Open Heavens 23 August 2016: Tuesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Ultimate Goal

Topic: The Ultimate Goal [Tuesday 23, August 2016]
Memorise: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:3
Read: Matthew 5:1-10 (KJV)
 1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Bible in One Year: Isaiah 49-51, Psalms 40:1-10
MESSAGE:
 God’s eternal purpose for calling us into His kingdom is to make us a people that will be conformed to the image of His son Jesus Christ. The moment we surrender our lives to Christ, our focus must change and our goals in life must be tailored towards His ultimate purpose. You become separated from the crowd, you become a disciple of Jesus and the love of Christ becomes your preoccupation. Nothing satisfies better than the relationship you enjoy with the Father. You begin to have access to deep secrets because you are now His disciple. Your goal must change because you have become separated from sin and a worldly lifestyle. All those that encountered God had to focus on His ultimate goal for their lives. Joseph knew that he could of his own achieve nothing, so he began to follow the plan of God for his life. He focused on the ultimate goal and the Almighty God assisted him and gave him understanding, which made him to stand out. He learnt so many things as he was working towards God’s plan and purpose for his life. He became humble and grace was released into his life. Those who are always full of their achievements and accomplishments in life can never amount to anything significant before God because they will become blinded by their success. For outstanding goals to be achieved by you, there is the need to depend on the Almighty God.
 An understanding of your spiritual poverty is the only gateway into entering into the provision and abundance of the Almighty God. It is acknowledging your deficiencies and realising that you are bankrupt and you need the help of Heaven to achieve the ultimate goal that God has lined up for you. King Solomon understood this and came to God to ask for help in knowing how to go about his daily business of administering the affairs of the kingdom. The moment God is removed from your life; you have nothing more to give to life. This is why you have to be meek before God. You must demonstrate meekness as you move on in life because the place that God is taking you to is a great place. You cannot afford to be proud. It is only the power of God that can guarantee your getting there, not by your own strength. Meekness is an attribute of Christ, and also one of the fruits of the Spirit. We must follow the path of meekness in our daily lives. It means your flesh must be crucified and the natural man in you must give in for the power of God to fill you.
 When Joseph’s brothers were about to sell him into slavery, they thought they had gotten rid of the dreamer and his dreams, but they did not know they were only helping him in orchestrating the plan and purpose of God for his life. They became vehicles through which the young dreamer got to his ultimate destination in life. This is why you need to know that all things will always work together for good in the life of those who allow Jesus to be their personal Lord and Saviour. As long as you remain in the perfect will of God, and you are obedient to the ultimate goal that He has set for your life, you can be sure you will get to your destination. Dare to trust God and stop struggling to fight your battles by yourself. With God on your side, you will reach your goal.
Key Point: The plan and purpose of God for a man is the best that can ever happen to him.
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.
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