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January 1: Luke 2:15-18
Key Verse: Luke 2:15
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’
Devotion:
Happy New Year! What are you going to be doing differently this year? I start out this New Year in a new home with a lot of new work to do for the church. It may not seem like the best time to try and start off something new, but when you look back on things, how many times do you think “I should have done a bit more planning!”
There is a lot of things we can still do for the church and for the people around us even in lock-down. I know not everyone is tech-savvy and many are daunted by the thought of having to try and do something online – but have you reached out to someone who is tech-savvy and maybe not a part of your church yet?
When Nehemiah went back to rebuild the walls, he approached anyone who was willing to do some work, citing that the repairs would benefit everyone! When we build a real church community, it does benefit everyone. I have seen this first-hand in London and I really want to show people how true this is not matter where we live!
God does not just want us to grow an insular group of people who become stronger in their relationship with Him, but to reach out to others and allow them to become part of the church because they feel like they have something to offer – the best way to engage people is to allow them to see how much they are appreciated and how much they can do things for others!
Points to Ponder:
What are your goals this year?
Will you reach out and get someone new involved?
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December 31: Psalm 58:1-2
Key Verse: Psalm 58:1
Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge people with equity?
Devotion:
I started out watching the news and ended up switching everything off because of the constant bickering going on amongst the politicians who all say they are doing the best for the country, but cannot seem to agree on what is best! Too many of them seem to be focused on what other people are going to say and think of them rather than what is best for the country as a whole!
God is nothing like that. He created the world and continues to watch over us every step of the way. It may seem like He has lost touch with us, but this is due to the way people are acting and promoting everything else under the sun rather than the truth and God! Needless to say I switched over to listening to some worshipful music instead!
We don’t have to focus on the bad and evil things in this world – not saying all politicians are bad, we just see the worst of them because that is what the news portrays! We can focus on the good and righteous things of this world and lift up the truth, sharing God’s love instead.
I have been pleasantly surprised to find out how many people are willing to help out when you ask. I am also hopeful we will be able to share a bit more of the gospel openly over the coming months – heads ducked down during lock-down and social distancing until we get to a safer point in time...
Let us end this year with a high note by praising God for all He has done to keep us alive despite all the wrangling of the people in power!
Points to Ponder:
What do you think of your local politicians?
What do you think you would do in their place?
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December 30: Psalms 96:1-3
Key Verse: Psalms 96:3
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples.
Devotion:
It is very strange to walk around with nobody on the streets when you are so used to them being crowded... Also the traffic noise here in the countryside is nothing compared to the noise in London... Yes, I have moved house and living in a large village in the countryside again... But, no matter where we are in the world, we need to sing out our praises to God!
We need to make time for God, not just go about our daily life as if we have no hope or no time; we need to make time and space to worship God. I stopped and had a good chat with someone on the way back from the shops (at a distance) about how different this Christmas has been, but also how good it is to sing carols even after Christmas is officially over!
Each day we face, we are facing another day with God, not another day alone or away from God and His protection. God is with us wherever and whenever we are. He continues to watch over us and try to guide us in the best way forward. If we stop listening to Him and focus on the world, the world is all we will notice. But, by singing praises to Him, we continue to focus on Him and His ways and not on the world and all its ailments!
Part of this is communicating with others about the things we do and why we do them – whether it is stopping for a few minutes and singing carols, or getting down on your knees and praying like mad, others will see what we do and be encourage by it. We tell others about God in so many more ways than we realise!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you sing or hum Christian music?
Will you stop for 5 minutes today and sing to God?
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December 29: 1 John 1:5-7
Key Verse: 1 John 1:5
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
Devotion:
The disciples may be seen to be the lucky ones who were able to spend time with Jesus in person; or they could be looked at as the unlucky ones upon whom the weight of spreading the gospel fell without limit! There are two sides to most things in life and depending on how we are at the time, we may well come up with different answers to the same question...
This letter describes the feeling of one evangelist who wanted to make sure other people got to hear about Jesus and were given the opportunity to make their own decisions about just who Jesus is! The words here describe the pride and joy this self-proclaimed evangelist knew because he lived at the time Jesus was alive!
