Open Heaven [11 February 2019] Bargaining with the Divine

Open Heaven 11 February 2019: [Monday] Daily Devotional By Pastor E.A Adeboye – Bargaining with the Divine

BARGAINING WITH THE DIVINE – Monday February 11^th 2019

Memorise: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shall give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. Genesis 28:22

Read: 1^st Samuel 1:9-11 (KJV)

⁹ So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.

¹⁰ And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.

¹¹ And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

Bible in one year: John 6, Isaiah 37:14-29, Hymnal: Sing hymn 9

Message:-

Our Heavenly Father is so gracious to us that even though He is omnipotent, He still allows us to bargain with Him when the need arises.

Open Heaven 11 February 2019 Bargaining with the Divine

 Agreements between God and mankind can be broadly classified under three categories: covenants, vows and oaths. Covenants are solemn agreements or promises which are confirmed by sacrifice or the sharing of a meal as a token of the commitment of both parties to uphold the articles of the covenant they have made. An example of this is the covenant between Jesus Christ and His Church, which we invoke through the Lord’s Supper (1^st Corinthians 11:23-27). Speaking on covenants, the Holy Spirit says in Psalm 50:5:

“Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

Open Heaven 11 February 2019: [Monday] Daily Devotional By Pastor E.A Adeboye – Bargaining with the Divine

On the other hand, vows are pledges made to God as part of an appeal for something of great importance. It can also be viewed as a promise to God to do something, with the implication that failure to perform what is promised will result in divine sanctions. The fulfilment of vows is conditioned on the granting of a request. Thirdly, an oath is a binding promise with the invocation of repercussions for failing to fulfil the promise made. The curse or negative consequences will be carried out if the oath is broken.

 Open Heaven 11 February 2019 Action Point:

The Bible does not place any requirement or compulsion on any Christian to enter into a covenant, make a vow or pronounce an oath. They are all voluntary obligations, but once entered into; they are binding and must be kept. Covenants, vows and oaths are often used to measure our seriousness and emphasise our commitment to receive something important from God. In Genesis 28:20-22, Jacob bargained with God and his request was granted. In Judges 11:30-31, Jephethah made a vow unto the Lord and he received immediate answers to his request. Hannah made a vow to God when she needed a child, and God granted her request in a way that put a new song in her mouth (1^st Samuel 1:11). Also, Israel as a nation made a vow in Numbers 21:2 for the Lord to grant them victory over their enemy, and God granted their request. At different times and for diverse reasons, Abraham, David, Solomon, Paul, and others proved the efficacy of bargaining with God, and none of them was by any means disappointed. Entering into an agreement with God in order to resolve a difficult issue or in order to get God to move in your favour is highly recommended, but you must not fail to fulfil your promise to Him.

Action Point

Reflect over the covenant between you and the Lord Jesus Christ; are you living up to the terms of this covenant? Have you fulfilled all your vows to the Lord?

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