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January 8: Luke 2:41-50
Key Verse: Luke 2:44
Thinking he was in their company, they travelled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.
Devotion:
You may read these verses and wonder how Jesus’ parents could be so lax about looking after their child, but you need to take into account the way these people lived back then and how communities were very safe places! It is little wonder there are multiple places in the bible which talk about the safety of being in a community, city or group of people which has God looking after them.
We are very different in our societies nowadays with child abuse and all manner of evil things being commonplace; it was not like this back then! God continued to encourage the Israelites to be one community, one people, who trusted each other and continually looked out for each other. I can remember being back in Zimbabwe when I was a youngster and it was common for us children to be around other people’s houses without being worried about anything – we knew our community was safe!
When Joseph and Mary finally realised their son was not with them in the caravan (not a house on wheels, but a group of travelling people) they turned round and went back to find him. I can imagine the panic because it is not nice to not know where your children are!
But Jesus knew He was safe because He was going about His Father’s will. But, as a young child, He did not realise the worry and stress He was putting on His earthly parents – had He known, I’m sure He would have acted differently. Jesus compassion for everyone, and not just physical family, is shown in bucket loads here – something we need to try and emulate in our lives!
Points to Ponder:
Do you think you care for others?
Who do you choose when God asks you to do something for Him?
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January 7: Matthew 2:1-4
Key Verse: Matthew 2:2
and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’
Devotion:
I wonder if you have ever been in a position where you thought you were in charge or at least the contact through which others should interact – only to be set aside when other people were queried or contacted instead of you! I think I would be pretty put out by that sort of action, but I would not go as far as King Herod went...
These Magi were well thought of and must have caused a bit of a scene by coming to find where this ‘new king’ was who had been signalled by the changing of the stars in the sky. We have recently seen the confluence of two planets in our system which gave us a brilliant ‘star’ in the night sky, especially when viewed from Southern Africa; but that was just an alignment of a couple of planets...
These Magi were students of the skies – they watched the skies for all manner of changes and concluded something special was happening and the bright light in the sky was going to show them where! We are still not sure where these Magi came from – other than the East – but they would have stood out from the crowd.
I wonder if you are someone who stands out from the crowd or someone who blends in to hide amongst numbers. I prefer to think I try to stand out from the crowd because I want people to hear what I have to say about Jesus! I am known as the guy who wears Jesus T-Shirts at all times – something I strive to do now because it gives me a chance to allow others to see where my heart belongs.
Points to Ponder:
Do you try to be noticed as a Christian?
Will you stand up and be noticed this month – even in lock-down?
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January 6: Mark 6:35-44
Key Verse: Mark 6:37
But he answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?’
Devotion:
The choices God gives us can sometimes confound us just as the choice Jesus gives the disciples here. The disciples could see the thousands of people all around and they knew they had very little and now Jesus was telling them to feed all of the people with virtually nothing! But, when God asks you to do something, He already has a plan in hand and we just have to follow His instructions.
God wants us to be brave and be willing to give everything for those in need; whether it is to feed a hungry person on the side of the road or to just give a stranger a word of encouragement, God is asking us to listen to His instructions and to trust Him with those instructions.
I bet the disciples were a bit perplexed when they found out the sum total of food the crowd had brought with them was five loaves and two fishes! But this was no obstacle for God – the only people with the obstacles in front of them were the disciples and probably anyone who overheard them talking! People just don’t believe miracles are going to happen to them!
Jesus continues to show us miracles every day, but most of them go unnoticed as we put things down to random chance and other people’s decisions. But God can and does use all manner of people to make miracles happen. Here He used the people or person who brought along the loaves and fishes to be able to feed thousands of people!
Points to Ponder:
Do you limit God with what you think is possible?
Will you allow God to show you miraculous ways?
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January 5: Judges 6:13-19
Key Verse: Judges 6:15
‘Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.’
Devotion:
Sometimes we will want to question what God says to us, be it directly or through other people; we will have doubts and we may even believe we have heard things wrong or others are not telling us what God actually wants... Our lives are filled with moments, feelings and thoughts which are not too dissimilar to this!
