Open Heaven 18 March 2023 TOPIC: The Word Guides I
MEMORISE: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” – 2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV)
READ: Psalm 119:97-105 (KJV)
97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.
102 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.
103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judges 14-16
MESSAGE:
In 1 Kings 17:2-16, God sent His word to guide Elijah to where he would get food for a period of time. When the time elapsed, the word came again, telling him to go to Zarephath where God had already made arrangements for his feeding through a widow.
The word of God guides; He tells you what to do when there seems to be no way out of a difficult situation. I pray that the Lord will open your ears so that you can begin to hear from Him.
You will solve problems faster if you can hear directly from God. When I was working on my PhD thesis, I ended up with many simultaneous equations. Even solving one of these is stressful enough, talk less of the volume I had to deal with! I tried and tried to solve them but I couldn’t. One day, before going to bed, I read Exodus 14 where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. Suddenly, I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Bring your equations”. I did just that and then He began to say, “Put this one on the right, put this one on the left and so on”. By the time I finished and took a look at those on the right, they all had something in common. It was the same thing for those on the left. Because they were all jumbled together before, I couldn’t see that. The Lord then said, “Solve the ones on the right separately, the ones on the left separately, then combine. That was exactly what happened at the Red Sea. The sea parted, the Israelites passed through and the sea came together again killing Pharaoh and his army.” Five hours later, my thesis was ready. God’s voice solved in 5 hours what I hadn’t been able to solve in 18 months. When my thesis was taken to the external examiner, he read through and said, “Award this boy his PhD; I have no question for him”. He was told that there must be an oral examination, but he insisted that he had no questions for me. He had no questions because I wasn’t the one who solved that problem, it was the Word of God Himself who did.
If you allow the word of God to be your guide for every decision you make, you will never walk in darkness and He will guide you to the fulfilment of His purpose for your life (John 8:12).
ACTION POINT:
Make God’s word your guide in all decisions you make.
HYMN 10: In Christ Alone
1 In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when striving cease,
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
2 In Christ alone who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied,
For every sin on Him was laid,
Here in the death of Christ I live.
3 There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day,
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine,
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
4 No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Could ever pluck me from His hand,
‘Til He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I stand.