November 27: James 1:12-15
Key Verse: James 1:12
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Devotion:
We are all going to face trials in our lives, whether it is public, personal, physical, mental or spiritual; trials are a part of life and how we deal with them defines who we become. If we continue to crumble under pressure or trial, then we may become used to those trials and we may just accept them as part of our lives when they are not. But if we continue to try and fight them, we may gain the strength needed to endure them or the wisdom to overcome them.
But one thing remains certain, when we do face trials, we need to enlist the help of our Lord to guide us through the trial so we can best get through the trials. God wants us to be able to get through our trials with the best outcome. This is not to say God is tempting us, but God wants to be with us when we do face trials. God cannot be tempted by anything behind our trials and will, should we listen, guide us through them.
Many times we wander off to have a look at things we ought not to or turn away from God’s strength to try and do it by ourselves. It is at these times when we walk alone where we may trip over our own feet and fall into the temptations. It is not because God is not watching us close enough, but us who are wandering away from God’s protection.
The more we take on the tasks of life by ourselves, the weaker we often become because we cannot face the trials continually. We do need help, be it from a friend who is going to stand with us or from God holding us up, there is always someone who is willing to help. Often, we do not ask for help and end up wondering why we do not get any help... most people are willing to help if they are asked first – the same with God!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you face trials?
How often do you ask for help?
November 26: Hebrews 12:1-3
Key Verse: Hebrews 12:3
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Devotion:
I must say, the last week has been hard after losing Dad, but also very enlightening as we remember all he was able to do as part of a greater church family. Yesterday I found a cross with the word persevere on it and Dad’s name scribed on the back; so a couple of words about perseverance follow!
There are many little things which hold us back in our lives, things which prevent us from doing the right thing or from obeying God’s will in our lives. Now, we all remember there is a time for everything, but we must also remember there is always time for us to turn away from the small distractions in our lives – you know, the ones which stop us going to a church service or from helping our neighbour when they need it...
We do need to display a certain amount of perseverance – to carry on going when the going gets tough. Jesus did not stop before going to the cross because it got a bit tough – he continued to follow God’s instructions no matter what the cost was going to be for His human body. God is not asking us to give our own lives on a cross for the rest of the world – He has already done that. But He may well be asking you to do something which seems like it will be uncomfortable.
We do need to stop and pray. To think about what we are doing and what God has asked us to do. We need to remember God has the plan and He will not ask us to do things which go against His plan. But when He asks us to do something which goes against our own plans and work toward His greater good – we need to stop and listen. Persevere through the hard times.
Points to Ponder:
Do you know what God’s plan is in your life?
Are you going to put aside your plans and allow God to work?
November 25: Hebrews 12:14-17
Key Verse: Hebrews 12:17
Afterwards, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
Devotion:
How hard do you try to live in peace with the people around you? What do you do when someone annoys you a bit too much? What do you do when you are tempted by something you gave into in the past? All these questions are hypothetical because we change according to our current circumstances...
God would love to see us being able to avoid temptations and to live a holy life with Him at the centre; but we are what we are and do give in to temptations more than we like to admit. What we do after we realise what we have done is what will shape our futures and count for or against us. God wants us to be open with Him and admit to our weaknesses before we get into trouble – He wants to be able to help us avoid the consequences of temptations by strengthening us to move away from those temptations in the first place!
If we chose to accept and live in our misgivings instead of admitting them to God, then we are choosing to live against God. We are actively rejecting God’s ways!
What happens when you get caught out for doing something wrong; most likely you are punished in some way. These punishments, or the threat of these punishments are there to try and persuade us away from doing wrong in the first place. When we face the threat of the punishment and ignore it, we get to face the consequences of that punishment after the fact. God does not want to have to dish out punishments, but He is ultimately just and will regrettably deal out punishment for those who ignore the warnings.
Points to Ponder:
Do you read warning signs or ignore them?
Do you ignore God’s warnings?
November 24: Hebrews 13:15-17
Key Verse: Hebrews 13:16
And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Devotion:
Gone are the days where we must find unblemished lambs, goats, doves or heifers and sacrifice them to atone for our sins! Thank goodness! Jesus took on that mantle by giving Himself as the perfect sacrifice to cover all of our sins forever. He gave His own blood so we can live with no fear of the debt we owe for our sins.
So, what do we do now with all the “free time” we have not having to find the animals and sacrifice them and all that goes with that? We have been given clear instruction from Christ we ought to give the sacrifices of praise and spreading the gospel. This means taking time out of our busy lives and spending it giving glory to God for all He has done for us. Then telling other people why we do what we do and why it is necessary.
We have church leaders who have continued to tell us what God has done, what Christ has achieved and how the Holy Spirit continue to be with us. These are important parts of our lives with God and our leaders continue to obey God by spreading and teaching the gospel. We too have a task to spread the gospel to those around us who do not know about Christ yet.
God has also told us we will be held accountable for the times we do or do not tell people about Christ. It should not be seen as a burden we have to do so we don’t get punished but rather seen as a joyful thing we can do to help others. Telling people about the hope we have through Christ and the joy we experience is not a burden – it is a joy! Everyone does want to know about hope and joy...
Points to Ponder:
How often do you speak to others?
How often to you tell others about your relationship with God?