December 24: Acts 13:16-26
Key Verse: Acts 13:26
Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.
Devotion:
When was the last time you sat down and looked back over the things which have happened in your life? Have you tried to go back further through time to look at your ancestors and others? It may amaze you to see how much God has done in this world which ultimately affects your life.
Paul stood up and motioned to the people around him so they would stop and listen intently. He wanted to make sure they all heard what he was going to say and thought about it. There is nothing worse than trying to tell a story when nobody is paying attention!
God has been on the brunt of this sort of thing for many years, and yet He continues to bring forward His Word hoping we will take the time to stop and listen. He wants us to take account of what has happened in our lives and in the lives of the people who have come before us so we realise just how much He is doing to get our attention!
How about reading a bit of the Old Testament and looking back to see how many times God tried to get the attention of the people. He did this so that we will all listen, not just the people at the time. The stories we have in our Bibles list all God has done and are there to encourage us to trust in Him and believe what He is saying!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like history?
Do you realise you are a part of history?
December 23: 2 John 1:4-6
Key Verse: 2 John 1:6
And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
Devotion:
Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? A lot of people will answer yes to all of these questions, but still go about a life which many will question as being Christian! When Jesus invited those men to be disciples, it was not just to learn the scriptures and to do everything He asked of them… He wanted them to make disciples too...
As I was growing up and growing in the Lord I learned many things as I studied the Bible covering all aspects – or at least I thought it was all aspects. The more you get to believe in Christ, the more questions you ask yourself and the more you seek out the answers. This is the essence of believing in Christ. He does not want you to blindly do everything He commands without thinking of the ramifications and consequences of all we say and do.
Part of your life with Christ should be to love one another. This is not limited to people you know who also go to church or who also believe in Christ. Jesus wants you to step forward and to reach out to more people, not just to be a bible basher and tell them all about Christ but to love and nurture them and bring them closer to loving and trusting Christ the way you do.
The more you get to love Christ the more you want to love the people around you and the more you want to share Him with everyone. This is what being a Christian is all about – not just obeying rules and regulations...
Points to Ponder:
How do you act in front of other people?
Do you reach out to them with an open heart?
December 22: 1 Samuel 1:24-28
Key Verse: 1 Samuel 1:28
So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he shall be given over to the Lord.’ And he worshipped the Lord there.
Devotion:
There are some places in the bible which many of us struggle with; this is probably one of them too! Elkanah had two wives, one called Penennah and the other called Hannah. Peninnah had children from the marriage, but Hannah did not. She was distraught and one day prayed to God in earnest asking for a son; in return she was willing to give him to the Lord...
I can tell you from experience it is a terrible thing to be faced with the possibility of having to give up on a child! Both of my children were in critical care in hospital when they were very young – somehow you can face that and accept whatever the outcome. But later I was faced with having them taken away from me during my divorce – that I could not accept!
And yet, Hannah was willing to give her child back to God if she was able to have one after she prayed such words. Eli, the priest, assumed she was drunk because she was praying so earnestly it showed outwardly. When he found out she was praying with such emotion he blessed her and I’m sure asked God to fulfil her prayers after that!
When the time came and the boy was weaned, Hannah took him to the temple and literally gave him into God’s care to the priest, the same one who had assumed she was drunk! That must have been one of the hardest things to do!
The moral of this story – be very careful what you pray for because you should live up to any promises you make through prayer!
Points to Ponder:
Have you ever prayer with such passion?
Did you live up to your prayers like God has done for you?
December 21: Luke 1:39-45
Key Verse: Luke 1:41
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Devotion:
Have you ever had a very big surprise? I’m not talking about something bad but something very good… When we get a surprise which is bad, it can feel like life or energy drains from your body – not sure where it goes but that is what it feels like. When we get a good surprise, the opposite seems to be true and energy and life flood back into your body – again, not sure from where!
This meeting between Mary and Elizabeth was something Elizabeth certainly felt good about. She instantly knew Mary was pregnant and she was filled with joy; so much so her baby itself was filled with joy too! That sort of joy is wonderful to experience and something we would wish to happen to us every day; sadly it does not though.
The two babies, John and Jesus, had a very special connection from this moment onward. John was filled with the Holy Spirit even before he was born, and Jesus was excited even before He was born! It is this sort of special connection we can have with Jesus as soon as we accept Him into our lives. He praises God when any person wants Him in their lives – this is what he looks forward to every day!
When we believe in Christ and place our faith and trust in Him, we get direct access to this joy and peace which He wants us to have. We gain access to the living water which will allow us to grow far beyond any earthly water or food will do for us. Christ continues to want us all to join with Him just as He did when John wanted to have Him as Lord in his own life way back then.
Points to Ponder:
Do you look forward to having Jesus in your life?
Will you make sure you give Jesus access to all of your life?