IS ANYTHING TOO HARD TO GIVE UP FOR THE SAKE OF HEAVEN?

EVERY WORD OF GOD FOR DAILY LIVING BY: 
PASTOR PAUL RIKA:
INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR 
Holiness Revival Movement Worldwide

DATE: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17th

TEXT: Genesis 21:8-12
And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

KEY VERSE: Genesis 21:14
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

(TESTIMONY OF DIVINE DELIVERANCE)

In today’s devotional text, Sarah demanded of Abraham that he should send away both her maid Hagar and Ishmael her child, because she saw Ishmael despising her son Isaac. If Sarah’s demand had only involved Hagar, Abraham would have done it easily. But to demand that even his own son, his own blood who was his first child, should be cut off was too costly for him and Abraham took the matter to God so that God would rebuke Sarah for what she was saying. But instead of God rebuking Sarah for such a demand, He supported her and said “Abraham do what Sarah has said, that is My desire and My will for you.”

I want you to know that there are some things that God would want you to cut off from your life, but they may look too costly to you because you have become too used to them. There are some persons that God would want you to cut off from your life; people that you shouldn’t have a close relationship with anymore, but it may be very costly because you grew up with them from your youth.

You may begin to think that God ought to understand and reason with you, but God will not reason with you. What He commands, you have to do even if it does not make sense to you; even if it will be at great cost to you. What did Abraham do in the circumstance? He sent Hagar and Ismael away. You would observe that Abraham didn’t even have time to put much together for them for their journey. How much load could they carry anyway? We now saw them wandering in the wilderness. This was too costly for a loving person like Abraham, but God said he should do it.

Is God no longer a Lover? Why is He asking me to take this hard step over this person? What would happen to the person tomorrow? What would happen to the person in the future? The Creator said, “Do it.” You may be thinking, “would it even be me that God said I should take this thing off? How would I feel? How do I live? How would my life be?” Whichever way your life will be that you may even be wandering in the wilderness like Hagar, the Lord is saying, ‘Do it!’

Thought for the day: Follow God’s will, not your own desire.

Song for the day: I surrender all, I surrender all, all yo Thee….

Bible reading for the day: Leviticus 24-25; Mark 1:23-45