Open Heavens 27 December 2017: Wednesday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye
Memorise: And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. – Malachi 2:15
Read: Malachi 2:14-15 (KJV)
14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
Bible in One Year: Ecclesiastes 1-3, Zachariah 14:10-21, Hymn: Sing Hymn 16: God Give Us Christian Homes
MESSAGE:
Marriage between a man and a woman is approved by God. Besides companionship and receiving a life-time helper, another reason why God established marriage is for the continuity of the human race. Genesis 1:28 says,
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
After creation, God blessed man to be fruitful, to multiply and refill the earth. Similarly, in Genesis 9:1, after the great flood that wiped out all of mankind except Noah and his family, God pronounced the same blessing on them. Beloved, God loves fruitfulness, and that is one reason why He instituted marriage. He wants the human race to multiply and spread all over the earth. His desire is for the earth to be subdued and dominated by man whom He has created in His own image. However, this does not justify raising a family without planning for it. If you are married, you and your spouse should prayerfully decide how many children you would add to populate the earth. Never bring children you are not able or prepared to take care of into this world.
While God wants all of mankind to multiply, He particularly wants those who are His own to bring forth godly seeds. In order words, while regular inhabitants of the earth are reproducing and adding to the world’s general population, believers are expected to raise godly seeds that would later reach out to the rest of the world. In today’s Bible reading, the Lord plainly stated that He allowed His children to marry so as to produce special children: a godly breed. God wants children who meet ‘heaven’s specifications’ from the homes of His people. Can He say that He has found them in your own home? Not every Christian family can raise these special breed of children, even though they have the potential to. It takes a deliberate collaborative effort between the Holy Spirit and parents to raise children who meet God’s specification of a godly seed. These are heaven-bound children who will walk closely with the Holy Spirit in their lifetime. Their foundations are laid in God’s word and doctrine. They are grounded in the knowledge of God and are carriers of His light. May God help us raise godly seed for His glory in Jesus’ Name.
Key Point: Christian couples should not just trust God for babies but for godly seeds.
Hymn 16: God Give Us Christian Homes
1. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty Your love has wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
2. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyous with love and song;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
3. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Your way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
4. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
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