DATE: WEDNESDAY 6TH DECEMBER 2017
THEME: WHAT DO YOU SEE?
MEMORISE:
I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. Habakkuk 2:1
READ: Habakkuk 2:1-3
2:1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2:2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
MESSAGE:
The power of vision is one very crucial lesson we can learn from Elisha’s unshakable focus when his master was about to be taken up to heaven (2 kings 2:1-15). Vision gives direction. What you see is what you attain, and what you focus on determines what comes to you in life. You can never rise above your vision. While speaking to Abraham concerning His promise that Abraham’s descendants would inherit the land of Canaan, the Lord plainly told him that what he would possess would be determined by the extent of his vision. Genesis 13:15 says,
“For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.”
People have often said that what the mind can conceive can be achieved. What can you see? What can you picture or envision concerning your future? For your mind to be able to see clearly, you have to be born again and have a recreated spirit which is capable of seeing things the way God sees them (Romans 12:2).
In addition, what you focus on is equally very important. This is because what you focus on expands and fills your sight. Your focus affects you significantly, shapes your life and determines what you attract to yourself. The sons of the prophets in all three locations Elijah visited before his rapture to heaven focused on loss. They focused on the fact that their national prophet would soon be raptured, and they would soon be without their leader. Consequently, that was exactly what they got. On the other hand, Elisha focused on his singular goal of receiving a double portion of the Spirit of his master, Elijah, and he got it. We have a way of attracting what we focus on. What or who is your focus? Hebrews 12:1 says we should look unto Jesus. In other words, it says we should make Jesus Christ our focus. Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 3:18 says,
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
When we focus on Jesus, we will begin to change from what we are into what He is. Focusing on Jesus is a major change medium that will definitely make us what we ought to be. Until you focus on Him, you will unknowingly be focusing on other things, individuals or even yourself. What is your focus today?
ACTION POINT:
Catalogue what you spend your time doing in a day, and this will give you a good indication of what your focus really is.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 108-112
Habakkuk 3
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 7: OH JESUS I HAVE PROMISED
1. O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.
2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment: Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and help me listen, Thou Guardian of my soul.
3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory there shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end—
Oh, give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend.
4. Oh, let me see Thy footprints, and in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly is in Thy strength alone;
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me, uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav’n receive me, my Saviour and my Friend.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR PASSAGES
Psalm 108: 1. O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. 2. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. 3. I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. 4. For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. 5. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth; 6. That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me. 7. God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. 8. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; 9. Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph. 10. Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? 11. Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts? 12. Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. 13. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. -
Psalm 109: 1. Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; 2. For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. 3. They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. 4. For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. 5. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6. Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. 7. When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin. 8. Let his days be few; and let another take his office. 9. Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. 10. Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places. 11. Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour. 12. Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children. 13. Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out. 14. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. 15. Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. 16. Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart. 17. As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. 18. As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones. 19. Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually. 20. Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul. 21. But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. 22. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. 23. I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. 24. My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. 25. I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads. 26. Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy: 27. That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it. 28. Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice. 29. Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle. 30. I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude. 31. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.
Psalm 110: 1. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 2. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. 4. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. 5. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. 6. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. 7. He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head. -
Psalm 111: 1. Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. 2. The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. 3. His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever. 4. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. 5. He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant. 6. He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen. 7. The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. 8. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. 9. He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. 10. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. -
Psalm 112: 1. Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. 2. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. 3. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. 4. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 5. A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. 6. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. 8. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. 9. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. 10. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish. -
Habakkuk 3: 1. A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth. 2. O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. 3. God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. 4. And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power. 5. Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. 6. He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting. 7. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. 8. Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation? 9. Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. 10. The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high. 11. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear. 12. Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. 13. Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah. 14. Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly. 15. Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters. 16. When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops. 17. Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18. Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. -
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