The Open Heaven 8 December 2025 devotional for today is SIN AND GOD’S SUPPORT.
This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
OPEN HEAVEN 8 DECEMBER 2025 TODAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: SIN AND GOD’S SUPPORT
MEMORISE:
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
Psalms 5:4
READ: Isaiah 59:1-2:
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 8 DECEMBER 2025 TODAY MESSAGE
When Joshua became the leader of the Israelites, God promised to support him all the way and also told him that wherever the sole of his foot touched, he would have it (Joshua 1:1-5). All through the period Joshua led the children of Israel through the wilderness, he found this to be true until the day the Israelites were defeated by a small nation called Ai.
After this defeat, Joshua went to God and asked for the reason they lost, and God told him that there was sin in the camp of the Israelites (Joshua 7:2-11).
This shows us that even when you are doing the will of God, and He has promised to support you all the way, He will withdraw His support the moment you start engaging in sin. Sin will turn a child of God into an enemy of God, and because God’s eyes are too pure to behold iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13), He will withdraw from such a fellow.
God made several wonderful promises to Moses. For instance, He told Moses that His presence would go with him and He would give him rest (Exodus 33:14). In Exodus 33:1, He also told Moses to go up with the children of Israel and take them to the Promised Land which He had sworn to give to their fathers – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
However, when Moses disobeyed God, the Lord withdrew His support, and Moses died in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 34:4-5). Disobedience to God’s instructions will make a person lose His support.
Saul was Israel’s first king, and God had planned to establish his kingdom forever (1 Samuel 13:13). However, after he sat on the throne as king, he became proud and disobedient to God (1 Samuel 15:1-30). This made God to change His mind, withdraw His support, and give the kingdom to David.
Samson was also destined for greatness. However, he started living in sin, and he thought God would never leave him. On the day God’s support was withdrawn from him, he didn’t even know until the enemies had captured him (Judges 16:20).
Beloved, are you engaging in anything that will take God’s support away from you? If you are engaging in secret sins, desist from them immediately. Don’t think that there will not be consequences because things are still going on as usual. God is surely taking records.
Repent today before He decides to turn His back on you. May the Lord not withdraw His support from you, in Jesus’ name.
KEY POINT
Are you doing anything that will cause God to withdraw His support from you?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Ephesians 1-3
HYMN 34: YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION
OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 8 DECEMBER 2025 COMMENTARY
MEMORISE: Joshua 1:5
“There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
This promise is the bedrock of divine partnership. It is not a blanket guarantee of success regardless of conduct, but a covenant promise of God’s faithful presence conditioned on covenant obedience. The subsequent failure at Ai reveals that the promise is activated within the context of holiness.
BIBLE READING: Joshua 7:2-11
This passage is the definitive case study on how sin breaches covenant protection:
v.2-5: The Shocking Defeat – The small city of Ai routs Israel, causing hearts to melt. This follows a great victory (Jericho), proving that yesterday’s anointing does not cover today’s disobedience.
v.6-9: Joshua’s Distress – His prayer focuses on God’s reputation and their danger, but not on the possibility of internal sin.
v.10-11: God’s Diagnosis – The Lord interrupts his prayer with a stark revelation: “Israel hath sinned… they have also transgressed my covenant… taken the accursed thing.” Sin in the camp breached the divine defense.
The Fatal Breach: How Sin Revokes Divine Support
Pastor E.A. Adeboye delivers a sobering and urgent message: God’s promised support is not an unconditional guarantee but a holy alliance. Through stark biblical examples, he demonstrates that sin—whether corporate, secret, or presumptuous—systematically severs the lifeline of divine backing, leaving the believer exposed and defeated.
1. The Conditional Nature of Divine Support
The Joshua Principle: Promise and Penalty:
Joshua 1:1-5 contains God’s ironclad promise of victory and presence. Yet, in Joshua 7, God Himself declares that this support has been withdrawn due to “the accursed thing” (Achan’s sin). This establishes a core biblical principle: God’s promises are fulfilled through our partnership in holiness. Sin suspends the operational power of the promise.
The Purity of God’s Eyes (Habakkuk 1:13):
God’s nature is fundamentally incompatible with iniquity. “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil.” His supporting presence is not passive approval; it is active partnership. When we embrace what His eyes cannot behold, He must, by His very nature, withdraw. We become, in effect, “an enemy of God” (James 4:4) in that area of disobedience.
