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June 29: Psalm 125:1-5
Key Verse: Psalm 125:3
The sceptre of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.
Devotion:
One of the things I learned through my relationship with Christ is we will always be able to rely on God no matter what is going on in our lives. No matter what is going on in the world around us, God never changes! So why do people complain about God not helping them at times?
The psalmist gives us a clue here, one which we do not often think about and one which is easy to miss! Bad people seem to get the upper hand at times and they disrupt all sorts of things in our lives. When this happens our focus goes from relying on God to the world around us and all the things which are going wrong. This is the time when the evil one steps up and makes bad things available to us – the temptation to pick up those bad things and use them for ourselves is great, but doing so will take us away from God.
Here we are reminded this evil and the bad people and their things they carry and do will not last forever. Yes it seems like they will at times, but God has got things; we have to learn to trust Him more and to not give in to the things of the world around us. This seems to be the lessons this psalmist learned before writing these words for us to learn from.
When the time comes Christ is going to make sure we are safe with Him in Heaven; not so for the people who have gone after evil and have sought peril for those around them. These are the same people who will be left behind and have to content with the ways of the evil one instead of the ways of God in Heaven!
Points to Ponder:
Do you feel hard done by?
Are you giving God time to work in your life?
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June 28: Matthew 7:15-20
Key Verse: Matthew 7:18
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Devotion:
One of the things I always try to look out for is this warning about false prophets… This seems to follow on from yesterdays reading about not feeding pearls to swine, but if you look back further it also links in to many reading and the one which prompted me to go in the direction we go today is about discerning the good from the bad especially if we have issues of our own – you know the plank in your eye reading…
Sometimes it is hard to spot the false prophets because they may well be able to say all the right things which you want to hear rather than what they should be saying. That pulls you into their web of deceit quicker than you realise and you swayed by their words.
God wants us to be wary of such people because of their cunning ways and because they sound so compelling. This to me is the definition of bad fruit, those ones which look so good but as soon as you bite into them you realise they are either rotten or sour! After you bite into them is a bit too late because you have already bitten and now you will have to put up with that bad taste!
God does not want us to be trapped into taking bad fruit and that is why He has made sure we have the bible and can always compare what people are saying to what we have in our bibles. God has told us His word will not change, but not all people who tell you about this word are actually giving you the full story. It is probably worse for someone to use a phrase or two to convince you rather than opening up the whole word of God. Trust in God’s Word, not in part, but in whole!
Points to Ponder:
Do you get easily swayed by fast talkers?
Will you take time to compare what people say with the whole Word of God?
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June 27: Matthew 7:6-14
Key Verse: Matthew 7:6
‘Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Devotion:
This is one of the places in our bibles where people get confused because they think they are being told to do one thing and then do the opposite – but all it takes is a bit of careful reading to find out this is not true. When people face me with arguments about the bible contradicting itself I fear they have not read it properly.
This passage is just after Jesus told the disciples they should not try to find a speck in someone else’s eye when they have a plank in their own eye – obviously metaphorical because I don’t think I can fit a match-stick in my eye, never mind a plank! The idea is we should make sure we are following God’s will before we try to tell other people they are not following His will!
But, on the flip side of that, we should and must be discerning about things. If we see someone seems to have a fault, then we must consider our own lives to make sure we are not falling into the same temptations albeit in a slightly different guise! We must deal with our own issues before we try to deal with other’s issues… Once we have dealt with the issue in our own lives we can both see the problem more clearly and, hopefully, suggest a solution based on what we have done.
But what if they are clearly not going to be willing to do what you have done in order to sort things out yourself? Well, this is where this verse comes in – if it is clear the other person is not going to accept they are wrong or be willing to change things, then should we waste our time and effort trying to change things? Yes we should suggest changes, but not dwell on it when those suggestions continue to fall on deaf ears!
Points to Ponder:
Do you try to help others?
Obeying God means you are qualified to help others!
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June 26: Genesis 12:1-9
Key Verse: Genesis 12:4
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.
Devotion:
I wonder, how many times have you obeyed the wishes of someone you know, not because what they are asking makes sense, but because they are your friend and you trust them… When we do have faith and trust in someone else we go the extra mile and do things which do not always make sense at the time but we see the value after the event.
