Open Heavens 20 October 2024 Sunday – The Challenges Of Success (2)
MEMORISE: “The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.” – Proverbs 14:20
READ: Proverbs 19:4-7 Open Heavens 20 October 2024
4 Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.
5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.
6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.
7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.
Open Heavens 20 October 2024
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 1-2
MESSAGE: – Open Heavens 20 October 2024 Sunday Daily Devotional
Yesterday, I started sharing about the challenges of success, and I focused on pride. Today, I will look at another major challenge of success, which is the fact that everybody wants to be friends with the successful. When you are successful, you will have many people around you, and it will be difficult to tell those that have good intentions apart from those that do not.
The mere fact that you are at the top will attract many ‘friends’ to you. This is why you must be careful to put your trust in God and not man. Some people will do everything to work their way into your heart just because of what they want to get from you. You will need the gift of discernment of spirits to know those that are genuine and those that are not.
In 2 Samuel 13:4-5, Jonadab advised Prince Amnon like he really cared about him. Amnon went ahead and did as he advised. When the repercussion of that evil counsel came, Jonadab did not rise up to defend his friend; he was the one who went to announce Amnon’s death to David (2 Samuel 13:32-33). He told the king, “Let the king cheer up, for Amnon only is dead.” If Amnon had been wise, he would have seen earlier that Jonadab was not a real friend. Real friends will not always say ‘yes’ to your desires. Sometimes, they will say ‘no’ because they care about you. When you have people who never tell you the hard truth and who will keep supporting you, even when you are clearly going the wrong way, run from such people.
The higher you go, the more careful you have to become in choosing the kind of people you allow into your life. If you are trying not to be lonely as you go higher, and you keep many friends, you will end up having many with negative intentions around you. You should have fewer friends as you go higher, not because you don’t like being friendly, but because you will discover that most people care more about what you can give them than who you are to them. As a result, your circle of friends should become really small as you advance in life. For example, I had more friends when I was not yet General Overseer than I have now.
Beloved, I pray that God will give you the grace to discern between those that are really your friends and those that are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Prayer Point – Open Heavens 20 October 2024
Father, please give me the gift of discernment of spirits so that I can know who my real friends are and those that are not.
Open Heavens 20 October 2024 Sunday Hymn
HYMN 27 – What A Friend We Have In Jesus
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge–
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield you;
you will find a solace there.
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