These words are our gift from God to encourage us and to lift us up to the same position of peace and joy this evangelist knew! Our words to each other are what we have to encourage each other to praise and worship our God openly and freely. I do pray for all those around the world who are held under persecution and are not free to publicly worship Jesus and to know this joy and peace first-hand in a way we do in a free country.
God wants us all to be able to walk in the light Jesus brought with Him to earth. God wants us to be able to share that light with others and to be able to show others what it means to have this light in our lives. It is because of the light, love, living water and faithfulness of Jesus that we are able to live with Him and know we will join Him in heaven one day!
Points to Ponder:
Do you still creep around in the shadows?
Will you switch on the lights and allow people to see what God means to you?
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December 28: Psalm 147:1
Key Verse: Psalm 147:1
Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
Devotion:
One of the things I have missed most during these various lock-downs is the gathering together of all our church people on a Sunday for praise and worship... and it looks like this is going to continue to be the norm until we are all vaccinated and it is deemed safe to meet up once again!
No matter how far we are apart, or how close but behind locked doors, we can still praise and worship God, albeit in our own homes. If you are feeling down or alone, try tuning into a worship service somewhere else or listen online to some worshipful singing. We do still have our memory and we do still have recordings of lots of people worshipping God without restriction. Try to focus on the act of worship and not the feeling of not being with others. Try to focus on God and not on your feeling of somehow being inadequate.
I like to switch on a portable speaker and stream worship songs so I can listen to the words and focus on God for a while; blocking out the world and all the terrible things going on up and down the land.
And, the best thing is, it does not even have to be a Sunday when you tune in a praise God – Do it daily and without limit – but try to think of your neighbours and don’t turn up the volume too loud!
God has always been faithful, and we can do so by praising Him at all times!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you praise God?
Will you turn off the world and turn on some worship songs now
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December 27: Galatians 3:23-25
Key Verse: Galatians 3:25
Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
Devotion:
Before Christ came to live amongst us, we were all caught up in the law as given to Moses and upheld by many prophets and chief priests over the ages. Those laws were the guidance we needed to try and live our lives according to the will and wishes of God; we had to depend on the prophets and priests to faithfully recount what God was telling them to pass on to us.
As the first verse tells us, we were being held custody under the law and there was nothing we could do other than to try and keep all the laws – the problems being it was not within our powers to keep all the laws all the time. Therefore, God allowed Jesus to come down to be the ultimate sacrifice for us; to cover our sins once and for all instead of us having to placate God through giving sacrifices at regular intervals!
But when Jesus gave us the instructions we needed to hear, fulfilled the sayings of the prophets and became the very last sacrifice which was to be needed, we were released from that custody into the arms of our own faith. We were given the choice to believe in Jesus and to accept His sacrifice for all of our sins, past, present and future!
We now live under the grace period where we are still given the choice to believe in what Jesus has done so we can be set free from our sins. Indeed, throughout the New Testament we are told if we simply believe in our hearts this is what Jesus did for us, then we will be set free and forgiven once and for all!
Points to Ponder:
Do you believe Jesus came to be your sacrifice?
Will you continue to trust in His word and have faith in His promises?
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December 26: Luke 2:6-12
Key Verse: Luke 2:8
And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
Devotion:
Do you know where you were born? Not the town or city, but the hospital and even the ward you were on. I don’t think many of us could break it down to the ward and room, and some of us were born in places which don’t exist anymore – much like the place or Saviour was born; a lowly stable where they had to lay Him down in a manger because they did not have portable carry cots and things like that then!
I know hospitals get rebuilt, moved or re-purposed because of the advances in technology and medicine – so a few generations back and things get lost in time. But what does not change over time is the people who have babies (mothers) and less so, the carers who look after soon-to-be mothers. But no matter how much changes, people are still going to be born and people will still die – it's the memories and our souls which live on forever.
