Open Heavens 25th February 2018 Sunday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye
Memorise: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” – Ephesians 5:18
Read: Proverbs 23:29-35 (KJV)
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
Bible in One Year: Leviticus 26; 1 Corinthians 11:17-12:11
MESSAGE
Our imagination cannot begin to grasp the extent of the many benefits which our redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ grants to us. The price that was paid on the cross of Calvary forever changed our state, our status and our future. One of the changes it made to our status is revealed to us in Revelation 1:5b – 6:
“Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
It is clear from this scripture that those who have been redeemed by the precious Blood of the Lamb are kings. To leave no doubt in our minds, our status of royalty is further declared to us in 1 Peter 2:9. Having been taken from the dunghill of sin and made kings unto God, the least we can do is to comport ourselves in a manner that aligns with our new status. In order for us to continually live in the reality of our royal status, the Holy Spirit has gone the extra mile to clearly define what we should and should not do as kings unto God. One of those things we should not do is clearly stated in Proverbs 31:4 as follows:
“It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:”
I believe this is clear enough. For those who want to live their lives as kings unto God in this world and reign as kings with Jesus Christ in the world to come, total abstinence from alcohol is not an option.
Today’s Bible text further explains to us the reason why alcohol is not for kings. It may seem harmless at the time it is being gulped down the throat, but when it arrives in your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, what does it do? It stirs up things in you that are contrary to the nature of God that you share. Proverbs 23:33 mentions some of such things:
“Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.”
Just take a look at Noah to understand what alcohol can do to a great man (Genesis 9:19-25). It eventually brought an everlasting curse upon one of his beloved children. I pray for you that your appetite will not put you in trouble in Jesus’ Name. Please drop your contentious argument about drinking alcohol today. Count it a worthy sacrifice you need to make to follow after the Master. Seek to continually be filled with the Holy Spirit and the appetite for wine will fade into oblivion (Ephesians 5:18).
Action Point: Always be cautious of the content of any drink handed over to you for consumption to ensure that it is non-alcoholic before you drink it.
Hymn 12: Take My Life, And Let It Be.
1. Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.
2. Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3. Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee
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