OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 9/2/2014 - ACCEPTED TIME III BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

ACCEPTED TIME III

MEMORISE

For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

2 Corinthians 6:2

READ

Numbers 14:39-45

Numbers 14:39 And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly.

Numbers 14:40 And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned.

Numbers 14:41 And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper.

Numbers 14:42 Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.

Numbers 14:43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you.

Numbers 14:44 But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.

Numbers 14:45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.

MESSAGE

Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth did not give birth to John the Baptist until they had grown old. Yet the Bible says this of Zechariah the priest of God and Elizabeth his wife in Luke 1:6:

“And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”

In spite of their right standing with God, John was not born until the time was set in God’s timetable. This was on purpose. The one that would be the forerunner of the Messiah (Jesus) was only going to be older than Jesus by 6 months. God had reserved for His righteous servants the honour of becoming the parents of this fellow who would be the forerunner of the Lord, and who would also be the greatest of the Old Testament prophets (Matthew 11:11). The same applies in the case of Hannah, who was ridiculed and mocked for a long period of time, due to barrenness. Right about that time, God wanted to have a man for Himself who would love Him and walk in total obedience, so as to clear up the prevailing mess of spiritual lethargy and lead the people back to Him. That child must be one that would be completely devoted to God. Hannah’s desperation for a child made her willing to devote her child to God right about the time when God’s timetable was set for His plan. You may have been waiting for a long period for your own child and it seems God has forgotten you. Not so. You are being prepared for a history-making child that would be used mightily of God.

You must be ready when God says His time has come. From our Bible reading, when on God’s timetable, the Israelites were supposed to move into the Promised Land from the wilderness, they were instructed through Moses to do so. They were however not ready. They demonstrated unbelief and doubt in God’s ability and faithfulness. This made them afraid of the physical stature of the people in the land. Hence they revolted and missed their chance. When it eventually dawned on them that they had made a serious mistake, it was too late for them. All these happened within the space of a 24-hour window. Even an hour’s delay can be disastrous in the things of God. In 1 Kings 17:8-16, if Elijah had delayed, the widow would have prepared her last meal and she would have eaten it all. It is my prayer that you will be ready when God’s time comes, in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT

Decisively deal with the weaknesses of unbelief, doubt, disobedience and fear before they cause you a great loss.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Isaiah 24-27; 

Psalm 34:11-22