Open heavens devotional 2017 Sunday November 19 2017

Sunday November 19

LISTEN TO ELDERS

Memorise:
I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.
Job 32:7

Read: 1 Peter 5:1-5
1Pe 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
1Pe 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
1Pe 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
1Pe 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
1Pe 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Message:
One way of avoiding mistakes in life is to learn from the experience of those who have gone ahead of you in faith, business, career or family life. If you learn from the fall of others, you will not meet with the same tragic end that befell them. This is why you need to listen to the advice of elders. Piglets are expected to learn from the mother pig. For this reason, Job 32:7 says,
"I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom."
It is also commonly said that experience is the best teacher. There are several things you will be taught from the school of life when you listen to what the elders the Lord has placed around you have to say. There is a Nigerian proverb that says, "A child may have as many clothes as an elder, but he cannot have as many rags as he." Learn from those who have trod on the path you are walking on.

I had the opportunity of delivering the sermon at the wedding of the daughter of a country's president not too long ago. I observed that both the girl and her husband were highly educated. I therefore said to them, "Looking at you, I can tell you are both brilliant people, but you are just starting a journey into marriage, a journey I have being engaged in for about 47 years, and as a result, I have one or two things to teach you." It is very important that you listen to your elders. Are you newly married? I have two equations to keep you going – one: love is blind, and two: marriage is a miracle-worker with special anointing for opening blind eyes. When you solve these two equations simultaneously, the answer you will get is this: Love is blind but marriage will open its eyes.

Beloved, never shun the advice of an elder! Apart from your biological elders, your pastors and senior pastors are also elders. Except when they asked you to veer off the path of righteousness, please listen to them and follow their good advice. If you have a godly, humble heart, it will be easy to listen to elders. Can you believe that some people do not listen to their elders because they want to be in-charge of their lives? They erroneously believe that if they listen to elders, they will lose control of their lives. Righteous elders will want to guide you on God's holy path and ensure you reach your goal. Be wise today!

Prayer Point:
Father, thank You for all the elders in the Body of Christ; please use them to provide righteous counsel for our youths, so that together we can all make Heaven.