July 17: Matthew 11:26-27

Key Verse: Matthew 11:25
At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Devotion:
As Jesus was teaching the disciples, He saw how they were having their eyes and hearts opened through their believing in what He was teaching them. Jesus marvelled at this and praised His Father in heaven for allowing this to be so. He had seen how the teachers of the law, the scribes and the Pharisees had learned so much but had not accepted the truth in their hearts. They were simply living out the law and trying to earn a place in heaven through what they were doing.

Jesus wanted them, and us, to see that it is more of a relationship we attain with God and maintain through our belief and our faith. As we grow in God and allow the Spirit of God to guide and teach us, we learn directly from Him just as a child learns from their parent(s).

God had given this knowledge to Jesus even though He was then in human form so He would be able to share that way of living with God with us all. Jesus had to be the example through which we could understand this is all possible even though we are sinners and should be eternally separated from God because of our sin. Jesus had stepped up and placed His own life on the line to pay for our sins.

When we accept this we become children of God and He can then allow the Holy Spirit to commune with us and guide us every step of the way from that moment on. That is God’s amazing gift to us!

Points to Ponder:
Do you accept Jesus as the Son of God?

Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you?

July 16: Isaiah 7:1-9

Key Verse: Isaiah 7:7
Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘It will not take place, it will not happen

Devotion:
One thing I have learned to accept is I am not in control – God is! Yes I have freedom of choice and I make decisions which affect my life and the life of others around me, but as for my life and how long I live, that is God’s choice to make and not mine. When can go through our bibles and find many places where God wanted someone to stay alive or to win a war or to do something extraordinary; He made it happen!

Isaiah had to do many things which we may not like to do, just as other prophets were told by God to go and do something unpalatable, and he stepped forward and obeyed God. That is the key point here. He chose to obey God and do what God wanted knowing that God knew what was best and what was needed!

Today I was reminded of some of the things I went through in hospital and some of the things others had to stand by and watch as they unfolded for me. I also remembered how I knew God was in control and simply waited for God to open the right doors at the right time. Friends and family could not understand why I was doing that, but I knew in my heart I had to do that.

God has a special plan for each one of us and if we are willing to wait on Him, listen out for His instructions and to obey His requests for whatever change He wants in our lives, then we will find out just how much God can do in our lives. Many Doctors and nurses have marvelled at how I was able to pull through when it all seemed against me… I knew it was God!

Points to Ponder:
Do you wait on God?

Do you listen to His instructions?

July 15: Matthew 10:34-42

Key Verse: Matthew 10:39
Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Devotion:
I have always found people who are willing to argue for and against taking the words used here quite literally. I’m not here to argue one way or another but to allow you to make you own decision based on the words used by the Apostle to depict what Jesus was telling the disciples.

There must have been times when they would have felt very comfortable and content knowing Jesus was with them thinking they were in the best place to be. But the words used here and retold by Matthew are quite concerning when we look at it from an earthly point of view. Jesus knew this as we have already seen how He described others as family instead of His earthly blood-relatives.

Jesus knows the love we have for each other in our families and knows of the special love couples have for one another. What Jesus is trying to depict here is a love which goes further than the love we look at in our families. The love Jesus has for us was shown by Him giving His life up so we could live with Him in heaven. This is beyond any love we know for our families – even if we think otherwise!

Jesus wanted the disciples to understand a new level of love, one which he wanted them to have for God. We have seen all throughout history, both in our bibles and in the world, how people have chosen to lay down their lives at times. We have also seen how people could not quite bring themselves to that point when push came to shove. Jesus wants us to not have to think about our love for God, but to just love Him without reserve!

Points to Ponder:
Do you love someone special?

Do you really love Jesus?