March 27: Joshua 2:1-14

Key Verse: Joshua 2:9
and said to them, ‘I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.

Devotion:
Sometimes I wonder if The Lord will ever speak out loud to me; then I think back on all the times He has spoken softly to me through prayer, the bible and through others and I realise it is not the big events which count but the small, silent places in which God speaks to us which are the real treasures!

This story is about a moment in time when a country was living in fear because they had heard the people of God were going to come and take ownership of the land! They had heard the stories of how God had sustained His people and how He had done miracles for His people so they could have their way – His way. How could they ever hope to stand up against a God who is all powerful!

God chose a woman in the community to deliver the message back to Joshua about how fearful the people were – it was no ordinary circumstance through which the spies heard the news. But it was God using a prostitute to protect the spies and deliver the message. No matter who you are, what you have done or what you are involved with, God can use you to deliver the message He wants to the people He wants to hear the message… if you are willing to listen and obey!

Why did God choose this woman? I venture to guess it was because she would be able to tell a lie to the guards without flinching – maybe she had had to deliver a lie in the past to protect someone local and God knew she would be able to do it again… God is willing to use anyone who believes on Him and is willing to do what it takes to protect His people...

Points to Ponder:
Have you wondered when God will call you?

Will you answer and obey?

March 26: John 11:1-16

Key Verse: John 11:15
and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.

Devotion:
This is one of those stories we need to remind us God can and does do anything. Jesus knew Lazarus was dead, but He also knew he would be brought back to life, not so much for his own sake but for the sake of the disciples so they would believe without question!

We tend to question so many things in our lives we get lost in all the thoughts and the wonderings; if we were able to put those feelings of hopelessness and being lost aside and fully rely on God, we too would be able to see the value in trusting Christ in everything. It is not our task to question if God can do something but to rely on Him when we know we cannot do anything, believing He is willing and able to do what we request.

Can you imagine what the scene was like with all the people mourning the death of the man Lazarus, asking why Jesus had not come to ‘fix’ him earlier and wondering what was going to happen now. Did some begin to have doubts? Did some of the disciples have doubts in the backs of their minds? Was Jesus doing thins just to make a point?

It is not our task to question God and take control in everything in life/ It is our job to simply trust Christ and to obey Him in everything! When we do that we are going to see the changes He can do in our lives and see just how much He loves us. It is when we see what He does for us we begin to have our eyes opened to greater things – that is where our faith and trust begins from...

Points to Ponder:
Do you seek physical proof before you trust and believe?

Will you trust and obey before casting doubt?

March 25: Isaiah 7:10-14

Key Verse: Isaiah 7:12
But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.’

Devotion:
If you were to read this verse by itself you may well conclude Ahaz is being good and not putting God to the test… but we need to know who is doing the asking! If someone is asking you to get the Lord to do something just to prove He is real or more powerful than earthly things, then we should ignore such requests and stick to what we know – nothing is impossible with God!

But what happens when God does the asking? What should we do? Do we ask for a sign and make it look like we don’t have faith in God? Or do we ignore the request and show God we don’t trust what He is saying to us! It’s a difficult choice when we look at it from different angles, but one thing is sure: when God asks us to do something we should be willing to say “Here I am, use me!”

God may ask some strange things of us from time to time, but we need to know it is God talking and not our foolish pride or arrogance. We get to know who is doing the asking by making sure we obey Him whenever He asks of us. Sometimes that will put us in difficult positions with our friends and neighbours, but God is the one who knows what the outcome will be and we need to have the faith He does know.

We are the ones who need to get used to listening to God and obeying. If we always turn a deaf ear to what God says, we will find it difficult to listen when He really is asking something very important of us. The more we get used to listening to God and answering Him when He calls, the more we get to understand how He already knows the future and knows what we need...

Points to Ponder:
Do you draw away from God when He asks something you don’t agree with?

Will you trust God no matter what?