October 17: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
 
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
 
Devotion:
How many times have you started to read a verse or passage in the bible and just stopped because it was all a bit too much? There are going to be times when we do find things all a bit too much and we have to stop for a season just so we can get back on level ground. It is very hard to play a game of football on a slope because the ball will always run away from you... having level ground helps you to feel like there is some reason for trying something!
 
The thing is, unless we try to do something, we are not going to know if it is possible or not. If we try and we fail, then we will have a new knowledge of things which do not work. If we try but we succeed, then we know a way forward. But it is hard when you continue trying and failing – that is when your strength and resolve start to be tested.
 
When a sower tosses seeds into the field, they know not every seed is going to produce something; but they sow because they know some will succeed. There is a limit to how much you can sow and through practise we get to know just how much we have to sow. If we sow too little, then we find the harvest will not be as much as we expect. If we sow too much, we find we have a good harvest, but we have also spent too much on seeds to have a good return on our investment.
 
When we show we are willing to try, people notice, and some are willing to help. When we show we are trying, others are more willing to step forward and give good advice, so we are more likely to succeed. Just as there may be more opposition, there will also be more support and God will be at the centre of that support!
 
Points to Ponder:
Do you feel like giving up?
 
Will you try something slightly different today if it has not worked?

October 16: Philippians 4:10-13
 
Key Verse: Philippians 4:11
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
 
Devotion:
As much as we may think we can give all the time, there will come a time when you must receive instead of giving. How you go about this will show a lot about your true personality to others. I love the way Paul seems to get a bit tongue tied here and especially in the following verses. Each thank you which comes out of his mouth seems to be the wrong words and he adds a few more... If we are honest, we will admit to being much the same!
 
It seems a lot easier to give than receive because you can make some great statement about giving or how much the person deserves or needs what you are giving – but when it comes to receiving, we often don’t know what to say. We may want to say, ‘Yes Please, can I have some more!’ or we may want to say, ‘Just what I needed!’ but we end up apologising in some way instead.
 
God wants each of us to be honest and open about our circumstances – which can be, and often is, very difficult to do. We don’t want others to worry about our circumstances or to worry about what we need... but as Christians we need to be honest and open as much as possible. Being content with what we do receive is always going to be the best approach for our own wellbeing.
 
If we set our hearts on desiring more, the more we receive, the more we want; and the cycle continues until our greed takes over our lives. If we set our hearts on wants instead of needs, we end up having lots of stuff, but not all we need. God can supply us with so much more than we need but being content with what He gives us is all we really need.
 
Points to Ponder:
How much do you receive, honestly?
 
How much do you want instead of need? 

October 15: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
 
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
 
Devotion:
I do like the way Paul writes about how he wants to boast all the time – I think that is something we can all relate to. But many of us do not want to boast about ourselves because we want to give God the glory. One thing we can do as Christians, though, is to boast about our weaknesses rather than our strengths! We get our strength from God.
 
I know many people like to boast about how hard life is or how much they have to put up with – we all get trapped in that at some stage in our lives, but we don’t have to brag about how much we can put up with – that again is building up and boasting about yourself rather than God!
 
To give God the glory, we should make sure people understand what we have in our lives through the hope Christ gives us and how much we fall short of the mark when it comes down to it. We are all sinners in one form or another and bragging about that sin does not seem right. But what we can do is to show people God gives us so much mor through His grace and His strength. We have the ultimate hope of eternal life because of what He has done for us.
 
If you want to start bragging today to get it out of your system, then start bragging about how God covers your weaknesses, how He has enough grace to cover your faults, how He is faithful to forgive no matter what and how others can get this all too. Don’t lift yourself up above others. Rather, lift God above all else and show others how important God is in your life!
 
Points to Ponder:
Do you like a little boast now and again?
 
How much do you boast about God?