Thoughts by irene

03/09/2026

OPEN HEAVENS 2026 DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THU, SEP 03, 2026

TOPIC: TRADING WITH GOD 2

MEMORISE:

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. - (Luke 6:38)

READ: 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (KJV)

6. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

7. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

8. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work

MESSAGE:

Many years ago, God asked me what kind of pastor I wanted to be. He asked, "Do you want to be the best or the worst?" I told Him that I want to be the best. He asked further if I want to be the poorest or the richest, and I said that I want to be the richest. I have experienced being poor, and I can tell you that it is not good. For instance, for the first 18 years of my life, I had no pair of shoes because my parents could not afford any.

Shortly after God asked me what kind of pastor I wanted to be, I was at a church gathering, and it was time to give our offerings. Suddenly, God repeated the question He had asked me earlier, and I replied, "The greatest, the best, and the richest." Then, He said, "Give Me the biggest currency note in your pocket." That was hard, because it was a lot of money. I almost shouted, "Get behind me, satan," but I know God's voice, so I stammered, "Yes, yes, Lord." Not long after that, there was another gathering, and He asked the same question again. I gave the same answer, and He said, "Double what you have been giving Me," so I doubled it. Not long after that, He asked me to triple it. I did, and then He began to act. Every day, different people would approach me to give me something, so I started to expect it. One day, I was about to sleep when I remembered that no one had approached me to give me anything. I told God, "Daddy, I didn't receive Your messenger today. Nobody gave me anything today." Around midnight, somebody knocked on my door and said, "Sir, God asked me to give you this." I asked the fellow how he could be out that late, and he said, "I know that the God who sent me to you will take care of me."

Beloved, let me ask you, "What kind of Christian would you like to be, a poor one or a rich one?" I want you to trust God and let Him prove Himself in your life as the Almighty Supplier. Give to Him continually out of the resources He has blessed you with, and I can assure you that a time will come when you will say to Him, "God, are these blessings not becoming too much?"

KEY POINT:

God always blesses those who give to Him.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Ezekiel 31-32

HYMNAL:

HYMN 27 - WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear;

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

2. Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged,

Take it to the Lord in prayer,

Can we find a friend so faithful,

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness,

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

3. Are we weak and heavy laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Saviour, still our refuge,

Take it to the Lord in prayer,

Do your friends despise, forsake you?

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

In His arms He'll take and shield you,

You wilt find a solace there.

31/08/2026

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY AUGUST 31ST 2026

THEME: JUST KEEP SOWING

MEMORISE: And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Galatians 6:9

READ: Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

MESSAGE

Some people attain a level of success in life and believe they have reached the pinnacle of success, so they stop doing the things that helped them become successful. Before long, however, they often come to the realization that they have begun to regress. This is why, if you have found a key that has helped you make progress in any area of your life and become successful, you must keep using it. The moment a fellow stops doing the things that helped him or her to become successful, such a person will begin to regress.

Genesis 26:12-14 says:

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

Isaac sowed in a time of famine because God told him not to leave the land (Genesis 26:2). He sowed the first year and had a hundred-fold return. However, he didn't stop there. I imagine that in the second year, he sowed again, and because he had a hundredfold more than he used to have, he sowed a hundred times more seeds than he sowed the first year and reaped an even greater harvest. I imagine that he kept sowing year after year, thereby compounding his harvest. As a result, he continued to progress until it reached a point that his prosperity became very evident. He became so prosperous that the king of the country came to tell him that he had become mightier than the entire nation, even though he was an immigrant (Genesis 26:16). Isaac didn't stop at one level of prosperity; he kept sowing and moving forward until an entire nation envied him.

Of a truth, it is God who gives prosperity. In 1 Corinthians 3:6, Paul said, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." Paul may plant, Apollos may water, but it is God who ultimately gives the increase. However, there will be no increase if nothing has been planted and watered. This means that the more seeds you plant, the greater your harvest should be. Based on the principle of sowing and reaping, when a person stops planting and watering, the flow of prosperity and increase will also stop. Beloved, do not be tired of sowing because that is the key to perpetual prosperity.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please give me the grace to keep sowing in season and out of season, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 23-24



AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE



HYMN 26: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS

1 There shall be showers of blessing:

This is the promise of love;

There shall be seasons refreshing,

Sent from the Savior above.

Refrain

Showers of blessing,

Showers of blessing we need;

Mercy-drops round us are falling,

But for the showers we plead.

2 There shall be showers of blessing—

Precious reviving again;

Over the hills and the valleys,

Sound of abundance of rain.

