says if you choose to pursue God, He will equally simplify the process for you. For every step you take towards God, He will take a longer stride towards you. In other words, if you truly want to serve God in the midst of difficult circumstances, He will be there to back you up with His grace.

KEY POINT

To sin is like going down a slope, while to live holy is like climbing a hill