Open Heaven 31 October 2024: Stand Firm
MEMORISE: Ephesians 4:14
“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning of craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”
READ: Daniel 1:8-16 (KJV)
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.
14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.
16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
Read Yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional Here
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. – (1 Corinthians 16:13)
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; – (Ephesians 4:14)
From the passages above, it is clear that strong men stand fast in their faith; it is children that are tossed by every wind of doctrine. When people change their beliefs just because of what one ‘man of God’ said or because their pastor announced that he had changed his beliefs, without them going to search for the truth in God’s word themselves, I know that they are baby Christians or Christians with stunted growth.
Once you find the truth in God’s word, don’t let what people say shake your faith. Don’t let your walk with God be dictated by what people say. You must know God for yourself and let your walk with Him be dependent on your personal relationship with Him. There is nothing compared to having a first-hand experience of who God truly is. Once you start to relate with Him personally, it becomes difficult for anybody to deceive you because you know your God.
In John 16:13, Jesus Christ said that the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. So, to know the truth about the word of God, you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is your relationship with the Holy Spirit that determines how much truth you know.
(1 John 2:27) says that the anointing in you will teach you all things, and according to Acts 10:38, the anointing comes with the Holy Ghost and power. Peter, for example, was too fearful to stand on his belief of Jesus being the Messiah and to identify with Him before his baptism in the Holy Spirit. After he experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Peter became an entirely different person. In Acts 11:1-18, after he had gone to Cornelius’ house and the congregation gathered together to query him for going to a gentile’s house, he stood firm as a rock and said, “The Spirit bade me go.” He was no longer scared to stand on what he believed.
Get filled with the Holy Spirit, and you will know the truth of God’s word so much that it will be difficult to be deceived by false doctrines.
KEY POINT:
Stand firm in your godly beliefs.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
John 1-2
Open Heaven 31 October 2024
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