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August 21: Romans 8:14-17
Key Verse: Romans 8:16
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Devotion:
It may sound such a simple thing: if we are led by the Spirit of God, then we are children of God! But, as with so many things in life, it doesn’t always turn out to be so easy… Yes, we are children of God, but we live in a world surrounded by sin and by strange and divisive things. But, no matter how much we think of ourselves as being humans living in a sinful world, we are still children of God and can live as such!
It is not what we have done or how we have behaved which has brought us to the point where we can be called children of God; it is because of what Jesus has done and the Holy Spirit convincing us that this is ultimately true! If we had never had the Spirit convince us Jesus was real and died for our sakes, then we would never accept the fact He died for our sins… we would be eternally trapped in the sinful world with seemingly no way out!
But because we have been convicted by the Spirit, we can now cry out “Father!” to God and know He is listening and will answer our prayers just as He has promised us! The Spirit does not stop there and go onto the next person; He continues to convince us and guide us and will allow us to grow as long as we are willing to listen.
If we turn our back against the Spirit, then we will not learn any more than we know. Just like we will not learn anything from School if we never turn up for school! God has given us free access to Him through Christ and the the Holy Spirit. It is time we started to use that free access for the purpose it was intended – to have a relationship with God!
Points to Ponder:
Do you ignore God?
Do you try to listen to the Holy Spirit every day?
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August 20: Romans 6:19-23
Key Verse: Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Devotion:
There are some verses which are used by themselves to remind us of the limitations of human life and the eternity of life in Heaven and this is one of them. But to put it into context gives a much deeper meaning than we normally think of when hearing this verse.
The author not only had a way with words but was able to reach out to the people to whom the letters have been written. In this case, these letters to the Romans were aimed squarely at the Roman citizens because of their almost separatist lives they tried to lead from other cultures. To say they thought of themselves as one above all other cultures was not an exaggeration!
We see this today in our modern societies where the ruling class often thinks of themselves as being far separated from the working classes – all for the wrong reasons. God does not teach us to be separatists, despite some Baptist cultures. Christ came to teach us to love our neighbours, and that included the people who thought of themselves as being above or below you in social standings. The simple rules of God were to be applied equally to one and all!
When we do realise how much we work against society, we should be stopping in our tracks and turning our lives around to show we have changed. This could be the simplest form of realising you are a sinner and asking God into your life. This could be realising you have lead a life steeped in rampant racism and changing your life to included other races as equal and as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Whatever, we do need to realise we are not above God’s law. We are not above others. We are all God’s Children and we need to work together to live our lives for Christ!
Points to Ponder:
What do you get out of every-day life?
Do you realise just how much more you can get from eternal life?
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August 19: Romans 11:28-32
Key Verse: Romans 11:29
for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.
Devotion:
Sometimes you just have to fall flat on your face so someone else can help you to get up… but what you do after that is what counts! God has given us a promise which He keeps, not intends to keep, but keeps!
We have historical records which show how mankind has walked with God, wandered off from God, worshipped other gods and eventually come back to the One True God! We have many of these accounts in our bible which scholars have tried to ensure is as much of the truth as we need to have in order to know the truth. But, despite having all this history, records and encouragement written down, we still falter and trip up. It’s just the way we are and we need to accept ourselves the way we are.
If we were going down the road of taking drugs or drinking too much alcohol, we would have to admit to ourselves we have a problem before we could make any changes in our lives. If we don’t admit we have an issue, then we cannot identify where we are going wrong and what the right path is to take. The same can be said for our Christian walk with God. Unless we admit to having issues in our lives we cannot hope to identify we have problems and sin in our lives.
The most important thing we have to remember is God’s gift and His call are irrevocable! That means the gift has been given freely and will always be there for us to accept. He also knows the people He wants to step forward and take the gospel out to others. This call is also always there. No matter how far we wander off and sin, no matter how much we ignore His call, it is always there and will always remain for us to pick up as His free gift to us.
How else can God show us His amazing mercy and grace unless we have in some way fallen from that grace at some stage in our lives. Does this mean we need to fall before we can live with Christ? No! For those lucky enough to have only stumbled a little, the gift is still there and still free and just as important and powerful as to someone who has fallen off a cliff (figuratively speaking!)
Points to Ponder:
How far do you feel from God?
Do you really want to hit rock bottom before you take up your free gift from God?
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August 18: Psalm 133:1-3
Key Verse: Psalm 133:3
It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life for evermore.
Devotion:
How would you describe living with God to someone in your life? This Psalm was penned many years ago and it relates to how they lived, behaved and governed their lives back then. It may not mean so much to us nowadays because our modern lives seem to be so far different from these words… We now have all manner of things going wrong around the world today with so much political upheaval and so many social injustices happening all round the world. How do we stop and take time out with God in this chaos?
