OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL-SUNDAY-03/04/2016-APPOINTED DAY OF MERCY-BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
APPOINTED
DAY OF MERCY
Memorise
And the publican standing afar off, would
not lift up so much as
his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me
a sinner. Luke 18:13
Read
Genesis 19:15-17,
15 And
when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy
wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the
iniquity of the city.
16 And
while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his
wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth,
and set him without the city.
17 And
it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape
for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape
to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
KJV
MESSAGE
Since
the fall of man at the Garden of Eden, the only factor that has sustained man
in this world is God’s mercy. When a man receives God’s mercy, it would appear
as if he is a genius or his righteousness has bestowed upon him some divine
benevolence. This is not true. The Bible says in Lamentations 3:22
“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not
consumed, because his compassions fail not.”
In our memory verse for today, we read of the mercy which brought
justification to the repentant publican. Because he begged for it, his day of
mercy came unhindered. Jesus said in Luke 18:14
“I tell you, this man went down to his house
justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be
abase, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
One
striking revelation in Christ’s assertion is that we can only obtain mercy when
we acknowledge our sins and repent of them as the publican did. According to
Luke 18:14, what prevents some people from receiving mercy from God is failure
to admit that they are sinners and that they need to turn from their wicked
ways. It is amazing that some children of God are in the habit of living in the
world of relativism where what is right or wrong depends on the justification
they have for it. This is not the gospel. When they are caught stealing, they
would rationalise it by putting the guilt on the fact that they are jobless.
Some ladies claim that they took to prostitution because they were jobless and
needed to take care of their aged parents!
“Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou
shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and
right; if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in
the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he
shall not die.”
Ezekiel 33:14-15
It
takes humility to acknowledge it if we do something wrong against God or
against our neighbour. The Bible says in Proverbs 28:13:
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper:
but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
Your appointed day of mercy comes when you
humbly ask for it from the One who is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4). I appeal to
someone using this devotional; if you have not repented of your sins through
Jesus Christ, being forth the day of God’s mercy into your life by calling on
the God of mercy today for forgiveness. Or, if you are a child of God, but seem
to be void of His mercy, call on Him like a child will cry to his loving father
for mercy. Today is the day of the Lord’s mercy for you and your loved ones in
Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point
Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on
me and give me testimonies.
Bible in one year
1st Samuel 8:19-10:16, Proverbs 4:10-19
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