TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL (Tuesday 9th February 2021)
“For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.
But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:14-16 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 40TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF HIGHER HEIGHTS
We bless the God of Heaven and earth for giving us another day. He is worthy of our praised. You will never know the importance of thanking God for each given day until you step into the hospital and see how people are struggling for more days in life.
Yes, the emergency wing of our hospitals are full of people who want more days to live. That is why they are even treated. The mortuary is full of bodies of people who struggled for more days but failed to secure it. I believe they alone fully understand what it means to have one day added to one’s life on earth.
Do you know that everyone in hell is crying to be sent back to the earth to amend their ways? In other words, they are requesting for more days to be given to them so that they can fulfill the whole duty of a man; which is to fear God and depart from evil. A duty they all failed to fulfill while alive?
Sadly, that is the same thing many of us are doing with the days the LORD is giving us. We are not using them to fully the whole duty of a man. The Bible says;
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NKJV
Do we live our days with this scripture in mind? I believe that is what every human being should do.
We do not need a prophet to tell us the purposes of our lives. We do not need a prophetess to tell us why we are here. We do not need anyone to tell us what to do with our lives. This scripture has said it all. That is why the Bible is called the more sure word of prophecy.
The purpose of your life is to fear God and keep His commandments. We are here on this planet to fear God and keep His commandments. Yes, that is what the LORD want us to do with our lives. Any other righteous thing is secondary.
DAYS ARE GIVEN TO SO WE CAN USE OUR LIVES TO FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.
If we do not understand and get our hearts established on this primary purpose of life, we will use our lives to fear other things and keep other commandments. Yes, we will use it to fear poverty and keep the commandments of the love of money. Consequently, opening our lives up to all evil, because the love of money is the root of all evil.
If we do not understand and get our hearts established on this primary purpose of life, we will use our lives to fear what has no eternal value and keep the commandments of the flesh. When you keep the commandments of the flesh. You will be living in sin, iniquity or trespass.
I have said it over and over that the primary needs of the flesh are food, comfort and sex. If we keep its commandments we will be giving it all that outside divine boundaries, resulting in the manifestation of the works of the flesh. Yes, we will be fulfilling the desires of the flesh and making ourselves unfit for Heaven. The Bible says,
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [a]adultery, [b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions,
jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, [c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:16-21 NKJV
This scripture presents how fearing things that have no eternal value and keeping the commandments of the flesh makes one unfit for Heaven.
Many of us fear not giving the flesh sex and comfort hence getting ourselves involves in adultery, fornication, uncleanness, contentions, jealousies, selfish ambitions, drunkenness, revelries and etc.
WE FEAR WHAT WE SHOULD FIGHT AND BRING UNDER SUBJECTION, AND OBEY ITS COMMANDMENTS OR DESIRES.
Fearing what we should fight daily and put under subjection is the reason many of us are on our way to hell, even if we are active in our Churches. That is why this word is sent to us this morning. Words like this are acts of mercy form the LORD. There is no other way the LORD shows a soul speeding to hell mercy other than bringing this like this to its attention.
God has shown us mercy hence bringing this important matter of life to our attention. God has shown us mercy hence bringing to our attention what not to fear. You will always die for who or what you fear. If you fear the flesh you will die for it, if you fear God you will die for Him. People have died for the flesh; they obeyed it until they died obeying it. Really sad!
It is God that the Bible says we should fear and keep His commandments not out flesh.
Some add more problems to their eternal destinies by fearing the traditions of men and systems of this world. None of that should be feared. God’s traditions and system is what we should honor and keep.
Our eternal destinies are being determined by what we are honoring of fearing. We must check our hearts and see who we really fear. God or gold; Flesh or Spirit; the things of God or the things of men. We must ask the LORD to search our hearts this morning and bring us to the placing of fearing God and keeping His ways.
It is people who spend their days fearing God and keeping His ways that are securing their eternal destinies. Our lives are too precious to be spent in our own sinful ways. They are too precious to be used to serve our flesh and keep it happy. Yes, our lives are too precious to loose to the things of this world.
Our lives are not just too precious, but too short to be spent doing sinful things or any other things that has no eternal value. People who understand these things live differently. They are driven by different passions. Our fathers where the first to walk in this understanding. Which brings us to our devotional text. A major highlight says,
“For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.
But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”
These are not days of calling to mind the pleasures of sins you once enjoyed. You will go back to the sins, and God will be ashamed of calling Himself your GOD. These are not days of recalling the money you once made when you were in darkness. You will return to darkness if you do.
These are not days of recalling that sexual pleasure you enjoyed with that man or that women. If you do, you will always go back to it and come to sudden ruin. These are not days of recalling any pleasure of sin, iniquity or trespass else you will be ruined.
These are days of forgetting those things that are behind; sins you have been forgiving; and pressing forward into higher heights of faith.
If we recall the pleasures of the sins we use to commit and go back to them, God will be ashamed to be called our GOD. It is one thing to call God your God, and another for Him to call Himself your GOD. You may call Him your God, but until He calls Himself your God, whatever you may be saying is not valid.
It is when God calls Himself your God that Heaven will be your home when your days are fulfilled.
Heaven is for those God calls Himself their God. We cannot force ourselves on God through our religious claims. He knows those who are His. Those who are His separates and purifies themselves from sin. They spend their days departing from iniquity.
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR YOU TODAY
“Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of [g]Christ depart from iniquity.”
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, [h]sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:19-22 NKJV