May 4: 1 Corinthians 10:14-17
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 10:17
Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.
Devotion:
The more Paul went about teaching people about what Jesus did for them and how it made the scriptures come to life, the more he must have got frustrated with the people who refused to believe this truth. We, as Christians, get it! We can see Jesus is the Son of God and He came to save us from our sins... but to outsiders or those who worship idols or sacrifice to other beings, it does all seem a bit easy!
As people, we like to think of difficult ways of doing things because, that, in some way makes us feel better about having to do difficult things to gain a reward! Jesus did not come to make things more difficult, but to simplify the whole matter so we can all gain access to God!
As we go about our daily lives, we should continue to include Christ in everything we do. One way is to always remember Him when we eat or drink – these two acts, when shared with others, can bring us together as we remember just how much Jesus did for us by laying down His life on the cross. And, because we do this together, we bring ourselves and others together as one family in Christ – Christians!
Let us not get bogged down by the difficulties of the earth or the difficult laws mankind makes up to make their goals seem more worth reaching... We have the ultimate goal of being together with God, safe from everything, for eternity. And there is no bar we have to be higher than, no pit we have to fill in and no sacrifice we can ever make which will replace what Christ has done for us. Let us rejoice in Christ, daily!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like sharing meals with others?
Will you remember Christ together during your next meal?
May 3: 1 John 4:1-3
Key Verse: 1 John 4:2
This is how you can recognise the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.
Devotion:
As we saw yesterday, Philip was listening to the Spirit and answered by stepping forward to see if he could help the eunuch understand the book of Isaiah as it related to Jesus. This warning in the letter written by John, reminds us there are more spirits in this world than we first give credit for; and not all are of good character!
John wants us to remember our lessons from the beginning of time when the evil one tried to lift himself up higher than God. His spirit tried to take over and was in no way acknowledging God as our creator and God. This is the same greed and lust for power we see in people all round the world, but of much more danger to us because of the power of these evil spirits.
God wants us to remain safe and secure and as such, asks us to walk a close walk with Him, staying close to us and always acknowledging Him as Creator God. When we do, we are robbing the evil ones of their power to control us and to deceive us from the truth Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came in human form to give His life for us – coming directly from God the Father!
So how do we tell? We make sure every spirit we listen to agrees that Jesus Christ came in the flesh to save us. If what we hear, be it in our heads or hearts or even physically, does not agree with what we know about Jesus and God, then we should be very wary of who we are hearing from. Trust God and make sure you keep walking close to Him every day.
Points to Ponder:
How much do you know about Jesus?
Do you know enough to trust your judgement?
May 2: Acts 8:26-31
Key Verse: Acts 8:29
The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’
Devotion:
What would you do if a voice told you to do something outside of your comfort zone? Would you just go and do it, or would you look into things a bit more to find out what is being asked of you? If you rush in when you hear the first thing which comes into your mind – you may well get yourself into all manner of trouble... Philip was eager to listen to God and when an angel of the Lord told him to go, he went!
But have a look at how he responded. The angel told him to go south to the desert road which went from Jerusalem to Gaza... not going to be a comfortable journey walking through the desert! But as he went along, he spotted a man who was returning home from going to worship in Jerusalem. He was trying hard to read the book of Isaiah, but obviously struggling!
Philip obeyed the Spirit when it told him to go close to the chariot – this is where he heard the eunuch trying to get their head round the scriptures. This gave Philip the encouragement he needed to know this was the Holy Spirit talking to him and not just any voice in his head! So he stepped forward and asked if he could help!
When God asks us to do something, we can be sure we will get the encouragement and wherewithal to step forward and do whatever God is asking of us. In this case, Philip understood what was written in the book of Isaiah and so he proceeded to help the eunuch to understand God’s Word. We may know a little bit of the bible through studying or through teaching – we can use that little bit of knowledge to help someone else who doesn’t get it... Trust God!
Points to Ponder:
Do you think you don’t know enough about the bible?
What is your favourite story in the bible – how about telling someone about it?
May 1: John 14:6-14
Key Verse: John 14:13
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Devotion:
When the disciples started getting worried about what was going to happen to Jesus and that one of them was going to be the guilty one who would betray Him, Jesus did not reprimand them or cut them short; instead He comforted them with words which could only come from the Son of God!
Jesus made sure they understood there was no other way to get to be with God other than by accepting Him as the Son of God and asking everything through His name. He gave them a way to get their prayers answered; the only stipulation was the Father, God, should be given the glory for the answered prayer. You see, Jesus was not seeking glory for Himself, but glory for His Father in Heaven. Jesus was making sure they understood this as well.
But He also wanted them to know that they had seen God in person, because He is part of the God-Head (as we know it.) We cannot really explain how God can be three persons, but also be one. What Jesus was trying to give them was the answer before they tried to understand it – physically we cannot explain it nor come to the right conclusion. But, by faith, we can believe it and know it in our hearts.
This then gives us the power to lift up our prayers to God, by knowing He is listening through Jesus and through the Holy Spirit; because they are one and the same. The more we get to understand about why Jesus did things the way He did, the more we get to understand how we should be trying to live – so we too can draw closer to God every day and give Him all the glory when He answers our prayers!
Points to Ponder:
Do you struggle with God in three persons?
Why not settle to asking God through Jesus?