OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY- 08/08/2014 - DRIVING FORCE BEHIND GREATNESS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DRIVING FORCE BEHIND GREATNESS

MEMORISE

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Mark 11:24

READ

Hebrews 11:1-6

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.

3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

MESSAGE

How does a man experience greatness? The starting point on the path to greatness is the desire to be great. For one to be great, you must have definiteness of purpose; that is, the knowledge of what you want and a burning desire to achieve it, backed by faith in God. Desire is borne out of need and dissatisfaction with your present status or lot in life. The proof of desire is pursuit. What you pursue says a lot about you. Your life gravitates towards the desires of your heart. Desire is what gives birth to miracles. Desire inspires and motivates. It was desire that inspired the Wright Brothers to fly. Hope and wish are different from definite desire. The proof of definite desire is pursuit irrespective of the current situations and circumstances. Definite desire translates into reality. Wishing will not lead to greatness, but desiring greatness with a focused state of mind, then planning definite ways and means to acquire it and backing those plans with persistence which does not recognise failure will bring greatness. Psalm 37:4 says,

“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

Desire is like a living organism. It is born, it grows, and it can die. People with a strong desire to be great know that every setback along the path of greatness brings with it the seed of advancement. You must desire to be great because greatness is your heritage. I have come to realise that many Christians are just living life by and by because they are complacent and have accepted the status quo. Jesus was never complacent. His desire to succeed in His ministry was fired by His mission as stated in Luke 4:18. He kept moving on to the other side. Beloved, you must refuse to stay on the edge of God’s blessing. There exists greatness on the other side. The strong desire to fulfil your mission in life will fire you on to greatness. If your desire is in line with the will of God, and you concentrate on it and do not associate with small thinkers, you will achieve it. Another driving force behind greatness is obedience. Obedience in this respect simply means your willingness to do what God has instructed you to do. Abraham obeyed God when God instructed him to get out of his country (certainty) and go to a land that he was yet to show him (uncertainty) (Genesis 12:1-3). Obedience is doing anything God asks you to do regardless of its cost and consequences. God has promised us greatness if only we will obey His commandments (Deuteronomy 28:1-13). You should therefore respect the principle of obedience if you desire to be great.

ACTION POINT

Obedience involves faith. Have faith in God, and He will surely make you great.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Mark 5:21-6:56

Job 18:5-19