Open Heaven Daily Devotional 12 April 2022
TOPIC: Idleness Destroys
MEMORISE: “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” – (Proverbs 13:4)
READ: 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12 (KJV)
11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
Open Heaven Daily Devotional 12 April 2022 MESSAGE:
We see clearly in Ezekiel 16:49 that one of the major problems that led to the destruction of Sodom is idleness. Idleness also caused David great sorrow. At a time when kings went to war, he stayed at home and this led to him committing adultery and murder. These sins invoked God’s anger and a curse was placed upon him and his lineage (2 Samuel 11-12).
Solomon also fell into the trap of idleness, which caused his heart to be turned away from God. After he had built the temple of God and a new palace, he had nothing else to do. There were no wars to fight, no territories to conquer, and so he relaxed. He started marrying women he had no business with until he ended up with 700 wives and 300 concubines. In his relaxed state, his wives began to turn him away from the Most High God, and before he knew it, he was already building temples for and sacrificing to strange gods.
Solomon started with so much respect and honour for God that he gave the largest sacrifice in the Bible to the Lord. This was a man who God appeared to twice, but idleness brought him to the point where he began to serve other gods. He displeased God greatly, and this led to him losing part of his father’s heritage (1 Kings 11:1-11).
Jesus Christ said His father works and likewise Himself (John 5:17). Who then do you want to emulate by being idle? Imagine if, in your house, everyone – including the father of the house helps out with chores, yet one of the children never works but loafs around the house every day. That child would be very annoying to the parents and his or her siblings.
Beloved, there are many souls to be saved out there (Matthew 9:37); are you working to reach them quickly? When you consider the story of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-20, you may think, “What did this man do wrong? Is it wrong to work so hard and gather a large harvests? Why did God kill him?”
God took his life because he had decided that since he now had a large harvest, he was going to become idle. Idle people are very dangerous to the Kingdom of God and the society. No matter how much you have achieved, still strive for more. There is a lot of work to be done in the Kingdom of God. Serve Him now that you have the privilege to do so (John 9:4).
KEY POINT: A good child of God will be busy doing His work.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 8-9
HYMN 20 – ONWARD, CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS!
1. Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
Looking unto Jesus,
Who is gone before;
Christ, the Royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See His banners go.
CHORUS:
Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
Looking unto Jesus,
Who is gone before.
2. At the name of Jesus
Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers
On to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver
At the shout of praise:
Brothers, lift your voices,
Loud your anthem raise.
3. Like a mighty army
Moves the Church of God:
Brothers, we are treading
Where the saints have trod.
We are not divided,
All one body we
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity.
4. Crowns and thrones may perish,
Kingdom’s rise and wane;
But the Church of Jesus
Constant will remain:
Gates of hell can never
‘Gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise
And that cannot fail.
5. Onward then, ye people,
Join our happy throng;
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song:
“Glory, praise and honour,
Unto Christ the King”,
This, through countless ages,
Men and angels sing.
