OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY - 13/06/2014 - THE YOUNG SHALL GROW BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE YOUNG SHALL GROW

MEMORISE

Be ye followers of me, even as I am of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:1

READ

Luke 2:46-50

46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.

MESSAGE

Those who are wise submit to God totally. You must be keenly observant of what your mentor is doing while you are undergoing tutelage if you are to perform at a greater level in future. Elisha had closely observed how Elijah parted the waters, and he emulated him. He got his own miracle. Many times, young people think that they are wiser than the elders. I often remind ambitious young people of this anecdote. I tell my natural and spiritual children that:

“When you are as old as I am, you will understand why I cannot sleep at night. You will know why I go for prayer walks, two, three times a day, and often at night. You will also understand why I fast so often”.

“He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.”

Daniel 2:22

The best way to learn is by following the example of your teacher. You first learn to write by copying what is written down for you to see, not by creating your own letters and symbols. You may develop your own unique handwriting later, but you first learn to write by copying what is shown to you. Jesus spent thirty years preparing for a ministry of just 3½ years. Today, unfortunately, many think that three years of schooling or training in ministry is all they need for a whole lifetime of actual ministry.

You may know all that your mentor knows, but he does know something. This is why by God’s grace, you must simply learn from him. It is my prayer that as you grow in Him, you will get to a level where the Lord would show you his intended works of healing the sick, delivering the captives and prospering the poor. David captured the essence of following the Lord when he said “I surrender the rest of my life to you; do whatever you like with it” (Psalm 23:1). True Christianity has no room for the lordship of self; once we place our heart and future into the hands of Jesus, He will make our small beginning bring about a glorious ending.

KEY POINT

If you do what Jesus did, you will get what Jesus got.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Leviticus 8-9;

Psalm 119:161-172