Topic: Rejected of the Lord? [Sunday 11, December 2016]
Memorise: Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. - Psalms 51:11
Read: Proverbs 1:24-29 (KJV)
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Bible in One Year: Exodus 33:7-35:29, Psalms 119:65-80
MESSAGE:
Rejection is a terrible form of punishment that God sometimes uses to call the attention of His backslidden children to quit their sins and immoralities. Therefore, experiences and feelings of rejection are to be dealt with through the prayer of forgiveness and perseverance. In many cases in the Bible, God’s rejection came as a shock because everything seemed normal until a sudden calamity stuck as a result of the departure of God’s Presence. Such was the case with Samson and the nation of Israel. The reality of God’s rejection dawned on them by the terrible defeats that they suffered in the hands of their enemy. Judges 16:20 says:
“And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.”
All houses appear to have strong foundations until they go through the test of storms. In Matthew 7:24-27, the Lord talked of two houses; one built on the rock and the other on sand. Both appeared quite strong and promising until the floods came, one collapsed while the other stood firm. Do not wait till the day of the storm to discover your status with God, check yourself today and do everything possible to reconcile with God if need be.
In the same vein, all children are the same until they commit an offence. While the bona fide ones are immediately corrected and disciplined, the bastards are left on their own. A child left to himself is doomed. If God does not correct you for wrong speech, reaction and conduct, it simply means He is not your Father! When last did God cane you for wrong doing? May you never be above correction!
That God calls you does not mean He cannot call you something else. As our Creator, He has that right. Matthew 15:21-28 says, “the children’s bread shall not be given to dogs” and Revelation 22:15 says “dogs have a place outside”. This means that no matter how much a dog is loved, sooner or later, it will end up outside and the gate of Heaven will be shut against it. Do you feel as if the gates of Heavens are shut against you? Do you feel as if you are shut out of God’s blessings? It could mean that you are a ‘dog’. Why not accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour today? Why not reconcile with your Maker?
Prayer Point: Father, please, cast me not away from Your Presence in the Name of Jesus.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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