February 3: Hebrews 13:1-9
Key Verse: Hebrews 13:2
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
Devotion:
I do have to laugh at some who say we should all be like brothers and sisters because I know of too many brothers and sisters who have fought tooth and nail for a long time! What people do tend to miss out is to say we should be like brothers and sisters IN CHRIST! There is a big difference between worldly people and Christians!
We don’t know everyone around us because we do meet strangers from time to time. We don’t know if God has brought them to us for a reason or whether we are supposed to show them something which God needs them to see… but if we do spend a bit more time listen to God and waiting for answers, just maybe we will be able to do what He wants us to do with those around us instead of treating them like the world does.
God really does want us to be examples for the world to see and think about – what use are we if we look like everyone else? We need to stand out from others so people ask themselves why we are different; that will give us the opportunity to tell people why we are different and allow them to discover a life with Christ. That is what the author is talking about here in these verses – being the example people look up to!
God has always been the perfect example for us to look up to, but sometimes we struggle with looking up to Him because He is so perfect; sometimes we think too lowly of ourselves to realise others can look up to us. God has set us aside as Christians for for a reason. Don’t take you life lightly!
Points to Ponder:
What makes you different?
Do you think anyone can see a bit of Christ in you?
February 2: Hebrews 12:18-21
Key Verse: Hebrews 12:21
The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear.’
Devotion:
When Moses got to see the real power of God, he was very afraid of what God could do to the people of Israel if they made Him angry. He went out of his way to try and make sure the people of Israel followed God and kept His commandments; but he also knew they would not be able to fully keep all of the commandments which made him seek the truth even more than he would have done so.
This is what seeing the true power of God should do. It should not make us quake in our boots and fear every step in case we do something wrong, it should make us seek Him more to find out the truth. The more I read the bible and find out what God wants from us, the more I want to know and the more I seek to try and convince people they should be doing the same.
God does not want us to be so afraid we are too scared to come to Him. He does not want to be a tyrant whom nobody wants to get to know. He wants us to seek Him and to draw closer to Him every day. He wants to show us the righteous path and to make our lives a bit better for knowing Him.
When we get too scared of someone we try to avoid them and stay out of their way. This is not what God wants in a relationship between Him and you. He wants you to draw closer to Him all the time so He can protect you and guide you. God wants us to be His children who are willing to go to Him for guidance and protection...
Points to Ponder:
Who do you fear in your life?
Will you draw a bit closer to God to belay that fear?
February 1: Psalm 103:13-18
Key Verse: Psalm 103:17
But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children
Devotion:
One of the things about being a parent is you get to know your children a whole lot better than they think you do! Of course there are always exceptions where a parent does not love and nurture their child or children and so do not get to know them very well, but they are normally the exception. The more we draw closer to God, the more He can love and nurture us… He does not need to love and nurture us to get to know us any better but He does!
For us to get to know our children we have to spend time with them and learn the hard way. The better the relationship with our children the more we get to know about them and the closer we are to them. The same can be said for us toward God. We could just sit back and accept He loves us, but the more we get to know Him and the more we love Him, the closer our ties become and the better the relationship with Him.
We can get to the end of our tether and get mad at our children. We can get so mad we draw away from them and lose touch with them, but God’s love cannot be measured in any earthly terms. He never steps back from us because we are the ones who step away from Him. The way we can stay closer to Him is through following His will in our lives and obeying whatever He asks of us. The closer we are the more likely we are to follow His will and the more likely we will be able to hear Him when He tries to tell us something...
Points to Ponder:
How close are you with your family?
How close are you to God?
January 31: Hebrews 12:1-4
Key Verse: Hebrews 12:2
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Devotion:
What do you do when you are faced with the truth? Do you turn your back on it and continue down the path of deceit and lies, or do you turn away from the deceit and lies and face the truth no matter what happens? It sounds such a simple choice to make, but when we are faced with a choice like this, many of us will take the line of telling a lie so we don’t have to face the consequences of the lie…
Jesus tried to show the disciples the truth was always the best choice, even when it meant they would have to face dire consequences; if you build lies upon lies, the consequences get graver and graver until it all collapses around you like a house of cards! When I was in school, in my final year of high school, I had some time between classes and I sat by myself in the common room with a deck of cards and built a house with the whole deck. Within a few minutes of me finishing a bus trundled down the road outside the school and that was enough to shake the table a tiny bit and the whole house crumbled!
If we try to build our lives on nothing more than a bit of friction and cardboard, then we will have to face being knocked down just as easily as my house fell down. It will only take a single moment of truth for our whole lives to change in an instant. If we are lucky we will not be hurt too much… but it’s not worth the worry!
God will always stand for the truth and He wants us to do the same as His children, as His disciples. He wants us to be the example which will encourage others to stand for the truth at all times as well.
Points to Ponder:
Do you hold back on the truth sometimes?
Will you try to uphold the truth today?