May 19: Psalm 66:10-12
Key Verse: Psalm 66:12
You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.
Devotion:
None of us like to think we have to go through tough times, but sometimes we do have to face challenges in order to grow stronger; just like we have to do exercise in order to get fitter, we have to do spiritual exercise in order to be spiritually stronger too. But then we also have to face hardships in life in order to know how to cope with them – something none of us want to do!
The Children of Israel had to go through a long period in the desert before they were able to reach the land God had promised them – but that was probably nothing compared to the time they spent in slavery in Egypt. God did not cause any of these things to happen. These all happened because of what man was doing. It could be said this current pandemic is all down to what mankind was doing… we are largely responsible for things like this because we are trying to understand the world a bit better – so we test things we ought not to be testing without proper protection… but we make mistakes and we all get to pay for those mistakes!
But, no matter how much we go through and no matter how much we do things wrong, God is always there. We may push Him into a corner because we want to get on and do something we ought not to be doing, but God is still there. He has every right to punish us for the things we experiment with, but He does not. He waits patiently for us to realise our mistakes and turn back to Him for he comfort and abundance He wants us to have.
There are times when I get so carried away with work and all things computerised that I forget to knuckle down and spend time with God. He does not punish me for those times but waits patiently for me to get round to it… This morning is the repercussion of one such time when I did not knuckle down to do my Bible study and devotionals – so this one comes out a bit later than normal! But I know God is still with me every day – because He is faithful, always!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you do things you ought not to?
Was God still there when you turned back to Him?
May 18: Psalm 66:1-4
Key Verse: Psalm 66:2
Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious.
Devotion:
One thing which strikes me each week on Sundays is the longing I have to get back into a building with lots of people and just lift up our voices to God! I really do miss being able to meet together under one roof and worship our awesome God. We don’t have a church building of our own, we meet in a community centre so we have to put up and take down absolutely everything each week – which is hard work, but now I realise just how worth it it actually is!
I love the simplicity of our new way of doing church now because I know it can reach so many more people who would not want to come together for fear of being found out or the fear of other people judging them… Our church slogan has always been “Come as you are” which does not just mean people can turn up to church in their joggers and T-shirts, but also means we can come to church in whatever broken state we are in.
Whatever your church is looking like nowadays, just know that God is still with us and God continues to listen to whatever songs, praise, prayers or just talking we lift up to Him! We do not have to be in a proper state before we lift up our praise or our prayers. We don’t have to get ourself straight or clean before we come to worship God. God knows what we are like, He knows what is in our hearts and He knows what is possible for us to achieve! Trust Him!
And the best part is we do not only have to meet up on Sundays! We can meet with God every moment of every day – because He is with us every second of our lives. This may well make some people cringe because they know what they are doing wrong, but we can still come to Him and give it all into His welcoming arms! It breaks my heart to know people are missing out of having a full and wonderful relationship with God!
Points to Ponder:
What did you do for church yesterday?
What will you do with God today?
May 17: Acts 17:22-31
Key Verse: Acts 17:28
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
Devotion:
Can you imagine the conversation between Paul and God about going to preach among the Greeks! I think Paul may well have questioned why he should be the one who had to go to these religious people and try to convert them toward Christianity. When we look back in the history book we find a myriad of gods whom the Greeks worshipped – almost one for every occasion… But what amazes me more is how the leaders would be able to pull the wool over the people’s eyes as they told them of new gods they would have to worship for various things!
And yet this is what we see in our modern society just as much, the difference being the gods of this world are so many and so diverse now they are no longer called gods, but in reality they are. I’m not going to name and shame anyone and any god, but there are bound to be some things in our own lives which we hold up high and treat as gods… think this through before defending yourself!
Paul was bold enough to stand up before the people and pull them up on this – how they reacted was probably quite expected. Some jeered and scoffed, but some stopped and thought about what they heard and wanted to hear more. Were they just thinking of how they could have another god to add to their list or whether they actually wanted to hear the truth, I don’t know.
But what I do know is that if we are willing to tell people of our God and show them what it is like to be a Christian, then God is faithful to work in their hearts and allow them to see the truth if they are willing to stop and listen with their hearts. I like to think the Greeks had a lot of head knowledge of the other gods but not the heart knowledge, but when we look around us at the passion people have for some pretty strange things in life nowadays, I fear they believed in their hearts their gods would answer them. We need to be urgent and honest about our God!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like to tell people about Christ?
Will you step forward and ask someone if you can pray for them today?
May 16: Isaiah 25:1-5
Key Verse: Isaiah 25:4
You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall
Devotion:
After so many words against people around the Mediterranean this chapter in our bibles gives the basic needs for each of us – to praise the Lord! No matter how many bad words and prophecies against people who were working against God, God is still here loving and supporting those who want Him to do exactly that!
It is because of God’s perfect faithfulness this is all possible and has continued to follow on from the prophecies promised to us so many years ago and still coming true! It is God who has allowed the collapse of cities who refuse to follow Him, not because He got so angry with us that He had to destroy us, but because we brought the destruction upon ourselves through our actions which clearly showed everyone we were not following God!
But to those who are willing to come to Him with open and humble hearts are able to receive bucket loads of love and support. Those amongst us who need it most are given the love and support they need – I know because I have been there and have come out wondering just how any of this love and support was possible. I know what I do wrong and I know I am not worthy in myself; but I know He has promised to include me as one of His own just because I have put my faith and trust in Him! How Awesome!
The more we are willing to make God a part of our lives, not just on Sundays but actively in your life, the more you will be able to see how much He is able to do in your life. I love this verse highlighted today because God is our refuge when we are poor and needy. He is our shelter when life is like a storm bashing against us. He is our shade from the relentless sun of sin beating down on us. He is the wall which stands between us and the ruthless factor around us. God does not take away those bad things because they are man-made and still exist, but He can shield us!
Points to Ponder:
Do you feel overwhelmed at all?
Are you willing to ask God to be your protecting wall?