Give up that River- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ps 79 -81
GIVE UP THAT RIVER Wednesday, October 27, 2010
MEMORIZE:   “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24) READ: John 6:5-13 One of my children once shared an observation with me. He talked of some people whose businesses are not known even beyond the shores of their country yet, they behave as if they have achieved the ultimate; Whereas God’s plan is for all nations of the earth to be blessed through you. One reason some have lost more valuable things is for failing to turn over to God the little they have in return for something bigger and better.  If God is asking for your five loaves of bread and two fishes, it is because He wants to feed thousands of people with it and give you a harvest thereafter. Unfortunately, because many limit their gaze to the success of today, they  become blind to the greater success of tomorrow.  Imagine what the boy who gave the loaves and fishes would have lost if he had failed to surrender them? Many professing Christians have lost and many will yet lose great opportunities for holding firmly to what they should have released to God. The boy released just 5 loaves and 2 fishes but went home with 12 baskets full. What are you holding unto that could trigger a greater harvest for you? Release it today before you begin to count losses. (NB: Support www.10millionexercisebooks.com project today, eradicating illiteracy in Nigeria.) Recently, the Lord reminded me of an experience I had during my first visit to Zambia. I went there to start a parish of the RCCG in the house of a brother I met sometime in Germany.  He had a pastor in his house who had a church of about 300 people, with branches in four other nations. They invited me to preach and I accepted. On the eve of my departure, the Lord asked me to tell the pastor to surrender his church to the RCCG so that they could become a part of us. I pleaded with God that I could not deliver such a message considering how he would view it or even work against my return to that country.  Eventually, I asked the Lord to tell the man he has a message through me. So if he comes to ask of his message, then I would deliver it. Happy that he did not come, I was just about to go to bed at about 12 midnight when he knocked on my door. He told me he couldn’t sleep because God had said he had a message, so I told him what God said. He said ‘No way’. We prayed and  he left. The Lord asked me to learn from it. That He wanted the pastor to release a river so as to get an ocean, he refused and lost an ocean. Today, the RCCG is flourishing in Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, etc.  What is that river you ought to release for your ocean? ACTION POINT: Give up your river in exchange for God’s ocean today!