November 25: Matthew 11:7-15
Key Verse: Matthew 11:8
If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.
Devotion:
Where do you go to get your spiritual food? Do you go to the biggest and best church buildings? Do you go to the one which is publicised the most or talk about the most? Do you try to find out which one has the biggest number of people being saved or added to the church? Or do you try to seek out a person who is willing and able to tell you the truth about Jesus?
I can remember going to a big church with a friend when I was in high school, and being horrified at what was happening during the service. People used to speak about this church as being alive and where many people were being saved. They used to talk about the people who talked in tongues and the many things which happened each week. What I felt when I went to the church for the first time made me question whether the people there were worshipping God or making a scene to promoted themselves!
Jesus was talking to the crowd about why they wanted to go to where John the Baptist was teaching and baptising people. Looking into their hearts He recognised they did not go there to see the beauty of nature, nor to see men dressed in impressive clothes; He saw they went to meet with a very special prophet who was teaching the truth and preparing the way for the Messiah!
Jesus is not going to be found because the church is big, popular, glamorous, loud, light up like a Christmas tree… Jesus is going to be where the people meet to find out more about Him and where they share the truth with love and respect. He is going to be where the people are giving Him the glory and not taking it for themselves!
Points to Ponder:
Do you go to church for the right reasons?
What are your reasons for going to church?
November 24: Isaiah 41:11-13
Key Verse: Isaiah 41:12
Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all.
Devotion:
If you had asked me “what is the hardest thing to do as a Christian” when I first became a Christian, I would have answered it is to fully trust God and rely on Him for everything. Nowadays I do find it a whole lot easier to do after having to do exactly that over the past few years. God is Good!
It may not seem like these words are coming true when we are faced with an enemy who is getting the better of us… Why do they continue to succeed when our world seems to be falling apart! Again a question which is much easier to ask than to answer. I now answer this question with patience. Often we are too impatient and we expect God to do everything before we get into deep water; sometimes it is the deep water which will teach us to trust in Him more and to devote our lives to His will and His ways.
Sometimes we just want to find out who our enemies are so we can avoid them, or worse, do something to them! This is not God’s way. His way is to allow them to see their own folly but not to judge them. If we judge them, then surely they are allowed to judge us and we know we have done things wrong so we know we are going to get into trouble!
If we are willing and we fully trust in Christ our King, then we will get to see w whole new side of life where justice does prevail. God may want us to wait for the justice because our vision is clogged with ill feelings and judgement. God may want us to see how bad things can get before they get better so we will not be afraid of those things; remember, He is with us!
Points to Ponder:
Do you give in because things are not going your way?
Will you be a bit more patient with God today?
November 23: Luke 21:12-19
Key Verse: Luke 21:13
And so you will bear testimony to me.
Devotion:
When Jesus was telling the disciples about the end times when He would return, He also warned them of the times before then, those leading up to that time. One of the biggest things we (Christians) will have to face is the persecution we are going to face just because we are Christians. The world will learn to hate us because we stand up for all which is right and just. With the continued corruption we see growing in the world nowadays, we will come to odds with people simply because we don’t want to give in to the temptation of doing wrong against others!
Christ wants us to continue to stand up for righteousness and continue to try and follow His ways… why? Because that will give Him the glory as people see we are different from the world and will want to find out why. This is just one way in which we can bear testimony about God!
One of the questions I get asked a lot is how are we going to defend ourselves against the world. The answer is to fully rely on Christ for guidance and support and not to try and do things by ourselves. This is probably the biggest lesson I learned over the past few years of being in and out of hospital. I could not make myself better and the doctors were guessing at some stages because they admitted they did not know the answers – but as long as I continued to rely on God and trust Him to get the right doctors and nurses around me at the right times – then things continued to go smoothly!
We may well have to face family and friends who either work against us or stop wanting to be with us just because we are Christians. If that is the case then they are the ones choosing to go the way of the world instead of God’s way. It is not for us to judge them though. We need to continue to show them Christian love and support and allow God to work in their hearts...
Points to Ponder:
Do you worry about what people think of you?
Do you follow God’s guidance?
November 22: Luke 21:5-11
Key Verse: Luke 21:8
He replied: ‘Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am he,” and, “The time is near.” Do not follow them.
Devotion:
One of the biggest temptations we face every day is the worldly treasures which surround us all the time. We tend to compare things by worldly standards and worldly riches – that way we can have what we think is a firm foundation from which to compare things from! Unfortunately that foundation is not all it seems to be. We think of things in this world as being firm and immovable, like buildings and mountains; to God these are just things which can be changed at any time...
I do like to see some of the wonders we have in our church buildings around the world, but the things which impress me most is the connection to God rather than the jewels or building parts. I would much rather see a small church whose walls are covered with scripture and pictures of how Jesus loves the world than a huge temple which stands firm because of it’s stone foundations.
Jesus wants to see the growth of the church through relationships with people instead of bigger and better buildings. Are those big buildings really a sign of the people’s love for God, or are they just bragging rights about how much people have done to impress others.
We are easily led by riches and worldly treasures because we live in this world which compares everything to everything else in physical ways. God does not want to compare us with each other – simply to compare what we are with what we could be – that is the way He wants to encourage us forward: to be bigger and better versions of ourselves working with and for God!
Points to Ponder:
How do you measure your success?
Will you simply try to be a better you?