Open Heavens 31 December 2015: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – God's War Instrument

Topic: God's War Instrument [Thursday 31 December, 2015]

Memorise: Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms: -Jeremiah 51:20

Read: Isaiah 41:14-16 (KJV)

14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

16 Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.


Bible in One Year: Song of Solomon 5-8; Jude 1

MESSAGE:

Because holiness is the nature of God, living a holy life makes you a partner with God in His work. 2 Corinthians 6:1 says:

"We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain."

What a great privilege this is! When you have the same nature as God, He will not look at your limitations; rather, He will lift you up so that He can relate with you. God wants to partner with you. He wants to be able to seek your opinion on issues; not because He does not know what to do, but just to make you know that you count before Him (John 6:5-6). Living a holy life makes you count before God, and it gives you relevance before Him (Genesis 18:17-19).

Moreover, holiness empowers you to plead your cause before God. As a sinner, you cannot stand before God, because your sins have disqualified you to begin with. But when you approach Jesus and accept Him as your Saviour, His blood washes you clean and He stands as your lawyer to plead your cause (1 John 2:1). Thereafter, as you imbibe His holiness and allow His nature to express itself through you, you are empowered to plead your own cause before God (Hebrews 4:16). Holiness also qualifies you to plead for others. Are you living a holy life? How well are you pleading your cause and that of others before heaven's court?

Similarly, living a holy life makes you God's sharp battle axe: you become a fighting instrument in His hands (Jeremiah 51:20). A life of holiness is a declaration to the kingdom of darkness that you are on God's side permanently. You therefore become a very useful instrument in God's hands. Isaiah 41:15 says:

"Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains; and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff."

One of my sons once had a dream where he saw his hands being exchanged with iron hands. Even though he tried to resist what the angels were doing, he could not stop them. Thereafter, the Lord used him mightily against the kingdom of Satan and is still using him today. The more you live a life of holiness, the more likely it is that God will use you to do greater things and to fight bigger battles. Are you living a holy life?

Prayer Point: Father, make the Body of Christ a sharp battle axe in your hands in these last days.