The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 3 April 2019 – Are Your “Heavens” Closed?
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TOPIC: Are Your “Heavens” Closed?
READ: Matthew 3:13-17 King James Version (KJV)
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
THE MESSAGE:
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptised by him. What a distance it took Jesus to go for water baptism. John tried to prevent Him but Jesus insisted: “permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” Jesus went through the rigours of baptism to fulfil all righteousness, even though He did not need one. It will not be an assumption to say that the reason for Jesus’ submission to water baptism was to set us an example and to affirm this very important fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith. Christian baptism is a public confirmation of what has happened in the inside, a changed heart. Baptism is essentially a commitment. It is identification with Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6). It is a commitment to discipleship (Matthew 28: 19-20).
Notice that as soon as Jesus was baptised, the heavens were opened unto Him. Identifying with the death and resurrection of Jesus and commitment to practical discipleship, marked by a life of obedience, opens the heavens over a man. It makes a man secure the favour of God, and leads to living a life that pleases God. Are the heavens closed to you? Does it look to you that God is not well pleased with you? Check your life of obedience; insist on walking in obedience to the will of God that you know.
PRAYER: Lord, help me yield to You unreservedly.
