December 9: Jeremiah 10:2-7
Key Verse: Jeremiah 10:3
For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.
Devotion:
How often do you look at nature and marvel at the intricate design, beauty and splendour of the things God has created? From a simple flower which is so delicate but brings out passion, compassion and love in us all, to the power and stability of a mountain which has stood for thousands of years, God’s creations show us what is possible if you have the right attitude during creation.
We have learned to take some creations which look dull and even lifeless, and bring them to life by carving, chiselling and adorning them with shiny decorations. We have learned to take the delicate flowers and arrange them in ways which show our love. We have learned to mix soft and malleable items together to make hard, enduring structures for our good.
But nothing we do can compare to the things God creates for us; though we strive to make it happen in so many ways. God wants us to know His love for us by the things He does for us, but also through all He has created around us. If we stop and look at things, we will see the depth of His love!
No matter how powerful some nations say they are, and even prove in the battlefield, they are nothing compared to the power God has; all we need do is look at the ultimate force of natural things to see just how powerful our creator is – because He holds all of these things in His hands!
Points to Ponder:
Who do you look to as the most powerful person?
Could they place the moon in just the right place to move around the earth?
December 8: Colossians 3:12-17
Key Verse: Colossians 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Devotion:
God continues to want the best for us and from us; and in order to accomplish that, we should always strive to abound in love because this is at the centre of our lives and our relationships with Him. Without love we cannot have a true relationship with Him, and without love we cannot hope to have a proper relationship with anyone here on earth!
God knows if we focus on the love He has for us and share it with others, we are going to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience: just some of the attributes we normally associate as being the fruits of the spirit. It is little wonder they are known as the fruits of the spirit because God is love!
Baring with one another and not getting stressed with each other as we face things which do not go our way is one way to make sure we always have God’s love in our hearts. God wants us to show His love to others. God wants us to show the fruits of the spirit to others. Much of this starts with forgiveness, just as God first forgave us and our sins, so too must we strive to forgive others in our lives.
Allowing God’s love to bubble up inside us will ultimately allow it to overflow from our lives and into the lives of those around us – then we can see the tangible results of this love as it fills the lives of those around us just as God’s love filled the disciples lives as they walked with Him.
Points to Ponder:
Do you allow your love to fill other people’s lives?
Will you accept more of God’s love so it overflows from your life?
December 7: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 13:12
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
Devotion:
O I long to be able to meet people with a big hug or a kiss! These times can be very testing, but keeping each other safe and secure is how we can show our love for each other... just because you see someone else doing something does not give you the right to go ahead and do whatever they are doing. God does not want us to blindly follow others but to test what we do against what He has commanded us through His Word.
The bible does not have many words about global pandemics with new virial infections, but it does teach us what people did with things they could not control back in those days – such as leprosy. We have to separate ourselves to keep each other safe. Unfortunately, we do not know the moment when we may catch the virus, so we should err on the side of caution and keep each other safe.
I have had to do a bit of travelling over the last few weeks helping to organise things for Dad’s funeral, but I have done everything I could to be as helpful as I could without throwing caution to the wind. I would have been so much easier to say, I’m ok and go about normal life, but taking a step back and giving people space and still showing compassion has been rather encouraging in many ways.
We don’t have to give in to the ways of the world in order to do the things which need to be done – staying safe and being cautious can still be done and must be done until such time as enough people have been vaccinated against this virus! God is with us and greeting each other with a Holy Kiss is not necessarily walking up to someone and planting a wet kiss on their lips!
Points to Ponder:
How are you faring during these tough times?
Are you keeping your eyes fixed on Christ?
December 6: Luke 2:1-5
Key Verse: Luke 2:1
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
Devotion:
So much of the world is based around money and the management of money; it is hard to avoid worrying about it and about how much you need to earn just to survive. How far we go with the need to know exactly what we have all the time and how much we have to spend may well detract your attention from the important things in life. God wants us to be good steward of everything He allows into our lives, but He certainly does not want us to make the love of money the centre of our lives!
Many governments will order a census to find out exactly where people are and how much potential there is to raise money from taxing people. This is judicious and will allow governments to plan ahead with spending and building a better place for people to live – as long as that is what they are focusing on and not just the money!
Caesar Augustus’ plan for the census was to try and locate the money but also to try and identify where this ‘self-proclaimed king’ was. He was trying to flush out what someone had prophesied so he could remain in control of his known world! Making people go back to their birth towns would allow him to control where this baby would be born and to try and control the outcome...
God wants us to rely on His Word in our lives to guide us to the best outcomes. If we look to the world and money for our outcomes, we will see nothing further than the world and money. But if we focus on God in eternity, then we shall see opened up to us the realms Jesus spoke of and the blessings He promised. Trust in God and look to Him for your future...
Points to Ponder:
How important is money to you?
Will you look to God for guidance instead?