July 30: Romans 8:31-33
Key Verse: Romans 8:32
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Devotion:
I have heard the first verse said many times before and quoted so much on social media: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” To me this can sound a bit hollow unless it is followed up with an explanation as to why this should be so. I know in my early journey with God I used to pick holes in so many things Christians said because I saw them living a different life to what they were saying; this is not God’s way and certainly not what God has done!
I God was willing to allow His only Son to come to us and die in our stead, just because He loves us, then we should grasp this saying with both hands and live with it, not just say it! What does this mean in real terms? Does it not mean we should be trusting God and going out to do things in His name and knowing He is going to support us? So what is stopping you from listening to what God is saying to you?
Sometimes we hear things and immediately ignore them just because they sound like it could be difficult. Sometimes we try to change what we hear to support our own wants instead of the true need God knows we should be filling. I am proud to be a part of the Eden group (@joineden on must social media) and a few years back we stepped forward to do what God was asking us to do. This meant being totally outside my comfort zone, which changed very quickly when I realised God was actually doing what He said!
Living on an estate where we can help and support local people, not through giving money and covering expenses, but by social and spiritual help gives a whole new meaning to life. This is what God has asked of us and we do so willingly, knowing it will be hard work, knowing we will get backlashes, knowing we will face opposition, but knowing God is with us every step of the way!
Points to Ponder:
How often you wonder if you are listening to God?
Will you place your faith and trust in Him wholly?
July 29: Romans 8:26-27
Key Verse: Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
Devotion:
How do you know what to pray when things are going wrong, when all you can feel is the whole world collapsing on your shoulders or something like that? What words come to mind? Are they going to be good enough for God? These are the sorts of things we all worry about when things are going badly in our lives and it is a very real worry too.
What God wants during times like this is not an academic answer the church will be proud of, but an honest and heartfelt plea for help. You don’t have to try and explain the situation in delicate details because God knows what you need before you even open up your mouth. All you need to do is try to rest in His embrace and allow whatever you feel to come out of your mouth as honest pleas or emotions.
God wants you to be real with Him and not to try and make it like you are a scholar who has read all of the bible enough times to be able to quote from passages here and there. God just wants you to love Him and trust Him to provide what you need. He will do this through the Holy Spirit if you are willing to listen.
The holy spirit may well put words in your mouth which you never though you’d ever say. He may well just open up your heart and allow you to cry because that emotion will speak more than words. He may well make the prayers to God whilst you remain silent wishing you knew what to say. The Holy Spirit knows our hearts and minds and will make sure God hears the right prayers to answer your needs right now!
Points to Ponder:
Do you get tongue tied when you try to pray?
Will you rest in the Holy Spirit’s arms and allow Him to direct you?
July 28: Psalm 119:145-148
Key Verse: Psalm 119:148
My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.
Devotion:
When things get desperate, we start to get desperate – but how desperate do you have to be before you call out to God and ask Him to help, no matter what! Many times we lift up prayers with pre-conditions. We ask God to help us in a way we can deal with it, but not put ourselves out! What are we thinking!
When we ask God to help us, we should be willing to accept whatever God gives us with the full knowledge He knows what is best for us and will continue to help us in ways we cannot understand. When this Psalm was written down, the author calls out to God in desperation but tries to bolster his chances of the prayers being answered by promising things to God… if you help me I will obey your scriptures! If you help me I will keep to your rules and regulations!
Things start to change when he says he continues to think about what God is doing in his life and continues to wonder why… If we accept God is doing things in our lives and accept He does know what is best for us, then when we sit down and really understand what He does and try to figure out why He does, then we will begin to understand true grace and forgiveness.
God wants us to know Him and His ways, not just to follow them blindly, but to really think about why God is helping us out. The more we understand why God is helping us, the more we will realise how much more God wants to do. What we also need to accept is God is also going to help out those people around us, some of whom we may not feel like they deserve help – but God knows best!
Points to Ponder:
Do you put conditions on your prayers?
Will you do what God asks even if your prayers are not answered your way?
July 27: Psalm 106:6-8
Key Verse: Psalm 106:7
When our ancestors were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.
Devotion:
God remains the same, the same as He was in the beginning and the same as He will be in our futures. We need to remember what God has done in our pasts and in the pasts of our ancestors so we can know His power, might, love and forgiveness. Just as God showed love to the people when they were trapped and enslaved in Egypt, so He continues to show love every day of our lives.
The people cried out to God to save them from being slaves. They called on His might and power to free them. And He did. But soon after they were freed, they forgot the miracles God did because they were free and able to think for themselves… therein lies one of our downfalls – the more we try and think things through, the more we think we are in control and the less we rely on God for things. That is where things go wrong.
Not because God wants to punish us for the things we are doing, not because He wants to pull us back in line, but because we lose control when we think we are in control. We do not have the will or the power to release ourselves from the corruption and entrapments of this world; we give in too easily and we forget who has the ultimate power!
But, no matter how much we ignore God, reject Him or generally mess things up, He continues to try and give us a way of coming back to Him and enjoying the strength we gain from being with Him. God will use mere human beings to show us His power and His might – we just have to identify who is in control and who is allowing great things to happen in our midst!
Points to Ponder:
Do you see God’s work around you?
Are you willing to allow God to use you?