June 3: Isaiah 54:7-10
Key Verse: Isaiah 54:10
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Devotion:
If you ever find yourself doubting God’s love, mercy or compassion, then I challenge you to read this chapter from the book of Isaiah. God acknowledges He has turned His back on the Israelites, but now He is setting a new promise in stone for them to rely on. Just as He made the promise the earth would never again be covered in water at the time of Noah, so too is God making a promise – this time to never again turn His back on His people!
I love the way He describes that time as a brief moment – because, when compared to how long God has watched over us or how long he will watch over us, the years when the Israelites were in captivity were but a moment! Now, for us as humans, we don’t regard those years as a brief moment because we tend to measure everything in comparison to our earthly lives; but God is comparing this to the time He has watched over us... which is so much more!
But, like the moment He turned back to bring the people together under His mercy, so He is turning toward us and saying we no longer have to fear being alone any more. This is the turning point after which His promise will stand forever!
But we do have warnings which remain – there will be tough time ahead, time when the mountains will shake, times when complete hills will be removed; but His love is going to continue and His promise will stand no matter what! His covenant is an everlasting covenant which will never be shaken, never mind being broken! God is faithful and will uphold His promises!
Points to Ponder:
How long is too long when you feel rejected?
How long have you ever turned away from God?
June 2: Isaiah 24:1-3
Key Verse: Isaiah 24:3
The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The Lord has spoken this word.
Devotion:
When we read verses like this we may well get very worried God is going to decimate the world and leave us all homeless and starving in a desolate land! We need to take verses like this in context and to understand what it is God is talking about. The more we study places like this in the Old Testament the more we will understand how many warnings God has given mankind about building up treasures on earth!
No matter how many times we read how we should not build up our treasures on earth, we still do and we still look at earthly wealth as being something tangible. Society keeps track on the most wealthy people and even judges people by their lack of wisdom in building up earthly wealth or treasures. We have people who make a living out of teaching people to build up treasures... yet God has been trying to warn us time and time again...
So does this mean we should give everything up and live in a tent? No, God does not teach us to do nothing. God wants us to be able to love and support people around us, which means sharing in many things instead of hording them for ourselves. When God was leading the Israelites through the desert, He instructed them to gather the right amount of manna for themselves and their family – any hording would be met with rotting food and hence a lack of food in the end!
We also need to understand this is something which will affect all people, no matter what standing in society, how far up or down the wealth ladder people are and no matter where they live. The more we horde, the more we will see the breaking down of everything we have. Not gathering enough, or spending too much will leave us short... It is a balance of making sure we listen to God whilst living in the world!
Points to Ponder:
How wealthy do you think you are?
Measuring your wealth only in spiritual terms – how wealthy are you?
June 1: Psalm 100:1-3
Key Verse: Psalm 100:2
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Devotion:
How many big church celebrations do you think you have missed out on this past year? I can think of quite a few where I would have loved to be there with a whole bunch of others Christians singing for joy and worshipping openly... and loudly! But, alas, we have been through some horrible times lately where we have not been able to mix with others and certainly not gather together in crowds for fear of spreading this virus!
No matter how many things we have missed out on and no matter how dejected we may feel because of the lack of gathering or singing together, we can still worship God in many ways. It is not all about the singing together. It is not all about being in a massive crowd listening to a famous preacher tell us all about God and Christ and the Holy Spirit... It is all about how you worship God personally!
Do you have to wait until you are gathered together before you can worship God? NO! You can worship God in many ways which don’t need singing or large gatherings. When Christ said we are all God’s children, He meant it! When we do something, no matter how small it may seem, to or for another person, we are doing it for a child of God. Just because someone does not yet know Christ in a personal way does not mean we should not treat them as God’s child.
It may be the simple fact we help someone out which prompts them to listen to someone talking about how God helps us which leads to them seeking God and starting their own relationship with Christ. We do not have the foresight to see how God works, but we can do things and see what God does after we have done things. God wants us to step up and show people Christians live life differently!
Points to Ponder:
Do people know you as a Christian?
Will you show someone what a Christian can do today?
May 31: Romans 12:9-16
Key Verse: Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Devotion:
We have talked much about love this year in its forms described in our bibles. We have talked of the love God has for us, how it has always been there and how we don’t always see it. We have talked about the Love Christ demonstrated toward us and how we turn our backs at times. We have talked of the love we need to have for each other because it was an instruction from Christ.
What we need to talk of today is our hope we have because of so many things which have been demonstrated for and to us! All God, Christ and the Holy Spirit have done for us have been to give us hop in a future with Him – not just here on earth but also eternally with Him in Heaven!
Sometimes it does get rough or difficult because the world seems to work against us – but don’t forget about all God has done in this world to show us He is still in charge and has defeated the evil one. Let us never forget the love God has demonstrated all of the time despite us doing so much to rock the boat!
What we are reminded of here is the real hope we have in God because of all the love in this world and in Heaven above! God made a way to fix our brokenness, to set right the things we have done wrong and to allow us to know Him. He did this despite the afflictions He faced as Jesus. He did faithfully as He had promised. Let us stand up in Joy for all He has done, raise our hope for all He has promised, endure the affliction the earth throws at us and pray for endurance to finish the race with Him!
Points to Ponder:
Do you find it hard living where you do?
Will you remember the faith Christ showed and live with Hope today?