November 20: Luke 18:35-43

Key Verse: Luke 18:42
Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.’

Devotion:
When I read verses like these I almost cringe at the thought of many churches doing the same as the crowds who were watching the procession which was all around Jesus. So often we get caught up in the spectacle or we get caught up in what people are doing and do not see what God actually wants from us and from His people!

The crowd were so caught up in the moment they neglected to see what Jesus wanted. This blind person called out to Jesus mentioning Him as the Son of David which showed the blind man had known the scriptures and was sure this person was their Messiah, the one who was a descendant of David who had come to save them all from their sins.

Jesus stopped to talk to the person, asking the crowd to bring them to Him. He wanted the crowd to see the power of faith and true belief… I wonder what was going through Jesus’ mind when He heard the crowd trying to stop the blind person from calling out to Him by name! I wonder whether there was a bit of despair because He could see people discriminating against the blind person or whether He felt the pride in some people that they were able to see Jesus in person…

We do need to stop and think about what Jesus wants from us and from every situation. We need to include Him in everything we do so we can do what is best to progress the spreading of the gospel to everyone before He returns!

Points to Ponder:
Do you get caught up in doing stuff in church?

Do you make time for Christ to work in your life?

November 19: Matthew 25:14-18

Key Verse: Matthew 25:18
But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

Devotion:
What are you doing with your life? Do you think you are making the most of your life, or do you feel like you are fighting a battle against adversity and just keep to yourself as much as possible? God has allocated things for us because He knows us better than anyone else. He has entrusted us with this life and possessions so we can make the most of things while following His will.

He has not entrusted us with more than we can handle, though if we allow the world to get the better of us we certainly can feel like we have more than we can handle! He has given us the opportunity to make the most of what He has given us and wants us to succeed! But if we bury the treasure, skills and wherewithal He has given us because we don’t want to upset anyone, then we are not doing what He has asked of us!

Just like this man called his servants together to hand out bags of gold so they could continue his work for him, God has already handed out tasks for us to do. If we try to do our best and make the most of what He gives us, He is going to be pleased with what we do and allow us more. But if we hide His light under a bushel then we are preventing others from doing what He may want them to do.

Think carefully about what God has given you and listen to what He has to say so you too can do the best with what you have!

Points to Ponder:
Are you doing things in church?

Aren’t you doing anything outside of church which may help too?

November 18: Psalm 105:16-22

Key Verse: Psalm 105:19
till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true.

Devotion:
A few nights ago we were talking about Joseph and the hope he had in God, his total reliance of what God had promised and all the agony he went through to get there. Our lives are not always going to be smooth sailing as Christians; often we will have people working against us because we dare to tell the truth. God always upholds the truth and will reward those who stick to the truth!

Joseph had his own brothers working against him. He was left for dead by them, sold into slavery and endured a hard life up until what he had forecast came to pass. This is when people stop to take notice and their attitude changes. For Joseph the attitude change came from the top and he was brought out of slavery and placed in a position of honour.

God will always try to make sure we get the best possible outcome in our lives, but the path to get there may be troubled. As long as we are willing to stop and listen for His instructions, the path will be the best way forward. The world around us is going to try and convince us otherwise so we do really have to listen for Gods call.

All throughout the bible we get to hear of all the things which are consequences of man’s greed, pride and lust. When we can look past those evil ways of man and look toward the truth we have in Christ we will always reach the best God has for us, be it in this world or the next...

Points to Ponder:
Do you struggle with others?

Are you trying to listen to Christ instead of the world?