09/01/2022
OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: MONDAY JANUARY 10 2022
THEME: THE PRICE OF COMMITMENT
MEMORISE:
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 9:23
READ: Matthew 22:35-40
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
MESSAGE:
A brother was discussing with me about how he had decided to be very committed to Kingdom work. I knew he was just probably trying to impress me, so I set a little test to see how serious he was in his commitment to Kingdom business. I told him the church would need his car for an outreach the next Monday. He protested immediately, saying that he would also need it to transport himself to work. I then told him that he had no idea what total commitment to God and His Kingdom’s business was. It was then I pointed out to him that we had already made provision for all the vehicles we would need for the outreach. I told him further that I had just wanted to test the genuineness of his claim of commitment to God.
In our Bible reading today, our Lord Jesus Christ based our commitment as His disciples on a great pillar called love - love for our Father in heaven and love for our neighbours. Our commitment to love goes a long way to fulfil the eternal and universal law. Love is however, so costly that even our Father in heaven paid a great price to demonstrate it to the whole world for the purpose of our salvation.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
In the same vein, when we are committed to loving our neighbours, many things will happen positively in our world. Firstly, keeping the commandments of God would be very easy. Our love for God will make us refrain from annoying Him through sin. David wrote: “I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.” (Psalm 119:101). Holiness is the price we all must pay to be a part of Kingdom of God. Furthermore, our commitment to holiness may be very costly as we must be ready to pay the price of persecution according to 2 Timothy 3:12. To be a disciple and a friend of Jesus for that matter demands a price, according to our memory verse today. The good news however, is that a hundredfold-reward is guaranteed, according to Mark 10:30. Beloved, are you committed to soul-winning, giving to Kingdom projects and godliness? I congratulate you if you are because you will not miss your reward, in the name of Jesus.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to increase my commitment to godliness and kingdom projects, in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 30-31
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 1
ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER
1. All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
Chorus:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee,
My blessed Saviour
I surrender all.
2. All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
[Chorus]
3. All to Jesus I surrender
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.
[Chorus]
4. All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!
[Chorus]
