November 28: Jeremiah 33:1-5

Key Verse: Jeremiah 33:3
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

Devotion:
One of the hardest things to accept sometimes is bad news. When someone tells us bad news we don’t want to believe it because it is not what we think of as good or helpful. But, sometimes we do have to face the bad news so we can figure out what we are doing wrong and move forward. But, sometimes that bad news is not what we have done wrong, it’s just life; but in every thing which goes wrong, we can learn and move forward.

What is God telling the people here? The Babylonians are going to wreck havoc and many people are going to lose their lives. God does not sugar coat things but tells you the truth. This means we should be willing to hear and accept the truth when He tells us of things.

But also notice God is saying we should always spend time in prayer to Him, asking for the things we need no matter how difficult they seem to be for us. He is willing and able to answer prayers not matter how difficult or impossible things are in our view. But if we are asking for things and not listening to God, then how are we ever going to learn what is good and valuable for us?

God expects us to listen for the answers and to obey His answers and His will in our lives. Why? Because He is trying to tell us the best way forward!

Points to Ponder:
How often do you ask things of God?

How often do you listen to and obey God?

November 27: Luke 21:1-4

Key Verse: Luke 21:2
He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.

Devotion:
One of the things I have learned by living in all the places I have lived is that money can do many things amongst the rich and arrogant, but love will always win through with friends and family. As a child I was in a privileged position and had access to many things others did not have access to; but that did not stop me from hankering after some things my friends had, because some of them had things which I didn’t have access to.

As I go through life I continue to see the importance of being honest with what you have and helping those who have less than you. I continue to want certain things in life, but if a friend or our family need things, I start there and put my wants and desires on hold for a while.

Here the poor widow was putting in what she had access to, not to show others how much she could come up with, but to show God she was not holding anything back. Jesus saw this and was impressed with her actions, but not so much the people who were putting in large stakes because they wanted others to see how much they could afford. Their reward was seeing the expressions on others faces. The widow’s reward was the admiration of Jesus and God!

If you want to impress someone, be honest with God and give what you can to help others get to know Him like you do. God may like a cheerful giver, but one who gives no matter what others think or say so the gospel can be advanced is the one God watches over!

Points to Ponder:
Do you like to have things just to show others?

What do you do to help spread the gospel?

November 26: Ezekiel 34:11-16

Key Verse: Ezekiel 34:15
I myself will tend my sheep and make them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.

Devotion:
Ezekiel was sent by God to talk to various people; here being sent to talk to the shepherds of Israel. They were warned they should be looking after their sheep better so they would grow up being well fed. The shepherds had seemingly been a bit slack in making sure the sheep were fed but did not slack in making sure they were fed properly themselves.

The parallels drawn here with the leaders of Israel really stands out when we read about this later, but at the time God was trying to get the leaders to listen by other means because they did not listen to the Prophets at the time! The Lord is declaring the people of Israel to be His and to show people He is still looking our for them.

But if the sheep do not listen they are not going to come to the shepherd. In the day time this is not too much of a problem because the shepherd can see the sheep from far off. But when it grows dark their eyes are not as good as the animals which sought to kill them for food; thus the sheep would be in danger!

This is what it is like for us. If we stay close to God and stay in His light we will be a lot safer because we shall be seen. But when we wander off into the darkness and follow sinful ways, others do not see what we get up to and cannot help us back to God. He will have to come looking for us in all the dark and sinful places!

Points to Ponder:
Would you rather God found you in a good place?

Or would you be ok if He found you in a dark and sinful place?