December 14: Isaiah 61:1-3
Key Verse: Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners
Devotion:
When you read verses like these, you know the author was sent by God to do His will; it is little wonder then Jesus used these same words, read from the scriptures, to apply to His own life – He was sent by God!
God wants people to know the truth in all things. Some of it is hard to hear because we want to be able to go and do our own things which sometimes clash with God’s ways. Sometimes the words are encouraging and make us want to go and do more for God – but in all of this, we should never forget we must do what God bids us to do. We are His messengers who are being sent out into the world to tell the world about a God who brings hope to them.
We are sent. We do not run off and start something new to try and get as many followers as possible and hope they will get to know God through what we do... we must take what God is giving us and share it with others to allow them to see God is with us and God is for us.
God wants us all to be set free from the trappings of the world – to be set free from the pits of despair we dig for ourselves and our friends. God wants to share the hope we have, not because we can do great things, but because He has accomplished it all already and is waiting for us to pick up the banner and allow others to se what He has done.
Points to Ponder:
Do you like telling others about God?
Do you do it for your own pride or for God’s glory?
December 13: Hebrews 5:7-10
Key Verse: Hebrews 5:8
Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered
Devotion:
When God calls you to a position, it should be accepted with humility and reverence; those who has been called before as high priests before Jesus was born on earth, did so with all their wits – not only did they have to offer up the sacrifices for the people, but they would first have to offer sacrifices for themselves to make sure they were worthy!
Jesus did take on the position of high priest for himself, even though He had every right to, but instead waited for God to call Him His Son and a priest of the order of Melchizedek. Jesus continually offered up prayers and petitions to God the Father to see if He could find another way to pay the sacrifice instead of with His own life, but knew He must be obedient to God, no matter what!
By earthly standards, children have special preference and meaning to parent; we don’t like to see our children hurt or suffer in any way – whatever we can do to avoid that, we often do. But God knew there was no other way in which Jesus could pay for our sin debt, so He had to watch Jesus suffer and die for us; something we don’t often think too deeply about.
Because Jesus was willing to do this all for us, we have become as children of God, obtaining that special position where God does not like to see us suffer either. Jesus began to realise what He had to do at an early age, but still He was willing to go through everything and be the ultimate sacrifice for us.
Points to Ponder:
Do you protect those you love?
Are you willing to step up and fulfil the position God is calling you into?
December 12: 1 John 5:13-15
Key Verse: 1 John 5:15
And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.
Devotion:
How is your confidence faring during these times? Are you growing weary of all the things going wrong, the businesses closing, the people not working, the governments failing? We all get disgruntled when things around us are not going our way or as we expect them to – but there is a foundation which remains strong and firm.
When we show others we have hope in Christ, they look up to us and wonder where the hope is coming from. We can then introduce them to the truth of Christ and His kingdom. We can show them how we pray with a confidence which is real! We need to keep record of answered prayers so we can encourage others to ask for things as well.
The confidence we have in asking for help from God and expecting that help is what will build others up and allow them to have confidence in Jesus as well. When our faith wains, the faith of those around us tends to wain as well because they begin to believe in our failings. But when we grow in faith because of answered prayers, then those around us are encouraged to ask and receive, growing in their faith too!
God listens to us as we lift our prayers to Him. He is faithful and just to answer our prayers just as He has promised us. What we need to do is to ask with greater confidence, believing God is going to answer and waiting for those answers and not just hoping some of them will get answered. I thank God He continues to answer my prayers in way which build up my faith, daily!
Points to Ponder:
What is your attitude to prayer?
Will you pray with confidence today?
December 11: Galatians 4:1-7
Key Verse: Galatians 4:7
So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Devotion:
Have you ever wondered why others are called by God and you don’t seem to have a calling to do anything special like them? Have you ever wondered what it is like to be called by God to do something for Him? Well, don’t panic because we have all got our time to shine – just like Jesus had His time to shine and to do something very special for everyone!
Jesus was born as a baby, just like us all. He did not sit up immediately and start telling people all the things God wanted us to know, He spent time doing things babies do! I’m pretty sure that included all the things we see and hear from other babies! Yes, it was a very special birth and was at an appointed time by God, but it was still like other births.
Jesus had to be looked after by Joseph and Mary. He had to be fed and changed; because that is what it is like to be born into this world as a human being. He was constrained by the world just as we are and lived just as we do. God made sure everything fell into place by telling His earthly parents what and when to do things as well as teaching them how to care for Jesus.
We are born as humans, live and humans and die as humans – just like Jesus did. What we do when God calls us out to do something is going to shape our lives just as Jesus’ life was shaped by what He did when God told Him to. Jesus was born just like that so He could cover all our sins. Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for us all. We are no longer slaves to this world but have been set free!
Points to Ponder:
Do you feel constrained by this world?
Do you know God sees you as His child!