Open Heaven 16 July 2019 Devotional – What Do You See? written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye
TOPIC: WHAT DO YOU SEE?
MEMORISE: “And the woman conceived, and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.” – (Exodus 2:2).
READ: Psalm 127:1-5 (KJV)
1. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
2. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
3. Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD; and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Open Heaven 16 July 2019 Devotional – MESSAGE:
What parents see in their children goes a long way to determine how well they treasure them. As God’s heritage, it is important that parents see the image of God in their children so that they can nurture them for the glory and pleasure of God, who is their rightful Owner. Unfortunately, some parents, especially in under-developed nations, treat their children as a domestic animal or working machines, so much so that you begin to wonder if they purposely gave birth to them for economic reasons.
Many abuse their children by engaging them in money-making ventures and making them become breadwinners at a tender age. I know of a man who has about thirteen children. He gives them out to serve as domestic workers and collects the wages of their labour to feed himself. Clearly, he does not see his children as carriers of God’s image.
Furthermore, some couple decided to abort pregnancies they are not prepared for. However you look at it, this is murder- a grievous sin against God and humanity. God asked me to tell someone reading this devotional that the pregnancy you are about to terminate is your glory; don’t abort the child that will bring God’s glory upon your life. When ‘stuck’ with an unwanted child, many parents go ahead to despise such a child, instead of seeing him or her as a pleasant surprise from God. These are all examples of ungodly parenting.
In Exodus 2:1-4, we see what godly parents look like. Moses’ mother, Jochebed, was a godly parent. Pharaoh had ordered all son born to Hebrew families to be killed at birth, she saw God’s image in her own child and did all she could to preserve him. Exodus 2:2 says:
“And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was goodly child, she hid him three months.”
- Today: Open Heaven 16 July 2019 Devotional
When the baby could no longer be hidden, she decided to commit him into the hand of his original Owner, the Almighty. In all this, Moses’ parents never imagined that the child was to become a deliverer of the whole nation of Israel. The Lord asks me to tell someone reading this devotional that, that child you think is a problem will turn around to put smiles on your face in your lifetime. All you need to do is to give that child the best you have as a springboard for his or her leap into destiny.
Children are a carrier of God’s image, and unless we see them in that light, there is the tendency to abuse them and lose the blessing accompanying them. In light of what today’s Bible reading says about children, I encourage all parent to first surrender their life to God, and then it will be easy for them to also surrender their lives to God, and then it will be easy for them to also surrender their children to Him for supreme care. Parents who do this will not be denied their blessings in Jesus’ Name.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please open my eyes to see Your image and glory in the children You have given me, and help me cooperate with You in the fulfillment of their destinies.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Joshua 6:7, Ezekiel 17:22-18:13
Thanks for reading Open Heaven 16 July 2019 Devotional – What Do You See? by Pastor E. A. Adeboye. Please share with others.
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