OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 28/08/2013 - DARE TO BE DIFFERENT! BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT!

MEMORY VERSE

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel 1:8

READ

Daniel 1:8-16

Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel 1:9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

Daniel 1:10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

Daniel 1:11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

Daniel 1:12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

Daniel 1:13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

Daniel 1:14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

Daniel 1:15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.

Daniel 1:16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

MESSAGE 

To shine is to be peculiar according to 1 Peter 2:9. Those who are peculiar are usually different. It also means to stand out from the crowd. In 2 Kings 2:1-8, there were many sons of the prophets but only Elisha stood out and shone all the way. To shine you must be willing to be special. Acts 19:11-12 says God performed special miracles through one of His servants who was willing to shine. Do you know that God is ready to use you to do the impossible? Do you know that everything you need to succeed in life and ministry is already prepared by God? The problem is that we are not willing: we are often not ready. Do you know some of us keep God on His toes? He is ever ready but are we? Before God ever sent you on an errand, He had provided everything for you to successfully carry out that assignment. Even when you are faced with lack, God does not see any lack because He has made provision for all things. All you need to do is to go to Him in all sincerity and ask.

Another reason many of us cannot shine is because we refuse to pay the price to shine. God will not ask you to pay the price that you cannot. He is no taskmaster. If you are special, your standard must be quite high. You cannot afford to eat what every other person is eating. Daniel was special and he refused what others ate and at the end, he and his pals had a different result from every other person. If you want to end differently let your consecration level and loyalty level be different. If you do what every other person is doing, but expect to end somewhere else, then you must be a joker. Are you prepared to pray more intensively, worship more in spirit and truth and study the Word as never before? Are you prepared to make sacrifices for the Kingdom? It is what you are prepared to give up or to give in that will determine what God is willing to give out to you.

ACTION POINT 

Ask God for the grace to be positively different