OPEN HEAVENS 2023 DEVOTIONAL DATE SATURDAY APRIL 1ST 2023

DATE: SATURDAY, APRIL 1ST, 2023

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

READ: John 10:10-16 (KJV)

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

My Father-in-the-lord – Pa Josiah Akindayomi used to say that your father can only take care of you with what he has. If your father is Jesus Christ, then since He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10), has healings in His wings (Malachi 4:2) and all good things come from Him (James 1:17), then He will take care of you with all these. However, if your father is the devil, since he is a thief, liar and killer (John 10:10), then he will harm you with all he has. Which of them do you want as your father?

I realized a long time ago that the devil had nothing good to offer me. I remembered about 50 years ago when I was growing very fast. I became a lecturer at the University of Lagos, bought a car and had built a house before I was thirty years old. Due to this fast growth, my people took me to a witch doctor they considered to be very powerful and asked him to give me charms for protection against enemies who may have been jealous of me.

The witch doctor asked me to come with a live goat which I must lead through the streets of Oshogbo. Since I thought it was for my good, I parked my car and went through the stress of walking a goat through the streets of Oshogbo to the witch doctor’s house. He gave me three amulets in exchange for the goat – one to be tied to the steering wheel of my car to prevent collision with any car in front of me, the second to be kept in the boot of my car to prevent being hit from behind and the third to be tied to the driver’s seat so that if I was involved in an accident I would just disappear. I returned to Lagos thinking that I was super-charged, but in two weeks, I had three accidents! I realized there was no protection in the amulets and threw them into the lagoon. I thank God that since I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ, He has become my Father and the fear of the unknown has been banished from my life. Even if I have enemies, my Lord sets a table for me in their presence (Psalm 23:5).

The devil is a liar and has nothing good to offer you. If the devil gives you anything, he will take something far from valuable from you. Don’t fall for his deception. Only God can give good and perfect gifts.

KEY POINT: Only God can give good and perfect gift

1. I am so glad that our Father in heaven

Tell of His love in the book He has given;

Wonderful things in the Bible I see;

This is the dearest, that Jesus loves me.

REFRAIN:

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,

Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me,

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,

Jesus loves even me.

2. Jesus loves me and I know I love Him;

Love brought Him down my lost soul to redeem;

Yes, it was love made Him die on the tree:

Oh, I am certain that Jesus love me.

3. In this assurance I find sweetest rest,

Trusting in Jesus I know I am blessed;

Satan, dismayed from my soul doth now flee,

When I just tell him that Jesus loves me.

4. Oh, if there’s only one song I can sing,

When in His beauty I see the great King,

This shall my song in eternity be,

“Oh, what a wonder that Jesus loves me!”

5. If one should ask of me, how can I tell?

Glory to Jesus, I know very well!

God’s Holy Spirit with mine doth agree,

Constantly witnessing Jesus loves me.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

2 Samuel 1-3

AUTHOR PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE