February 1: Ezekiel 26:1-6
Key Verse: Ezekiel 26:3
therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves.
Devotion:
January is finally over – who else think January lasts far too long after all the goings on over Christmas and New Year? Today is the start of a new month and one of the references to the start of a new month is these verses from Ezekiel 26. Now there is some debate as to whether this references the correct month for us, but I’m going to take this one as happening during the 11th month of their calendar which is roughly January/February for us!
Tyre had declared the strongholds of Jerusalem as being broken down and they were free to walk into Jerusalem. But what they had not counted on is God’s promise to look after Jerusalem. Ezekiel received words from God to say Tyre was about to face all manner of problems because of them trying to fight Jerusalem – God’s city!
We have a promise God is going to watch over us and we need to be reminded by verses like these about how God continues to keep His promises even when we go astray or do things which do upset Him. God is faithful to keep those promises He has made to us and will make sure we are never taken from Him… but, as we see here, there may well be times when we face all manner of worldly things or people working against us – times when we are going to feel left out, run down, unprotected or beaten down. It is during those time we need to remember the promises of God and trust fully in them.
I know facing the end of January and beginning of a new month is nothing like having to face what the people in Jerusalem may have been facing, but it is not always about the things we see but those unseen problems we face. Our problems are not always on full view for everyone to see because we hide them and try to carry on regardless. We must understand God is with us in Christ and The Holy Spirit every day of our lives! We must understand He has promised to keep us and we need to depend fully on that promise! Don’t worry what is going to happen to those who work against us but focus on God instead.
Points to Ponder:
Have you been facing a rough month?
Will you stand up and remember the promises of God?
January 31: Galatians 5:19-26
Key Verse: Galatians 5:25
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Devotion:
As we round off the first month of the year we round off our walk with Christ in these verses. I guess we all do know what the ways of the world are – if not then we must have our heads buried deep under ground! But how many of us can recount the fruits of the spirit as given in these verses? With my youth work I learned a couple of songs about the fruits of the spirit and cannot help singing the fruits in my mind when anyone asks!
Sometimes that is what we all need in our lives; a song which will bring the words of the Lord back to us and allow us to focus on them, celebrating them with Christ in worship. There are some amazing words in the old hymnals we have spread through our churches, but there are also many modern songs which also pick up on the words in our bibles and allow us to remember them just as well. I love singing both modern worship songs as well as hymns from our past – because they all help me to remember God’s words and draw me closer to God in my daily walk.
There are many worldly laws against the ways of the world: sexual immorality, hatred etc, but there are no laws which prevent us from showing and sharing the fruits of the spirit. Showing and sharing love is listed first because it is so important; Jesus made sure we knew that too. The list ends with gentleness and self-control being the focus on ourselves and through which we can work toward love.
We live with the Holy Spirit and to get the most out of this life with Him, we need to make sure we walk in step with Him! I saw a wonderful film clip recently of some young people trying to march or walk in step with each other from when I was a child (back in the 70s!) It takes practice to be able to walk in step with others, especially when you are the one trying to keep in step with them. But through practice, we get better at it and become an example through which others can be encouraged. Practice walking with the Spirit and you will be that example too.
Points to Ponder:
What is your lifestyle like?
Will you try and walk in step with the Holy Spirit in February?
January 30: 2 Corinthians 12:19-21
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 12:20
For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
Devotion:
I wonder whether God has placed something on your heart and you have not yet taken up the challenge… I found myself in this position a few years back when I was “between youth jobs”. I knew God had plans for me, but had not listened to find out what and where. So why have I picked these verses for a question like this?
Many times in our lives we shy away from having to do something because we think it is going to be hard work or something we are not going to be able to cope with; but when God is calling you to do something, you need to be listening to Him because it is the best thing for you to be doing. It may well seem like hard work and it may seem like you are about to walk into a storm because of the people you are being called to go to – but when you get there are knuckle down to what God has called you to do, it all starts to make sense!
Yes, it may well be hard work. Yes, there may well be times you have to berate people for what they are doing. But unless you are going to do that, just maybe those people will not be able to fully grasp what God has in store for them. I love seeing people admit to the fact we are shining lights in a dark world; the darkness cannot stop us because as soon as light enters into the space, darkness is no more!
Do not be put off by the actions of others. Do not be put off by the lives others live. If God is calling you to witness to such people, He is also going to lift you up and protect you in your calling. You do not have to join in with the lifestyle of the people around you – in fact you need to ensure you are that shining light others will be able to count on. Be the example God has called you to be; but don’t go in and think you are better than the people around you! God has called you to be a witness to them and an example through which they will be encouraged, giving them hope.
Points to Ponder:
What has God called you to be?
Will you submit fully to God’s will for your life?
January 29: 2 Corinthians 10:1-6
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 10:2
I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.
Devotion:
I don’t think any of us like to confront people with what they are doing wrong just as Paul did not like having to confront the Corinthians – but, he was willing to do so to stop them following the ways of the world! The more people live in the ways of the world, the more they are willing to push their ways and the ways of the world instead up upholding God’s ways. Just like the passage yesterday, we need to remember we are working against spiritual powers and need God’s power and wisdom to bring us through and allow us to promote gospel ways!
I wonder how many times teachers had to (or have to) tell you off because of the things you did (or do) in class which are not right! The way the teachers used to stop us from doing things wrong was with a cane – the ways teachers do this now are very different; but they are still ways of the world and not the way Christians should be doing things.
Christ calls us to uphold the gospel and promote the gospel to encourage others on the right path and not to constantly punish people when they step off the path He has described in our lives! The weapons we should be using are not the canes from long ago, nor the exclusions and others ways of the world today but rather we have the divine power of God through which we can accomplish so much more.
Don’t limit your ways to the ways of the world but rather allow God to use His ways and His powers to overcome the worldly and spiritual powers we work against. It is said that a single voice cannot do much, but multiple voices can do so much more; I put it to you that a single voice backed up by the most powerful and wise voice in our world can do immeasurably more than we can imagine! This means obeying God and trusting more to Him than we do now...
Points to Ponder:
How strong do you think you are?
Will you give your battles to God to win the wars?