December 13: Matthew 21:23-27
Key Verse: Matthew 21:25
John’s baptism – where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?’ They discussed it among themselves and said, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will ask, “Then why didn’t you believe him?”
Devotion:
It seems like the more the keepers of the law tried to trip Jesus up, the more rope He gave them to hang themselves with! Jesus had the authority to put down anything they said and to back it up with something straight from God – but He chose to allow them to trip themselves up. The teachers did not like what Jesus was doing because it undermined their authority they had built up for themselves.
What God wants is for us to have authority when it is given to us from Him and not the DIY, home-grown variety we so like to peddle as the real thing. We can look back at these words and dissect them, bringing the truth out for everyone to see and hear – but in those times, these were the people everyone should have been able to trust and they were bending the truth! How then are we supposed to find out what is true?
Jesus gave us the answer to this by pointing us back to God’s Word in all cases. We have been given the truth and that truth will not change. What people say, what we learn in school and what scientists say are the latest facts will all change over time; but God’s Word does not change!
What John was teaching was the truth given to Him by God. He upheld the gospel because that is what God wanted Him to do. He could only baptise with water, but Jesus was come to baptise with the Holy Spirit. What John was teaching was the basics of believing in Christ and upholding the truth God gives us. What Jesus was doing was laying the foundation for us to see He was the Messiah!
Points to Ponder:
When someone asks you to start teaching them, where do you start?
Will you uphold the Scriptures and allow people to see the truth for themselves?
December 12: Psalm 146:6-10
Key Verse: Psalm 146:9
The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
Devotion:
Have you ever met someone famous? What was your impression of them? God is our Creator. There should not be anyone more famous in our lives, and yet He is the One who comes looking for us instead of us going seeking the famous! No matter how small and insignificant we seem in this world, we are everything to God and we are treated like that by Him. He is faithful to us, always!
When things go wrong in our lives and we go astray, we don’t expect important people to follow us or to be interested in us… unless they are the police and are looking for us because of what we have done wrong! But seriously, we don’t expect everyone to follow us and to be interested in everything we do in our lives…
No matter what little things happen in our lives, God is interested in them. He continues to look out for us no matter how unimportant we may feel. When we are oppressed, He is the one who comes looking for us to support us. When we are hungry, He is the one who will supply our needs. When we feel trapped by everything in life, He is the one who will set us free.
When we feel like the odd one out, the Lord is the one who makes us feel like we fit in and gives us the comfort we need to keep going. When our families reject us or are taken from us, He is the one who brings us into His family so we can feel wanted again. When others work against us, God will confound them to give us room to breathe and move on. And He is doing this for all generations!
Points to Ponder:
Do you know how famous God is?
Do you lift Him up and praise Him like He is?
December 11: Matthew 17:10-13
Key Verse: Matthew 17:12
But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognise him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.’
Devotion:
When the prophets brought the Word of God to the people, the stories told by them were passed down and retold by future generations. Each generation would try to retell those stories faithfully so they would be remembered – and before long these words would get written down and saved for future generations. But the teachers of the law would not give copies of the scriptures to anyone and everyone like we do today; they were kept by the teachers.
One would think this would be a good idea since the words would be faithfully kept – but we are human and our temptations for greater things for ourselves often get us into trouble rather than allowing us to stick with the truth. The disciples had learned the scriptures and they knew they were taught how Elijah would come before the Messiah would return…
What they didn’t realise was John The Baptist was that person who came in the spirit of Elijah, bringing the Word faithfully to life so everyone would know the Messiah was coming. John taught the true word about repentance and forgiveness and even baptism – all things God wanted them to know. But when John started saying things which were a bit hard to keep (for them) they rejected John’s Words and forced him out into the desert alone.
Just as John suffered by the hands of the people who should have been telling the truth, so too would their Messiah have to face those same people who would make Him suffer. Not because He was the Messiah, but because they did not want to believe the Messiah could come and tell them what to do! After all, they thought they were the ultimate authority then!
Points to Ponder:
Do you ever admit you don’t know something?
Will you admit to not knowing everything about God and ask Him to teach you more?
December 10: Romans 14:10-12
Key Verse: Romans 14:12
So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
Devotion:
One thing which makes me angry is when people start talking about others in derogatory ways especially when they have their own issues which they admit to having! I had a hard time in boarding school because there was always someone willing to say something bad about someone else – it seemed to be a part of living in boarding schools at that time!
When you see someone who is clearly in need, what is your reaction? Do you run the other way to hide from the truth, or do you step forward and offer a solution to help with the need? Yes, it is difficult when the need you see makes you uncomfortable in some way, and harder still when you think there is no way you can currently help out… but it takes one person to step forward and offer help to allow others to see they can make a difference too – no matter how small that difference is to start with!
In order for a change to begin, someone needs to step forward and start the ball rolling. In order for people to stop taking advantage of others, one person needs to stand up and offer a little hope. We need to be the change in our societies because God wants someone to be brave enough to step forward and say, here I am… even if you think you cannot make a difference!
When Christ comes to judge the world, each person is going to have to give an account for what they have or have not done. If Jesus is not your advocate yet, then you may well be fearful of what lies ahead. But if you have Jesus as your advocate, you have someone who is willing to stand up and give an account on your behalf instead of standing up and describing all the things you have done wrong in your life! Allow Christ to be your advocate today!
Points to Ponder:
Do you have good friends who stand up for you no matter what?
Will you be a good friend to someone today and stand up for them?