OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL…
DATE: THURSDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2023
THEME: KILL THAT WEAKNESS II
MEMORISE:
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is net before us, Hebrews 12:1
READ : Numbers 20:7-12
7 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
8 “Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.”
9 Moses took the rod from before Yahweh, as he commanded him.
10 Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?”
11 Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank.
12 Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
MESSAGE
I would like to give a clear illustration of what we discussed yesterday with the story of Moses. Numbers 12:3 describes Moses as the meekest man on earth, but he had the problem of anger. The devil discovered it in Exodus 2:11-12. Moses saw an Egyptian beating up an Israelite and because he couldn’t control his temper, Moses killed the man. Many years later, while leading the children of Israel to the Promised Land, the devil started hitting on this weak spot. In Exodus 14-15, we see the children of Israel complaining about different things; this was the devil throwing blows at Moses to get him angry, but he dodged all of them. However, in Exodus 17:1-7, when there was no water to drink and they turned to Moses to complain again, he said in verse 2, “Why are you chiding with me?” The devil said, “Good, blow number 1 has landed, he is now beginning to respond”. In Exodus 35:15-20, Moses had gone to collect the 10 commandments from God; by the time he returned, the children of Israel were already worshipping an idol. When he came and saw them worshipping the idol, the temper in him rose and he took the two tablets of commandments that God gave him and smashed them. At that point, the devil knew his punches were now landing.
In Numbers 11:10-15, when the children of Israel were complaining that they wanted meat, Moses turned to God and said, “God, why are you doing this to me? Am I the father of these people?” The devil said, “Good, now I have turned you against your supporter”. By the time we get to Numbers 20:2-13, the people murmured again about water, but this time, instead of speaking to the rock as God commanded, Moses was so angry that he hit it twice. God asked him to speak to the rock, but He decided to strike it. That was disobedience. At that point, the Almighty God said, “Moses, you will not reach the Promised Land”.
The meek Moses – with only one little contamination called anger, had become, after forty years of ministry, a failure.
Beloved, kill that little weakness in your life before it kills you.
KEY POINT
Kill that little weakness in your life before it kills You.
Bible in one year: Acts 27, Acts 28
AUTHOR: PASTOR E . A ADEBOYE
Hymn: I Need Thee Every Hour
1 I need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior!
I come to Thee.
2 I need Thee every hour,
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh.
3 I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.
4 I need Thee every hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill.
5 I need Thee every hour,
Most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son.
