Feb 6: Mark 7:1-7

Key Verse: Mark 7:7
They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.

Devotion:
I can just picture scenes like this during Jesus’ ministry – the teachers of the law getting so upset with Jesus and the disciples because they did not follow all the rules and regulations laid down my them! Here the Pharisees were complaining about the disciples not washing their hands in the ceremonial manner they had deemed necessary…

Jesus answer to their complaints was straight forward and easy enough for us to understand, but I don’t think the Pharisees saw it that way at all. They had become too embroiled in their ways and in their traditions, leaving the truth behind and making rules which no longer honoured God but honoured men instead.

This is the same trap we face in our modern world. We look to the traditions and ways of man because, somehow, we think man's ways are good enough for God! Nothing we can do will ever be good enough to impress God; but what we can do is to offer our hearts in truth to God because that is what He is after. He does not want us to come up with the most sophisticated ways in which we can worship Him but simply to show Him we love Him in humble ways!

Here the Pharisees had made up more and more elaborate ways they could show off to each other instead of worshipping God with their hearts. God does not want us to worship each other – He wants us to worship Him with our hearts!

Points to Ponder:
How often have you got caught up in traditions?

How often have you got caught up in worshipping God with your heart?

Feb 5: Mark 6:53-56

Key Verse: Mark 6:55
They ran throughout that whole region and carried those who were ill on mats to wherever they heard he was.

Devotion:
When people began to realise Jesus was healing the sick people from all over the regions came often carrying the ill just to be able to have the chance of getting healed. If this was a random chance then maybe not so many people would have come, but these people knew Jesus was not being picky about who He healed and was not reserving the healing for the rich and famous – He was healing anyone who came to Him!

Our modern societies have made an art form of serving the rich and famous; it is the people who have the money and connections who get seen to first and who have the best chance at getting the help they need. The poor and frail are being left behind and ignored. The richer seem to get richer and the poorer get poorer. This is not what Jesus was about!

We have to stand up to make sure people who are most in need get the attention and help they require irrespective of their social standing or the wealth and connections. We need to get things back to the way Jesus was showing people back at the times of the disciples.

This also means we have to be a part of the wheel of help too – we cannot turn our backs on the people who need help. We have to be more like Jesus and reach out to everyone who is in need. We must be willing to help just because they need help and not because they can do something for us or give us a reward!

Points to Ponder:
Do you do things for reward?

Or do you do things because they are needed?

Feb 4: Proverbs 8:22-31

Key Verse: Proverbs 8:23
I was formed long ages ago, at the very beginning, when the world came to be.

Devotion:
I have often thought about what was around in the very beginning and each time I do try to imagine it, my brain gets all confused and can’t figure things out. I do consider myself as being intelligent and I like to figure most things out by looking at all of the facts and bring them together to give me the most likely answer… but the beginning of everything is still a puzzle and will probably continue to be until the end of time!

These verses are too often overlooked in favour of the gospels and other scriptures where Jesus is mentioned and ascribed as being there in the beginning with God the Father. So, let’s just all agree God was and always will be – ergo He was there at the beginning and will always be and was there in three parts, Father, Son and Spirit.

So what are these verses talking about? Wisdom! In order for things to be created, there would have had to be order. In order for there to be order there must have had to be some sort of wisdom to define the order. This is where God comes in because He brought forward wisdom so creation could be possible!

With wisdom we get to understand things, understand order and start to figure things out for ourselves. Once we get to consider wisdom and see how it had to be, order starts to form in our minds and we can then begin to understand God as our Creator.

Points to Ponder:
Do you think you are wise?

Will you accept God’s wisdom to guide you?