Open Heavens 7 January 2016: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Day seven blessing

Open Heavens 7 January 2016: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Day seven blessing

Topic: Day Seven Blessing [Thursday 7 January, 2016]

Memorise: And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. -Genesis 2:3

Read: Genesis 2:1-3 (KJV)

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Bible in One Year: Numbers 30-31; Psalms 148-150

MESSAGE:

Rest is the divine blessing which God bestowed upon His creation, particularly man. Even the land he gave to man to inhabit must enjoy sabbatical rest (Leviticus 25:2-4).

Many people do not know that rest is a divine benevolence which God Himself demonstrated as vital to good life and longevity. It is also obligatory for us to observe sabbatical rest.

"8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." - Exodus 20:8-11

Some children of God are not benefitting from this sabbatical ordinance because they are obsessed with the goal they have set for themselves. While it is good to set goals for yourself because the Bible in Proverbs 10:4 says: " He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.", at the same time, you must not set goal that makes you a sabbatical law breaker. You must take time to rest as at when due.

Another reason God would want us to observe sabbatical rest is that we may find time to enjoy the fruit of our labour. God desires that man should enjoy the labour of his hand. Our benevolent God sees it as evil when a man labours and dies from lack of rest and someone else enjoys the fruit of his labour. Solomon said:

"There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God." - Ecclesiastes 2:24

I pray that you will not labour and miss out on the fruit of your labour in Jesus' name. This prayer can only be answered if you respect the sabbatical law and always find a day to rest and commune with your God who gives you power to make wealth.

Action Point: Choose a day of the week when you rest from all your labour.

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.