I know I have done some things for friends which I kept quiet about because others around me, including family, would have baulked at the idea of me doing what I was doing but I knew that was the right thing to do. It has even got me in trouble with the church I was attending at the time. The right thing to do is to always listen to what God is asking you to do and not to be swayed by what others say or by your personal preferences!
Yes, it is hard to listen to God and obey Him at times. He may well ask you to do something which just does not seem to make sense at the time. Abram was being asked to go and do things at the age of 75! The journey he was embarking on must have taken a bit of planning because he took all his possessions, his wife and his nephew. It would not have been as simply as getting everything into a big truck and driving off in the sunset – this would have been a train of animals helpers and all sorts!
But he obeyed God. It did not make sense they would have children at that age, but he obeyed. He went into the land occupied by the Canaanites and set up an altar to God before continuing on where God was guiding him. We have so much written down in our bibles where we can see that listening to God is a good idea, but still be hesitate when He asks us something, either because we cannot believe it, or because we don’t like the way it fits into our lives!
Points to Ponder:
Is God asking you to do something?
Are you going to set aside your pride and follow God’s request?
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June 25: Romans 6:1-11
Key Verse: Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Devotion:
One of the things which surprised me when I became a Christian was how I changed; not so much in a physical way but my attitude to many things changed over night. I was in boarding school at the time, an all boys boarding school, so the less said about what goes on in a boys only environment the better. But my attitude toward everything changed and people began to recognise that and to respect me for the change!
This did not mean I was no longer exposed to the things boys get up to, and does not mean I did not still do some things wrong, but I would always be able to see the right way of doing things after they had gone wrong and that gave me encouragement to try and live a different life.
That all seemed to go to pot when I was introduced to a mixed system after moving to England during my final years of school. I did not have the small group of Christians I could turn to for advice and no longer had the prayer group who met behind the cricket pavilion to gain strength from.
But all through my varied life I continued to know I was different from the world because I was a Christian. This has played a very big part of my life in the last few decades as I have become more and more active in church and general Christian life. We do need to try and avoid the sin in our lives because it is those sins which take us away from God and lessen our resilience to the temptations which surround us. Grace gains strength when in a good place!
Points to Ponder:
Do you find it hard to live as a Christian?
How close are you to a church where you can mix with other Christians?
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June 24: Isaiah 40:6-9
Key Verse: Isaiah 40:6
A voice says, ‘Cry out.’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’
Devotion:
Are you scared to share the gospel because you think you will have to stand up in front of lots of people and talk publicly about God? God has called each one of us to share the gospel, but He has not called us all to be preachers or evangelists! There are other people who may have a similar outlook to you – God created us all different and has given each of us unique skills to be able to reach unique people with the gospel!
This is not something new which Christ told the disciples about but something which has always been in God’s people. Here the prophet Isaiah asks the question “who do I need to go and talk to?” And God’s answer is to go to people… Each of us has our own limitations and all of us are tempted to do things contrary to God’s will from time to time. God’s instruction is simple; if you are able to help just one person who needs a little bit of help to get back on their feet, then you have done what God has asked you to do!
It does not matter if we ourselves have fallen down, tripped over, withdrawn to a quiet place or whatever, we can still reach out to another person who may be in the same place as us. No matter what state we are in, we are able to help someone else.
I don’t seem to be very good at keeping houseplants alive, so when someone tries to tell me how a plant can come back to life with some care, I’m a bit lost! This passage may ring a bell with you because you may be able to relate how plants can be saved. What I’m trying to say is we are all different and it takes different people to reach different people!
Points to Ponder:
Do you think you are too different to a preacher to talk about God?
Do you think you could reach a different person?
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June 23: 2 Corinthians 11:18-30
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 11:30
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
Devotion:
How many times do you catch yourself boasting in some way or another. When we complain about things to each other we like to be able to complain about something more than the other. When we boast about doing something we like to boast about doing more than the other. We get caught up in boasting and try to out-boast our opponent!
What do you do about your relationship with Christ? Are you willing to boast about the things God does for you? Or do you get caught up in boasting about how much you do for God? I know I caught myself short of boasting about something when someone was telling me how much they have done for the church… Should I be proud of the earthly things I do for God or the spiritual things I do with God?
What mean more to you in a conversation with another? Is it the fact you can say how you have done more than the other person in earthly terms? When it comes to religion there are many who like to boast about their religion or their religious acts; unfortunately they do think this is lifting up their god because of how much they can do – is this not just lifting up oneself?
