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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?
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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?
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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?
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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?
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October 10: Mark 3:1-6
Key Verse: Mark 3:3
Jesus said to the man with the shrivelled hand, ‘Stand up in front of everyone.’
Devotion:
Jesus knew what the people were plotting, and He knew what was in their hearts; but He knew what God wanted and that was more important to share than what mankind was plotting! How many times have you shied away from doing something because people would say something bad about you for doing it? How many times have you given in to the pressures of people rather than standing up for what is righteous?
Difficult questions in difficult times... As we watch the number of cases of Coronavirus steadily climb in the UK, we wonder what we should be doing and what people are going to say when we do something different... so we continue to do the normal and nothing changes!
Well, if there was ever a time to stand up and make a difference, it is now. Not because the whole world is going to be watching you, but because not many people will see you doing anything! If you were scared to do anything beforehand, now is the time to do something when the streets are quieter and when others are focused on other things...
Jesus continues to call us to do His work no matter what is going on in the world around us. We can do so many things as Christians and now is our time to stand up and shine like the lights Jesus has made us to be. Now is the time to make a difference – not by breaking all the rules, but by doing what we can within the rules and showing people God cares for them.
Points to Ponder:
How many people do you know who are struggling?
Are you trying to make a difference in their lives?
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October 9: Luke 11:5-10
Key Verse: Luke 11:9
So I say to you: ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Devotion:
O the audacity! I wonder how many times you have used these words or something similar when someone has been a bit too forthright in your view... But when you look back on the situation you begin to realise if they had not asked, then they may well have been in desperate trouble by now!
Sometimes we must step up and ask the bold questions we continue to try and ignore in our lives. Sometimes we must be the one to stand up and ask the question so others can gain the benefit. God wants us to be bold in our walk with Him so He can work His wonders in our world.
God wants people to see His work in the world and not for people to just accept things happen. How can God get the glory when we are not stepping forward and demanding things change or demanding support for the poor and needy? If God works silently behind the scenes, we can give Him the glory because we know He is working, but others will not see it that way.
God wants us to be bold in our prayers and allow others to see when we ask and how much we ask. Daniel had no problem letting people know he prayed three times a day and even opened his windows so people would know he was praying. Because of his boldness people began to see how God was answering his prayers...
Points to Ponder:
Do you hide away to pray to God?
What are you willing to stand up for today?
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October 8: Luke 11:1-4
Key Verse: Luke 11:4
Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
Devotion:
It’s not always the people who stand up against you, rebel or try to stop you from doing you work which are the ones to look out for either... Sometimes it’s the people who have done something wrong against you and you still carry a grudge against them! These sorts of feeling can stop you from doing God’s work just as much as a physical wall can stop you from entering a room.
When Jesus was asked about how to pray, I wonder whether He was looking into the hearts of any of the disciples with Him. Far too often in our lives we rebel when someone does something a different way to us, and then we hold a grudge against them when they continue to do it their own way. Sometimes we need to embrace the differences within our communities and move forward with the love of Christ in our hearts.
Jesus continued to show the disciples what love was all about by being friends with all the ‘wrong people’ and encouraging them to seek the truth about God. We need to be able to do this as well in our lives. If we are holding grudges or have not forgiven someone because of what they have done in the past, then how are we going to be able to show them the love of Christ?
I have learned to put things behind me and move on in life; this means forgiving people for the things they have done, possibly things which have changed your life. Without that forgiveness, we cannot hope to share the love as Christ did. He was ready to forgive anyone and everyone, but some people just don’t want to look for that forgiveness and that can be a very big stumbling block in everyone's lives.
Points to Ponder:
Do you forgive and move one?
Is there someone who need to know you forgive them?
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October 7: Nehemiah 13:26-32
Key Verse: Nehemiah 13:31
But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.’
