- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 651
April 10: Psalm 16:5-8
Key Verse: Psalm 16:2
I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’
Devotion:
When was the last time you had one of those days where everything seemed to go well and you found yourself enjoying every moment of it? I hope it has not been a long time for you! As we move into the new Christian year, we put behind us all the thoughts about what Christ had to go through on the cross and we start to look for new life, maybe new beginnings and generally start to enjoy things like spring (at least in the Northern hemisphere we move into spring!)
For the eagle eyed of you, you will have noticed the key verse is not in the list of verses to read… The first few verses of this psalm remind us David always took refuge in God: in the bad times, the good times and everything in between. Yes he did go astray sometimes, but he always knew in his heart that God was there and looking after him. When things were rough, he knew he could count on God!
But what happens when everything goes according to plan? What happens when everything seems to fall into place? Do you still look to God? Or do you take a breather and rest in your comfort? The middle part of this Psalm talks about the security David found in God, not just when things were bad but when everything was good too. It is those times when everything is good when the evil one will try to trip us up because that is when we are actually most vulnerable.
When the world seem good to live in, we tend to gravitate towards the things of the world. We tend to live in the world instead of living in God’s arms as we do when it is not so good. Christ died for everyone, for the good times and the bad times, but we do need to know that and remember that!
Points to Ponder:
Do you live in the world?
Will you try stand a bit closer to God today?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 636
April 9: Matthew 28:1-7
Key Verse: Matthew 28:6
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
Devotion:
One of the biggest comforts I get from being a Christian is I do not have to face death in the same way as the rest of the world! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like the idea of having to die physically, but I know in my heart that is not the end of everything but the beginning of something very special.
Seeing the pain and anguish some people face when they know they are coming to the end of their physical life should be enough to put anyone off; and seeing the demeanour of someone who knows Christ is quite different when they face their physical death. Jesus had to face so much more than we could imagine for our deaths because He was taking on a lot more than just physical death.
But today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the reason why He was not fearful of the physical death which faced Him a short while before. Many people look for ways in which they can live a few more years or stay looking younger as they get older, but what they lose sight of is the reason for living! Jesus example to us should change everyone's minds, but sadly many people close their minds off from the hope we have through Jesus.
Jesus death and resurrection gives us the hope of eternal life after our physical death and gives us a comfort which goes far beyond the anguish we may have to face when we near our physical death. Each person who went to look for Jesus in the tomb was looking to physical evidence and a reason to mourn. What they found was evidence Jesus had come back to life and a reason to celebrate!
Points to Ponder:
Do you get caught up in the anguish of death?
Will you look forward to the joy of eternal life instead?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 694
April 8: 1 Peter 4:1-6
Key Verse: 1 Peter 4:2
As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
Devotion:
Jesus did not keep it a secret how we would have to face sufferings of various kinds just because we follow Him. The more we reflect Christ through our lives the more we will face opposition for simply doing what Christ asks of us. Nobody likes to be shown up for the things they do wrong, and living a Christ-like life will show up people around you just because people will see His ways through what you are doing.
People will try to tempt you into following earthly ways and will wonder why you do not join them in their wicked ways; the answer should be made clear to them so they understand why you choose to live the way you do. It is not your task to judge others or to shame them into doing or not doing something. It is your job to live more like Christ so others can see the difference and make decisions for themselves.
If we look into our lives we will see all sorts of things we have done wrong in our pasts and many of those things could well be worse than what others are doing – not because of the act itself but because of the intent behind the act. God wants us to continue to do what is right, but aiming to do what is righteous in all ways is a better aim in our lives.
Do not allow the world to convince you there is no sin when everyone else is doing it too – that just means everyone is sinning! Jesus gave His life for the things we have done wrong. If you have time today, spend a bit of time thinking of the times you chose to do wrong and what that did for Jesus. Spend a bit more time thinking of the things you do before you jump in and do it anyway!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you think before you act?
Will you spend a bit more time thinking?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 661
April 7: John 18:15-18
Key Verse: John 18:17
‘You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?’ she asked Peter. He replied, ‘I am not.’
Devotion:
What do you do when people mock you about knowing Jesus? What do you do when people mock Jesus around you? We all like to think we would stand up for Jesus and not allow anything bad to be said about Him, but we may well fail in the same manner as Peter did here. The failure is not because we do not know Jesus or that we do not love Him, but because we fear for our own lives instead.
