Open Heaven for Today 25 October 2019 – Any Expectations From God

Open Heaven for Today 25 October 2019: [Friday] – Any Expectations From God

ANY EXPECTATIONS FROM GOD? – Friday October 25^th 2019

Memorise: And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? Matthew 20:32

Read: Matthew 20:29-34 (KJV)

²⁹ And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.

³⁰ And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

³¹ And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

³² And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?

³³ They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

³⁴ So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

Open Heaven for Today 25 October 2019: [Friday] – Any Expectations From God

Bible in one year: 2^nd Chronicles 31-32, Revelation 19:6-21, Hymn: Sing hymn 8

Message:-

It is a sad thing to realize that some children of God virtually expect nothing from Him. In the guise of modesty and spirituality, some people practically live a life of begging. 

Open Heaven for Today 25 October 2019: [Friday] – Any Expectations From God

Like Lazarus, they live off the provision of their fellow brethren, whom they sometimes consider to be “worldly”. Rather than asking God and working towards having something productive to do that will meet their needs, they prefer living at the expense and mercy of other people. They can be likened to the older brother of the prodigal son, who did not realise who he was and the enormous resources at his disposal as the dutiful son of a very rich man (Luke 15:11-32). It was in his presence that his younger brother foolishly asked for his share of their father’s inheritance and went away to squander it. The older brother kept on working faithfully in his father’s business but never bothered to ask for anything meaningful to celebrate with his friends, even through he desired to do so. The reason he did not ask was because he chose to feign spirituality and modesty. His inward nature and desires came to the fore when his younger brother returned in repentance, and their father forgave him and even celebrated the occasion by killing the fattest cow this older brother had been grooming! Probably he had been planning to ask his father to let him have the cow to celebrate a special occasion. Unfortunately for him, the cow was used to celebrate a lost son who was found! Luke 15:28-30 captures his reaction to this, saying:

Open Heaven for Today 25 October 2019 – Any Expectations From God 

“And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.”

In response, his father reminded him that all he had was his. In other words, if he asked, he would have received whatever he wanted. The bottom line here is that the older son neither knew what he wanted nor his place in his father’s household. He was even asking for just a little goat out of all his father had, which actually belonged to him! 

Open Heaven for Today 25 October 2019 Friday Key Point

He ended up being jealous, and this kept him outside while others enjoyed themselves in his father’s banquet hall. Beloved, what is your expectation from the Lord as you serve Him and do his bidding? In today’s Bible reading, Jesus asked the blind men, “What will ye that I shall do unto you?” They wisely responded, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” Consequently, Jesus compassionately touched them, and they received their sight. The Lord will have compassion on you today, provided you sincerely tell Him what you desire from Him. There is no impossibility with God; He will surely meet your expectations.

Key Point:

“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24)

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.