Topic: The Peril Of Partial Obedience [Open Heavens for Teens 28 December 2020]

Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional for Teens

Memorise: Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. Genesis 27:8

Read: Genesis 13:1-12

1. And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
2. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
3. And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;
4. Unto the place of the altar, which he had make there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
5. And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.
6. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
7. And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
8. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
9. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
10. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
11. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
12. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

Bible In One Year: Zechariah 7-9; Revelation 19:1-21

MESSAGE:

There is nothing like half or partial obedience. As far as God is concerned, you are either obedient or disobedient. What the world refers to as partial obedience is actually disobedience to God. When God gives you an instruction, He expects you to carry it out to the letter. If you study characters in the Bible, you will realise that those who obeyed God to the last detail were mightily blessed. And those who obeyed partially were not blessed at all. For instance, Saul lost his throne to David due to partial obedience. Also, Abraham landed himself in trouble because of his incomplete obedience as seen in our Bible reading for today. God told him to get out of his country and his family. He did leave his country and his fathers house but he took a relative- Lot with him. This was against the instructions of God, so he landed into series of problems and they eventually had to part ways.

Disobedience to an instruction makes the person who has given you the instruction to lose confidence in you. Your integrity will also be questioned and you will have to do a lot of hard work to win the trust of that person back. It is the same way with God. If He cannot completely rely on you to obey Him fully, He will look elsewhere.

Key Point:

Choose to fully obey God, whether it is convenient or not.

Hymn: To God Be The Glory, Great Things He Hath Done

1. To God be the glory, great
   things He hath done,
   So loved He the world
   that He gave us His Son,
   Who yielded His life an
   atonement for sin,
   And opened the life gate
   that all may go in.

Chorus:
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father,
Through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory,
Great things He hath done.

2. Oh, perfect redemption,
   the purchase of blood,
   To every believer the
   promise of God;
   The vilest offender who
   truly believes,
   That moment from Jesus a
   pardon receives.
3. Great things He hath taught us,
   Great things He hath done,
   And great our rejoicing
   through Jesus the Son;
   But purer, and higher, and
   greater will be
   Our wonder, our transport,
   when Jesus we see.

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.