February 22: James 4:1-3
Key Verse: James 4:3
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Devotion:
How many times have you asked God for something and never seemed to have your prayers answered? Who are you deceiving? Because of our different lives, friends, enemies and the way we live, each of us has desires within us which continue to grow until they are satisfied in some manner. When they do not get satisfied, we long more and more until we take steps we would not normally take just to satisfy ourselves.
Our problem is God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows the desires we have and the situations we are going to put ourselves in when we don’t get what we want. He also knows what is best for us and will not give in to our petty wants when there is something more pressing or greater for us ahead.
We do things we ought not to because we don’t have what we want. We covet things more when we cannot have them. The wants and desires grow inside of us and spill over as such things as greed and pride – none of which is good for us in any manner. When we don’t have it we grow quarrelsome and stubborn, our feelings spilling over in ways we don’t want them to – because we are giving in to the world instead of including God in our lives.
Most of the time we lose out on things because we don’t ask God. We don’t listen and we don’t obey. When we do get things we waste them on frivolous spending or use; we don’t know any better because we are not listening out for God in all parts of our lives. We need to trust in our Lord more and listen to Him more...
Points to Ponder:
What desires get you in trouble?
Will you ask God to guide you in the right direction instead?
February 21: Psalm 119:65-72
Key Verse: Psalm 119:67
Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.
Devotion:
What does it take before you start believing someone? Do things have to go wrong before you heed their warnings? Do you have to fall flat on your face before you realise you need help? Unfortunately the answer is “probably” for many of us because we cannot seem to have faith in what we say we believe in!
We have so many places in our bibles where we learn how people have had to have something wrong, typically drastic circumstances, before they start believing in what someone told them or what God has asked of them! I know I fall into that category… I used to think my faith was strong and many people would comment on me being faithful and trusting God – but when I was close to dying in hospital a few years ago, my faith was tested and found wanting!
But God put the right people in the right places at the right time for me to find strength in what faith I had and to allow it to grow further than it had been before! God knows the right time and place and He certainly will not allow us to fall flat on our faces if He knows we will not endure. Yes, it was hard, yes it was fearful, yes I did doubt, but God made sure I would come out the other side and know Him as a very close and personal God!
When we get used to things going the right way, we may well become complacent and expect God to continue supporting us all the time; He may be waiting for the right moment for us to see how much strength He has given us to weather the storm! When things are rough, we can become calloused and think we have to do it alone; but God may be waiting for us to pass the ball into His court for the final volley!
Points to Ponder:
Do you always trust God?
Will you trust Him to do what is right?
February 20: Luke 8:22-25
Key Verse: Luke 8:24
The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.
Devotion:
What does it take before you ask God for help? Do you carry on with life until something goes wrong? We can learn so much from the mistakes the disciples made, but we ignore many of the warning signs and the commandments God gave us, carrying on with our lives until we hit a dead-end or until something goes wrong!
Jesus tried to get the disciples to live with Him, trusting Him and having the faith to entrust God with their lives. It is hard to do when all we have known is looking after ourselves, or trusting in no-one because we have been hurt! Jesus wants us to put aside those earthly feelings and ways, entrusting our lives to God and being willing to listen to and obey Him for everything.
It seems easy to carry on with life when everything is going smoothly, when we seem to be in control of our lives; but these are the times when God wants us to realise we have this all because of Him! If we are willing to trust Him more, He is willing to entrust more in our hands – not because we are the capable ones, but because we are willing to work with Him in our lives.
When, or if, you go to church today, listen to the words from the scripture, listen to the words the leader is telling you. Meditate on those words and ask yourself why did God want you to hear them today. It’s because He wants you to know He is with you and listening to everything you do and say in your life. He wants to be a part of your everyday life and not just the cornerstone when we are falling apart!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you take everything to God?
Will you ask Him to be a part of your every-day life?
February 19: James 3:1-10
Key Verse: James 3:5
Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
Devotion:
Have you ever said the wrong thing and wondered why someone got so upset when you thought it was a simple mistake? We all make silly mistakes at times and sometimes we do not think of the effect that can have on them. There are times when we cannot help what we do because we have no choice; these may be seen just as bad as the things we have a choice in and we will feel bad about them too...
The apostle gives us a few things to think about in what he says – the point being a little thing in your life may be something big in someone else’s life so we should be thinking about what we say and do and how it may affect others. Words may seem small and insignificant to you, but the mindset of another person may take that as being life-changing in some way… so how do we avoid upsetting people?
God wants us to think about others before we do or say things to them. If we know them and we intentionally say something out of order, we are not just upsetting them but also God as He watches over us. We can control our pets or other animals through training and taming them, but when it comes to a friends tongue, nothing we do can tame what they may say; but God can change their hearts to tame their thoughts and hence their tongues.
But the tongue can be used for so many good things as well. We can use it to praise and worship our God. We can uplift and cheer our friends. We can recount God’s scripture to others. We can do so much more good; but one word can break it all down and ruin someone's life in a few seconds. Think before you gossip. Pray and worship more often!
Points to Ponder:
How do you thin you go with what you say to others?
How does God see what you say?