Table of Contents
OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2026.
TOPIC: REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR
MEMORISE
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; – (Ecclesiastes 12:1)
READ: Mark 11:12-20 (KJV)
12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.
19 And when even was come, he went out of the city.
20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
MESSAGE
Today’s Bible reading tells the story of how Jesus saw a fig tree from afar and approached it because He was hungry. On getting to the tree, He discovered that it had no fruit on it even though it had many leaves, and He cursed it. One lesson we can learn from this story is that God expects every living thing to be productive; He created everything for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11) and wants them to reveal His glory.
One detail that used to baffle me any time I read the passage in today’s Bible reading is that the time for figs had not yet come (Mark 11:13). I used to think to myself, “If it wasn’t the season for figs, why did Jesus expect the fig tree to have fruit?” I later realised that, where the issue of time is concerned, God’s time is always the right time. For instance, if God wakes you up at 3am or 4am, it is wrong to tell Him that it is too early for you to wake up. No matter how early the Sovereign God wakes you up, it means your day has begun – His time is always the right time.
In today’s memory verse, God instructs young people to remember Him while they are still in their youth. This means that the best time to serve God is when a person is young. It is best for people to surrender their hearts and lives to God in the morning of their years because those who seek God early will always find Him (Proverbs 8:17). If you are a young person and you are reading this, Jesus wants your heart now; He wants you to bear fruits for His kingdom now that you’re still young. He wants you to be fervent in spirit, serving Him (Romans 12:11). Don’t squander your youth on the altar of sin or waste it by pursuing unimportant things; seek God early. Do not be like the fig tree, which had nothing to offer Jesus when He came seeking fruit from it. God has commanded us to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28); however, to be fruitful, you must cultivate a vibrant relationship with Him because you can do nothing without Him (John 15:4).
Beloved, I plead with you to remember your Creator in the days of your youth. Even if you are no longer a youth, dedicate the rest of your life to serving Him, and He will beautify your life with His glory.
KEY POINT
Remember your Creator now.
AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. Adeboye
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Judges 14 – 16
HYMN 7 – I AM THINE O LORD
1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
and it told Thy love to me;
but I long to rise in the arms of faith,
and be closer drawn to Thee.
REFRAIN
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to the cross where Thou hast died;
draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to Thy precious, bleeding side.
2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
by the pow’r of grace divine;
let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
and my will be lost in Thine. [Refrain]
3 O, the pure delight of a single hour
that before Thy throne I spend,
when I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend! [Refrain]
4 There are depths of love that I cannot know
till I cross the narrow sea;
there are heights of joy that I may not reach
till I rest in peace with Thee. [Refrain]