One thing which is very different here is the first people who came to see the new baby. It was not the friends and family who were called to say the baby had been born, but shepherds who were looking after their flocks nearby. These were the guys who spent their nights out all the time with the animals, who didn’t get paid a lot and who were not recognised as people of society. But God chose them to be the first.
This, to me, is the ultimate statement of who Jesus looks out for first of all. It is not the well-off people who shower others with money and possessions, it is not the high priests and church leaders, but the poor and meek whom Jesus reaches out to – those He wants to bless because they have little else to look forward to.
Points to Ponder:
Who did you spend Christmas with?
Have you tried reaching out to someone you know who needs a little helping hand?
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December 25: Isaiah 9:6-7
Key Verse: Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Devotion:
Today we finally celebrate the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ after what has been, for many of us, a very challenging year. But none of this really compares to the weight which was placed on Jesus’ shoulders during His ministry on earth; a ministry He took on willingly because of His great love for us then and now!
No matter how much time passes and how much goes wrong in this world, we continue to have a Saviour who loves us and cares for us. During this year many may be questioning “where was God” amongst all the bad things which have happened. He has been here, waling with us and trying to protect us every step of the way. Unfortunately, we make our own choices in life and we upset the apple cart now and again!
Christ continues to love us and to want what is best for us in our lives no matter what things we get up to and no matter how far we stray away from His protection. When we listen and obey, we find out how much He does love us. When we look back on what has happened to us, we may well see how much He has protected us along the way.
But whatever happens, I do pray today you will see some more of the Saviour’s love for you, no matter where you are and no matter what state you are in.
Merry Christmas everyone, and may God continue to bless you.
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December 24: Matthew 1:18-25
Key Verse: Matthew 1:24
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
Devotion:
As we wake up tomorrow, we should be remembering what God has done for us by remembering the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It was no ordinary birth; not that there are ever ordinary births because we are all God’s children! This birth was to be remembered for many good and many bad reasons. We remember all the good reasons because we know what God was doing and we see the results of what He has done for us.
On the other hand, some people would be looking at this birth as something not welcome and even a disgrace to the Jews. Something God knew was going to happen and what had been foretold many years ago by the prophets. All this was unravelling just as the prophets had said, but people did not want to believe because it meant big changes in the way they had grown used to living.
None of us like too many changes in our lives because we have to get used to all new things, but God wants us to see how change can be good and change can welcome in new ways of living. If we are willing to change our ways and walk away from the sin in our lives, we will see changes which God wants in our lives; Jesus came to change things in a big way!
Joseph was ‘on the front line’ of this extraordinary birth and in normal circumstances would have every reason to reject Mary and the baby; but God called Him to love and protect the baby Jesus because He was a gift from God. We should never turn our backs on what God is giving us – no matter what the world has to say about it!
Points to Ponder:
Do you see what God is giving you?
Will you accept God’s gift with open arms?
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December 23: John 1:19-23
Key Verse: John 1:21
They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’
Devotion:
What would you do if someone mistook you for someone famous? Would you revel in the mistake and take advantage of it, or would you try to persuade them you are just plain old you? I do remember seeing someone in a film who looked just like me (albeit about 30 years ago) and wondering what it would be like to be them...
Most of the time I have passed on opportunities to raise my profile and have, instead, wanted to remain anonymous. I do see the attraction of publicity, but also fear what it would bring me. I do, however, like being able to help others whenever I can and wouldn’t mind if I had the opportunity to do more for people; but my choices should be guided by Christ and not by money or notoriety!
When God calls us to step forward for Him, it is not so we can gain popularity or gain massive income from working in churches; God calls us to be faithful servants, willing to do things when He asks. This is a very different culture to some large organisations or even large churches. Jesus did not command any salary, and even warned the disciples they should go out and teach the gospel without expecting anything; instead waiting on God and allowing Him to give what was needed.
John was living what we may think of as a rough life, eating strange foods and wearing what was provided. He did this because God had called him to be a servant, preparing the way for Jesus and not lining his own pockets.
Points to Ponder:
What rewards do you expect for doing God’s work?
How hard would you work if you knew there was no income?