3 There shall be showers of blessing;

Send them upon us, O Lord!

Grant to us now a refreshing;

Come, and now honor Thy Word.



4 There shall be showers of blessing;

O that today they might fall,

Now as to God we’re confessing,

Now as on Jesus we call!

5 There shall be showers of blessing,

If we but trust and obey;

There shall be seasons refreshing,

If we let God have His way.

30/08/2026

RCCG OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY AUGUST 30TH 2026

THEME: DON’T OVERWORK YOURSELF II

MEMORISE: It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Exodus 31:17

READ: Exodus 20:8-11
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

MESSAGE

When I became the General Overseer of RCCG, I was so concerned about the church's growth that I would fast, pray, and preach for years without taking any rest or going on holiday. Suddenly, I discovered that whenever I preached for more than 15 minutes, I would lose my voice. I followed numerous recommendations from people to combat the issue, such as drinking tea with honey, but it persisted.

One elderly woman discovered what was wrong with me and said, "You are suffering from what is called 'teacher's disease'. You keep teaching without resting your voice, and now it is in rebellion." I asked her for the cure, and she said, "Don't talk for 15 days." I responded, "How am l going to do that with my busy schedule?" She answered and said, "When your voice no longer lasts for up to five minutes when you preach, you'll do what I said." Therefore, for the first time since I became General Overseer, I took a holiday and went to Germany. I stayed with the Nigerian ambassador there, who had a sauna in his house. He told me that it warms the body from the inside out, and when I enter, I must exit after 15 minutes at most because I would have been sweating profusely. I went into the sauna, and 5 minutes later, I hadn't sweated. Ten minutes later, I still hadn't sweated. It wasn't until after 15 minutes, when I was supposed to be out, that I began to notice a little sweat. I stayed in the sauna for 45 minutes before any real sweat came out. I had put my body under so much stress that it wasn't functioning as it should anymore. Since then, I have learned that I must not overwork myself and must rest from time to time if I am going to fulfil the assignment that God has given me.

In Exodus 20:1-17, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, and you will notice that four of the verses emphasize the law of the Sabbath. God emphasized the need for His people to rest on the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. To emphasize its importance, God revisited the issue of the Sabbath in Exodus 31:12-17, instructing Moses that anyone who violated the law of the Sabbath should be put to death.

Beloved, getting rest from time to time is important. When you rest as often as you ought to, you will keep yourself refreshed and preserve your life.

KEY POINT

You must always find time to rest if you want to fulfil your God-given assignment.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 21-22

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: 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 Savior,
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.

3 All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

4 All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

5 All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His name!

28/08/2026

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY 28th AUGUST 2026



THEME: REFUEL, RECHARGE, RELOAD II

Memorise:

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

— Jude 1:20 (KJV)

Read: Mark 14:32-50 (KJV)

32 And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.

�33 And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;

�34 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.

�35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

�36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

�37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?

�38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

�39 And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.

�40 And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.

�41 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

�42 Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.

�43 And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

�44 And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.

�45 And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.

�46 And they laid their hands on him, and took him.

�47 And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

�48 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?

�49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.

�50 And they all forsook him, and fled.

MESSAGE

Yesterday, I mentioned that you should recharge your spiritual energy whenever you feel a hunger in your spirit. This is very important; however, you should also continue to refuel your spiritual energy even when you don't feel a spiritual hunger so that you can be prepared ahead of any emergency. This is what I refer to as 'extra oil.' Extra oil is the reservoir of prayers and fasting that you have previously done and the Bible verses you have memorised that will come in handy when you are suddenly faced with a challenge. That is why you should always pray, fast, and study the word of God more than you think is necessary, because on days when you need a quick spiritual surge of power, it is from the reservoir that you have built that you will quickly recharge your energy.

For example, temptations can arise on a day when you are not fully charged, and you will need strength to resist them. It is from your extra oil that the strength will come. Likewise, if danger suddenly shows up or disaster strikes, you will need to switch to a war mode quickly, and that can only happen when you have a reservoir of oil in you. In such moments, you can start by speaking in tongues. As you speak in tongues, you will draw from the extra oil in your reservoir, and before long, you will feel a surge of power, and then you will be able to solve the problem at hand. However, nothing will happen if there is no extra oil in your reservoir, even if you speak vehemently in tongues when facing a disaster.

