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March 4: Romans 11:7-10
Key Verse: Romans 11:8
as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”
Devotion:
No matter how hard we try to share the gospel with people, there are always going to be some who just don’t want to accept it – not because they have not been introduced to it, or understood it, but because they have fooled themselves into believing what they want rather than accepting the truth.
To be honest, we are all like this at some point in our lives when we would rather say no than accept something we don’t want to believe or something which will make us change our lives. We are all creatures of habit to a certain extent and we all like to think we know the right answer even when everyone else has changed their minds! It is something about the human psyche that overrides common sense and makes us do things which are just wrong!
I had a weird dream last night where I was trying to provide help for people who were staying over at the house, but for some reason my mind had been totally blocked as to where the kitchen door had gone! I walked up to where it should be but I could not see or feel it – yet I knew it must be there. After breaking down a bit I was able to find the door and hence help feed the people who were staying over! Sometimes we just cannot see the wood from the trees (a good English saying!)
God wants us to have an open mind and open heart at all times so we can accept the things He wants us to have and follow the ways He lays out before us. Our habits and our former lives may well work against us and even prevent us from doing the right thing – but God does not give up on us and continues to try and guide us. He knows how many of us have taken our own paths and He knows how many of us continue to trust and obey His commandments. Which side of the fence are you on?
Points to Ponder:
Are you afraid of following God’s wishes?
Or are you afraid of going against your friends and family?
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March 3: 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11
Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:7
For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
Devotion:
How many people do you know who openly do things wrong in the sight of people of authority? I guess we all do know someone who has done something wrong and who has been caught and even punished, but I don’t think many of us know people who continually go out of their way to do things wrong in plain sight. I would hope we are not the one’s who do this!
If we are going to do wrong, we will probably choose a time and place where we will not be seen, heard and caught! When thieves go out to steal stuff, they normally choose a time when they will not be seen; either choosing night time or a time when people are not at home. They don’t want to be caught! We do not know when people are going to try and break into our houses or into our places of work because they do not advertise the fact they are going to break in!
We don’t have to be caught up in that sort of lifestyle. We have the choice of not joining in. We have the choice of staying in the light and being protected by that light! We choose to sleep at night because it is normally more productive to work during the day time and you are held accountable by your actions because people can see you in the light of day. Yes, people such as hospital staff do work night shifts such and I take my hat off to them for doing so and looking out for me last year too! But as a rule, we prefer to work during the day time.
God has not chosen us to be thieves in the night. He has not chosen us to be drunkards during the night hours. He has chosen us to be careful of what we do and how we live so we can be an example to others. He has chosen us to put on the protection offered to us by His light. He has chosen us to put on the armour of God in all its parts, remembering how Christ died for us to keep us safe and so we can live together in relative peace and safety. The evil one has other plans and continues to throw a spanner in the works whenever he can – but if we uphold God’s ways and His will in our lives, we should be a lot better off!
Points to Ponder:
Do you hide in the shadows?
Or do you bring forth God’s light?
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March 2: Luke 12:35-40
Key Verse: Luke 12:38
It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.
Devotion:
Working from home has its ups and downs… it is nice not to be disturbed by people in an office, but not so good being cut off from people every day! It is nice to have peace and quiet to work in, but not so good not being able to call on a work mate to answer questions without having to do it over the phone (I don’t like phones for some reason!) When working in an office, you are typically ready for most things work wise, but working from home you have to be disciplined to make sure you stay ahead of the game and be ready for anything!
When you are employed to do a job of some description, you should be willing and ready to perform tasks related to that job when called to do so. You should be ready to even go out of your way to try and pre-empt certain tasks. This all seems like the normal thing to do for work and to keep your job… but what about your life with God? Are you willing to step up and do things all the time? Are you ready to do things as soon as you are asked?
Jesus told many parables as a means of getting people to understand the ways of the Lord through seeing life from a slightly different perspective. The more we see how we have to do things in our ‘normal lives’ the more we should be seeing how we should be doing things in our spiritual lives and our relationship with God.
We don’t know when Christ will return – but that should not cause us concern, because if we are prepare for His return, then it will be a matter of course when He does come. It may be a surprise, but we should be able to handle it because we are ready and waiting.
But be aware the evil one is also waiting in the side lines trying to trip you up and stop you from living your life fully with God. He wants to disrupt your life so you have doubts. He wants you to stop working for and with God because that is just what he is like; and we certainly do not know when he will attack – but we have to be ready for that too!
Points to Ponder:
Do you act good just to say you are ready?
Are you really ready for good or bad to come into your life?
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March 1: Psalms 90:10-12
Key Verse: Psalms 90:12
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Devotion:
Considering the age of the world and the solar system (it’s very old no matter how you look at it) we do not live for very long! Our lives depend on our health, attitude and even our wealth to a certain extent; any which of these could take years away from our lives. The uncertainty of our lives drives some people to despair and troubles many people, even Christians. God has promised us eternal life and we can look forward to an eternity with Him in Heaven, but the uncertainty of our lives on earth can wear us down!
