MEMORISE: “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?” -(Isaiah 45:9)
BIBLE READING: Luke 18:9-14 (KJV)
9 He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves and were confident that they were righteous [that they were upright and in right standing with God] and scorned and made nothing of all the rest of men:
10 Two men went up into the temple [[a]enclosure] to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee [b]took his stand ostentatiously and began to pray thus before and with himself: God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men—extortioners (robbers), swindlers [unrighteous in heart and life], adulterers—or even like this tax collector here.
12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I gain.
13 But the tax collector, [merely] standing at a distance, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his breast, saying, O God, be favorable (be gracious, be merciful) to me, the [c]especially wicked sinner that I am!
14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified (forgiven and made upright and in right standing with God), rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Read yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional here
Wouldn’t it be a funny scene if someone were to have a case in court and then during the court proceedings, the accused turns to the judge and says, “You are the representative of the government. It is because the government did not take care of me that I did what I did, so you are the guilty one”. That was what happened in Genesis 3:8-12 when God asked Adam why he was hiding from Him.
In Matthew 25:14-30, we read the story of a Master who gave three of his servants talents to trade with while he was away on a journey. Two traded with their talents while the last servant who was given only one talent didn’t. When the Master returned and asked for a report, the last one came with judgement for his Master. He said, “You are the guilty one sir. RCCG Open Heaven 22nd July 2022
First, you gave everybody more talents than you gave me. Secondly, I know you to be a wicked man who always reaps where he doesn’t sow, and so I hid your talent”. Jesus told this story to point out to us that many of us are judging our Master – the Most High God. We tell Him, “The way I am behaving is because of you. You are the guilty one, You are the one who made me the way I am”.
The talent was collected from the judgmental servant and he was thrown out of the presence of the Master into outer darkness, sorrow and pain. Next time you are tempted to judge God, be careful because the result is not likely to be pleasant.
When you go to God in prayer, don’t go telling Him that, in spite of how good you are, He refused to answer your prayers. Instead, when you go to Him in prayers, ask Him for mercy because when you consider everything you will realize how many things in your life you need to improve on and how you don’t even deserve the things that God has already given you
A woman came to me complaining bitterly, questioning why God had refused to bless her despite paying her tithes regularly, giving offerings and always making herself available to work for God. She had forgotten that she had told me earlier that she was then in her third marriage. I told her that what she needed from God was mercy. When I go to God I just say, “Lord, please have mercy on me”.
PRAYER POINT: Lord, please just have mercy on me.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 139 – 140
Thank you for studying today’s Open Heaven – Judging God – written by Pastor Enoch A.
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Open Heaven 22 July 2022
