OPEN HEAVEN 14 JUNE 2021: OUR SURE REFUGE
OPEN HEAVEN 14 June 2021 TOPIC: Our Sure Refuge
MEMORISE: The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. – Psalm 9:9
READ: Psalm 71:1-2 (KJV)
1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.
2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezra 6-7
Open Heaven 14 June 2021 MESSAGE:
Knowledge, particularly godly knowledge is power. This is why Paul in Philippians 3:10 prayed:
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”
The Almighty God is our sure refuge and fortress. However, that only applies if you are His child. A refuge is somewhere you hide when trouble is looming. For me, this place is the presence of God.
Sometimes, hiding is not cowardice. it could be wisdom, provided you are hiding with the Sure Refuge. Even gallant warriors learn to hide; it is a military strategy. There are several occasions in the Bible when God told His prophets to hide. In 1 Kings 17:1-3, Elijah pronounced before a king that there would be no rain until he commanded so. Immediately after he did, God asked him to hide. Is this not strange? Was God afraid of the king? Definitely not! When God says you should hide, what it implies is that the battle is no longer yours but His. I have learnt to hide when God says I should. In Matthew 2:13-15, God told Joseph to take Mary and the baby Jesus into hiding. Even the Son of God had to be taken into hiding. He was hidden so that God could deal with Herod. eventually, Herod was smitten by an angel and eaten by worms thereafter (Acts 12:21-23). If God ask me to hide so He can fight for me, I will gladly do so.
Like the Psalmist in Psalm 71:1-2, when our trust in the Lord is total, we would not need anyone to persuade us to exercise faith. One of my sons told the story of how he destroyed all his charms after he gave his life to Christ. Thus, it became difficult for him to think of going back. Pay attention to the second verse of our Bible reading:
“Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.”
Only the righteousness of God can make us victorious over the attacks of the enemy. A life of holiness makes God incline His ears to our cry in times of trouble. The promise of God in Psalm 91:14-15 is for those who love Him, know His name and keep His commandments. I pray God will be your sure refuge from today in Jesus’ mighty name.
Open Heaven 14 June 2021 ACTION POINT:
Put your trust in the Lord and shun all worldly alternatives from today.
Open Heaven 14 June 2021 HYMN 23: Standing On The Promises Of Christ My King
1. Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.
2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.
3. Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.
4. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.
5. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.
Open Heavens 2021 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. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