We need to continue asking God for guidance so we can get the most out of our lives on earth – but also so we can make the most of them. The subtle difference being what we get from God and what we are willing to give back to God. I learned last year to not just trust God had my life in His control, but also that I should come back fighting so I could do more for Him after my illness. I continue to gain strength and enjoy better health than last year, but have got far to go before I can relax!
God has impressed on me I have a lot of things to offer Him through our community work and our church outreach. I love the fact I have been given a second chance and want to succeed in doing my best for Him. That does not stop at just doing work for community and church – it also extends to living life according to God’s plan and living it with my friends and family (something I have not done too well on in the past!)
God wants us to be proficient, prolific and professional. Hows that for a few P’s! But doing this all according to God’s plan takes time and courage. We are going to be asked to step out of our comfort zones at times. We are going to be asked to do more than we have done before. We are going to be asked all manner of things – how are we going to fit it all in our busy lifestyles! God has a plan for that and listening out for His plan must become central to our lives so we can get the most our of life and do the most we can too.
Points to Ponder:
Do you live for yourself or for God?
Are you willing to spend more time listening out for God?
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February 29: Psalms 86:14-17
Key Verse: Psalms 86:16
Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength in behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as my mother did.
Devotion:
Just when you thought the month was over and we could move on into another one, along comes the exception to the rule and we have another day to go! No matter what or whom we are surrounded by, we always have our God watching over us. God is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness and this Psalm serves to remind us of that fact. With that in mind we can call out to God in whatever situation we are in and ask Him to be there for us and with us.
When we call out to God, we should not be asking Him to change time, roll back the years or allow us to win the lottery – we should be asking for strength, fortitude and guidance to serve Him better and to face what we have before us, even if it is a whole extra day to the end of the month!
Joking aside, we have an awesome God who really does care for us and knows what is best for us. Sometimes we get carried away and think we do know better we try to make sure we get our own way instead of relying on God to give us what we need and when we need it. When we are faced with odds against which we think there is no answer and no hope, relying on God and following His guidance is the best answer we can hope for. When we do that we will be able to see these things as positive points rather than the negative as we see them!
So, now that you have been given and extra day in February, what are you going to do with it? Don’t look on the negative side and wonder how you will make it through the day. Look on the positive side and wonder how many things you can do with God in a single day!
Points to Ponder:
Are you feeling low?
Christ was at His lowest when He won the war!
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February 28: Matthew 25:1-13
Key Verse: Matthew 25:5
The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
Devotion:
I don’t know about you, but I sometimes have a problem with being likened to a virgin, because I know I am anything but a virgin! Not in the physical sense but because my life has had it’s ups and downs and I have strayed away from God, sometimes without thinking, but also willingly as well! But this is the way Jesus wanted us to think about how He looks upon us – as potentially pure and very special!
This parable talks about ten girls who were to meet the bridegroom – not absolutely sure of the whys and wherefores because society has changed so much since then. Their task was to keep themselves ready and waiting until the bridegroom came to them; doesn’t sound such an onerous task for anyone… But some of them became very impatient when the bridegroom did not arrive when they thought he should! They did things their own way and were not fully prepared when the bridegroom did finally appear.
If you think of us as being the virgins, then we should be ever prepared for when the bridegroom does come – when Christ returns. We do not know when He is going to return! Some thought it was going to be soon after His death and resurrection, whilst others put a longer timespan on it. We still don’t know the date or time despite what people will try to tell us; all we get is clues about what the world will be like before He returns.
Many of those clues are coming true in this generation, but still we cannot be sure of the day! Instead, we should be prepared for that day and continue to be ready without nodding off to sleep, walking away or not having enough oil when the time comes! So what does the oil equate to? Everything in your life which will make you ready for Christ’s return, from reading His word, being prepared, keeping ourselves for Christ – the list goes on and on… which makes us weary as we wait!
Points to Ponder:
What would you do if you were told Christ was returning tomorrow?
What are you doing in your life to be ready?
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February 27: 1 Corinthians 11:27-32
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 11:28
Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
Devotion:
Now and again we need to be reminded about why we have bread and wine as a commemoration of Christ on the cross. When we continue to celebrate mass or the Lord’s Supper week in week out, we tend to take things for granted and do not think as deeply about why we do this because it becomes a habit rather than our Holy Communion with God.
I’m not saying we should not celebrate the Lord’s Supper every week, but I am suggesting we take our time to think about why we are doing this each time. I am used to being told by the priest we should each think about whether we are worthy to come before God and partake of this recollection of what Jesus did for us; but I know I am guilty of not always stopping and thinking about my lifestyle and my ways before accepting the bread and wine…
Jesus sat with His disciples in the upper room and He broke the bread showing the disciples this was going to be a way of remembering what happened to Him, and similarly with the wine being a way of remembering how He allowed His own blood to be shed for us. He wanted them to remember what He was going to do and to think about their own lives and judge for themselves whether they had lived up to the promise they were making to follow Jesus and His ways.
