Friday July 18th, 2025
« When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel »
41 Esau hated Jacob, because his father had given Jacob the blessing. He thought, “The time to mourn my father’s death is near; then I will kill Jacob.”
42 But when Rebecca heard about Esau’s plan, she sent for Jacob and said, “Listen, your brother Esau is planning to get even with you and kill you.
43 Now, son, do what I say. Go at once to my brother Laban in Haran,
44 and stay with him for a while, until your brother’s anger cools down
45 and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send someone to bring you back. Why should I lose both of my sons on the same day?”
If you are to achieve your purpose on earth, there is a time to run.
In our Bible reading for today, Jacob had been mightily blessed by his father. His brother Esau however, wanted to kill him. Jacob fled.
If he had not fled, all the blessings would have been wasted.
In 1 Samuel 19:9-12, when David was playing for King Saul who threw a spear at him and missed, David fled.
If he hadn’t fled at that time, he might never have become the King of Israel.
There is a time to flee.
In Matthew 2:13-15, the Bible tells us that the Almighty God told Joseph to flee with Jesus.
You may think “But where were the angels? They should have been around to protect Him.”
God said “flee” because there is a time to flee.
- Once in a while, the Almighty God Himself will tell you “I am your refuge, but for now, I say run”.
When I was a young Pastor in the RCCG and the Lord began to move mightily in my life, the persecution from some other pastors of the Church became so much at a point that I had to flee the University of Lagos to the University of Ilorin where I continued with my lecturing job. I fled. Once, a Pastor wrote me a letter full of insults, which I read to my Father-in-the-Lord – the then General Superintendent. Rather than discipline the Pastor as I had expected, he asked me to go and plead for the man’s forgiveness, even though I hadn’t done anything wrong. I was shocked and to be honest, it was hard for me to do. Thank God I obeyed because some time later the Pastor confessed that, having concluded that he was going to hell, he had also resolved to take me along with him. My Father-in-the-Lord had seen that this was not a fight to face, but rather one to flee.
When it is time to flee, flee ?
When you are dealing with false brethren, it is time to flee.
The elders have a saying that if the enemy within cannot kill you, neither can the one without.
Samson’s brethren were the ones who presented him bound to the Philistines in Judges 15:9-13.
When the devil could not get him through them, he decided to bring one of his daughters into Samson’s internal circle and thus got him that way.
When the devil is determined to bring an individual down, he will enter into one of the person’s brethren like he entered into Judas.
Had it not yet been Jesus’ time to be crucified, He would have fled.
Flee false brethren; they are not the one actually fighting you, it is the devil using them.
If at all you engage them, don’t forget: the internal enemy is more dangerous than the external one.
Prayer focus – Father, expose all false brethren around me and help me to flee when it is time to flee in Jesus name.
Author – Bishop Enoch Adejare Adeboye; General Overseer of the RCCG
Posted by Naomie Joseph
Praise and Worship sessions – Evangelist Jemps Benoit ; Minister Paola Médi
Greater understand of the Word of GOD – The Bible show
Freely you received, freely you must give (Math 10:8) , kindly share this devotion, and the Lord will bless you for it.
