OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL by Pastor E.A Adeboye (DATE: TUESDAY 19TH JULY 2016) THEME: THE HABITATION OF THE LORD

Memorise:
If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy
righteousness prosperous. - Job 8:6

Read: Psalms 97:10-11
97:10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

97:11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.

Message:
The characteristics of the habitation of the Lord attracts our attention because of the blessings awaiting us there. The qualification of those who can be part of the habitation of the Lord is worthy of note. Our memory verse says:
"If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy
righteousness prosperous." Job 8:6

The habitation of the Lord is the place where God blesses His people with diverse kinds of blessings- spiritual, physical and material. Only the pure and upright can enjoy the blessings of God's habitation one of which is security.

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1

The issue of holiness is not a subject of debate for those who know what they stand to gain by living holy. If you live holy, you live holy for yourself as the Lord watches over the righteous (Psalms 5:12).

Also, there is promotion for those who abide in the habitation
of the Lord (Hebrews 1:9).

Moreover, the Bible says;
"Lord, who shall abide in thy
tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walk-through uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. Psalm 15:1-2

In other words, the habitation of the Lord is not an "all comers" affair, even though whoever chooses to be there can be there if the fellow is ready to pay the price. The price of living holy is what those who want to abide in the habitation of the Lord must pay. Our text for today emphasises the necessity of righteousness viz-a-viz divine protection:

"Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he
preserveth the souls of his saints; he
delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the
righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart." Psalm 97:10-11

Nobody is careless about his precious possession. Anybody who chooses to live a consecrated life will enjoy divine protection. Such are precious stones in the sight of the Lord. The Lord watches over His heritage, i.e. His saints. This is why Psalms 125:3 says:

"For the rod of the wicked shall not
rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. "

He keeps them under His protection
and ensures no evil befalls them. My
prayer is that you will live under the
watchful eyes of the Almighty.

Action Point:
Search the scriptures and find out all you must do to be able to abide in the habitation of the Lord.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Corinthians 10-13 and Psalms 15-16

AUTHOR: Pst. E.A Adeboye