MEMORISE: “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” – Psalm 91:2 (KJV)
READ: John 10:7-14 (KJV)
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Amos 5 – Obadiah 1
MESSAGE:
It’s a very frightful thing to be defenceless in a hostile world. When a man is sick, he runs to the doctor for defence but what do you do if the doctor says, “There is nothing more we can do for you”. If a man is in financial problems, he may run to the bank with the hope of borrowing some money to come out of the mess he is in; but what would he do if the bank says they cannot help him? It’s a terrible thing to feel forsaken by relatives and friends, but the worst kind of helplessness comes when the Pastor says, “l have prayed all the prayers l know and there is nothing more l can do for you”. Thank God that at that moment, there is somebody who is called the ‘Defence of the defenceless.
Psalm 46:1 says:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
No matter how big any trouble is, God is there to defend you. Once in a while, we face opponents that are too big for us to handle on our own. At such times when we feel defenseless, God is always there to defend us, so long as we belong to Him. During one of our Holy Ghost Services, God told me to tell someone in the congregation that he should not worry, he will laugh last. Apparently, there was a young man in the congregation who had just received a disengagement letter in his workplace. He came from the office straight to the programme with that letter, crying for God to help him. By Monday, all those who ganged up against him to be sacked were sacked and he was promoted.
In John 10:11 He is called the Good Shepherd.
John 10:12 says:
But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
The hireling referred to in the Bible reading for today is the devil. If you put yourself under his care, when the troubles of life come at you like wolves, he will leave you alone. Once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you will come under the protection of the Good Shepherd, and He will defend you whenever an enemy comes against you.
REFLECTION: Are you under the protection of Christ?
Open Heavens 2022 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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