Well, much the same as they did back then. We have to put aside the horror which surrounds us long enough to focus on the good things which have happened in our lifetimes. Yes there are good things, but sometimes they are buried deep in chaos and trouble! God wants us to remember those good times and to use the memories to build up our own hope and faith because it is those times which can strengthen us in times of deep trouble.
Trouble and natural horrors are always going to be with us – this is the world we live in. But when we focus on the good and the pleasant times, we can think of more good things and more good times. I know it is easy for someone to say “just remember the good times” and I know the bad and sad time do overwhelm us much of the time, but we really do need to try and remember the good times so we stop focusing on the world around us and look to God instead.
I have found the last couple of weeks have been tough as we remain in the “in between state” of half good and half bad things going on around us. Whilst it looks like there can be an end to this pandemic and the stress it brings into our lives, we also see failings in so many places which bring doubt to those hopes. God has shown us many good times in the past and we need to hold firm to those good times so we can hold firm to God and what He has in store in our futures!
Points to Ponder:
How much of your time is spent worrying about things around you?
How much time do you try to remember the good times with God?
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August 17: Matthew 15:10-11
Key Verse: Matthew 15:11
What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.
Devotion:
Jesus was good at picking out the people who were pretending to be Christians! Take a look around you and try to understand why Christians act the way they do… try to discern why they do what they do and compare it to what God has asked of us. Far too often we fall back into the ways of the world when we get comfortable in a church; we go ahead and redefine what we think God has told us so we are more comfortable too!
God does not pick us out because we listen to the wrong things or because we eat the wrong stuff. What God does pick us up on is what we do wrong. I know we are often persuaded to do things wrong because of what we listen to and what we watch, but that is us making a conscious choice to do what we know is wrong.
God has given us enough direction for us to know the right path to follow. He continues to try and give us direction for as long as we are going to listen too. God’s instructions are for us all and not just a select few in church. This is why Jesus called the crowd to Him before telling them the truth about what they do; the warning signs are there that people will judge others by what they listen to, eat and drink, but God can look past that to what comes out of people’s hearts at the end of the day!
As long as we are able to separate the worldly ways from the Heavenly ways, we should stand a good chance of being able to do the right things and not to be fooled into doing the wrong things… but we are weak and we do give in; especially when we see someone doing the wrong thing but being rewarded for doing that! God is not going to reward those who constantly choose the wrong way, but He will reward those we do choose the righteous way.
Points to Ponder:
How often do you do things wrong because you see others do things wrong?
Will you take encouragement from God’s righteousness?
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August 16: Mark 12:18-23
Key Verse: Mark 12:23
At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?
Devotion:
How many times do you question what God does? How many times do you think about things which are happening in this world and blame God? How often do you try to impose wordly limits on God?
Most of us do limit things according to earthly limits and standards – because we don’t know any better and we need to impose some sort of order on things we don’t quite understand! God is not limited by wordly standard and His rules for us in Heaven are not going to be the same rules as we have here on earth…
We do get caught up in trying to explain things in terms of what we currently understand instead of accepting God and Christ are not limited by our understanding. When we pray for things, it is normally within limits we can understand… why do we continue to insist on limiting God? Well, because we don’t know any better!
God wants us to release ourselves from these limits and focus on God and what He has promised for us and allow Him to work the miracles He does. They are called miracles because we don’t understand how they can be done. Why then do we limit those miracles by our standards? Is it because we are afraid of what God can do? Is it because we want to be able to explain things?
These Sadducees started to try and question Jesus in order to trip Him up on theology; after all, they did think they knew more than Him because they had studied longer than Jesus had – or at least they thought they had! They tried to apply earthly laws, limits and rules on a situation which would ultimately be played out in Heaven! God is the one in control of what happens in heaven and not us. We just need to trust in His promises and allow Him to show us the way there!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like to be in control of things?
Do you try to control what God can do in your life?
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August 15: Mark 10:23-31
Key Verse: Mark 10:28
Then Peter spoke up, ‘We have left everything to follow you!’
Devotion:
What have you done in the past in order to get something you really wanted? I’m talking about physical things here – you know, the stuff we shouldn’t be talking about! When I was looking for the car of my dreams many years ago I was fixated on getting a BMW 5 series because it was just perfect in my eyes. New, they were beyond my wildest dreams. Used they were still out of my reach being roughly double what I could afford! But I kept on looking at watching and waiting. One day I spotted a car on an online auction site which was being sold by a person who had not sold anything before.
Alarm bells rung all over the place! But after a few days of digging and research I tracked the number given down to a car servicing centre in London. One other person had bid on the car so I left it until 2 minutes before the end of the auction and adding a few pennies to the end of the price I got the car for roughly half what I should have paid for it.
When we really want something, we go out of our way to find ways of obtaining it. So why then do we ignore our spiritual wants and needs? Why do we ignore what is going to happen to us when we do finally die on this earth?
