January 6: Psalm 72:10-14
Key Verse: Psalm 72:11
May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.
Devotion:
Today we celebrate the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ, the feast of Epiphany. Traditionally this is when the Magi arrived to visit the baby born in a stable and laid in a manger. God had already shown the Messiah to the shepherds and now it was time for a bit of pomp and ceremony.
Often we get tied up in making Christianity a solemn string of events and services and we neglect the remember the great feasts which were initiated so long ago and which have very deep meanings. Epiphany if the time when the Magi came into town to find the Messiah having been guided by a star and persuaded to bring the gifts of Gold, frankincense and myrrh. These were the special gifts brought to a new family who were in need; a need only met by God and not by man.
Far too often it is God who steps forward to care for the needy and spare the afflicted when mankind is the one who is here and now. We need to remember what God has done and apply these things into our lives. Just talking about them is not good enough; God wants us to do things!
Christ has shown us the example to follow, how to care for the needy who cry out, how to take pity on the weak, how to make the difference which will save them from death, how to rescue those from oppression and violence. We are all precious in Gods sight. We are here with our fellow humans. We can take care of them here and now.
Points to Ponder:
How often do you step up to help?
Will you step forward to help someone new today?
January 5: 1 John 3:16-21
Key Verse: 1 John 3:17
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
Devotion:
When was the last time you really sat down and meditated on God’s Word? I would like us to just read the words of these verses over a few times and think about what they say to us...
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
This is a measure of the love Christ has for us; He was willing to lay down His own life just for us even though we have done things wrong in our lives and even worked against Him!
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
How often do you give to people in need? I’m not talking about the weekly or monthly bank draft for a charity but for the time when you stopped what you were doing just to go and help someone in need…
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
And then there is the stepping forward and actually doing something instead of just talking about it or saying you will do it…. Just when….
Points to Ponder:
How often do you display your love for others?
Will you stop and show love to someone today?
January 4: John 2:1-5
Key Verse: John 2:4
‘Woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My hour has not yet come.’
Devotion:
I wonder if you have asked God to do something for you which is not quite right? Mary asked Jesus to perform a miracle here – I’m sure she knew full well He was able to do anything and I wonder whether this had happened before, but in private… With all the people around, the disciples and all the wedding guests, Jesus could not really make this one go unnoticed...
But, at the same time, Mary knew it was not what she was able to do but what Jesus was able to do because God was supporting everything around Jesus the man. Because of the way her life had panned out, Mary knew God was with them every step of the way. She knew God always answered prayers and knew Jesus was in a special place to get them answered quickly.
Jesus’ reaction was to say it should not have been the time to show everyone what miracles God was able to do through prayer, but He also knew of the special relationship between God and Mary. He continued to answer prayers, even when it meant coming out!
Mary’s reaction was to tell the servants to listen very carefully to what Jesus would tell them to do and to do it no matter how silly it may sound. She knew God would be able to do anything with the most mundane physical things around them – in this case the empty jars and the water were going to become the choicest wine of the evening.
Points to Ponder:
Do you back down from prayers because you think God will not answer?
Will you go ahead and ask Him what is on your heart?
January 3: John 1:43-51
Key Verse: John 1:46
‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip.
Devotion:
These days around Jesus’ baptism mark the beginning of His ministry to so many people and the fulfilling of the scriptures – and yet so many people chose to not believe, and many still choose to not believe. Nathanael was sitting under a fig tree doing whatever he used to do when Philip came up to him and said about finding the Messiah emphasizing it was Jesus of Nazareth.
Whether Nathanael was bias or because of how he was brought up, he did not want to believe any Nazarite could be good, let alone be the Messiah! It only took a few words with Jesus for him to become a believer… he must have know the scriptures and known what the Messiah would be capable of. For Jesus to acknowledge him despite the words he had said about Jesus, must have made all the difference!
What did Jesus do? He invited Philip to come and follow Him, to join in the teachings and learning and to be a disciple. What did Philip do? He did what a disciple should do and approached someone else with the truth to get them to come and discover Jesus for himself.
Our task as disciples of Christ is not to go round converting the whole world because if we think we can do that, we have made a very bold and invalid assumption to start with. Philip was correct in telling Nathanael the truth and inviting him to come and meet with Jesus for himself. It is Jesus who does the converting!
Points to Ponder:
Do you think you would make a good disciple?
Will you invite someone to meet with Jesus?