October 14: Judges 10:6-10
Key Verse: Judges 10:10
Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, ‘We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals.’
Devotion:
Sometimes when I read through the books of the Old Testament, I wonder how the people could ever go against God... then I remember the big gap in my life when I walked away from God and see just how easy it is to turn away from God. But how much do we have to go through before we turn back to God and ask Him to forgive us once again?
For the Israelites during this time when Jephthah was trying to lead them, they turned their backs on God and instead turned to all the other gods they could think of just to try and make life easier and more enjoyable. That is the key. We look at our lives and the lives of people around us and we think they have it better in some way, not knowing the pitfalls of their lives and the troubles they live with; we don’t know until it is too late and we are falling in those same pits and living the same troubles.
The Israelites were trapped in this life for 18 years! That’s about the same length of time I left God behind! But when you realise what you have done and how far you have gone, how do you make amends? How do you face God and try to apologise for all those years of running away?
That is the beauty of God’s grace and faithfulness. He is always waiting and faithful to forgive you when you come to Him. I know how hard it felt at the time when I knew I had to come back to God; but the act of coming back turned out to be the easiest step in my life!
God loves you more that you know and wants you by His side – no matter where you have been, what you have got up to and how far you wandered off. Come back!
Points to Ponder:
Do you feel like you have wandered too far off?
Do you know you have not gone as far as God can reach?
October 13: Jeremiah 1:4-10
Key Verse: Jeremiah 1:5
‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’
Devotion:
One of the hardest things I face every year is seeing young people grow more and more disillusioned with the world as elders tell them they are useless or cannot do things! This is the way to destroy a country, not build it up! Young people are our future; they are the ones who will be doing things when we no longer can due to age or illness – lift them up and encourage them!
God knew this was the way forward as He picked people out when they were young and showed them just how special they are, how much they are needed and how far in life they could go. Prophets and kings have been chosen as young people and brought up in God’s arms so they can rule kingdoms and countries!
This does not mean we pre-select the rich people who are more likely to succeed; that is a man-made limitation, and one God has never chosen. God chooses the people He knows will make a difference and makes sure they are placed in the right place at the right time to take on the work required. Sometimes that work is going to be very hard and it will take a strong young person to be able to do things right for God.
Sometimes it is the elders who are too set in their ways which prevents God’s work from being completed. This is something I have grown to accept as I get older too. I have been doing youth work for a couple of decades but am learning so much from the youth during these harsh times of Covid. What pleases me most: When a young person steps forward and does something they learned as a child in my care years ago! Imagine how God feels when we do something righteous!
Points to Ponder:
Do you feel like God is calling you?
Are you listening to God or giving in to peer pressure?
October 12: Exodus 32:1-6
Key Verse: Exodus 32:2
Aaron answered them, ‘Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.’
Devotion:
How long does it take for you to forget about the things God has done for you? No, it’s not an unfair question... it is a real question which is designed to stop and make you think! Often, we get carried away with the things of this world and leave God behind for a season; we switch off to the things we should be remembering and focus on the here and now so we can get through the day!
Just because something is starting to get hard to handle or manage, does not mean we should put it to one side and continue with something a bit easier to handle. God has warned us enough time about the road to Heaven being narrow and steep. When was the last time you tried to climb a mountain... I bet it was a narrow path which you could take, and it got steeper as you got closer to the top!
God knows we will face hardships during our walk with Him, but they will be nothing compared to what Christ had to go through for our sakes. God is going to be by your side every step of the way. If you turn and look the other way, you will not see God standing right next to you; instead you will focus on all the hard things facing you and grow weak and weary.
The Israelites took their focus off what God had done for them and looked back at the things they got up to which made it easier for them to handle. Instead of waiting out for Moses, Aaron took to their old ways and lost focus on God. What happened to the people – they all lost a lot of gold as it was placed in a pile and melted down to form a golden calf. When we lose focus on God, we lose focus on many of the things in life we have and often end up in a very bad place, both spiritually and physically!
Points to Ponder:
Do you always take God with you?
Are you focusing too much on the world around you?
October 11: John 3:27-30
Key Verse: John 3:20
He must become greater; I must become less.
Devotion:
When John was baptising people, a lot of people had ideas about who he was; some saying he was the Messiah they had been waiting for... But that was just the hope the people had overflowing and becoming confused with what they were seeing. John made sure people knew he was not the Messiah but that God would be sending someone from Heaven to come and do much more than he could do.
John knew he had a task to do which was given to him by God and he did not stop trying to do as much as he could telling people about Christ and God.. I wonder how many people tried to stop John from baptising people. I wonder how much opposition he got from the Pharisees and people in charge at the time...
When we step forward in faith and do what God is calling us to do, people are going to make up their own minds about who we are and what we are doing. I have been labelled as many things which I put down because they are too fanciful for me, a plain human being, doing what God has called me to do. I don’t do it for fame or fortune. I do not do it for recognition. But I do stand up against people who will try to put me down for doing what God has called me to do!
When need to remain faithful to the calling God has called each of us to do. We need to remain vigilant to those who would oppose us and berate God. We need to continue making sure God gets the glory for what He has asked us to do. When we are faithful and continue to work as He asks – He is faithful to give us what we need to accomplish His requests!
Points to Ponder:
How much do you do for God?
How much recognition do you require?