Open Heaven 10 July 2023: Exceeding Expectations 1
MEMORISE: ““And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.” – 1 Kings 3:13 (KJV)
BIBLE READING: 1 Kings 3:4-15 ( (KJV)
4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
Read Yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional here
An expectation is a strong belief that something will happen, especially when all other things are equal. For example, all other things being equal, a worker will be paid his salary at the end of the month. In other words, this expectation will not be realised if that worker suddenly quits his or her job before the end of the month. The good news is that any expectation based on the promises of the Almighty God to you shall come to pass, provided you remain steadfast in following and obeying Him.
In our memory verse of today, the Lord exceeded Solomon’s expectations. Solomon had asked for wisdom to be able to rule God’s people excellently, but to his amazement, God added some things to his expectation of wisdom.
And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. – 1 Kings 3:13
I remember expecting God to give me a modest apartment to live in after I became the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, but He exceeded my expectations by promising me a city. Currently, the Redemption Camp, though still expanding, is comparable to a city. To experience something exceeding your expectations, to get more than you hoped for, you must excel in your commitment to the Almighty God – the only One who can exceed your greatest expectations.
You must set yourself apart in holiness if you want to experience blessings that will exceed your expectations. For example, you may be asking for the position of a High Chief whereas God may want to make you a King. You may be seeking to be elected as a senator and end up becoming the President of your country. What can God not do? Absolutely nothing. God can easily exceed your expectations as long as you are on His side in holiness and righteousness.
PRAYER POINT: Only God can exceed your greatest expectations.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ecclesiastes 1-4
Thank you for studying today’s Open Heaven – Exceeding Expectations 1 – written by Pastor Enoch Adeboye
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Open Heaven 10 July 2023
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