2. Case Studies in the Withdrawal of Support
Moses: The Tragedy of Disobedience (Exodus 33:14, Deuteronomy 34:4-5):
God promised His presence and rest. Yet, at Meribah, Moses disobeyed God’s specific instruction and acted in pride (Numbers 20:10-12). The consequence was the withdrawal of support for his personal destiny—he saw the Promised Land but died before entering. The mission succeeded (Israel entered), but the disobedient leader did not.
Saul: The Loss of Destiny Through Pride (1 Samuel 13:13, 15:1-30):
Saul was given a kingdom “forever.” His presumptuous sacrifice (impatience) and spared spoils (direct disobedience) were acts of pride that rejected God’s word. God’s response: “The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day” (1 Samuel 15:28). His support shifted to David, a man after God’s own heart.
Samson: The Deception of Presumption (Judges 16:20):
Samson presumed upon his gift, thinking his strength was his own. He toyed with sin until “he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.” This is the most dangerous state: to continue in ministry or life unaware that the empowering support of God has already left due to secret sin. The result was capture, blindness, and bondage.
3. The Mechanics and Danger of “Secret Sin”
The Deceptive “Grace Period”:
Achan sinned at Jericho, yet Israel still won that battle. There was a lapse between the sin and its consequence. This breeds the false belief that “things are still going on as usual.” This period is not God’s approval but His mercy, allowing time for conviction and repentance. “God is surely taking records.”
The Corporate Liability of Individual Sin:
Achan sinned alone, but the entire nation was defeated at Ai. In the Body of Christ, hidden sin in one member can bring weakness, defeat, and a lack of power upon the whole community. It creates a breach in the collective wall of defense.
4. The Urgent Call to Self-Audit and Repentance
The Penetrating Question:
“Are you engaging in anything that will take God’s support away from you?” This requires ruthless honesty before God regarding hidden thoughts, relationships, financial dealings, and indulged habits.
The Immediate Action:
“Desist from them immediately… Repent today before He decides to turn His back on you.” The call is not to mere remorse, but to radical, immediate abandonment of the sin. Delay is extremely perilous.
How to Guard Against the Withdrawal of Support
1. Maintain Daily Covenant Checks:
Implement a daily prayer of Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me… see if there be any wicked way in me.” Invite the Holy Spirit to expose any Achan-like hidden things.
2. Prize God’s Presence Above All:
Like Moses in Exodus 33:15, pray, “If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.” Make His supporting presence the non-negotiable priority of your life and ministry.
3. Fear the “Samson Syndrome”:
Never presume upon past anointing or spiritual gifts. They are contingent on present holiness. Regularly ask, “Lord, have I begun to operate in my own strength? Am I still utterly dependent on You?”
4. Embrace Accountable Fellowship:
Live transparently with mature spiritual brethren who have permission to ask you hard questions. Sin flourishes in secrecy but withers in the light of loving accountability (James 5:16).
Warning: The Unaware Departure
The story of Samson is the ultimate warning. It is possible to continue the motions of ministry, to still “shake oneself” in familiar activity, while being utterly powerless because God’s support has departed. The enemies (the world, the flesh, the devil) will sense this power vacuum long before you do, leading to spiritual capture.
Conclusion: Securing the Lifeline of His Presence
Pray this:
“Almighty God, my Fortress and Support, I tremble at the thought of operating without Your presence. Search my heart and reveal every accursed thing, every Achan’s wedge, every presumptuous sin. I repent and renounce them now. By the blood of Jesus, cleanse me and restore to me the joy of Your salvation. Uphold me with Your generous Spirit, and never withdraw Your support from my life, in Jesus’ mighty name.”
Action Steps:
- Conduct a ‘Camp Inspection’: This week, fast and ask God to specifically reveal any hidden sin in your “camp” (personal life, family, ministry). Write down what He shows you, repent, and make restitution if needed.
- Memorize Key Warnings: Commit Joshua 7:11 and Judges 16:20 to memory. Let them serve as permanent guardrails in your spirit.
- Study the Mercy of Restoration: While the warning is severe, also study God’s restoring grace with David after his sin (Psalm 51). Understand that genuine repentance always finds a merciful reception.
Remember: God’s promise is “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5) to the repentant, obedient believer. But to the stubborn and unrepentant, He says, “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God” (Isaiah 59:2). Your holiness is the conduit for His support. Guard it with your life.
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). A clean heart is the only platform for sustained victory.
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