Open Heaven Devotional - Be Wary Of Offence
MEMORISE:
"A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their
contentions are like the bars of a castle". Proverbs 18:19
READ:
Genesis 27:38-41(KJV)
38 And
Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me,
even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
39 And
Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the
fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;
40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
41 And
Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and
Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then
will I slay my brother Jacob.
BIBLE IN
ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 36-38
MESSAGE:
Many
Christians take people’s love and loyalty for granted. When a brother or sister
in Christ loves you, be careful not to disappoint them because if you do, and
the fellow is offended, they may never regain the love they had for you. If
someone is willing to make sacrifices for you, take that as a challenge for you
to also make sacrifices for them.
When they are loyal to you, you must also be loyal to them. The closer someone is to you, the more careful you must be not to offend them. Many ministers of God feel that because they are the head of a ministry, they can do whatever they like without caring about the people that love them. For some, the moment they become popular, they begin to take those who started out with them for granted. Many sworn enemies today are people who were close friends yesterday.
There is an English proverb that says, “Make new
friends and keep the old; one is silver, the other is gold.” Old friends are
gold; they knew and loved you when you were nothing. As years pass by,
your new friends will also start turning to gold. You can keep making new
friends but keep the old ones.
One thing that has helped us in RCCG is that everyone who
laboured with us when we were still very small is honoured and appreciated. This way, the younger ones see
that if they work hard, they will not be neglected. The worst enemy
anyone can have is the enemy within his or her household. An enemy that goes in
and out with someone is very dangerous.
Believers must be careful not to offend their brothers and turn
them into enemies; they are likely to suffer greatly for it. When you
notice that there is something that may offend your brother, call him aside and
discuss it with him. Matthew 5:23-24 says that when you go to God with
an offering, and you remember that a brother has something against you, you are
to leave your offering there and seek to reconcile with that brother before you
come back to give the offering.
Note that the Bible does not say, “If you have something
against the brother,” but, “If the brother has something against you.” Don’t
put a stumbling block between yourself and God. The Bible says in Romans
12:18, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all
men.” As much as it may be in your power, live in peace with everyone
around you.
Key Point
A brother’s love is strong, but it must never be taken for
granted.
© 2024 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.