🎊 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🎊
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29TH 2024_

*THEME: DESTINY DESTROYERS IV*

*MEMORISE:*
“Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”
Philippians 3:19

*BIBLE READING: PROVERBS 23:19-21*
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:

21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

*MESSAGE:*
In conclusion of my teaching on the above topic, one major destiny destroyer that many people are not aware of is gluttony. Gluttony is the habit of eating and drinking excessively. Gluttons cannot control their appetites, and such people do not usually go far in life. They simply want to eat every time; food has become their preoccupation - their god.

Controlling your appetite is very important, and this is why the Bible says:

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. - (Proverbs 23:1-2)

The Scripture above does not imply that believers should literally put a knife to their necks, rather, it is saying that if they cannot control their appetite, even if they sit at a table with great men, they will still bring about their own destruction. The Bible tells us that even though Daniel and his friends were chosen amongst those to eat a portion of the king’s food, they controlled their appetites and chose not to defile themselves with the food. They chose to honour God by controlling their appetites, and God honoured them in return (Daniel 1:1-21).

Esau’s destiny was destroyed with a bowl of porridge; just one bowl of food caused his name to be omitted from the list we usually talk about - the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. ‘Jacob’ on the list would have been Esau, but he couldn’t control his appetite and lost his place on that great list (Genesis 25:29-34).

Some adults eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, snack in-between meals, and eat again just before going to bed. How can you have the strength to wake up in the middle of the night for spiritual warfare when you are so loaded with food that you can hardly stand? There are many people who died untimely deaths and truncated their own destinies because of how much food they ate. They ate to the point of endangering their health, and then they passed on. Don’t let this be your portion.

Beloved, you should eat only when necessary and eat only the quantity of food that you need to survive. When you eat too much, you will be weak, and you will have less strength to do the things that you need to do to achieve greatness. Those whose belly is their god - meaning they are controlled by it - will end up in destruction. Control your appetite!

*PRAYER POINT:*
Father, please don't let my appetite destroy me.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
ZEPHANIAH 11-14

*AUTHOR*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 31 - YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION*
1 Yield not to temptation,
For yielding is sin;
Each vict’ry will help you,
Some other to win;
Fight valiantly onward,
Evil passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.

*Refrain:*
Ask the Savior to help you,
Comfort, strengthen and keep you;
He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.

2 Shun evil companions,
Bad language disdain;
God’s name hold in rev’rence,
Nor take it in vain;
Be thoughtful and earnest,
Kindhearted and true;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.

[Refrain]

3 To him that o’ercometh,
God giveth a crown;
Through faith we will conquer,
Though often cast down;
He who is our Savior,
Our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.

[Refrain]