WEDNESDAY - 21ST JUNE, 2023
MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Olusola ADEJUMO
ENTER BY THE DOOR
John 10:1, KJV
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber".
Enter by the door. It guarantees peace and eliminates fear. There will always be the door and some other way by which anyone may climb in. However, give attention, discipline and by well thought decision, enter by the only acceptable entrance.
If any intends coming into your estate but chooses to climb in through the fence, you'll immediately identify him as a thief or a robber. He is defying the defined and obviously established rules of entering and accessing you. You immediately have reasons to suspect his motive. The reason is very simple. Any who wishes to visit must take the door - which is the gate. Anyone who wouldn't but seek to climb in by any other way declares himself and his aim by that sole act and his disobedience should be arrested and punished.
The admonishment this morning is to, "enter by the door" and not "climb in some other way." The choice is before all of us on daily basis. Students writing exams are left with the choice of either entering through the door of studying and writing only what they could produce in the exam hall or seek to pass their exam by seeking alternatives in the term, 'examination malpractice'. If you ever need something and you're in dire need of it, so much more that it has become your thought day and night, you either wait on God from whom every good gift and every perfect gift comes from or you seek it through sin, crime or occultism. The Bible is clear on where "good gift" and "perfect gift" originates from. It's from above, from the Father of lights with whom there's no variableness or shadow of turning (James 1:17). So, if you'll enter through the door of right possessing, your entering should be by requesting, asking and seeking from God. You can have money and get it some other way. What matters is if yours is "the blessing of the Lord that makes rich and adds no sorrow" (Prov.10:22). If yours isn't, we should never believe you that the end (of having gotten wealth) is what justify the means (road, process and protocols) passed to getting your wealth. If you change figures or add to it, that'll be getting wealth by crime. If you went to the devil to acquire it, that'll be occult wealth. If you engaged in prostitution to have it, that'll be sin. In all, any of these three "other ways" are violations of God's command and will for man. He never proposes or wills that any one becomes wealthy by climbing in some other ways. The word, "climb" itself suggests illegality, unapproved entering but rather a thrust. God hates this and He's as well committed to punishing such as found in such ways and practices. The devil once suggests an alternative to having everything to Jesus. He said, 'bow to me and all these things shall be yours" (Matt.4:8-10). He appeals and woos Jesus with the kingdoms and glory of this world but God forbid, my Master sternly rebukes him having known that there's only one approved route by which He could regain what the first Adam had lost - the excruciating way of the cross. That's the cup that He must drink. Though Jesus Himself shivers under it. He said, "not My will but Yours" (Matt.26:29). You see, no one says the right process will be easy but there's always a supply of grace to bear it.
The Bible says, "call unto me and I'll show you great and mighty things which you know not of" (Jer.33:3). That's entering by the door to finding out information and secrets in the spirit. However, there's an alternative to that. King Saul exemplifies that when he went to the witch of Endor to enquire instead of finding out from God (I Sam.28:7-14). One therefore becomes entering by the door and the other, climbing in some other way (by force or crook) just because you want to have the result. Anyone who engages in fetching information from the spirit realm but by bypassing the Holy Spirit is in the danger of the practice of witchcraft.
You're aware that multitude in Africa, Latin America and every other places are seeking relocation to greener lands desperately. You can get all the papers - have a visa and passport and travel through the airport or you become an illegal immigrant who seeks to arrive at a destined land by breaching laws and thrusting himself into a country unaccounted for. Such people always face the wrath of the law and face a lot of untold hardships. Thousands have died even in the waters over this. They are opened to violence and oppression by territorial guards. Some are shot, maimed, robbed, forced into hard labour or prostitution at only where God knows. These occur because a man or a woman can't endure what it takes to travel legally. There's no one who seeks to enter by some other way who's not at the mercy of punishment and consequences somewhere. A cheating student fears being caught and penalized. What difference would it make if he studies and writes fluently without any fear of the unknown? Illegal immigrants are at the mercy of extortioners, arrest, imprisonment or un-probed death. Just so many!
It is therefore best to enter by the door. Don't have unapproved relationship with a lady. You can know the parents and formalize it. Enter by the door. One gives rest and brings the endorsement of the right authority. The other makes you a thief and robber sought to be shot at first sight. It makes sense demanding respect therefore. The requirements might be much and the process rigorous but seek to "enter by the door" and not "climb in by some other way." We all know that the road that leads to life is narrow and restricted. However, wide is the gate that leads to destruction and that's what accommodates all sorts of uncalled for acts and punishable disobedience. Choose today which way you'll enter by. Even if new standards were set or raised as to how things should be done, ensure you're not caught in the debased but the one lawfully endorsed by the government and co-signed by God or any human authority. Enter by the gate Christian! Avoid shame and embarassment.
PRAYER: Lord, I will not be a disobedient fellow. I will not be a law breaker. I seek to enter by the door. Some other ways will not be attractive to me.
BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Kings 22:1-53; Acts 13:16-41; Psalm 138:1-8; Proverbs 17:17-18
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