TODAY’S DEVOTION (Tuesday 26th November 2019)
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. Psalm 91:14 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 329th DAY OF OUR YEAR OF GOING FORWARD.
It’s another glorious day from the LORD. Heaven seems to be surrounding us with the word of the LORD.
From the richness of the beautiful word sessions on the morning cloud Tv to the devotionals and Sunday services – with streamed copies still hanging on the face book page, God is letting Himself known. It’s important that we make ourselves available and get all He is pouring from Heaven to our lives.
We have been sharing some thoughts on Deep Intimacy! I have come to understand that if we truly love the LORD, we will be intimate with Him. Deep intimacy with Jesus Christ is something that flows naturally out of a divine love for God. It is not something you manufacture. It is a product of a divine pull kindled in one’s spirit by genuine Love for GOD.
The Bible says God will send the rod of our strength out of Zion for us to rule amid our enemies. The Bible also says God loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. The dwelling of Jacob represents your homes, but Zion is the place of corporate worship or intimacy, in other words the local church.
It is the fire you tap from corporate intimacy with Jesus that will make it possible for you to have fruitful private intimacy with Him. The place of corporate fellowship is designed by God to be the birthplace of the anointing of the Holy Spirit in the lives of His Children.
That is why He sends the rod out of Zion (place of corporate intimacy), not out of the dwelling place of Jacob (our private homes). But out of Zion. His presence in our dwelling place is designed to be sustained by His presence in Zion – the place of corporate fellowship.
THE FIRST-PLACE LOVE FOR GOD DRAWS YOU TO THEREFORE, IS A CHURCH SERVICE.
A man of God once shared the story of his conversion with us. He was a Muslim before meeting Christ, and he met Him in a very dramatic way.
He was a photographer then and was invited to take pictures in Church. When he was taking the pictures, he saw a Heavenly being through the camera and that sparked series of divine moves that finally got him saved.
After salvation he could not stay at home. He went to Church everyday thinking Church services were held daily. Sadly, the people could not understand what was going on. They later quenched that burning love for God kindled in His spirit.
Why are people no longer intimate with God? The reason is simple – the love of many of us has waxed cold. It is one of the signs of the end. Jesus said;
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Matthew 24:9-13 NKJV
If you look at this scripture closely you will see reasons why the love for God in the hearts of many is waxing cold today. From being persecuted, hated and killed for His name sake, to being inflicted with deep seated offense in our spirits. From terrible betrayal to the rise of false prophets, from the collapse of truth and manifestation to the acceptance of abominations, the list is endless.
But Jesus says he who endures to the end shall be saved. One major prayer that I breathe to the LORD while writing this was “LORD, impart me with the grace and truth that I need to endure!” I believe that should be the prayer of everyone who want to overcome these horrors of the last days.
Every Bible prophecy tells us that there will be trouble times in our times and endurance will be required. Sometimes, its not easy to endure! But no matter the price, God wants us to endure the hard things of this end time and keep our love for Him intact.
DON’T FORGET HE SHOWED US THE WAY BY LOVING US DESPITE OUR SINS AND IN HIS LOVE FOR US HE COMMANDED US TO REPENT SO THAT THEY WILL NOT RUIN US!
God wants us to allow whatever bad that happens to us to push us to the place of deep intimacy with Jesus the way it did our Apostolic Fathers in the book of Acts. You remember Paul and Silas in Acts 16, who prayed and sang Hymn when they were beaten for preaching the gospel and delivering a slave girl.
Their love for God did not wax cold because of hell’s bitter response to their powerful apostolic ministries. God wants you and I to maintain the same faith position because he who endures to the end shall be saved not, he who back out.
He who endures amid disappointment shall be saved. He who endures and still serve God amid marital delay shall be saved. He who endures failed hopes shall be saved. He who endures lawlessness shall be saved. He who endures these horrors of hell to the end shall be saved.
How do you endure? You endure by not allowing the happenings to pull you away from the place of prayer, Bible study and deep intimacy with Jesus. You endure by hiding yourself further in God while all hell is let loose on you.
If you look at these truths, you will realize that the major reason for the attacks of hell is to weaken and eventually quench our love for God. It knows that if our love for God is quenched, we will eventually depart from His presence like Cain did and key into hell instantly.
But if we make up our minds not to allow hell’s vision to be actualized in our lives in spite of what we may be going through, the blessing of setting our love upon the LORD in the midst of adverse situation will speak in our lives at a later end. The Bible says;
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.”
“He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” Psalm 91:14-16 NKJV
This scripture has so much that we cannot uncover in this devotional.
But let me say this, if we maintain our love for God amid adverse situations like the Apostles did, God will deliver us and set us on high. We will come to the place where we will be honored with the grace of divine attention and a life that is long enough to fulfill our prophetic destiny.
What is the message of today’s devotional? God wants us to cultivate and maintain Deep intimacy with Jesus in all seasons of our lives. It is the key to unending strength and rich fulfillment.
May the LORD use this devotional to give you an inheritance among they that are sanctified!
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR YOU TODAY!
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Matthew 24:9-13 NKJV