March 12: John 4:27
Key Verse: John 4:27
Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, ‘What do you want?’ or ‘Why are you talking with her?’
Devotion:
This verse comes from the passage where Jesus had just been speaking with the Samaritan woman; something to be frowned upon in those days, not just because He dared to speak openly to a strange woman, but on top of that it was a Samaritan woman and not an Israelite! Boy wouldn’t the feminists and anti-racists have a field day with this one!
Jesus was doing what any human should be doing, not excluding others just because they are different. He was doing what God wanted Him to do; to invite people to get to know Him more and to form a relationship between the person and God! I do love pointing this story out when people get upset about someone who is different coming into their group!
Jesus was very different, and yet He chose to come and live amongst sinful mankind! He dared to befriend anyone who was seeking the truth and anyone who wanted to get to know God in their hearts. This is what He meant when He said we should love our neighbours – not build big walls to exclude them or make laws to prevent them crossing an ocean!
Yes there has to be laws and people need to follow them, but many of our laws are making rifts between us instead of bringing us together. Many laws exclude people just because they are different. Why can’t we take a leaf out of Jesus’ book and show mercy and love to anyone who is seeking companionship and communion!
Points to Ponder:
Who do you inadvertently exclude?
Will you try to be more inclusive like Christ?
March 11: Micah 7:18-20
Key Verse: Micah 7:18
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry for ever but delight to show mercy.
Devotion:
How many times have you had to ask someone to forgive you for doing something wrong? How many times have you been willing to forgive someone else for doing wrong against you? How many of those times did you get angry because you did not want to forgive them? How many times did you object just a little bit too much and continued to make them wait on you...
God is very different to us when it comes to showing mercy and love. His love for us goes far beyond anything we can think of and far beyond our own limitations. When we give in and get angry, God continues to forgive and wait. When we don’t want to forgive – God finds a way to make forgiveness possible!
The longer we hold on to grudges and the longer we hold out before we forgive, the darker and deeper our anger and ill feelings become. Unless we are willing and able to put aside the ill feeling we have toward others, we will continue to harbour bad feelings and continue to get caught up in sins we don’t realise.
We have grown to expect God to forgive and forget. It’s it time for us to move forward and be willing to forgive and forget those who sin against us. Jesus hinted at this in the prayer He taught the disciples – forgive us as we forgive others. God wants us to start the ball rolling by forgiving those around us; then we can see a way forward where He will be able to forgive us...
Points to Ponder:
Do you like seeing people being forgiven?
Are you willing to show love through forgiveness?
March 10: Matthew 21:40-43
Key Verse: Matthew 21:43
Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
Devotion:
One of the ideas which troubles me greatly is the idea put forward here by Jesus – the idea the kingdom of God will be taken away from the people who do nothing about being children of God! What exactly does a child of God mean in this context. We could glibly say a child of God is someone who believes and trusts in God, someone God has call His child...
But there are two sides to most coins and this is not going to be any different. In this context Jesus was telling the people a parable about a man who who rented his vineyard to other people. When the time of the harvest came, he sent his servants to collect his fruit, to collect his harvest. Now, we are not told the intricacies of the deal they struck up with the vineyard owner, so we can’t comment on that other than the owner obviously was expecting to get some of the harvest!
When the people who rented the vineyard turned their backs on the deal and did terrible things to the servants he sent, what do you think he thought of the tenants? Now Jesus turns this parable back into context by comparing this vineyard and owner to God and the kingdom of heaven. He sent His Son, Jesus, and we, the people, killed Him! Now you get the picture!
Jesus knew this was going to happen, because He was telling the parable, and He knew who would do the deed and who would continue to follow Him… He still came and stepped up to give His life for us – that is how much he loves the people who DO what He asks. If we don’t do what God asks, we are no better than the people who killed His Son. That’s the scary part – we should be doing God’s will in our lives!
Points to Ponder:
Have you asked God what it is He wants you to do?
Are you ready to listen to Him?
March 8: Jeremiah 18:18-20
Key Verse: Jeremiah 18:20
Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember that I stood before you and spoke on their behalf to turn your wrath away from them.
Devotion:
How many times have you thought that God was not on your side because bad things were happening to you, or not enough good things were happening? How many times have you asked God why He allows the evil people to have so much and yet you don’t have a lot? I’m sure we have all been there at some stage in our lives...
We need to ready through our bibles and not get caught up in a few verses which seem to support or or a few verses which go against us. The bible is a story from the beginning right through to the end and the story does not make as much sense if we read just one part and not the whole! God wants us to remember all which has happened in the past so we can have an idea why things do not always go our way.
It is not that God is against us because we have done something wrong. It is not that God cares for others more than He cares for us. It is not that we should require God to punish the evil people and allow us to go free. God has given us enough to show that he looks out for all people and He cares for us all. When good things happen and when bad things happen, God may be the one who has ultimate power over it all, but He is not going to turn His back on anyone just because someone else wants to get to know Him more!
Jesus warned the disciples they would have to endure all sorts of things because they were going to be in the proximity of bad people. When bad people misbehave, they seem to get themselves and all around them in even more bad things. God wants us to know we are just as likely to attract bad things if we are close to them – but we should know we have the choice as to where we go and what we do. If we remember Jesus’ words when He said we need to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and souls and minds, we can move forward with confidence He is with us!
Points to Ponder:
How many good or bad times do you remember?
Will you remember what God has done for you throughout history?