Do we take life for granted and live it to the best, or do we take every day as a gift and live it for the best for God? We may think these are one and the same, and we may well mean it when we say it – but if the people around us take it as living the best for the worldly ways around them rather than the best for God, then we have reminded people of themselves instead of Christ. Our lives should be lived as a constant communion with God and our outward ways as a reflection of what Christ wants in our lives – that way people will be shown God’s ways and not our own ways...
Points to Ponder:
Do you live life to the full?
Does your life actually reflect Christ?
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February 26: Galatians 6:1-6
Key Verse: Galatians 6:4
Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else
Devotion:
When you go into an unknown situation, it is always good to know someone is looking out for you and even better if they have been in the situation you are heading for so they can guide you through it. As Christians we need to be looking out for each other as well as looking out for people who are not Christians; the problem comes when we have to face the things others face because we might be tempted to give in to the temptations facing them, just as they may want to give in.
Jesus led the disciples through their lives when He was with them, guiding them and showing them what was best. He also guided them away from any sins in their lives where He could. He did not ban them from sin but rather gently showed them a right way of approaching things so they could make an informed choice in their own lives. This is what He would like us to do – the problem being we do not always know what is best for others…
The best we can do is to listen to the Holy Spirit and do what He says is right for each of us. In doing so we become better examples for others to follow and examples through which they can gain strength. Part of that is in carrying each others burdens. Not only is this what Christ wanted of us but also the example He showed us so we could follow. Christ continues to say we should share our burdens with Him so we may find strength and guidance through His example.
When we begin to raise our thought about ourselves and our abilities above what we are capable of, we only fool ourselves because others will see through our deception! So each of us needs to watch what we do and what we are capable of doing, without comparing ourselves to others. When we do start comparing ourselves to others we become disillusioned with our own lives and things break down. Christ wants us to live our own lives, but when we learn more about Him, we should be willing to share that information with others freely.
Points to Ponder:
Do you keep to yourself?
Or do you share your life with your friends?
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February 25: John 3:19-21
Key Verse: John 3:21
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
Devotion:
No matter how much we try to tell people about the gospel truths, we will not be able to reach all people; people have grown to love the darkness and the wrongs ways of living. We do have an uphill task of trying to tell people about this amazing light which Christ has brought into the world, not to blame people or show them up, but to give them the option of finding out the truth and following that truth as a choice!
The more we live in the world and live by the rules of the world, the more we move away from God and get stuck in the worldly ways. These ways are often the wrong ways and it seems a lot easier to go with these ways just as the rest of the people around us are doing. Why rock the boat when you can move ahead just like everyone else? Well, if the road everyone is on leads to the wrong destination, we need to come to our senses and get off the common road and head back to the right destination!
Christ warned us the road to the wrong destination would be free and easy to go forward on, but would ultimately lead to spending our lives away from God and certainly not going to live in Heaven with Him for eternity! The road to heaven may not be an open highway, it may not be easy and it may go through many torturous ways, but we can be certain it will lead to us being able to spend our eternity with Christ in heaven.
If we continue to go along this wrong highway for too long, we will lose sight of the road to heaven and get so caught up in the wrong ways we may even convince ourselves these wrong ways are the right ways. They are not! We need to open our eyes and see the world and its ways for what it is, adjust our ways and try to stay walking with Christ along the rough and ready road which will give us eternal life.
Points to Ponder:
Do you like sticking with the crowd?
Are you ready to step out and know you are on the right path?
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February 24: John 7:6-9
Key Verse: John 7:7
The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.
Devotion:
Have you noticed how you support the ‘bad’ person in some movies, or how you go against the good person because they are spoiling all the fun? There are so many times in our lives where we go against what we think we should because it makes sense for us to do so or it seems to please more people to do so…
This does not make these things right and should not mean we support those things – but what do the people around us see when we go against what is right or support the bad people? They see us rebelling against what is right and they may well turn away from righteousness in order to support you or to go the same way they see you going. This is nothing new, we are followers of people and we like to fit in with the crowd so we can be part of the crowd – a certain amount of anonymity in our lives gives us peace.
Jesus was nothing like that – but He knew when to stay away from the crowd because of what they would have planned against Him. He knew it would eventually come to this, but He also knew the time was not right. We don’t tend to get such insights in our lives and we blunder forward bouncing between things, hoping to make it through to the other end. The world will probably not hate us for doing this or for being whom we are; unless we stand up for Christ in everything we do.
When we stand up for God and follow His will in our lives, we may well find there are a lot of people who do not like what we are doing because it either throws light onto the dark things they are involved in, or it allows others to see you as righteous and not them. The world wants to envelop people and gather everyone together so we can all hide behind each other! God wants us to stand out from the crowd and make a difference – just wait for God’s timing and don’t turn away!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like hiding behind others?
Will you stand up front and be the example?