- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 656
September 7: Luke 5:4-7
Key Verse: Luke 5:5
Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’
Devotion:
What would it take for you to decide a life with Christ is all you need? Simon and his crew had just come in from fishing unsuccessfully all night. I think it is bad enough when I can’t catch a fish with a rod, so being a commercial fisherman and not catching anything must have been a blow! After sitting and listening to Jesus teaching the crowd his outlook changed a bit.
When Jesus told them to go back out into deeper water and try again, their first thought must have been the time was not right because they always fished at a certain time. Now they are being told to go out and fish after they have failed already. But something convinced Simon and they went out again only to catch the largest haul of fish they could imagine!
God know the right time and place for everything in our lives and if we are willing to listen and obey we will see how good our lives can be. This is not to say Christ will give you all the riches you have ever dreamed of, but He will guide you towards a more fulfilling life if you are willing.
I am a computer geek and I constantly try new things with computers; indeed my house has many computers and electronics. But the things which please me the most are the things I can do for God. Listening to God and obeying makes my life much fuller than it can ever be with the latest and greatest computer components!
Points to Ponder:
Do you try to listen to God?
Will you simply try to obey?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 721
September 6: Colossians 1:3-8
Key Verse: Colossians 1:4
because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people
Devotion:
How often do you try to encourage people who already believe in God? We all have our good days and our bad days and during those bad days it is very good to hear from others and be encouraged by simply talking. Social media is used as a venting station for many people and can be quite depressing at times because of that. But without being able to vent some will not be able to survive the onslaught of emotions they are facing.
Our Lord has reminded us on many occasions to love our neighbours; this also means loving those who are reaching out through whatever means they can. A physical shout out for help is answered whenever anyone hears it, but a more silent scream for help through other means is not always answered. We can stand up and stretch out our arms to those who call for help – God will be able to guide you in what help is needed.
The point here is we have to be willing to answer God’s call for help for someone else; He puts these times in our lives when others need help and will put things out in other people’s lives when we need help. But unless we are willing to listen out for those silent calls for help, we will not get very far.
God wants us to have a willingness to stand up and say “do you need help?” Some will not ask but wait for someone to offer. Others will shout out at the least problem. Being willing to wait for any call and answer calls is what God would like us to do in our communities.
Points to Ponder:
How often do you help others?
How often do you silently call for help?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 679
September 5: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Devotion:
How many times have you read a part of the bible and said to yourself “I’m already doing that…” As Christians we are taught to read our bibles, though some fall behind on that. We are taught to pray all the time, though some fall behind on that. We are taught to love one another, to love God and to do many things… But how many of those things do we let slide because we are too busy with something else?
We do not know when Jesus is going to return and have been given no indication when that exact date will be; but we have warnings about how the world will be before He comes. Needless to say it has been like that for a while and yet many still ignore the warnings “because it hasn’t happened yet!”
Many things in the world still continue to tempt us and we do give in to things all the time. We can use excuses about how weary we are or how we lack strength but each time we are admitting to weaknesses in ourselves. Don’t worry, God knows those weaknesses and has already placed the people around us who will make a difference.
Our task as disciples is to encourage each other and to build each other up so when we are faced with adverse times, events or even people, we can gain strength from the people around us to face up to those times, events and people. We just have to open our eyes to all God has already given us!
Points to Ponder:
Do you sometimes feel alone?
Will you help someone close to you to have courage today?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 710
September 4: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 4:18
Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Devotion:
One of the hardest things to go through is the death of a family member or of a loved one but each time I have gone through this I have remembered these words and they have comforted me more than anything. I have been to many funerals and have seen how some cannot cope with the loss; how they are affected for many years afterward and maybe continue to be affected now.
I do go through days when I remember those loved ones I have had to say goodbye to, but, equally I have been able to take comfort with these words knowing so many of them have known God and trusted in Him. As Christians we do believe we are going to join Christ in heaven after we die, and whilst some will disagree when they will get to Heaven, the comfort is still there.
