April 29: 1 Samuel 16:4-7
Key Verse: 1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’
Devotion:
I can imagine what Samuel was going through when God told him to go and anoint one of the sons of Jesse as the next king! When God asks you to do something you immediately try and come up with excuses about why you should not have to do what God is asking – not because you don’t want to listen to God, but because you think of yourself and how it is going to affect you instead of what God is asking!
When Samuel was asked to go and anoint the son of Jesse which He had chosen, Samuel feared for his life; he though Saul was going to do something to him because he was going to anoint someone who was not Saul! Like us, Samuel feared what could happen because he was thinking about what he was going to do and not what God can accomplish!
When God asks you to do something, it is not going to be something He has not thought through! It is not going to be something which will harm you! God knows what will happen before He asks you; because of this we should trust and obey God whatever He asks of us!
When Samuel laid eyes on the first son of Jesse, he thought this was going to be the one because the first son looked the part – at least to Samuel he looked the part. This was because the people had initially asked for Saul because of his stature and not what he was like on the inside! God does not limit His vision to what we see or what the world sees – God looks deep inside our hearts and knows what we can do and what is best for us too. Listen and obey!
Points to Ponder:
What is your first reaction when God asks you to do something?
Will you try to stop, listen and obey?
April 28: Psalm 2:1-3
Key Verse: Psalm 2:1
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?
Devotion:
Have you noticed how many people are willing to revolt against churches when they are doing the right thing? Most normal people would probably support the church if they were given the chance, but the politicians and people in charge have other ideas because they see someone who is gaining power and it is not them – so they object and pass rules against churches!
God sees every step of the governments decisions and knows what they are thinking in their hearts – just as He knows what is in our hearts. The more we are willing to give God all the glory and continue to depend on Him, the more power we will get. This is not going to be earthly power as measured by the politicians, but a power which dwells deep inside us all. This is the sort of power corrupt governments do not like!
We need to continue to stand up for good, to stand up for the poor and needy, to plead with governments and organisations to do the right thing and supply help and support for those who need it. We cannot hope to carry the debt of the poor on our shoulders, but we can help them with what we have and share just as God wants us to.
We will get the thanks from God in Heaven – eternal thanks, not just a passing thanks from someone who wants to look good for saying thanks to us! Beware the vain glory seeking people and focus on those who cry out for real help. God knows who needs the help and will be willing to show us where to go and whom to help if we stop and ask the way...
Points to Ponder:
Do you feel like organisations work against your Christian life?
Will you stand firm with God and support those who need it most?
April 27: Mark 16:15-20
Key Verse: Mark 16:15
He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
Devotion:
God’s warning to us all is very real and one which many people choose to ignore because they don’t like the idea of a God who will reject anyone... but the warning is simple and stands as firm now as it was thousands of years ago: you need to believe!
Just like the people in the desert thousands of years ago were asked to look up at the bronze statue of the serpent so they could be healed, God asks us now to believe in something which we know in our hearts will not physically heal us. The statue did not do the healing in the desert, God did the healing for anyone who was willing to stop and believe He could heal them just by looking up at the statue and acknowledging God is able!
Getting dunked in water is not going to clean us and allow us to get into heaven. Saying we are Christians will not give us passage into Heaven. It is the belief in our hearts God is God and Jesus is the Son of God who came in physical form to give His life on the cross for our sakes. It is not the act of looking up at a cross or trying to sacrifice anything, but the belief if we do this, Christ will save us from our sins and guarantee us passage into Heaven to join Him and God!
When we do believe, God will allow us to do so much more than we can physically do by ourselves. Through our belief we will be able to do many signs and miracles, not because we are special, but because Jesus Christ will do things through us because of our belief... it is this belief God sees in our hearts, the state of our hearts and not the works we tell everyone about!
Points to Ponder:
What do you think of your life?
What does God think of your heart?
April 26: 1 John 3:11-18
Key Verse: 1 John 3:17
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
Devotion:
How well do you know the stories from the bible? I know my parents and grandmother used to tell me the stories when I was very young and because of that, I knew some of the stories from an early age. I used to love hearing the stories but did not always understand what they really meant...
When we are young, be it in physical age or in spiritual age, we enjoy hearing stories but don’t always understand the depth of meaning in those stories. I definitely did not understand the depth of the bible stories, but as I grew in age, both physically and spiritually, I began to understand more of what God wanted me to know.
Have you ever stopped to think about the true meaning of the bible stories you do know? Each time I go through my bible, I understand a bit more and get to learn more of the depth of God’s love for us. Each time I am reminded of what Jesus did for us, I learn a bit more about what love really is. Even at my age I still have a lot to learn and get things wrong still – but God is patiently teaching me one step at a time!
Today I hope you can focus on this one special verse which reminds us we have a duty to our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we know there is a brother or sister who is in need of something we have, then we should share what we have and allow them to be fulfilled. God wants us to be able to depend on each other without having to ask all the time, just as we can depend on God without having to ask all the time. His love makes that possible and our love should make it possible for others to go without need...
Points to Ponder:
Do you know someone in need?
What will you do about it today?