If we are not willing to boast about our weaknesses and our shortcomings, then we should not be so quick to boast about the things we think matter in conversation. God wants us to be honest and open with others so they can see this honest, two way relationship we have with Christ. Our weaknesses bring us closer to God because they show our dependence on Him in our daily lives!
Points to Ponder:
Do you boast a lot?
Will you boast about your weaknesses?
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June 22: 2 Corinthians 11:1-9
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 11:3
But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the snake’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
Devotion:
Have you ever been persuaded to go off and do something which sounded like fun only to be faced with getting into trouble because it was not legal in the end? We all like to be able to do things which are different or exciting but they are not always the right thing to do but the thrill of being able to do them can convince us otherwise! The same can be said about our spiritual lives with Christ – it may seem like a good idea to go and do things which others are saying is ok when you know in your heart they are not right, but God does see everything we do!
Not all congregations who are rich in monetary terms are rich in spiritual terms, and visa versa! Our earthly richness does not have much to do with our spiritual richness because God is not looking for earthly treasures and does not ask us to seek earthly rewards. When Jesus sent out the disciples it was not by giving them a big bag of money to do what they could for others, but by taking nothing with them and depending on charity to get things done.
God would love to see us all working together and sharing what we have, but that is not always possible while living in this world where earthly laws get in the way of effectively sharing the gifts God gives us.
What God does want us to be aware of is the temptation the earthly treasures impose on us when it comes to living for Christ. It is easy to be swayed by people who are willing to throw money at things to make it look like the congregation is doing well; Christ wants you to throw spiritual riches around instead of earthly riches. These are the riches which will last in our Heavenly home!
Points to Ponder:
Do you wander what it would be like in a ‘rich church’?
How is the spiritual health of your church?
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June 21: 2 Corinthians 9:6-9
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 9:7
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Devotion:
Some of the expenses we face in life do seem to be unfair on the surface until you look into what those expenses go toward. Some of them seem like bargains until you dig a bit deeper to find out they fall short of the mark. There are always going to be people who try to get as much money as possible from you whilst doing a little as possible and others who do all they can for you and don’t seem to charge enough...
But as these words here remind us, it is not the how much or how often which matters but the sentiment behind the giving. God does not look at the bottom line and compare that with what He gives you in life; He looks at your heart and sees how much you are willing to give without complaint!
Whenever I read this part of scripture I am also reminded of the time when Jesus talked about giving what was due to Caesar and what was due to God. We should not mix these two up because the earthly laws and taxes do not have anything to do with what you give to God. Yes we do have to pay to maintain church buildings and meeting places, the supply of amenities, insurance and things like that, but they are necessary expenses for the world we live in. What you do and give to support others in the name of Christ is quite different.
We are fortunate enough to be able to run a ‘top-up shop’ in our church building which enables people to get the essentials for little or no cost so they can survive in this mixed-up financial crisis many are in. The people who run the shop give freely of their time and money to come and make sure others are catered for in the name of Christ. It’s not about the amount but about the love behind what we are doing!
Points to Ponder:
Do you keep strict records of what you give?
Are you willing to give what it takes?
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June 20: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 8:8
I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.
Devotion:
Do you ever wonder why people think of you the way they do? Have you ever asked yourself why someone thinks ill or good of you? It’s because people compare what you say and do with what others say and do! Each of us are prone to think differently of others than the person next to you because of our life differences and experiences; the more you get to experience life with others the more you get to know about people.
This can go well for someone who is introduced to another person who has only ever been exposed to good people because the other person may well think all people are alike and good. This can also go the wrong way for anyone being introduced to someone who has always been around bad people – their first assumption may well be everyone is bad including you!
When we get introduced to Christ and can see there is a very different way of life which is available to all, we should be more than willing to go out there and share the good news with everyone to allow them to see there is this good way of living! This is what happened to the apostle when he went to Macedonia where they embraced the gospel and immediately wanted to share it with everyone!
Don’t be confined by what you think you know of the world. Don’t be limited by what you can think of or by what you have experienced. Read your bible and see how much there is out there in the world and go and experience it yourself with God!
Points to Ponder:
Are you biased by you own life?
Will you embrace the gospel way?