Jesus has taught us we are to deny ourselves and follow Him; but this is a very big ask of many people because they have so much to lose in the world. When a certain rich man asked Jesus how to be saved he was told he would have to sell everything first – this was the centre of this rich man's life! When we cling on to worldly things our bond with Jesus is not as strong as it could be and certainly not as strong as we think it is! The world and it’s temptations goes much deeper than all the bad things we can think of!
We are going to face many things in our lives which will tempt us away from Jesus just as Jesus Himself had to face temptation from the evil one! The temptations will sound much better than anything we have in our lives; that is what makes them temptations! Jesus knows we are going to face them and He tries to give us the strength to reject them – but it is our choice as to what we do in the end.
Peter chose the easy way out because he saw what was happening to Jesus. He did not want to get taken away by the Romans and probably could not see why this should happen to Jesus. He may have been thinking: how is Jesus not saving Himself? But Jesus made the choice to do this for us. He willingly gave His life for us.
Points to Ponder:
Who were Jesus disciples at this time?
Do you realise Jesus did this for you too?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 716
April 6: John 13:1-11
Key Verse: John 13:10
Jesus answered, ‘Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.’
Devotion:
Depending on where you are in the world today could be known as something like Maundy Thursday, Holy Thursday or Thursday of Mysteries. Whatever you know this day as, it is the day Christians commemorate some of the things Jesus did before being taken away; one of them being the washing of the feet of the disciples by Jesus. We may cringe a little at the thought of having to bow down and wash someone else's feet, but give a thought to Jesus back then...
We tend to walk around with shoes and socks or stockings to protect our feet and hence our feet are kept in a reasonable condition. Back then most people would be wearing some form of open sandal and walking around the dusty streets and paths would mean a whole lot of dirt would collect, and on hot days that may well mix in with sweat! Whilst I’m sure they would have cleaned their feet to some extent after coming into the house, things would still not be like nowadays!
Jesus did not do this because of the state of their feet but rather because of the state of their souls – and not the souls of their shoes! Jesus knew the state of each of the disciples. He knew what they were going through and He knew what they were about to face. That was of more concern to Him right now than the string of events which would be coming His way! That is love!
Peter did not want to have his Lord stoop down to wash his feet, so he objected to start with. But when Jesus hinted it was of more importance than anything to now Peter wanted Jesus to wash everything! But Jesus told him it was the single act of washing a single part which would make the whole clean. Jesus knows that cleaning us is going to be an ongoing task because we will continue to sin, but it is the first act of cleaning which proclaims us as clean forever!
Points to Ponder:
Do you get tied up in worrying about your sins?
Jesus has forgiven you the first time – that is enough!
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 658
April 5: John 13:21-30
Key Verse: John 13:21
After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, ‘Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.’
Devotion:
We could say that we can imagine what Jesus was going through when He was telling the disciples about what was to happen, but I really do not think we can imagine what He was going through. How long had Jesus know this? How long had He continued to teach and nurture Judas knowing He was going to do this? And what made Jesus continue to include Judas in everything!
When Judas was finally uncovered as the one who was going to betray Jesus, it was not done in a manner in which we would expect things to happen… In the Western World people make films and tell stories about how evil people are found out and killed or put in prison and yet Jesus continued to show love to Judas at all stages!
Jesus continued to show love and mercy to all people He met, no matter what they were doing and no matter how badly things were going. He tried to make sure everyone was given access to true justice and also the Gospel so they would be able to make informed choices guided by the truth and not passions and hate!
We like to think we allow the truth and justice to reign, but so much of the time we give in to the temptations of greed, desire and hatred instead of allowing people full access to the truth and real justice. Christ knew what He was facing was not going to be the truth or real justice, but He also knew this was going to be the only way in which He would be able to pay for the sins of the world and allow people to be forgiven no matter what they had done in the past.
Points to Ponder:
Do you allow truth and justice to come to the front?
Will you give someone a chance today and see if they make the right choice?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 705
April 4: John 12:23-26
Key Verse: John 12:24
Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Devotion:
How many times in your life have you put off doing something because of the first big step you have to take, you know, the one which is “stopping the world from turning!” I say that with jest because I too have been putting off things because of the first big step. I am glad I have take the first big step and now feel more at ease with everything which faces me now.
These words from Jesus, I think, were an encouragement to the disciples to show them the first step is the hardest to take. They would be facing a life of servitude when He had gone back to heaven, and it would be that first step which would be the hardest to face because of what Jesus went through. But once you put your mind at rest with what you are facing and the knowledge God is with you every step of the way, the rest of it seems to make more sense!
