OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD 2018- DIVINE FAVOUR II

Memorise: “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” Proverbs 18:22
Read: Genesis 2:18-25
18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Bible in One Year: Exodus 24-25, Romans 8:18-39

1. Yesterday, we reflected on divine favor and discovered that divine favor is for those who seek it from God. Today we will be considering the blessedness of having a good spouse as a form of God’s favor.
2. A blissful marriage is a divine gift and a mark of favor from the Almighty God. Some men and women maltreat their spouses because they fail to realize that having a wife (not just a woman) or a husband (not just a man) is God’s favor, as our memory verse clearly shows.
3. The truth of the matter is: a blessing you do not appreciate depreciate in your hands as a result of abuse or misuse.
4. It is evil to abuse the gift of God that is your spouse.
5. In today’s bible text, we see how God graciously provided Adam with a helper comparable to him, since none of the other existing creatures could meet this needs. The Lord knew that this helper must share the same image that Adam shared with God, and hence He created the woman. From this deed, one can understand why God frowns at sexual perversion, particularly homosexuality and bestiality. The Bible in Deuteronomy 27:21 says, “Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.”
6. Beloved, the Lord is calling on you today to cherish the gift He has given to you in the form of your spouse.
7. It is an act of ingratitude for you to maltreat your spouse who is an embodiment of the Lord’s favor in your life. Speaking to both parties, the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 5:21 says, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
8. Let there be mutual submission between the two of you. Learn to say “sorry” to one another whenever you wrong each other.
9. To the Christian husband, please love your wife (Ephesians 5:25). You have our Lord Jesus Christ as a role model to copy, being the Husband of the Church. The same unconditional and unending love with which Christ loves you must be extended to your wife. Rebuke the ego that has been preventing you from apologizing to your wife whenever you wronged her in the past. May the Lord help you in this regard in Jesus’ Name.
10. To the Christian wife, I appeal to you not to allow that strange woman to take advantage of your pride and steal your husband from you. Please submit to your husband as the head; he did not make himself your head, God did (Ephesians 5:22).
11. May the Lord preserve your home for you in Jesus’ Name.

There is a particular paragraph I will like for us to meditate upon in today’s devotional and amend our ways for the favour we found having a spouse to remain. “The truth of the matter is: a blessing you do not appreciate depreciate in your hands as a result of abuse or misuse.” May God continually increase and empower Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Action Point
Confess your faults to each other today and jointly pray this prayer: “Father, please forgive us our sins and help us to learn how to forgive one another. Father, please make our home as the days of heaven on earth in Jesus’ Name. Amen”
HYMN
1. Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!
Chorus:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
2. At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.
3. Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.
4. Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never ’gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.
5. Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.
Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ the King,
This through countless ages men and angels sing.

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