A Devotional by Pastor Cesar Castellanos

Today’s Bible Verse

“With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High…”

Genesis 14:22

The Most Hight God (El Elyon)

If we knew God in the same way that Abraham knew Him, our view of things would change instantly. Solomon said, “For one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still” (Ecclesiastes 5:8b). God is the highest authority in the universe.

Abraham was able to persevere in God because he came to know Him as El Elyon, or the Most High God. Every abundant blessing and provision comes from El Elyon. By really knowing Him in this dimension, we gain a true or correct perspective of life. Through this you start to see things from “the highest place” just like when flying on an airplane and you look down and see everything from a high altitude. From there we see the great mountains and skyscrapers as if they were cute and tiny models. Our vision changes drastically when we know the Most High God because from that point on, we begin to see things from the height He does. What used to seem difficult becomes easy, the great becomes small, and the impossible transforms into possible.

God revealed Himself to Abraham as the one who is above everything. This places God as the Supreme Judge, the one who will define the final destiny of every being, be it man, angel or demon. There is not a single being greater or more powerful than our God and that is why Abraham declares, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich’ ” (Genesis 14:22-23).

Abraham never let his heart became attached to anything in this world, and before confronting the king of Sodom, Abraham tithed on all he had, giving this tithe to Melchizedek the High Priest. He immediately rejected every offer made by the king of Sodom, because he did not want to take away from the glory of God in anything. He also did not want people to think that his prosperity had come from the king of Sodom and not from the Most High God.

Something to Think About

“My family lived under a financial curse as the money that we had lived off for years came from the illegal drugs business, and so our financial situation was very difficult. My dad sank into the world of drugs and sold everything of value that we owned in order to satisfy his addiction. One day, my sister started going to church, and shortly after I started going with her. To get there we had to walk about 15 kilometers, often without having eaten anything because we didn’t even have the money for breakfast in those days.

“One day Pastor Cesar was preaching about what a covenant is and I decided to give everything that I had, something I did with all my heart. After that day, I felt something shift and change. Despite my circumstance, I no longer felt poor; I felt prosperous. The next day I received a call offering me a job with an excellent salary. I gave my entire first wage to the church, I wasn’t concerned about my financial situation, I gave it in faith that God would give me the resources to start up my own company. The financial prosperity that I have experienced since then is more than I could have hoped for, and now I am even exporting my products to other Latin American countries”. (Mario Saldarriaga)

Prayer

“Sovereign God, thank You for revealing Yourself to me as the Most High God. Thank You for choosing me as Your child, for giving me security when I faced moments of crisis, and for teaching me that every good thing comes from You alone. Thank You for giving me the privilege, like Abraham, of honoring You with my tithes and offerings. I recognize that all that I am and everything I have is because of You. Amen.”

Declaration

“I choose to give my tithes and offerings to the one who blesses me, the Most High God, the one who protects and defends me.”

Today’s Bible Reading

• Old Testament: 1 Samuel 6-8; Psalm 97
• New Testament: Mark 10:17-34; 2 Corinthians 2