Jesus wants us to aim for the very best we can achieve. Jesus wants us to put everything we have into seeking that goal. Jesus wants us to desire to be with Him in heaven more than anything else in our lives. If we are willing to do that, He is willing to give us more than we ‘lose’ here in earth! Why settle for second best when we can have more than we deserve and want!
Points to Ponder:
How much do you want to be with Jesus?
How much have you put aside to be with Jesus?
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August 14: Mark 10:13-16
Key Verse: Mark 10:14
When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Devotion:
I think if I were a young parent during this time I too would be trying to bring my children to Jesus to have Him bless them in some way. It’s what we do as parents; we want the best we can give to our children and that includes being a child of God!
The disciples, on the other hand, were still caught up in the ways of society at those times with children being told to be quiet and behave. I can still remember being told by some adults children should be seen and not heard. Thankfully my parents did not hold that fast for me unless I was misbehaving! Jesus wanted every person who was willing to be able to come to Him and be blessed when they could – this included saints and sinners, adults and children, everyone!
I think these verses also ring loud and clear to me because I have spent the last two decades doing Christian children and youth work and have always been open and honest about God with those who have come into contact with me. I find it very difficult to not show people I am a Christian because this is my life and I cannot hide it in a hole or behind a bush! Children should not have to grow up thinking they need to hide their Christianity!
Yes, there are many countries around the world where Christians are not generally accepted because of other religious beliefs held by fellow countrymen, but this should not stop people from getting to know Jesus. This is what Jesus is fighting for in these verses – to do away with the worldly views of what children should be like and to allow them to grow as Christians who rely on Jesus in everyday life.
Lets stop making this a thing which only happens in youth clubs but something which is embedded in our communities!
Points to Ponder:
Do you allow children to freely worship Jesus?
Are you showing children they can be free to worship Jesus?
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August 13: Matthew 14:31-33
Key Verse: Matthew 14:32
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
Devotion:
A few things had to happen before Jesus calmed the wind which was making life more difficult for the disciples. The first was they had to recognise Jesus for who He is, not as some sort of ghost or unknown entity, but as Jesus Christ the Son of God, friend of sinners and friend of ours!
Then Jesus had to ask Peter to do something, not just anything but something special which would take courage. Peter had never walked on water, but because He saw Jesus doing it, He wanted to do the same and wanted God to allow Him to do that! But Peter had to want it more than the fear he had inside him… He had to take that first step out of the boat!
Then Peter had to rely on God to continue allowing Him to walk on the water. As soon as we see the impossible or see something we think is too hard to bear or do, we give in and we fall just as Peter did. It is going to be hard and we may well be asked to do something which you think is not natural – but as long as you are listening to God, it is possible!
Then Peter, after He doubted, had to reassert his faith by calling out to Christ and allowing Him to save him once again. The call was real and it came from the heart. Jesus answer was real and it too came from the heart as He put out His hand to grab hold of Peter and bring Him up out of the impossible once again.
Only then did Jesus calm the wind. Not when they were scared the first time, or the elation which followed. Not when they were scared the second time or the elation which followed again. But when they finally rested in God’s power through Christ, He was able to calm the storm for them...
Points to Ponder:
Has God asked you to do something difficult?
Are you ready to finally put your entire faith and trust in Him?
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August 12: Matthew 14:25-31
Key Verse: Matthew 14:30
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’
Devotion:
How many times in your life have you found yourself in a very tight spot and not known any way out of it? I would not wish this on anyone because you feel like your whole world has just collapsed upon you and there is literally no way to go… At least no way on earth to go!
God has made sure we get to know this story about Peter walking on the water and remember it too. It is a story which none of us can normally relate to, but all of us want to happen to! I mean, who doesn’t want to be able to walk on water! But it is a story which has some very meaningful sides and one we ought not to put aside easily.
Jesus walked out to the disciples because he knew they were becoming worried about the growing storm. Some were fishermen and knew all about storms, but that does not mean they were not concerned. But what concerned them more was seeing someone or something walking on the water toward them! Their first reaction was probably what would cross most of our minds, but when Jesus called out to them they knew it was Him. Peter took the step of getting Jesus to prove it was Him and had to live with the consequences!
When Jesus calls out to us, we call back and ask for help and comfort and strength and all manner of things. But we should be careful what we ask for, because Jesus will answer us and grant our prayers. For Peter this meant stepping out of the boat and walking on the water. As soon as he realised what he was doing, he took his eyes off of the Lord and looked at the worlds ways again. That was his downfall.
When we ask help of Jesus, we should expect Him to answer our prayers and then we need to keep our eyes on Him whilst He answers. That is the place we will get our strength and courage from. That is where Jesus is...
Points to Ponder:
How often do you call out to Jesus?
How often do you turn away when He first answers?