Child of God, nobody prepares for war on a battlefield. Oftentimes, commanders and soldiers plan their battle strategies long before wars break out. In Matthew 26:36-44, the Bible recounts how Jesus spent time praying earnestly in the Garden of Gethsemane before he was arrested. While He prayed, His disciples slept; therefore, when challenges arose, they had no extra oil to draw from, so they fled. Peter denied Jesus, and all the other disciples fainted on the day of adversity because their strength was small (Proverbs 24:10).

Beloved, pray more than you think is necessary before the day of adversity comes. Prayer is never a waste. Speak in tongues often, and spend ample time in God's presence so that when the day of adversity comes, you will have more than enough extra oil to draw strength from.

Prayer Point:�Father, please help me to immerse myself in prayer and give myself to the study of Your word daily.

Bible in One Year:�Ezekiel 16-17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE



HYMN 12: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

1. Onward, Christian soldiers!

Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

Going on before.

Christ, the royal Master,

Leads against the foe;

Forward into battle,

See his banners go!



[Chorus]

Onward, Christian soldiers!Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

Going on before.



2. At the sign of triumph

Satan’s host doth flee;

On, then, Christian soldiers,

On to victory.

Hell’s foundations quiver

At the shout of praise;

Brothers, lift your voices,

Loud your anthems raise.



3. Like a mighty army

Moves the Church of God;

Brothers, we are treading

Where the Saints have trod.

We are not divided;

All one body we:

One in hope and doctrine,

One in charity.



4. Onward, then, ye people;

Join our happy throng.

Blend with ours your voices

In the triumph song:

Glory, laud, and honor

Unto Christ, the King.

This through countless ages

Men and angels sing.

27/08/2026

27/08/2026

27/08/2026

RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 27TH AUGUST 2026

THEME: REFUEL, RECHARGE, RELOAD I

MEMORISE: And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. HEBREWS 12:24

READ: LEVITICUS 17:11, MATTHEW 26:27-29

LEVITICUS 17:11
11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

MATTHEW 26:27-29
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

MESSAGE:

God created man such that he would constantly need refuelling. That is why He made sure that every day would be followed by a night so that, if you have worked very hard during the day, you can sleep and refuel your energy at night.

Also, after you have eaten breakfast and worked for some time, you are expected to take a break for lunch to refuel.

The Almighty God created hunger to remind you that you are running low on energy, so you can go ahead and recharge by eating.

In the same way batteries must be recharged from time to time so they can remain effective, you must constantly recharge yourself spiritually so that you will not become spiritually ineffective.

Whenever you begin to run low on spiritual energy, there will be a hunger in your spirit, and you will feel the need to refill.

When that hunger comes, please don’t ignore it. Start fasting and praying immediately to recharge your spiritual energy.

If you allow the hunger to persist, you will become weak, and this may cause you to faint in the day of adversity Proverbs 24:10.

God, in His infinite mercy, has also provided the Holy Communion as a very effective way for Christians to refuel spiritually.

The wine of the Holy Communion represents the blood of Jesus, and since the life of the flesh is in the blood Leviticus 17:11, then the life of Jesus is in His blood.

You cannot drink the blood of Jesus worthily and remain weak.

People who belong to occult groups understand the power of blood. When members of the occult want to receive more power, they are asked to make sacrifices that involve blood.

The greater the power they seek, the greater the sacrifices required. In most cases, those who rise to the highest levels of such groups are asked to drink the blood of their victims for quicker and greater empowerment.

As children of God, when we partake of the Holy Communion, we partake of the blood of our risen Lord.

Today’s memory verse tells us that the blood of Jesus speaks better things than that of Abel. When you are weak, the blood of Jesus will speak strength and might into you.

Beloved, never wait until you are completely drained of your spiritual strength.
Whenever you find yourself getting weak spiritually, partake of the Holy Communion to recharge yourself, and you will receive fresh energy from the endless life of Christ.

KEY POINT:

Partaking of the Holy Communion will refuel your spiritual energy.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EZEKIEL 13-15

HYMN 8: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

1 I need thee every hour
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like thine
Can peace afford.
REFRAIN:

I need thee, oh, I need thee; Every hour I need thee!
Oh, bless me now my saviour;
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!

26/08/2026

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26TH 2026.

TOPIC: FEAR GOD II

MEMORISE
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. - (Proverbs 1:7)

BIBLE READING: DANIEL 1:8-20 (KJV)

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.

16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

MESSAGE

Yesterday, I discussed some benefits of having the fear of God, and today I will discuss how having the fear of God can give you access to the secrets of His heart.

The Bible says in Psalm 25:14 that the secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will reveal His covenant to them. God shares His secrets with those who fear Him, just like we humans tend to confide in those who believe in us and hold us in high regard.