There are many things in life we can relate to in order to find encouragement, and sometimes those things do help us to pluck up the courage. I know now it is the fact Christ is going to be on this journey with me every step which is giving me the strength and courage to carry on. The world and the people we get to mix with may well throw all sorts of spanners in the works – because people are human. Most humans make silly mistakes without thinking of the consequences.
When God asks us to give up our lives to follow Him, it is not the physical act of laying down your life but the spiritual act of giving up on your pride to make something of yourself. God does not need a raft of popular people who think the world of themselves; He needs people who are willing to put aside their own desires and willing to pick up on the needs of others!
Points to Ponder:
What is holding you back?
Will you take this first step today?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 694
April 3: John 12:1-11
Key Verse: John 12:5
‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’
Devotion:
One of the things you will always face as a Christian is the people who will object to you spending money on anything to do with the church! They don’t do it because they care any more about other people than you do but because they care more about money than any people! When Jesus said the love for money is the root of all evil, this is the aspect He was probably thinking about.
Almost a week ahead of the Passover feast, Jesus came back to Bethany where Lazarus lived and they all enjoyed a big dinner together as a thank you to Jesus. The sisters Mary and Martha were busy with all the catering and caring for the guests when Mary stopped what she was doing to show her love for Jesus for what He had done. She had acquired a very expensive bottle of perfume which was going to be used for His burial. Judas, the one who would soon betray Jesus for money, objected and commented they could probably live off the proceeds for a year!
Mary wanted to show her love for what Jesus had done and used that perfume on Jesus feet. Nobody else was objecting because this was a show of love and gratitude for what had been done. Judas objected because of his love for money instead of for people…
This gathering had caused many people to come and seek out both Jesus and Lazarus; Jesus for doing the healing, and Lazarus because he came back from the dead! The chief priests objected to this and they started plans to kill both Jesus and Lazarus. They were showing their love was not toward God and others but toward their perceived power over the people; not what Jesus or God was teaching!
Points to Ponder:
How do you show your love for others?
How do you show your love for God?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 698
April 2: Matthew 21:1-11
Key Verse: Matthew 21:11
The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’
Devotion:
How many times have you aimed high at getting something completed only to find out you cannot quite reach the mark and have to be happy with a lesser result? How many of those times have you been distraught because you could not accomplish your goals?
A lot of times we find out the hard way we cannot go as far as we had hoped we could and we end up having to do less of have less in the end. When you get to that point, what you do next is going to be what counts most of all! If you just accept what has been done and leave it at that, you could be seen as being someone who has been able to attain something, right? But what would happen if you continued to aim high and continued forward with your plan, making slight adjustments along the way.
If you follow any sport you will know what I am talking about here. There is only going to be one winner on any particular day. But if you continue following that sport you will see how the leader board often changes week on week – that is because the people taking part try new things or approach problems in a different manner.
God wants us to be the same in our work for Him. Going in and facing a failing on your first day should not put you off. Going in an only having a partial results should not put you off. We are in this for the span of our lives and not just on the day or hour of the event. Depending on which Gospel you read, this even reached varying levels of success – what they all agree on is that this was just the start of Jesus final entry into Jerusalem. The true success was down to Jesus not giving up and continuing on the path God had set before Him!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you give up because you don’t succeed?
Will you ask God for continued guidance instead of a one off success?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 642
April 1: Ezekiel 37:21-23
Key Verse: Ezekiel 37:22
I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.
Devotion:
I sometimes wonder what the prophets thought when they were told by God they had to deliver good or bad news – often news which the people would find hard to understand or believe. God will always try to give us a good path to follow, but because we live in the world and are bound by earthly rules and regulations, we often get lost before we can go in the direct God wants us to.
The people of Israel were caught up in many different things because they were in a new country and they were split up into groups or factions; not because they wanted to fight but because of their own desires to be in their own tribal areas. Each group was now in a different area and they no longer had the common focus of following the cloud of smoke or the pillar of light. Instead all manner of things were gaining their attention...
When we focus on things outside of our lives with God we are going to get persuaded from time to time to go off on a tangent to the way God wants us to walk. This is the temptations of the world and the evil one will do all he can to try and make those temptations as big and appealing as possible!
God’s intention was to make Israel an example to the world so people would be encouraged to find God in amongst the failings of the world. Jesus came to open the doors so we can all find a way of avoiding the worldly things. We still have that direction and as disciples we should be the example through which people can see Christ rather than the world!
Points to Ponder:
What sort of example are you in your community?
Will you try to reflect Jesus’ light more in your community?