We are also reminded in many places in the bible we have a right to mourn, not just to accept what is happening and say everything is fine, but to mourn properly. As humans we know our lives will come to an end at some stage and how we live them will give us comfort or stress in the end. If we live with Christ every step of the way, we will know the comfort He alone will give us at the end, and so will those around us.
I do look forward to the day that I am able to see all my friends and family once again but I am in no rush to get there soon. I know God has given me time to confront and comfort many more people before they have to mourn my passing; I step forward and I say “here am I Lord, use me!” each day I wake up.
Points to Ponder:
Are you mourning for a recent loss?
Will you wake up today and join me in saying “Here I am, use me”?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 673
September 3: Romans 12:17-21
Key Verse: Romans 12:19
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.
Devotion:
Whenever I read anything where someone is saying we should separate ourselves from the wayward people, the evil people and the worldly ways I always cringe a little; God tells us to go out and spread the gospel. How are we going to go out and spread the gospel unless we go to people who do not yet know Him and are in worldly positions and doing worldly things?
Whilst I do understand we should be separate from evil because we may well give in to temptation (indeed we do from time to time) we should also be willing to face the world but with one provisor: we take God with us! There is no way we should be facing the world and its people by ourselves because we are sinful by nature.
So when people point out the Old Testament passages which preclude Israel from mixing with the foreigners, I like to remind them what Jesus taught the disciples. The apostle writes here how we should be willing to feed our enemy when they are hungry and to give them water to drink when they are thirsty. This is not saying we should side with the enemy, simply saying we should be willing to treat them as human beings!
When we are able to show kindness to our enemies, they will start to think twice about why they are our enemies. When we do not exclude non-believers from our churches we will show them there must be something they are missing. Disciples go out into the world with Christ by their sides, but it’s also OK to stay indoor with Christ because you need a rest!
Points to Ponder:
Do you get angry with others who don’t do what you do?
Will you try to include someone who needs the truth?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 773
September 2: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 4:1
Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.
Devotion:
I find the honesty in the letters the apostle wrote enlightening and something we should strive for in our own lives with the people around us. Why should we every try to deceive anyone when the truth will be known in the end? The church in Thessalonica must have been doing well because this letter is very supportive but there is an underlying tone of ‘you can do more!’
It’s not a case of the writer telling the people they have fallen short of the mark but a simple encouragement on all fronts. When we know we are doing good in our communities, there is always room for improvement in one way or another. This does not mean that we have to work twice as hard! This means we can do more by sharing what we do and encouraging others to take up the work too.
The encouragement is not to be louder and more brazen but to do things quietly and behind the scenes so others can get the right idea of what being a Christian is all about. The way to make disciples is not to shout at them to do more but to show them by example so they will feel they can do more too.
One of my friends who has travelled all over the place is a true inspiration to me through their selfless actions they do as a matter of normal life. Not going out of their way to show others what they can do but simply to do it without broadcasting what they are doing. I wonder, do you know someone like that?
Points to Ponder:
Are you living like Christ wants you to live?
Are you encouraging others to live a better life too?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 669
September 1: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 4:7
For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
Devotion:
The letters to the various churches written by the apostle and brave and typically forward words where the writer expresses what they understand to be the guidance God is giving them through him. This is what being a disciple is all about and something each of us should be aiming to do every day just as the apostle is encouraging the church of Thessalonica.
We have this choice as to whether we wish to live like the world or to live like you want to be with Christ. This is a bit more difficult that what it first seems because we are surrounded by people trying to encourage us to live the way they wants us to or expect us to; not all of them are doing so because of God! The instructions God has given us through our bibles are not so difficult to follow…
The apostle writes to encourage the people to be more like Christ in how they live. They are acknowledged as living in a good manner but there is always room for improvement. Christ lived a life which stood out during His ministry on earth. We are encouraged to stand out more like this!
God is Holy. This means He cannot and will not accept sin in any form. This makes it difficult for us sometimes because we are sinners in nature and we are tempted to do so many things by the world around us. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice so we can be presented to God as being innocent – but that does not give us the right to do anything we like; that would be an affront to Christ...
Points to Ponder:
Do you try to live a good life?
