March 24: Jeremiah 26:8-11
Key Verse: Jeremiah 26:11
Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, ‘This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!’
Devotion:
One of the warnings Jesus gave to the disciples was they would have to face persecution when they went out to teach people the gospel. This stands true for each one of us who pick up the Lord’s mantle and try to spread the truth, His truth. The more we try to do so the more upset the evil one becomes and the more he will try to break things for us; but God will always be looking out for us!
When Jeremiah obeyed God I’m sure he could see how the crowds were against him and how it would eventually lead to conflict with the authorities. This may have been something which worried him more than we can pick up through the things which are written down in the Bible. I guess we get to find out the truth when we meet up with him and all the other prophets in Heaven one day!
The people were eager to find out the truth and they crowded round Jeremiah whilst he was teaching others. They were beginning to see the tyranny which they were living under – a tyranny which was in part built up by the very people who said they were standing for God. We tend to get this in our modern society and even in the modern churches – people get a bit too involved with earthly means of trying to improve church gatherings…
God wants us to live with Him and raise up more disciples who will be willing to continue on the work we are trying to do, disciples who are willing to go out and make more disciples. When we target earthly rewards in our churches, the people will be pointed towards earthly gains and not spiritual gains or heavenly gains! Think about what God wants and not what you think He should have!
Points to Ponder:
What do you think is important in church?
How could anything be more important than God’s children?
March 23: John 5:31-35
Key Verse: John 5:34
Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved.
Devotion:
Have you ever wondered whether you are being called to teach others about God? The answer is yes! We are all called to pass on the Gospel to other people, how much we do and where we do it is another question we face and one which you have to find out from Christ. You may think you are not worthy or you cannot ever hope to be able to teach others like you vicar or priest can, but the way in which God uses you is going to be unique to you and nobody else.
When the disciples were learning things from Jesus, they came across many situations which were new to them and had no precedent in their lives. Each of them were individuals and each would continue to live very different lives, even though they had one common teacher. This is because God has created each of us as an individual, unique in our own ways – because the world needs unique people, and some part of this world needs your individual uniqueness!
John was born in unique circumstances and lived a life which would revolve around teaching people about the Christ who was to come after him. God made sure John was born in these circumstances and made sure he gave his testimony to all who were willing to listen. This was all part of God’s plan; and that plan includes you at this very moment!
Jesus did not need to learn things from humans in order to be able to do anything He did, but He chose to listen and share what He could and when He could. He became part of the community of people who follow God so they would be able to know more about God together. This is just one way in which we can share Christ: by being together with others and talking about our experiences and our lives.
Points to Ponder:
Do you have trouble thinking how to share Christ with others?
Have you tried just being you and talking about what Christ means to you?
March 22: John 5:24-30
Key Verse: John 5:27
And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
Devotion:
One of the things the religious people found hardest to accept was that Jesus was and is the Son of God. No amount of words at the time would convince the people who did not want to believe. The disciples had little problem believing Him because they continued to see the miracles He did every day and knew what they were hearing was lining up with the scriptures they had heard their whole lives.
This is the great thing, Jesus continued to tell people the truth and continued to try and convince those who had issues how He was telling them the truth. Through their own pride in their religion the people disregarded what Jesus was saying because they were upholding their religion more than the truth. When we get caught up in things which we gain from, we too may overlook the truth because we lose what we think we had already gained – but what use is it to gain the worldly things and lose our eternal lives!
Jesus tried to make it simple for them by telling them exactly what they had to do – to believe on Him as being the Son of God because God had given Him authority over judging the people. Nothing like someone who disagrees with you to make you look for your own way out! That is not the way of truth but the way of self gain.
Jesus wants us to be humble, honest and gracious amongst other things and in order for that to happen we need to know the truth, believe that truth and promote that truth. This is just one step of being a disciple. The people here were forcing their own rules on the people instead of lifting up God’s truth and ways. This gave them earthly power, but lined them up to be judged by Christ and lose their right to eternal life.
Points to Ponder:
Do you seek the truth?
Do you follow the truth?
March 21: Ezekiel 47:1-9
Key Verse: Ezekiel 47:7
When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river.
Devotion:
The dimensions of the city, the temple and everything talked about in this description given to Ezekiel in his visions are quite staggering in many ways considering this was so many years ago. But the most important part to me is the depiction of this life giving water which is going to flow freely through the city, temple and out into the sea. The amount of water is staggering.
We know the the Jordan River area as a fertile place nowadays and it would have been quite a different place from the desert area Israel had been living through during the exodus times. I can’t help but see the hand of God reaching out and giving the people of Israel bucket-loads of water in a time when they needed Him most of all. But the real Living Water came from God and not from the rains or rivers…
Jesus proclaimed Himself as the Living Water to the Samaritan woman at the well showing her there was more to life than the water she could get with a bucket from the well. No matter how much we see the fertile lands which are around rivers, we should always remember the real goodness we get from Jesus which means more to us than any amount of water in the desert!
Nature will always allow plants to grow where there is water, be it on a mountain side or running through a desert, water always gives life to the earth. The same applies to the living water we gain from Jesus – no matter how bad the people are, no matter how far they are from God, all it takes is one person to know Jesus and the place begins to change, as long as they are willing to allow others to see the difference...
Points to Ponder:
What are you doing with Christ’s Living Water?
Are you sharing your living water, or hiding it from people?