Abraham was someone who feared the Lord, and in turn, he was given access to the secrets of God's heart. When God wanted to destroy S***m and Gomorrah, He said, "...Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do," (Genesis 18:17). God can only say such about the people who fear Him because He knows that they will cherish His secrets.

Daniel was another person who gained tremendous insights because of how he feared and honoured God. He was taken into captivity at a young age, but his fear of the Lord led him to remain faithful to Him. The Bible says in Daniel 1:8 that he purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the portion of the king's meat. He honoured God by being faithful to Him even in a foreign land and also led his companions to do the same. God, in turn, honoured his decision by making him and his companions ten times better than their peers (Daniel 1:20). When the king had a dream that none of the magicians in the land could tell or interpret, God revealed it to Daniel (Daniel 2:19).

Beloved, when you fear God, you will never lack spiritual knowledge and insight because God will always make sure that you have access to it. Today's memory verse says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, and Psalm 111:10 also says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Everyone who feared the Lord in the Bible had access to uncommon knowledge. If you want to access that kind of knowledge, you have to fear God. If you want God to give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches in secret places, just as He promised in Isaiah 45:3, you must honour Him with your thoughts, decisions, and actions. I pray that the Almighty God will give you access to the secrets of His heart as you honour Him with your life, in Jesus' name.

KEY POINT
Those who fear God have access to uncommon insights and knowledge.

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR EZEKIEL 9 - 12

HYMN 23 - ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER

1. All to Jesus I surrender all to Him I freely give; I will ever low 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 l bow;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken.
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

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.

4. All to Jesus I surrender,
now I feel the sacred flame
o the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His name!

25/08/2026

OPEN HEAVENS 2026 DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUE, AUG 25, 2026

TOPIC: FEAR GOD 1

MEMORISE:

But the Lord your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies. - (2 Kings 17:39)

READ: Psalm 112:1-9 (KJV)

1. Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

2. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

3. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.

4. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

5. A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.

6. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.

7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.

8. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.

9. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.

MESSAGE:

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10); therefore, anyone who does not fear God is not wise. He is a Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:29), and those who do not fear Him are truly foolish because even a mad dog fears fire. Psalm 111:10 also means that those who fear God become wise.

Apart from wisdom, however, there are many other benefits to fearing God, and today's Bible reading outlines many of them. One of the benefits is that the seed of a person who fears God will be mighty upon the earth (Psalm 112:2). That same verse also tells us that the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Psalm 112:3 says that you will have access to wealth and riches when you fear God. Also, Psalm 112:7 says that you will not be afraid of evil tidings. People who fear God do not need to be afraid of anything because He will deliver them out of the hands of all their enemies and everything that can harm them.

Those who do not fear God will find it easy to commit sins, and this can bring a curse upon them and their descendants. For example, Gehazi's lack of fear for the Lord caused him and his descendants to become carriers of the leprosy that was previously upon Naaman (2 Kings 5:20-27). Whenever a person acts in a way that shows that he or she does not fear God, such a person robs his or her children of the opportunity to be great and exposes them to curses rather than blessings.

Joab was another person whose lack of fear for the Lord brought curses upon his lineage. In (2 Samuel 3:27-29), the Bible details how he tricked Abner and murdered him in cold blood. When David heard about it, he placed a curse on Joab's lineage that sicknesses, leprosy, poverty, weakness, and untimely death would befall Joab's family and his descendants. People who do not fear God purchase trouble for their children.

Beloved, if you want your future and that of your children to be glorious, you need to have the fear of God in you. If you're going to have peace of mind in your old age, you must fear God. The reason I am sure that my tomorrow and those of my children will be alright is that I fear the Lord. I pray that your life and those of your descendants will be filled with blessings and not curses, in Jesus' name.

KEY POINT:

The fear of the Lord guarantees God's blessings for you and your lineage.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

Ezekiel 5-8

HYMNAL:

HYMN 7 - I AM THINE O LORD

1. I am Thine, O Lord

I have heard Thy voice,

And it told Thy love to me;

But I long to rise in the arms of faith

And be closer drawn to Thee.

CHORUS:

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,

To the cross where Thou hast died;

Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,

To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2. Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord

By the power of grace divine

Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,

And my will be lost in Thine.

3. Oh, the pure delight of a single hour

That before Thy throne I spend,

When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God

I commune as friend with friend!

4. There are depths of love that I cannot know

Till I cross the narrow sea;

There are heights of joy that I may not reach

Till I rest in peace with Thee.