How many things can you do better at?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 600
August 31: Matthew 24:42-51
Key Verse: Matthew 24:45
Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?
Devotion:
One of the things we never expect is the unexpected – why else would it be called the unexpected! But seriously, there are things in life we just don’t think about and when they do happen to us we are caught unawares. How we handle those times will often be seen by others as the times which shaped our lives… and I don’t think God looks at us any differently, because He will see those times and He will know why we made the choices we did.
How many of those times do you call on someone to help out? How many of those times do you call on God for guidance and help? Too often when we are faced with worldly things and dangers we call upon worldly people to help us out when we could be calling on someone who is way above that position!
God may not physically be here like Jesus was here, but it does not stop Him from getting involved in our lives. If He cannot do something physically He will probably get the right person to approach us at the right time. Who we allow to help us out is also going to be a choice we have to make which defines us too. If we call out to people who do not have a vested interest in us, we may well find ourselves being let down by them when we do not dance to their tune!
God has created each of us different and He wants each of us to dance to our own tune so we can be an encouragement to others in one way or another. If we all follow the crowd we will get lost in the crowd; but when we stand up for justice and love, we get to shape a lot of what others see in their lives. God wants to use us in ways we cannot imagine He is looking for the right people at the right time!
Points to Ponder:
Who do you call for help?
How often do you call for God’s help?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 671
August 30: Matthew 23:16-24
Key Verse: Matthew 23:16
‘Woe to you, blind guides! You say, “If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.”
Devotion:
After reading through the woes on the teachers of the law and the Pharisees I thought I would do one more before moving on to something new. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were heavily pushing the giving of gold and other gifts to the temple but Jesus was questioning their motives. People wanted to offer what they could and make these sacrifices from their hearts and by what they were able to do. The temple guards were being instructed to only allow certain offerings.
How does that sit with you? I get cross when I hear of people trying to manipulate people’s relationships with God through their own rules and regulations; that just does not sit well with me! We can look back at things like this and heap up criticism on what they were doing, whilst ignoring the march of the big churches in modern society – which again does not sit well with me.
God wants us to come to Him will a willingness to listen to His will and to do what he asks of us. He does not want us to be driven down a certain path just because some leaders are dictating we do things in a particular manner. He wants a personal relationship with us…
So do we ignore what big church organisations tell us? Far from it. We need to compare what they are telling us with what God tells us through our bibles. It is God’s word which should be the driving force in our lives and we should be upholding what God tells us through His Word, just as Jesus was trying to do during His ministry on earth. Stick to making your promises with God a direct and personal link rather than a dictated event.
Points to Ponder:
What is more important to you, your church building or the people?
What is the most important part of your relationship with God?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 657
August 29: Matthew 23:23-26
Key Verse: Matthew 23:24
You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Devotion:
I love the descriptive nature of some languages and Jesus was using some descriptive terms here. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were supposed to be the ones who were teaching the people how to behave like God had asked them to. Instead they were focusing on the letter of the law from the prophets and ignoring the worldly laws of justice and mercy.
In our modern law system there is always room for justice and mercy which is why we have judges who should be the ones to discern what has happened and provide justice to all. The teachers and Pharisees were ignoring the people and demanding the giving of one tenth of everything. What happens when there is a family who cannot afford to give one tenth whilst the others around them are all giving just enough because that is what the law says. Where is justice and mercy in that?
Jesus wanted people to think more about the people around them and to express love to their neighbours instead of simply doing what was written down. If you are just doing what God said to do then you may not be doing what He wants you to do. Jesus came to show us how important love and mercy are. Without love and mercy we do not have a society in which Christians can thrive.
Jesus came to show us how to be different from the world. Without thinking we do tend to express what is in our hearts and minds and the people around us may have a very different view of what we are than what we say we are. Jesus wants us to focus on what we are thinking and feeling so we can aim to be more like Him than like the Pharisees described here. We have to balance what we know God asked for and what we know is a life living with Christ. Love and mercy need to be at the centre of our lives!
Points to Ponder:
Do you always try to follow the law?
How close is your heart to the law Jesus is talking about here?