May 28: 1 Corinthians 12:3-11
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 12:6
There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
Devotion:
When Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to the disciples, He came directly to them and they received The Spirit. When we receive the Spirit it is through Christ even though He is not physically with us – this was His promise to us, a promise He has kept! The most interesting part for me is how people change when they receive the spirit and these words here in the letter to the churches in Corinth give us a clue as to how people will change.
Each of us is a different person, created by God in His image and for His purpose. The Holy Spirit will work differently in each one of us because we are different and The Spirit will know what to do. As the words here show, all changes in us are for the common good and not to raise ourselves into any positions or elevate our status in any way – we become a vessel for the Holy Spirit to work through!
Some people will pick up wisdom in God’s Word, others great knowledge (yes there is a difference between wisdom and knowledge), some the gift of healing others, others seemingly miraculous powers. Some will be able to pick out evil spirit whilst others will be able to talk in languages others cannot figure out except for a select few whom the Spirit chooses.
Each one of these does not come from different spirits but the same Holy Spirit we all get to receive. Each of us will see different things happen in our lives and this is all done when the Spirit determines what is best for us. We could wait a long time before we get to know what the Spirit has chosen for us… But our task is not to question God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit, but to accept what they give us and to use that to the best of our ability!
Points to Ponder:
How different did you feel after accepting Christ as Saviour?
Are you listening to and obeying the Holy Spirit?
May 27: John 21:20-23
Key Verse: John 21:22
Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.’
Devotion:
When Jesus started talking about someone betraying Him, the disciples were on edge; which one of their group would be the one! This was a moment when many of them could have doubted things and brought on confusion amongst them. Jesus tried to stem that by reminding them they had a personal relationship with Him and it was not up to them to judge each other – simply to love Him.
When anything untoward happens in our church we start to chatter about things and people and we often go too far and place blame where there should be none. But it is a fine line between ignoring things which are clearly wrong and allowing people to have their sins forgiven by Christ: a line which we should always be aware of and one we need to protect each other with too.
Any language has it’s complications where people can say one thing and mean another without realising it. I’m not talking about the spelling mistakes we all make or the auto-correction mistakes due to ‘intelligent’ devices we use, but the verbal mistakes we make. Saying something out of turn or agreeing with something you think you heard can be awkward when another person is involved.
Christ wants each of us to try and do our best for and with Him, this means we should be focusing on the things we do and the things we say. If we focus on the things others do and say we will get annoyed at times because each of us is different and we cannot see inside people’s minds or hearts like God can. There is nothing wrong with pointing things out to the person involved, but there is pointing it out to everyone else when you are not sure!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you talk about others?
How often do you admit yourself to Christ?
May 26: John 21:15-19
Key Verse: John 21:16
Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’
Devotion:
What do these verses say to you? Do they talk about a disobedient Peter, or a warning to Peter or a prophecy about Peter? We cannot put these words into a single pigeon hole because they have so much meaning – just like the rest of the bible!
Often we restrict the meaning of words from our bibles to suit ourselves or set boundaries which we can follow instead of taking the words for what they mean. Each of us reading these verses will probably focus on a different things – that is the way God speaks to us through His Word. We are not all the same and so we will be guided differently by His Word.
The repetition of the instructions to Peter may well have pointed to what Peter would do when Jesus was taken away and these words are often used in the liturgy of services around the world. Jesus was giving instruction to Peter and wanted Peter to think about what was happening, what would happen and to reflect on this after things had happened.
We describe God’s Word as being the Living Word because it raises different feelings and thoughts in each of us as God speaks to each of us. If we do love God, then should we not be willing to read His Word, meditate on what it says to us and to obey the instructions we gain from it? But we need to go further as we grow in Christ. Listening to the Holy Spirit, meditating on what He says and obeying Him is an integral part of our lives!
Points to Ponder:
Do you love God?
Do you obey God?
May 25: Psalm 16:5-11
Key Verse: Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Devotion:
The more you get to know God the more you get to know just how much He does for you. The more you rely on God the more you get to see how much He does for you. The more accept Him in your life, the more you see how He can do so much more! We really do need to praise Him for everything He has done, does and has promised!
As we go through our lives we get to see how much the world can break things, how much hatred there is in the world, how much greed and pride people have and how much all of these things can and do affect us in our lives. The secret is to try and have someone by your side who will help you get through these rough times, help you combat the evil and help you avoid the things which bring you down. That is God!
The more things go wrong, the more we look for help and the more we are willing to accept help as well; or at least the more we should be willing to accept help! There are times when we are going to have feeling which prevent us from asking for help because of our pride. God does not want us to give in to the pride but to ask for and accept the help He offers. The more we get to ask for and accept the help He offers, the more we get to see how much more He is willing to do…
This is sounds too good to be true to the outsiders who do not believe; and it is that belief or lack of belief which will separate us from the help God offers. God wants: to keep you secure, give you an inheritance, counsel you, instruct you, keep watch over you and make sure you are safe from everything. Ask Him for that help and allow Him to help!
Points to Ponder:
Do you get caught up in shame and pride rather than ask for help?
How often do you really ask God for help?