Alone With God (OPEN HEAVENS Devotional)

OPEN HEAVENS Devotional – Friday April 29th 2016

TOPIC: OVERCOMING TRIALS II

Memorize: Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Read: James 4:7-10,

⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

⁸ Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

⁹ Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

 Bible in one year: 1^st Kings 10-11, Proverbs 17:1-14

MESSAGE

Submitting to the perfect will of God is a great weapon against trials and temptations. It is wisdom for us to submit to the One who is our present help in time of trouble. Jesus Christ is our closest ally in the battle of life. This is why those who do not have Him as their personal Lord and Saviour are vulnerably disposed to sorrow, frustration and death.

For us to enjoy the support and the defence of our great Ally, Jesus Christ, Apostle James wrote to say that we should submit ourselves to God, resist the devil and then he will flee from us (James 4:7).

The Bible says that pride goes before a fall. Many people fall into temptation because of pride. This is why the scripture enjoins us to live soberly as we fight the good fight of faith.

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Romans 13:3

Humility and sobriety are great instruments of defence in the face of temptation. We are encouraged to humble ourselves in the sight of God so that He can lift us up. Once we are lifted up above principalities and powers, no temptation can floor us, because the Almighty is our Ally. People easily fall prey to trials and temptations because of their failure to live soberly. Over two thousand years ago, Apostle James gave us a key to solving this problem. He wrote:

“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished bringeth forth death.” James 1:14-15

To overcome trials and temptations, we must run to Jesus afresh today with sober hearts and humility. He will come to our aids, just on time.

Action Point

Examine your life; see where and how you have exposed yourself to trials and temptations and make amends with the blood of Jesus Christ.