Open Heaven Daily Devotional 22 April 2022
TOPIC: Smiting The Rock Again
MEMORISE:
“And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children if Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.” – (Numbers 20:12)
READ: Numbers 20:1-12 (KJV)
20 Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.
2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.
3 And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!
4 And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
5 And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.
6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.
7 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
9 And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him.
10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
12 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
Open Heaven Daily Devotional 22 April 2022 MESSAGE
In Exodus 17:1-6, the children of Israel were thirsty so, God told Moses to strike a rock that water may come out of it for His children. In Exodus 17:6 the Bible says: Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it. That the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
You see, the Lord our God is the Rock (2 Samuel 22:23). He was with the Israelites all through their journey in the wilderness and this further validates Hebrews 13:5 where God said He would never leave nor forsake us. In the Bible reading for today, God told Moses to speak to the rock, but instead of speaking, Moses smote it and God was angry with him.
The Lord is not to be smitten twice. The first time Jesus was smitten on the cross of Calvary, He gave us living water which is the Holy Spirit. After that time, we are to speak to Him. Anyone who smites Him again is inviting the wrath of God.
Hebrews 6:6 says whenever you sin, you are crucifying Christ the second time. In Hebrews 10:26-27, the Bible says: For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
If after you have gotten to know Christ and His blood has washed away your sins, you then go back into sin, you are inviting the wrath of God. Proverbs 26:11 says it is dogs that go back to their vomit and Revelation 22:15 says the place of dogs is outside.
The word ‘backsliding’ denotes a gradual process backwards. Check your life: are there some things that you stopped doing when you became born again, but now you are gradually going back to them? Stop those things immediately! Don’t smite the Rock the second time! Don’t invite the wrath of God upon your life.
REFLECTION: Are you moving forward or sliding backwards in your walk with Christ?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 15-17
HYMN 8 – I’M PRESSING ON THE UPWARD WAY
1. I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
CHORUS:
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
2. My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise, and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.
3. Beyond the mist I fain would rise,
To rest beneath unclouded skies,
Above earth’s turmoil peace is found
By those who dwell on higher ground.
4. I long to scale the utmost height,
Though rough the way, and hard the fight,
My song, while climbing, shall resound
Lord, lead me on to higher ground.
5. Lord, lead me up the mountain side
I dare not climb without my Guide;
And, heaven gained, I’ll gaze around,
With grateful heart from higher ground.
