Open Heaven 9 January 2025: Keep Pushing
MEMORISE: 2 Thessalonians 3:13
But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
READ: Luke 9:57-62 (KJV)
57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Read Yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional Here
During natural childbirth, a woman is required to push the baby out. No matter how many times she pushes, until the baby comes out, she must keep pushing. The moment she gives the final push that brings the baby out, she becomes a new person – a mother.
As a Christian, you will never be done pushing until you have put on a new body in Christ. No matter how much you have achieved in the past, you must keep pushing until you see the Lord in glory (Philippians 3:13-14).
Many people started out right; they achieved many great things for God, but as time went on, they stopped pushing. They stopped fasting and praying as they used to, and they missed the glory that would have been theirs.
At a time when there was serious persecution against Christians in Russia, five Christian boys were captured by Russian soldiers and thrown into a freezing pond in the middle of winter. The soldiers started a fire and said that those who would deny Jesus could come out of the pond and warm themselves by the fire. Slowly, the boys started freezing, and at a point, one of them called out to the soldiers and said that he was ready to deny
At a time when there was serious persecution against Christians in Russia, five Christian boys were captured by Russian soldiers and thrown into a freezing pond in the middle of winter. The soldiers started a fire and said that those who would deny Jesus could come out of the pond and warm themselves by the fire. Slowly, the boys started freezing, and at a point, one of them called out to the soldiers and said that he was ready to deny Jesus. As one of the soldiers went to get him out, the Lord opened his eyes, and he saw five angels holding crowns, one for each of the boys. However, the angel holding the crown of the boy who had denied Jesus was turning back to return with the crown. That boy had suffered for long for Christ, but at the tail end, he gave up and missed his crown.
Beloved, it doesn’t matter how much you have done for God; if you give up now, you will miss your crown. Don’t let the pleasures of this life distract you; don’t let the lure of sin take you out of the way of righteousness. Keep pushing by praying, studying your Bible, fasting, attending fellowships, and living holy. Do not be weary in well doing (Galatians 6:9).
In Philippians 3:13, Apostle Paul said, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,” Forget the things you have achieved in the past; they are not as important as the things you must do for God in the future. I pray that you will keep soaring until the end, in Jesus’ name.
PRAYER POINT
Father, please keep me standing until I see You in glory.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Genesis 29 – 31
Open Heaven 9 January 2025
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