Open Heavens for Teens Sunday 23 August 2020 Daily Devotional was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Topic: Over-Confidence

Memorise: Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12

Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 17:44-47

  1. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
  2. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
  3. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
  4. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hands.

Bible Reading In One Year: Psalm 119:105-176, 1 Corinthians 5:1-13

MESSAGE:

As good as it is to be confident, it is dangerous to be over confident because there’s a thin line between confidence and pride. An overconfident person is a proud person and God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. If you read the story of how David killed Goliath, you will see that Goliath was overly confident in his stature and experience. It was also his stature that made no soldier attempt to face him in a duel until David showed up. Even when David stood before him, his stature gave Goliath the impression that he had already won the battle, but you know how the story ended. God gave the young David victory over the experienced giant warrior.

My Child, your strength should not make you overconfident. There is the story of a student who was very good in Economics. He was so good that his teacher sang his praise after writing his Mock Examination. So when he was about to write the WASSCE (the final exams in senior school), he prepared for other subjects except Economics with the belief that he had mastered the subject. Eventually, he failed the subject woefully. This is what overconfidence can do to anyone. Let your confidence be in God for by strength shall no man prevail (1 Samuel 2:9).

Prayer Point:

Father, please help me to always put my trust in you while I play my role to achieve greatness in life.

Hymn: My Faith Looks Up To Thee

My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away;
O let me from this day
Be wholly Thine.

May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire;
As Thou hast died for me,
O may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire.

While life’s dark maze | tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll, Blest Saviour, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul.