June 15: Psalm 34:1-3
Key Verse: Psalm 34:3
Glorify the Lord with me: let us exalt his name together.
Devotion:
I am always amused at the story of David when he pretended to be insane before Abimelek – who drove David away and hence spared his life! When God asks you to do something are you prepared to do what He asks?
I can remember the first time I went to help with the youth work at Faith Baptist Church and was promptly asked if I would think about taking it over because the current person in charge would be leaving soon! I was petrified I would not fit in or I would not know what to do – but after praying about it and accepting the task I have never looked back with youth work!
God has a way of asking you to do things outside of your comfort zone – not because He wants you to do something you will not be able to do, but because He really does know how good you will be for the position He is looking at! Trust God in everything and obey Him!
As a result of David escaping from the hands of Abimelek, he had no issues about trusting God with everything and making sure he listened in future. He knew he had done things wrong in the past and knew he had no real right to ask for forgiveness – other than God promising He will forgive people when they ask! David knew he must continue to praise God and lift Him above all else so people would see how important having God in your life is! Let us lift up God’s name and allow people to experience the joy and freedom we enjoy!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like having God in your life?
When was the last time you told others how good God is?
June 14: Mark 4:26-34
Key Verse: Mark 4:32
Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.
Devotion:
I think most of us have heard the parable of the mustard seed, but often overlook the simplicity of what is happening. We sow seeds, throwing them or planting them into the ground. We don’t have to set up a special container so the seeds will germinate. We don’t have to keep the temperature just right for the seeds to do something... We just bury them in the soil and apply a bit of water!
God is the one who makes sure the seed will do what it is designed to do. He will make sure it dies as a seed but germinates into a plant. Some of the seeds we plant are large and we may even use them as food without thinking about their true task as designed by God!
The seeds are food for birds as well! They don’t have to go to the shop to buy the seeds; rather God provides them with the seeds as they need them – though some may question that because they think they are keeping the birds alive in their gardens! We just short-cut the food chain and allow the birds to get the food quicker than they would in nature.
We know how long it takes for the seeds to germinate, grow and how long we have to wait before we can harvest the fruit from those seeds. God designed it this way, yet we don’t always think of it! We have learned to make the most of the seeds and the earth around us so we can get the most fruit from the seeds. We pride ourselves in knowing this simple design God gave us!
Jesus spoke in parables to try and reach into people’s hearts and minds. We must stop and think more about what God has given us and praise Him for the amazing design of everything.
Points to Ponder:
How often do you stop and think about what God has given you?
Will you try to praise Him today for some of the simpler things in life?
June 13: Psalm 20:1-5
Key Verse: Psalm 20:4
May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
Devotion:
When was the last time you prayed for someone else? I know we all get a bit carried away with prayers for ourselves, especially when we are feeling down or have problems in our lives, but when did you pray for someone else? I belong to a prayer group on a messenger app where we get regular issues arising and prayer requests are asked for... So this is a two way thing...
We need to be earnest and regular with our prayers for other people, always asking God to lift up those around us, heal the sick, give comfort to those mourning and to be there for those we cannot reach. David was not one to shy away from praying for others – and I wonder what he asked for in his personal prayers with God – what we see are the very public prayers which were written down because they were important and needed to be shared...
Then there is the other side of the coin... If you need support, don’t just lift up your prayers to God, but invite other people to pray with you. You will find there are a lot of people who are willing to stop what they are doing and lift up prayers on your behalf – but only if they know prayers are needed! Don’t forget how easy it is to leave someone off your prayers when things are not looking too good on your side of the fence!
God wants us to work together in praying and sharing the gospel. The more we get together and share things, the stronger our bond become and the more fervent our prayers are. God loves to listen to our prayers, especially for each other, because that shows how important we are to each other and how we are including God in our lives!
Points to Ponder:
When did you last pray for your neighbour?
Will you get together with someone today and pray?
June 12: Psalm 112:1-5
Key Verse: Psalm 112:5
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.
Devotion:
Sometimes it is just good to know someone has got your back, there is someone looking over you and helping out whenever they can. Sometimes those people are your friends and sometimes they are strangers... but, always, God is there in times when we feel least believed or supported!
I love reading through the Psalms and being reminded just How much God loves us and how much He cares for us. Many of the psalms were penned by David and his love for God shines through in all those he wrote. When he felt down and dejected, he wrote things down and almost always ended up praying to God to help him get back on track!
How many times do we turn back to God after going off and doing something on our own? Many of those times we would have ended up in a mess or we gave up because things just got out of hand. Every time, when we turned back to God, He was waiting with open arms and welcomed us back into His protection. He continues to guide us and try to keep us on track – but we mess up and fall into things we have no right to do... but God still waits for us and welcomes us back!
When we stick close to God and depend on Him for more in our lives, we seem to get things right and end up having a much more blessed life. This is no coincidence! God will help us and He will reward us when we do things His way. If we stick to His rules and do things as best we can because those are the rules, we may well feel like He is not with us; because we are doing things for the wrong reasons. When we do things His way because of the love and respect we have for Him, He returns the love and respect more than we give Him!
Points to Ponder:
How are you treating God?
Will you try to love and respect God more today?