OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: WEDNESDAY 16TH DECEMBER 2015
THEME : ALL FOR GOOD
Memorise:
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Read: Ephesians 1:3-6
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Message
The words of today's Bible reading should bring joy to the heart of every believer in Christ. They reveal that everything about God's plan for your life has been settled long before the foundation of the world was laid. If this is true, it means that the things you have experienced in the past, all you are currently going through and everything you will experience in the future are no accidents; rather, they are designed to help you fulfil God's purpose for your life. No wonder Romans 8:28 says:
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
If God has called you to fulfil His plan for your life, everything He allows to come your way, both good and bad, will work in your favour, even though on the surface, they may not appear to be working in your interest. In fact, some situations might appear so contrary and terrible, but in God's overall plan for your life, they are adding up to something great for you.
Let's look at the example of Joseph. He was born quite late by his beloved mother, and so he became his father's favourite son. His father made him a coat of many colours, which was a prophetic connotation of where God was taking him. God gave him a dream for his life, and his envious brothers hated him for it. Joseph's dream was not just a desire or a goal he set for himself; it was God's plan for his life. Do you know that some people can be envious of you because of God's plan for your life? If every believer knew what God had planned for each of them, and accepted His plan, there would be no room for envy. Furthermore, notice that even though God had a great plan for Joseph's life, he still experienced great troubles. His troubles even started right from home. Nevertheless, if you take a look at his life, you will see how all the experiences of his life helped to take him to God's destination. If his brothers were not envious of him, they would not have sold him into slavery. If he was not sold into slavery, he would never have become Potiphar's servant. If he was not Potiphar's servant, he would never have met Potiphar's wife. If he had not met Potiphar's wife, she would never have lied against him. If she had not lied against him, he would not have gone to prison. If he did not go to prison, he would not have met Pharaoh's imprisoned servants, and if this had not happened, nobody would have recommended him to Pharaoh. Beloved, like Joseph, everything is working out for your good! Go ahead and thank God for this.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, grant me grace to recognise the presence or absence of Your hand in any situation I'm confronted with, in Jesus' Name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : PSALM 137-143 and 1 PETER 1:1-12
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