June 19: 1 Samuel 17:4-11
Key Verse: 1 Samuel 17:4
A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.
Devotion:
There are going to be times in your life when you think you are facing a giant who is impassable – someone or something which you cannot see a way round; we give in to these situations because we cannot see any way round. When we focus on the world or situations in the world, all we will see are those things and we will lose sight of what God can do in our lives!
Mankind spends so much time looking into the minutia of the world and not enough time spent on meditating on what God can do in our lives. I do think we have the most amazing programs about nature and history – things like that fascinate me and I love watching them. But I also see how the people making these productions have lost sight on what God could do in their lives.
It is great to learn about history so we can do the things which have worked in the past and avoid the things which have not. We limit ourselves and our lives to what other people have learned because we are learning from them. This sometimes allows us to fall into the same trap and believe everything we hear rather than trusting in God.
God has tried to teach us through His word by having it all written down. He has shown us what has and has not worked and even expects us to find out more about the world as we go on. But He also expects us to continue trusting in Him like the people in the bible did. We have so many examples of how people have lost sight of God’s power and might and given in to the fears the world shows us. Sometimes we have to stop and look back on what God has done in the past to see how we can go forward in life with God.
Points to Ponder:
How well do you know your history in the bible?
Will you read a bit more history today and be encouraged by it?
June 18: Psalm 92:4-7
Key Verse: Psalm 92:7
that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed for ever.
Devotion:
Whenever something good happens to or for us, we rejoice and even want to tell others about our good fortune. But when bad things happen, most of us will hide the bad news deep inside ourselves instead of sharing it with others. God wants us to be glad for all He does for us and to entrust more to Him so we can receive more from Him. It sounds counter-intuitive because we often find putting trust in other people often leads to trouble instead of joy!
But then we have to remember we are not going to put our trust in human beings, but in God Himself. It is the failing of mankind which lead to so much strife in our lives and not any failing of God. We cannot express all God is able to do and we certainly do not understand just how much He can do; in fact, we are like the senseless people described in this passage – we don’t know what God is capable of...
When we get down because of the success of evil or when bad seems to win over good – we are not seeing the bigger picture. We limit ourselves to what we can see and feel instead of opening our minds to what God can do. God will always look at the bigger picture and will work things according to our needs – which may well be out of our site to start with.
God does not simply allow evil to continue thriving. He continues to support and uphold righteousness. Evil and the people who support it are not being looked over – God knows who they are and what they have done and they will be judged according to their works when the time comes. As for me, I praise God for all He does in my life and look forward to seeing what else He can and will do!
Points to Ponder:
Do you give God room to work in your life?
Will you support Him in what he does?
June 17: Ezekiel 17:22-24
Key Verse: Ezekiel 17:24
All the trees of the forest will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. ‘“I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.”’
Devotion:
Too many times we try to limit God through what we can see and do or how we see the world. Too many times we put limits on things because we cannot see a way forward and we expect nothing to happen... But God is not limited by our imagination and certainly not by our rules or regulations!
When God was speaking through Ezekiel, it was to show the world there was no limit to what He could do and no physical definition of what could be done; so He described it in ways which don’t seem to make sense for us, until we have seen what God can do in our lives! God can take the smallest of sparks (or in this case the smallest of buds) and from a roaring fire which can consume everything from it. But God is not here to destroy everything but to build it up and support us.
Hence, He describes it as being a small bud from which a huge tree can grow – but not to be limited to nature or natural ways, God can take the biggest trees and lay waste to them or take the smallest shoots and grow giants from them. God is not limited to doing stuff where we define it can be done because He will get things done where they are needed and not where mankind thinks it is possible!
Where we see a tree dying because it has lost its leaves, God sees the potential for a big green and healthy tree. Where we see death and destruction, God sees the beginning of life and growth. Don’t be disheartened because you cannot see a way forward – trust in God and allow Him to make a way forward to show everyone just what He can do!
Points to Ponder:
Do you limit God’s work?
Do you know He will get it done with or without you!
June 16: Psalm 34:8-14
Key Verse: Psalm 34:11
Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Devotion:
How do you go about telling people about God? Do you try to sit them down and teach them from the bible? Do you remember what it was like when teachers tried to teach you about a subject you had no interest in?
When we first try to teach others about God, we are very likely going to come against people who have no real interest in God – because if they did they would be Christians! When we hear the good news about God, we want to grab it with both hands and keep it close – but before we got to hear the gospel, we probably did not want to hear any of this good news because it would mean we would have to change the way we were living!
We cannot convince people by telling them all the awful things they have done. We cannot hope to convince people by telling them how good God is... but if we spend the time showing people what it is like to be a Christian and to have Christ in our lives – then they have something to look forward to! That is why it is called the good news! If we cannot show people how good it is to live with Christ – they are not likely to want to come and taste our lifestyle!
This does mean changing the way we live – turning our backs on evil and the bad things in life. If we can show others we have a wonderful life with Christ, then they may be willing to give up some of the horrible things they are involved in and change their ways too. It takes time and it take patience – but we need to do this all with Christ by our sides...
Points to Ponder:
How do you talk to others about God?
Have you tried showing others God in your life?