Devotion:
One of the biggest obstacles we face with the work we do for God is other people! It often seems like we always get opposition to the work we do as Christians – but this is true for most things in life! We probably recognise it more because we believe we are doing what God has asked and therefore it should be true and supported by everyone! At least, that is how we see it!
God is no stranger to opposition but continues to uphold the truth and point people in the right direction. We may think we are the ones on the front-line who are facing the issues, but God is with us every step of the way. The harder we find the opposition, the more we are listening to that opposition and the less we are focusing on God...
I do love working for God and try to do what I can, when I can and with whomever is willing to work with God too! This has brought me opposition in life as people think I am not focusing enough on their work; but in the words of Jesus ‘for whoever is not against us is for us.’ There-in also lies our weakness because we focus on those who are against us rather than on those who are for us!
Do not be discouraged by the people who stand up against you. Rather continue to focus on what God is asking of you and He will ensure you are able to do his bidding. Caleb was willing to stand up and remind the people they would be able to do anything because God was with them. But still some would rather believe the stories of obstacles and issues before them. God wants us to have faith in what He has asked us to do...
Points to Ponder:
Do you listen more to the troublemakers or to the workers?
Are you willing to trust God’s guidance more than man's today?
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October 6: Daniel 1:3-16
Key Verse: Daniel 1:8
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way.
Devotion:
Most of us cannot fully relate to the relationship of a servant and their master because we have not been a true servant in our lives. The king wanted something, and what he wanted, he normally got... because he was king and didn’t have a high regard for Daniel’s people! He wanted choice servant who looked good and behaved as he wanted them to. Nothing was going to get in his way!
Yet, along comes Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. They were chosen because of their looks and because they did not have any physical deformities, defects of markings. The king wanted to feel good by having good looking people surrounding him. The last thing he would have wanted is a servant who was going to answer back or one who was picky!
Daniel knew, despite everything which had happened up to then, God was going to look out for him and that was enough for him. He was not going to allow anything in life to persuade him not to do what God wanted of him. One of those things was to moderate what he ate – we know the Israelites had diets which excluded various meats; why should he give in to that if he knew God was watching!
Often, we give in to things because we don’t think God is watching or because everyone else is doing something. It may not be what God wants in our lives, and we may know that, but we give in anyway because it is easier to give in that to stand up for yourself! This is not what God has made us to do. He wants us to stand up for righteousness and to continue worshipping Him from our daily actions...
Points to Ponder:
What temptations do you most often give in to?
Are you sure that is what God wants in your life?
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October 5: John 14:15-21
Key Verse: John 14:16
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you for ever
Devotion:
Although this passage begins with the words “If you love me, keep my commands...” Jesus is not laying down an ultimatum to say we have no hope if we cannot keep the commandments! If this were so, then none of us would ever be able to get to Heaven because we have all done at least something wrong in our lives. This is Jesus saying, if you love me, then you should try your very best to keep my commands...
Jesus wants us to obey Him but knows we cannot fully obey Him because of our sinful nature and the sin in the world around us too. Therefore, He promises to give us an advocate who will stand up for us and defend us from judgement! This advocate was going to be in the form of the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit. Just like Jesus, the Holy Spirit is part of God and cannot lie either.
The Holy Spirit will try to guide us through every decision of every day and if we were to listen intently to Him, we would be able to avoid sin in our lives! Unfortunately, we are surrounded by a whole lot of noise and a lot of sin! We don’t have much of a chance at listening solely to Him because of these temptations surrounding us all the time... But, no matter how bad things get, Christ is going to be with us all the time in the form of the Holy Spirit!
Stop and take a breath. Stop and tune out the world. Stop and listen for the instructions from the Holy Spirit. We will find it easier to keep God’s commands, easier to walk with Him and much easier to avoid sin in our lives. All this because God allowed His Son to come down to be our Saviour and the Holy Spirit to be our Advocate. The best team in the world!
Points to Ponder:
Do you find it hard to avoid trouble?
Will your try to stop and listen to God today?