Open Heaven 4 June 2024: Elder, Raise the Youth
MEMORISE: 1 Samuel 22:2 “And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.”
READ: 2 Samuel 23:14-17 (KJV)
14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!
16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.
17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.
Read Yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional here
When people are young, they feel like they can carry the world on their shoulders. They move with strength and keep surmounting mountains. A time will come, however, when they will no longer be able to do the things they normally do. At that time, when they are old, they will need young people to help them. If they had been preparing younger people, they would have no problems, but if they had kept their secrets and resources to themselves, there would be no one to help them.
When I was approaching the age of 60, many people were rejoicing, preparing for a huge celebration. At that time, as far as they were concerned, RCCG had done well as we were in about 50 nations of the world. Meanwhile, I was in agony because I knew that at 60, my afternoon was almost over, and my evening was about to set in. I was crying to my God one night, pacing up and down, saying, “Lord, what am I going to do now? You told my father in the Lord that RCCG is going to spread throughout the world, and I believed that it was going to happen in my lifetime. Now, my sun is about to set, look at where I am and help me.” Then God spoke, “Son, I determine when the sun will set.” Thank God, over two decades later, my sun has not set yet.
We are where we are today because God taught me how to prepare for the evening. As at the time I am writing this, RCCG is in 197 countries and this includes some nations I have never been to. However, my children are there; people who sat, learned, and were equipped by God through me. I am not resting on my oars, I am making more preparations, working harder than ever before. This is why at least three times in a year, during the Holy Ghost Services, I pick teenagers and young people in their twenties to preach on the altar, discovering new talents, and encouraging and preparing them for tomorrow.
If you are elderly, do yourself a favour, bring forth the youth, prepare and equip them, give them opportunities to lead, and send them out to get established, so that when you grow old, there will be people behind you to say, “Well done, we have your back.”
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: As you press towards achieving your goals, ensure that you’re raising the young as well.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 39-42
Thank you for studying today’s Open Heaven – Elder, Raise the Youths – written by Pastor Enoch Adeboye
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Open Heaven 4 June 2024
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