February 8: Genesis 2:8-16
Key Verse: Genesis 2:15
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Devotion:
One of the stumbling blocks I am always confronted with is “why did God create the tree of the knowledge of good and evil if He did not want man to eat the fruit from it?” Which, on the surface, seems like a valid point. But then the argument falls apart when you look at just about any situation in life. Why did man invent guns if they are used to kill people?
The answer is man invented the gun as a tool. Someone came along and used that tool to commit a bad sin. It is not the fault of the designer but the fault of the person committing the sin. The same can be said about the garden. God created a complete garden with everything in it. Man was the one who came along and decided to do something wrong; it is man's fault!
This is why we have laws in our societies. There are things which can be used for good and for evil. If we take something which could be used to good and use it for evil, then we are the ones committing the evil and not the tool which we use. God had no intention of making man do bad things – that was our choice and remains our choice.
Each of us has the ability to choose whether we do right or wrong. That is what defines us and sets the path of life before us. If we continue to choose the bad things in life then we are going to have to face those bad things time and time again. If we choose to do the good things, then we will face the good outcomes time and time again. Choose righteousness...
Points to Ponder:
Have you made bad choices in your life?
Will you ask Christ to forgive those bad choices?
February 7: Genesis 1:27-28
Key Verse: Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’
Devotion:
One of the most remarkable things God did was to create us in His image… So what does that mean? Do we look exactly like God? No! We are all physically different, we have different finger prints and different iris patterns, different personalities and we just are different! So how did we get created in God’s image? Well, God is made up of three parts, and, not surprisingly, so are we.
We have our physical bodies; the ones which are different to look at and to do things with. Jesus was different too. He was nothing like the pictures we see where He is depicted as being a tall white male with long blonde hair and a shining white garment! He was a carpenter who was ‘one of us.’ Which means He looked like the people He was around. They knew Him to look like a Jew so we must assume He looked like many Jews we have go to see… So, not white and not blonde…
Then we have our spirits. These are the parts of us which are able to commune with God. These are the parts which we cannot see but we know are there. If we listen well enough we will be able to know that part of us better. This is the part of us which will be able to listen to what God has to say to us – the part of us we don’t often listen to in case we have to do something! You know, the part of us we know is there but like to ignore because it means being good!
Then we have our souls. This is the real you and the real me. What we are and what we have always been and what we will always be – the us inside of everything we are! Once again we cannot see the real us, but we know the real us because that is what comes out when we meet others and when we get on with life… The part of us which will always be around and will never go away!
Points to Ponder:
What part of you do you think of when you say “I”?
Are you willing to allow God to guide the real you through your spirit?
February 6: Genesis 1:1-19
Key Verse: Genesis 1:11
Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.’ And it was so.
Devotion:
The first chapter of the bible is one which people have debated upon for so long, and one which makes sense to some and not to others; but what we can all agree on is that it was something entirely new! How does one go about describing something which has never existed before?
I’m not going to argue about whether I think these words describe exactly what happened because I don’t quite get the words they use in the first few verses. It’s only when we get down to verse 11 where things begin to make some sort of sense because from then on it describes things which we can relate to.
This is one of the big problems we face as Christian. How do we go about describing something which is new to us… when we first became a Christian we could not describe what it was like and we would have problems trying to convince anyone about our new life. But the more we get to grow with God, the more He opens our hearts and minds to what he can do and the more familiar we become with His ways. I don’t think I will ever be able to understand the words of the first few verses of the bible until I get to meet Jesus face to face…
What we can do, though, is describe what we feel in our hearts to other people. When we describe what we actually feel, people will be more willing to listen and to try and find out for themselves. When we describe things like the first few verses of the bible, it bring confusion because we may be confused. So when you want to tell anyone about God, stick to what you know about Him – not all the big words and books say, but what you feel in your heart. That is what counts to Christ as well!
Points to Ponder:
Do you find it hard to explain God?
Have you tried simply saying what you feel about God?
February 5: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 2:2
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Devotion:
One of the greatest things I was ever taught as a Christian was to admit to what you know… We don’t have to be scholars to be able to tell people about Christ; all we have to do is to know Him on some level. We may not be the greatest witness in our own minds, but to God we are the best witnesses if we are willing to share what we know, the way we know it.
When I started sharing what I know about God with teenagers in youth groups I did not know everything because I was still learning. I still am learning and will continue to try and learn more about God until the day I go to be with Him in heaven. But before I do I have plenty of time here on earth to try and share a bit of what I have grown to know about God.
A lot of what I know I have learned from reading His word, which is difficult for me because I am not a good reader, having failed English languages a few times even though my home language is supposed to be English! But that has not stopped me because He is always willing to help bring someone in to help me understand if I need it. Much of the time I now stop and try to listen to Him – He is always willing to teach anyone who is willing to listen.
Just like the apostle, I spend time sharing what I know. I have continued to write these devotionals for more than 2 decades, with a break here and there for hospital or other emergencies. God continues to help me understand His Word because I am willing to stop and listen. I read the words slowly because I can’t read fast, I try to understand, and then I trust Him to give me more words to write down and share my feelings… We can all do a little at a time and make a big difference in the world!
Points to Ponder:
Do you think you are good at something?
Have you tried including God in what you do?