OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 08/03/2014 - BELATED OFFERING? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

BELATED OFFERING?

MEMORISE

And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me.

Genesis 27:20

READ

Mark 16:1-6

1 And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.

2 And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it.

3 And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.

4 And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.

5 But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.

6 Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.

MESSAGE

When Isaac asked Esau his son to go and prepare a delicious meal of venison for him to eat so that he (Isaac) may bless him, Isaac’s wife Rebekah heard it and took advantage of the distance between their tents and the field where Esau the hunter would get the bush meat. She also took advantage of the short distance between her tent and the flock of her son – Jacob the shepherd boy, to quickly prepare a meal on Jacob’s behalf. This quick response to Isaac’s demand worked out for Rebekah and her son Jacob. If there is a lesson to be learnt from this intriguing story, it is that of promptness. Many of us are too slow when it comes to giving offerings to God or doing good deeds for our neighbours. At times, our so-called kind gestures are belated ones. The story was told of a rich man whose nephew went to him for financial help when his father was hospitalised. This rich man did not respond on time and by the time he made up his mind to help, the sick man had given up the ghost in the hospital for lack of medical attention. The rich man took the money to the hospital only to find out that the sick man passed on a couple of hours before.

When the woman who anointed Jesus Christ at Bethany did what she did, some people were protesting the “wastage”, but Jesus rebuked them for it and told them the significance of what she did. In Mark 14:8 He said:

“She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.”

Now, when on the resurrection morning, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome came to anoint the body of Jesus Christ, they went back with the costly sweet perfume unused because it was a belated gesture; Jesus had risen! The only perfume Jesus wore to the grave was the one the woman put on Him shortly before His arrest and eventual crucifixion. During this season, you will not offer a belated offering to God in Jesus’ Name. We must always be ready to do good, according to Galatians 6:10:

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

Good deeds are needed and these deeds are time-bound, for them to be useful and appreciated. I pray that the ability and willingness to offer timely help to those who need it will be given to you this season in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT

Look around you and see areas of need in your Church or neighbourhood. Decide to meet such needs before it is too late.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Jeremiah 36:1-38:6;

 Psalm 55:16-23