OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY - 16/1/2014 - THE CHOSEN OF THE LORD BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE CHOSEN OF THE LORD

MEMORISE

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1 Peter 2:9

READ

1 Samuel 16:12-13

1 Samuel 16:12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

MESSAGE

When they brought in David from watching over his father’s sheep in the wilderness, the first thing that God said to the man of God about him was that he was the chosen one. What kind of person will God choose? 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 offers the answer to this question. God will choose the foolish. God will choose the weak. God will choose the people regarded as nothing. Why will God choose the foolish? It is because He will fill the foolish with His wisdom. If you believe you are already wise, He can no longer fill you with His wisdom, so He will not use you. This is probably why we find very few academics in the service of God. The ways of God don’t conform to human sense. For example, God says if you want to be rich, you must give. God says if you want your home to overflow with blessings, you must pay all your tithes. This does not make human sense. For some people, 100% of their earnings is not enough, not to mention 90%. When I became born-again, I really argued about this question of tithe with God. I thank God that He took my wisdom from me and replaced it with His foolishness. This is why I am where I am today.

Why will God choose weak people? He will choose weak people so that He can fill them with His power. If you are already strong, how can God give you strength? The Bible says He gives power to the faint, and to those that have no might, he increases strength (Isaiah 40:29). If you say you are strong because you are young, a time will come when you will exhaust the energy in you. Nevertheless, they that wait upon the Lord will constantly have their strength renewed by God. Before I became born-again, I was a sportsman, but malaria fever knocked me down at least once a month. When I became born-again, I told God to heal me and I will serve Him. He healed me and I am now serving Him with more than ten times the ability I had back then. By the grace of God I am waxing stronger. Why will God choose those who are nothing, like David? God finds it difficult to use those who are already something. I like one inscription that I saw in one of the offices at the Redemption Camp in Nigeria which says: “God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called”. God does not choose the qualified, the wise or the strong; He makes His chosen vessels wise and strong. You too can be God’s chosen vessel. Allow Him to work on you and you will be a chosen vessel of honour in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please work on my weakness and foolishness. Make me strong and wise enough to be your chosen vessel in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Ephesians 1:1-4:16; 

Psalm 18:20-28