MEMORISE: “He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.” – Matthew 10:41 (KJV)
READ: 2 Kings 4:8-17 (KJV)
8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.
9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.
12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.
13 And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.
14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
17 And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Daniel 9-12
MESSAGE
Today’s teaching may be controversial to some people, but I will share the complete truth anyway. When there is an opportunity to serve God through a prophet that you are sure is sent by Him, no matter how small the service may be, don’t let the opportunity pass you by. When you serve or give to a prophet, because of God’s anointing on his or her life, you will receive a blessing from God.
I went to a foreign country for a programme, and throughout my stay, a very rich man drove me around. When he dropped me off at the airport, I wanted to show my appreciation, but since he was richer than me, I put some money in an envelope and said, “Please give it to your children on my behalf.” He collected the money and said, “Amen” several times. I became embarrassed, and I turned to the other pastor who came with us. The pastor said, “He has been waiting on God for the fruit of the womb.”
On hearing that, I said, “Glory be to God, I don’t have money, but I am connected to the Most High God.” The following year, when I arrived in that country for another edition of the same programme, the man came to drive me again. This time, he had a gift with him and said that it was from his son. You might have prayed for certain things and not received them yet, but offering your service to God through a prophet could bring them to you immediately.
When you check through the Scriptures, you will see that those who served prophets genuinely got great rewards for their service. Samuel became a kingmaker and king-remover because he served Eli. Elisha got a double portion of the anointing because he served Elijah diligently.
The Shunammite woman got a child even when she had lost hope because she served Elisha. Whenever you get a chance to serve God through one of His ministers, make the most of the opportunity.
Ministers of God, however, should not take anyone’s willingness to serve God through them for granted. God shows appreciation to those that serve Him, and His ministers ought to do the same. However, if you are serving God through one of His ministers and it seems like you are not being appreciated, as long as you are sure that he or she is a genuine minister of God, you will surely receive the rewards of your service from God.
KEY POINT:
God never ignores a genuine heart of service to His representatives on earth.
Open Heavens 2024 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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