Open Heaven 9 November 2023 Topic: When God Commends You
Memory Verse: The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. (Psalm 145:8)
Bible Reading: Psalm 8:1-6 (WEB)
1 Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens!
Also see; open-heaven-7-november-2023
2 From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength,
because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have ordained;
4 what is man, that you think of him?
What is the son of man, that you care for him?
5 For you have made him a little lower than the angels,[a] and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You make him ruler over the works of your hands.
You have put all things under his feet:
Today’s Open Heaven 9 November 2023
Every now and then, God commends His children; He tells them that He is pleased with them. When this happens to you, don’t become full of yourself because He is only being gracious.
The Bible says that God is perfect and He expects perfection (Matthew 5:48). Ephesians 5:25-27 makes it clear that Jesus Christ is coming back for a bride without blemish or wrinkle.
Are you perfect yet? If God says, “Well done, my son, you are doing great”, He is only being gracious.
In Job 1:8, He said Job was a perfect and upright man, but then in Job 30:1, Job said things that a just man shouldn’t.
When God scored him as just, He was only being gracious to him. In Numbers 12:3, it is written concerning Moses that he was the meekest man on the earth, but he was well known for his violent temper.
God’s commendation is only an extension of grace. You must never let it get into your head; if you do, you would soon realise that you were nowhere in the first place.
The Bible says clearly in Romans 9:15-16: For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. It is not the works and effort you put in that will make you justified.
It is true that you must put in the effort; if not, you may not even get a chance at being commended at all, but the effort does not justify you.
It is only God’s mercy that justifies you. Never forget that. When God commends a person, the fellow’s efforts will yield greater results than his or her actions.
When you start seeing this happening to you, you must remember that it is only because God decided to have mercy on you.
Don’t begin to think that you are perfect, because you are not. Rather, thank Him for His mercy. Acknowledge your weakness before Him and even before people.
Ascribe all glory to Him and not to your efforts because without Him, you can do nothing (John 15:5).
Also see; prayer-points-for-christian-workers-as-they-start-the-week
Today’s Open Heaven 9 November 2023
Points: God’s commendation is a call to be more humble and to work harder.
Hymn: Wonderful Story Of Love
Bible in one year: John 18, John 19