January 20: Isaiah 26:16-18
Key Verse: Isaiah 26:17
As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, Lord.
Devotion:
Just how serious are you in your relationship with Christ? Do you talk about things and never get round to doing them with Christ, or do you do things and then talk about them?
We need to be living the right life with Christ as an example other people can look at and be encouraged by. But even as we try to do so, we are going to have times when we do not do the right thing and God is going to try to bring us round to getting things right again. It may not be a clear and visible reaction we get from God because He can and does use all of the people around us to try and keep us on the right track. Maybe the people around you are trying to tell you about something and you are not listening, thinking you know better!
God wants us to listen to all of His people so we have the best chance at living our lives with and for Him. It would not be wise for us to ignore all of the advice we are getting, especially if that advice is coming from godly people! Just like that, when we live our lives with Christ, He is able to use us to reach out to others and get them going in the right direction again.
It is going to be tough listening to others when things seem to be falling apart in our lives – even tougher when they are telling us to change and do things we don’t like doing or are too scared to do. Just maybe God is trying to get through to us!
And then there are going to be times when God is going to use us to reach out to others – maybe to bring them down a peg or two so He can reach out to their hearts like He used to be able to do. It will be tough for us as we think we are being unkind or are being stubborn; but as long as we are listening to God and obeying His requests, then we are doing the right thing.
Points to Ponder:
Do you find it hard to discipline others as a Christian?
How do you think God finds it when He has to discipline us?
January 19: 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Key Verse: 2 Timothy 3:1
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
Devotion:
The deeper we get involved in the world, the more we are able to see just how corrupt it can be. Is this a good thing, or should we avoid the world at all costs? Jesus came to the earth in human form so He could be with us and encourage us with the truth… but He is God!
We are not! We are just plain human beings… who happen to have God on our side and if we are willing to keep Him close, He will guide us and keep us as we walk amongst the worldly people. We are based in this world and the only way the world is going to see Christ is through us showing them the gospel truth. We have to be amongst people – but we don’t have to get involved with everything they do!
The more the world grows, the more we see just how corrupt man can be. It does not stop at just being in the rough areas of our cities – it is widespread through businesses, administration and even governments all around the world. People get caught up in a power struggle in their own imaginations and they become so transfixed with those struggles, they become part of that corrupt world.
When Jesus came to earth He made sure He brought His love with and spread it to everyone He encountered. That does not mean He gave in to the ways of the world, but rather pointed out where people were going wrong – giving them the choice as to whether they would continue in their worldly ways or turn to God and bring His ways on board in their lives. We have that same choice every day and we need to be actively choosing God’s ways so others can see they have this choice too.
Points to Ponder:
Do you try to fit in to social groups?
Or will you stand up for God’s social group and make a point?
January 18: James 4:7-10
Key Verse: James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Devotion:
Do you know, there is always someone more evil than your enemies trying to get you to go over the edge and make a difference. You may not think about it too much, but he uses everything and everyone he can to try and get you to break your promises to God. He will turn your friends into chancers and daredevils so he can get you interested in doing things which do not please God. He will use your friends to take you into places where you will let your guard down... He is always trying to break down the protection we try to keep intact. He is the devil!
If we are able to resist the devil, he will not come back to bother you... But that is not something we can do ourselves! We are born into a sin nature, we are tempted by his temptations, we are weakened by his wily ways. He does not stop at anything. What we have to do is to lift up our protection against him; that protection is God's Word. The bible is our defence, the bible is our strength, with it we are able to resist temptation, resist evil, and push him back to the pit where he belongs.
If we continue to draw closer to God by keeping in His Word, by allowing His Word to guide us and to protect us, then we no longer have to live in fear of the evil one getting his way with us. All we have to do is to make sure we are doers of God's Word, not just idle listeners. Too often we say we are going to do something positive and end up putting it off until it is too late and we get caught out! Too often we build up a false sense of protection and we fall into the trap which has been put down for us.
When all we had to do was to humble ourselves before God!
Points to Ponder:
Can you think of something which has side-tracked you from your bible today?
God wants us to walk close to Him all the time!
January 17: Proverbs 6:1-3
Key Verse: Proverbs 6:3
So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbour’s hands: Go - to the point of exhaustion - and give your neighbour no rest!
Devotion:
How many times have you let a friend down by going off and doing something with someone you have just met, or a complete stranger! I wonder if you have done that to your family members; maybe gone off with a so called friend and done something against your family just to please your “friend”.
I know I have done that before, made up some sort of excuse about what I was going to do so I could go off and have fun with a friend – a friend who was leading me away from my family! It's only when you look at it from the outside you can recognise what you have done & then you know it is time to go back to your family and make things right... starting with an apology!
Maybe you have done something you should not have... Or maybe your friend has, and you were with them... Then along comes someone to blame your friend for doing whatever it was, and they turn around and lie blatantly saying it was not them. Then they turn around to you and ask you to lie for them too to get them out of trouble... Worse still, your mother comes around the corner and gets involved. Now you have to continue with the lie because of what you have started, always digging a deeper and deeper hole!
Then when you get home your dad turns round and says “now don't lie to me, or you're going to be grounded for a year!” Ok, so do you lie and get grounded, or tell the truth and still get grounded! God wants us to tell the truth from the beginning, to live in the truth, not in a pit of lies. God wants us to make a covenant with Him, just as He has made a covenant with us.
Points to Ponder:
How many times do you lie a day... even to yourself?
God sees us from the inside and knows our thoughts, you can't lie to Him!