Topic: Living In The Past [Open Heavens for Teens 17 September 2019]
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional for Teens
Memorise: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, – Philippians 3:13
Read: Joshua 7:2-5, 24-26
2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.
25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.
Bible In One Year: Ecclesiastes 1-3; 2 Corinthians 9
MESSAGE:
One thing I discovered can make a man stagnant is when he dwells on his past victories. Many people are lost in their past glory, jeopardising the present and the future. If you are in this category, then it is time for you to forget the past and beat your previous records. It might be that you used to be the best in mathematics in junior school, but now that you are in your senior year, you are not doing well like you used to. The reason is because you have stopped studying maths as much as before since you believe you are good at it. You are sticking to the past no one cares about anymore at the detriment of moving forward.
How is your life now? This is what you should ponder on; how are you doing today? If you used to be hot for God and now you are running on past fuel, you need to wake up. In life, anyone that is staying in one spot is actually retrogressing. You need to do better than yesterday. Break your own records; make sure that you are doing better that you were yesterday.
Key Point:
Pick yourself up and be the best again.
Hymn 7:
1 I am Thine 0 Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Chorus:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
3 Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!
4 There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
Daily Devotional for Teen’s 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.
Bible Quiz Trivia By Faithwheel.com
Answer all questions, equal marks for all questions