Gideon did not want to believe the words he was hearing from the angel; how could he, being the least from his family, a family least amongst others who were greater in standing and probably prowess, how could he be the one being called to defeat the Midianites!
God knows what we are capable of, but He also know how much more can be accomplished by us when we trust in Him. Gideon was not strong enough to take on the Midianites, and nor would the army be which was gathered together. So God strips the army of Gideon down to a bare minimum, a minimum so small there would be no hope of getting close to the Midianites, never mind overthrowing them!
Sometimes God is going to lead us into places where nothing makes sense according to our rules or the rules of the world, but He does know what He is doing and knows how best to use us so He succeeds where nobody else can! It all comes down to the trust we have in Him and His words...
Points to Ponder:
How much do you think you trust God?
Are you willing to lay aside your life to work with Him?
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January 4: Matthew 2:13-15
Key Verse: Matthew 2:14
So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt
Devotion:
Right from the beginning, God has tried to show us every day how He wants to be able to look out for us and to protect us. Joseph and Mary listened to what God was telling them and obeyed! Two very important things, to listen and to obey.
Once we get that into our heads and start to follow these simple rules, we will begin to see just how much God does care for us. If we don’t listen and obey, God must work even harder to try and help and protect us! The best way forward is to remain close to God and listen to the instructions as they come in and to obey as soon as we can.
Joseph and Mary left in the middle of the night to make sure they could get a good start and escape what was coming. When we used to go on holiday back when I was young, we would often leave very early in the morning so we could get to our destination on time and enjoy the vacation as planned. If we spend all of our time fighting against the crowds and trying to escape, we will not enjoy things as much as we could.
If we look back on all the stories we have in the bible, we will see how being on time, listen and obeying has proved to be the best way forward. God has taught us this through example and expects us to make the right decision and follow those examples. If we do, we get the best deal possible. If we don’t, we have to put up with what happens!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like to be ahead of the crowd?
Will you try to listen and obey a bit quicker today?
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January 3: Psalm 84:1-4
Key Verse: Psalm 84:4
Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.
Devotion:
One thing we can certainly look forward to is a place in heaven which is beyond our dreams; a place where we will feel even more loved than a sparrow in her new nest, somewhere where we will be close to God and be able to praise Him forever more. As I sit and listen to someone doing something special for the doctors and nursing staff who have paid the ultimate price of their lives whilst looking after others, I begin to realise just how wonderful the doctors and nurses are as they give it all for us when we are ill.
I cannot begin to thank the NHS staff enough for keeping me alive despite my body breaking down; they came back day after day and continued to care for me even when I could not and when I didn’t know what was happening.
Jesus set the precedence by stepping up and putting His own life on the line for us so we could eventually have an eternity with God in a very special place! He did what the doctors and nurses are doing during this pandemic – stepped forward and other people’s lives before His own.
This is the example Jesus set for us to follow and I saw so many nurses doing exactly that for me and other patients when I was in hospital. This is the example we need to keep in mind as we show others a new way of living, a way of living with Jesus and aiming for the goal of eternal life with God in heaven. Step forward and put your own life on hold for a few minutes and give that time to someone else so they too can live for eternity in Heaven!
Points to Ponder:
Have you ever been treated for a life-threatening disease?
Death without Christ is life-threatening!
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January 2: Psalm 124:1-8
Key Verse: Psalm 124:2
if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us,
Devotion:
Something struck me when I read this Psalm... How many disaster movies have you watched where it ends up with the earth being all but destroyed, including pandemic movies where most of the world is wiped out... We have just lived through one of these scenarios, but most of the world is still surviving and we are seeing the end of the ‘movie’ where the vaccines have been discovered and are now starting to be rolled out...
Can you imagine what could have happened if God had not been with us? Can you imagine just how far this could have gone? But God is with us, God continues to watch over us and is in this with us! Yes, we have lost loved ones, including our family, but God continues to be with us and protects us from so much more than we realise!
