Open Heaven 20th November 2023 Monday Daily Devotional

TOPIC: DON’T BE DOUBLE-MINDED

MEMORISE:
“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” – (James 1:8)

13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

16 Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

Open Heaven Devotional 20th November 2023 MESSAGE:

To be double-minded is to be a hypocrite – one minute, you act a certain way and the next, you are someone else. You say something here and something contrary elsewhere. That is double-mindedness and a sign of an impure heart, according to James 4:8: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded”.

Matthew 5:8 says only the pure in heart will see God, so double-minded people will not make it to heaven. To be pure means to be of a single content. When people talk about pure cotton or pure wool, it means it does not contain any other kind of material. Purity, therefore, implies singleness of mind and purpose. One of the reasons I love dogs is that you can tell when they’re happy or angry. They have no pretense at all. Unfortunately, when it comes to human beings, they can smile at you and yet plan to kill you.

To be pure means no pretense (James 5:12). That is when your ‘yes’ is ‘yes’, and your ‘no’ means ‘no’. If you stand for something, stand for it all the way. In Luke 9:59-62, Jesus Christ gave us an illustration of this when He said the moment you have placed your hand on the plough, there must be no looking back. In Luke 16:13, He puts it another way: “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon”. If you are serving one master today and serving another tomorrow, you are double-minded. Choose who your master is and stand by him all the way. If you want to serve God, then don’t serve money, or visit a witch doctor in secret; serve God and God alone.

As for me, I am serving the Lord Jesus Christ and I am going with only Him all the way. I tell you again brethren, whatever God does not do for you, no one else can do it. Many of us have not been getting full benefits from the Lord Jesus Christ simply because we are double-minded. James 1:6-8 says the double-minded should not even expect to get anything from God. Don’t be double-minded.

REFLECTION:
Search your heart to see if you have been a hypocrite in any way and repent if you find yourself guilty.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Acts 20-21

HYMNAL:
Hymn 20 – Stand up! stand up for Jesus