Open Heavens 29 October 2015: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Dangers of Envy II

Topic: Dangers of Envy II [Thursday 29 October, 2015]

Memorise: And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. - Genesis 30:1

Read: Numbers 16:29-35 (KJV)

29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.

30 But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.

31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:

32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.

35 And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 10-11; Ephesians 4

MESSAGE:

Envy is a terrible character flaw that everyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour must completely give up. Envy can lead to the murder of the one being envied or the murder of his or her dreams. Many polygamous families are wrapped up in envy. The mark of a place where there is envy is confusion and evil. James 3:16 says:

"For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work."

As much as it lies within your power, avoid such places, because the Spirit of God will not stay in a place where there is confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). In such places, people go to any extent to discredit, poison, afflict and destroy their own out of envy. If you are driven by envy, you are on a satanic mission: a self-destructiv e mission that will definitely lead to regret someday. Today, some churches are envy-driven. Do you know that some pastors go to set up their own ministries out of envy? The foundation of such ministries is faulty from the beginning, and if you dare to check, God is completely out of it. Are you driven by envy? What are you doing as a result of envy? Repent and amend your ways today before it is too late.

There is a great price the envious always has to pay. This price could have a physical, emotional and spiritual component. The price for envy can be very costly! You would be amazed at what that tiny envy in your heart towards your neighbour can take out of you. Envy can erode the blessings of the envious. If you do not want to lose your blessings, completely abstain from it. Korah, Dathan and Abiram paid dearly for the envy that led them to rebel against their leader - Moses (Numbers 16:1-3). God publicly set them aside to show everyone that they had done the wrong thing. God, who earlier appointed them as leaders under Moses, openly discredited them. Thereafter, the ground swallowed them up together with their households. Envy made sure their generation was terminated. That envy in your heart can terminate your future generations! Greed and envy are two tools the devil uses to destroy future generations and destinies! Gehazi's greed brought leprosy to his generation (2 Kings 5:27), while the envy of Korah, Dathan and Abiram completely wiped out their generations. Check your heart! That tiny looking seed of envy that appears harmless today can become your greatest undoing. Ask God to help you uproot it now.

Prayer Point: Father, in your mercy, uproot and destroy completely every trace of envy in my heart.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

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