I really am thankful we have a God who is not just faithful, but merciful and loving; a God who wants us to survive and to prosper so we can pass on the good news to others. God wants us talking to each other and telling each other of the good things He has done in our lives! Let’s talk!
God has protected us from the worst. People are the problem here because they don’t see the immediate danger and they let their guard down and that brings the danger in, not just to themselves, but to us as well. Yes, God is watching over us and protecting us, but people continue to do their own thing and break the rules – even those God has asked us to keep to.
Points to Ponder:
Look back over last year and think what has happened...
Aren’t you glad God is on your side!
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January 1: Luke 2:15-18
Key Verse: Luke 2:15
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’
Devotion:
Happy New Year! What are you going to be doing differently this year? I start out this New Year in a new home with a lot of new work to do for the church. It may not seem like the best time to try and start off something new, but when you look back on things, how many times do you think “I should have done a bit more planning!”
There is a lot of things we can still do for the church and for the people around us even in lock-down. I know not everyone is tech-savvy and many are daunted by the thought of having to try and do something online – but have you reached out to someone who is tech-savvy and maybe not a part of your church yet?
When Nehemiah went back to rebuild the walls, he approached anyone who was willing to do some work, citing that the repairs would benefit everyone! When we build a real church community, it does benefit everyone. I have seen this first-hand in London and I really want to show people how true this is not matter where we live!
God does not just want us to grow an insular group of people who become stronger in their relationship with Him, but to reach out to others and allow them to become part of the church because they feel like they have something to offer – the best way to engage people is to allow them to see how much they are appreciated and how much they can do things for others!
Points to Ponder:
What are your goals this year?
Will you reach out and get someone new involved?
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December 31: Psalm 58:1-2
Key Verse: Psalm 58:1
Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge people with equity?
Devotion:
I started out watching the news and ended up switching everything off because of the constant bickering going on amongst the politicians who all say they are doing the best for the country, but cannot seem to agree on what is best! Too many of them seem to be focused on what other people are going to say and think of them rather than what is best for the country as a whole!
God is nothing like that. He created the world and continues to watch over us every step of the way. It may seem like He has lost touch with us, but this is due to the way people are acting and promoting everything else under the sun rather than the truth and God! Needless to say I switched over to listening to some worshipful music instead!
We don’t have to focus on the bad and evil things in this world – not saying all politicians are bad, we just see the worst of them because that is what the news portrays! We can focus on the good and righteous things of this world and lift up the truth, sharing God’s love instead.
I have been pleasantly surprised to find out how many people are willing to help out when you ask. I am also hopeful we will be able to share a bit more of the gospel openly over the coming months – heads ducked down during lock-down and social distancing until we get to a safer point in time...
Let us end this year with a high note by praising God for all He has done to keep us alive despite all the wrangling of the people in power!
Points to Ponder:
What do you think of your local politicians?
What do you think you would do in their place?
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December 30: Psalms 96:1-3
Key Verse: Psalms 96:3
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples.
Devotion:
It is very strange to walk around with nobody on the streets when you are so used to them being crowded... Also the traffic noise here in the countryside is nothing compared to the noise in London... Yes, I have moved house and living in a large village in the countryside again... But, no matter where we are in the world, we need to sing out our praises to God!
We need to make time for God, not just go about our daily life as if we have no hope or no time; we need to make time and space to worship God. I stopped and had a good chat with someone on the way back from the shops (at a distance) about how different this Christmas has been, but also how good it is to sing carols even after Christmas is officially over!
Each day we face, we are facing another day with God, not another day alone or away from God and His protection. God is with us wherever and whenever we are. He continues to watch over us and try to guide us in the best way forward. If we stop listening to Him and focus on the world, the world is all we will notice. But, by singing praises to Him, we continue to focus on Him and His ways and not on the world and all its ailments!
Part of this is communicating with others about the things we do and why we do them – whether it is stopping for a few minutes and singing carols, or getting down on your knees and praying like mad, others will see what we do and be encourage by it. We tell others about God in so many more ways than we realise!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you sing or hum Christian music?
Will you stop for 5 minutes today and sing to God?