OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 14/09/2014 - CHAMPIONS AND GOALS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

CHAMPIONS AND GOALS

MEMORISE

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

READ

1 Samuel 17:32-37

32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

MESSAGE

Champions are people of rugged determination. Once they set their minds on certain goals, nothing will make them change their minds. They will pursue their goals relentlessly until they arrive at their desired destination. Divine champions see every mountain as a potential testimony. David was so sure that Goliath would end up like the lion and the bear he had killed. In order words, the present problem would become a testimony. Many times when we go to battle, we expect to come back without a scar. Divine champions believe all their goals will be actualised, but not without pain. They don’t bother about the pain because they know that at the end they will have their victory. They are people like Paul who would say: “I forget those things that are behind, and press forward” (Philippians 3:13-14). A divine champion is like a river. A river will always look for a way around an obstruction to get to the ocean.

I suppose David would have said this to himself: “Not one of the sheep given to me by my father would get lost”. All of a sudden, a lion came and grabbed one of the sheep. David faced the lion that was the champion of the forest and killed it. This was what gave David the boldness to confront the champion of the city. Your ability to achieve a particular goal is a function of the ones you have achieved in the past through the help of the Almighty God. When the Lord decided to move us from the first auditorium at the Redemption Camp, there were many people who felt that the auditorium we were moving from was the biggest they had ever seen. Also, when the Lord decided to move us away from the second auditorium to the arena where we presently worship, many said it was impossible, but it happened. Today, the Lord is set to move us to a bigger arena because the children need to occupy the present one. Many of us have lost our miracles because we stopped too soon. A divine champion sets goals believing that with God, nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37). I have been challenged by people who say what we want to do is impossible. The moment you say it is impossible, I will want to show you that it is possible. It could take some sweating, fasting, night vigils and a little extra effort, but whatever goals divine champions set before God, they will get it. As a divine champion, it is not all the time you set a goal that you realise it at first instance. Many times, you have to try and try over and over again before you succeed. The important thing is that as a child of God you will win at the end.

KEY POINT

In Christ alone lies the strength of a divine champion.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Joshua 22

Job 38:12-24