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December 5: Luke 3:1-6
Key Verse: Luke 3:4
As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: ‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
Devotion:
Have you ever been asked to do something for your church and refused because you didn’t think you could do it? The first time I was asked to do Christian youth work I doubted myself and said I didn’t think I could do it… but after a bit of encouragement I agreed to come along and take a few steps toward doing the work. Before too long I was in charge of the youth group and continued to do Christian youth work right up until I was admitted into hospital a couple of years ago.
I was scared I would not be able to live up to the name the previous youth leader had built up – I was thinking about me instead of thinking about what God was asking of me! The more we focus on what we can or cannot do, the more lost we become in our limitations and the less we will be able to do for God. But when we allow God to guide us and simply listen to what He is saying, our work for Him will be turned around and become what He wanted in the first place!
When John heard the calling, I’m sure he would have had doubts about what he could do, but he listened to God and obeyed his calling. God was not calling John to convert as many people to Christianity as he could. He was not asking John to be a pre-show before Jesus came on the scene! He was asking John to faithfully tell people the true gospel story.
Our task is not to do God’s work for Him. Our task is to listen to what God wants us to do and to faithfully obey God. He is asking us to prepare the way, not to build the roads, but to show people which direction the road is in. Our task is to guide people towards God so He can have the full attention of His people – not to make us the centre of attention or the hero… God alone is God!
Points to Ponder:
Do you get worried you cannot do God’s Work?
Have you tried showing people God instead?
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December 4: Matthew 9:35-38
Key Verse: Matthew 9:37
Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
Devotion:
I wonder if you have ever had to help out in an emergency or some sort of disaster? When you arrive on the scene it is a bit of a shock to see the scene, then the desperation of the people can be seen, then your feeling of helplessness sets in… Only when you start to do physical things, however small, do you start to see a change in circumstances and you finally see you can help!
I don’t wish disaster aid on anyone because it can be distressing, often taking a very special kind of person to help out when everything seems to pointless to start with. I could imagine this being the same feeling Jesus would have when going to some of these towns and villages where He would see the helpless crowds who needed so much. But, everywhere He went would be another new opportunity to do something, no matter how small!
I’m sure half the problem was seeing how helpless the disciples felt as well. He would see how they needed support to be able to help the people in the towns. He could see their desperate hearts. But Jesus’ way forward was not to give the disciples super-human strength to get through everything, but to remind them they needed help from others too.
As we step out to do what God wants us to do, we are going to face times when we will feel helpless and think we cannot do things as He wants us to. Those are the times when we need to step back and review how we are going about His work. Do we need to go forward in a different way, or do we need to ask for help? Often asking for help is difficult because we think we should be able to cope, but when we get local communities involved with God’s work, they will begin to see how rewarding it is...
Points to Ponder:
How much do you do for God in your community?
Will you be willing to help when asked?
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December 3: Psalm 25:16-21
Key Verse: Psalm 25:18
Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.
Devotion:
How many times have you called out to God because you have been in trouble or some other distressing place? How many times have you found comfort in God when you have needed it most? I pity the people who do not know God and have nobody to turn to when their lives are being turned upside down or when they think the whole world seems to be against them? We have the Lord and we can get comfort and strength simply by calling out to Him at those times!
When we are lonely and afflicted, we can call out and He answers us in a special way; we don’t always know how to describe it, but we know it! When our hearts are heavy and we feel like the whole world is on our shoulders, we can call out to Him and get comfort and strength to carry on. We can often see the trouble and strife we cause by doing something wrong, something we have tried to hide from others or something which goes against God’s wishes.
When we call out to God in those times, He opens His arms just like the Father welcoming the prodigal son back home. No matter what we have done wrong, if we come back to God and call out for help knowing what we have done, He is faithful to answer us and to give us strength to do what is right!
We may feel overwhelmed by the number of people around us who are against us or against God, but He will always open our eyes to someone close by who is willing and able to help out. When we live our lives according to God’s ways, we will stand out as being different and people may work against us – not because they don’t like us, but because they look bad when compared to how we look in their eyes. Stand up for what is righteous and live in God’s comforting grip!
Points to Ponder:
Do you try to live God’s way?
Will you call out to Him for guidance instead of only calling out in desperation?
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December 2: Matthew 7:21-27
Key Verse: Matthew 7:21
‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Devotion:
How many times do you get carried away with doing one thing and totally forget about what you had planned to do instead? I know this happened to me yesterday as I sat down to update some software on my PC before writing the daily devotions… and got so engrossed in doing things on my PC I forgot to bring you the devotions on time! So I’m sitting here reflecting on things and getting onto the task I should have done yesterday!
How appropriate the verses I was directed to today! Here Jesus was talking to people and encouraging them to do things for God and not just talk about doing them… We need to keep our focus on God – not by talking about things but by doing things for God too. Yesterday, when in a group of people meeting during an Alpha session, I was reminded about this as well…
Our world is full of temptations which will take us away from being disciples and keep us firmly planted in the worldly ways instead. Jesus wants us to be better disciples for Him, but not just disciples who talk about things but disciples who step forward and do things. How many things have you put off during the last year because of circumstances which worry you or frighten you? I’m not talking about doing things which are foolish like ignoring Covid guidelines, but little things like helping behind the scenes or talking to someone who needs encouragement.
I know I say this a lot, but we don’t all have to stand up in front of congregations and shout out about God – otherwise who will be in the pews? God wants each of us to do what we can do, and to do it willingly for God. If we live our lives in such a way as to show people we are different from the world, we then get the opportunity to show them why we are different: because we have Christ in us!
Points to Ponder:
Do you sometimes procrastinate?
Will you step forward today and say yes to something you keep putting off?
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December 1: Matthew 15:29-37
Key Verse: Matthew 15:36
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.
Devotion:
I have always looked at these verses which talk about the miracles Jesus did as just that, miracles! But after reading these verses again today, I started to see something more than just the miracle. I say ‘just the miracle’ but it is not just a miracle, it is extraordinary how much compassion Jesus had on the people and how He wanted God to show how much He cares for us…
Think about how Jesus was going about this for a minute. He started out by showing them love and healing those who needed healing and in turn blessing those around the people being healed. What better way for witnesses to be born than to see exactly what Jesus was doing to the people who they had come with – friends, family and those neighbours… they were the ones being healed and their family, friends and neighbours were the ones seeing it all happening right in front of them.
Even with the meagre offerings he had to start with, Jesus was able to expand on them into something remarkable. He started off by asking them to be obedient to His word. He asked them to sit down and wait on Him. He then took the meagre offerings and asked God to bless and multiply them for all to have enough.
He then broken the food into pieces and gave those pieces to the disciples; telling them to go out and give this bread to the people. Jesus was given a little food which He shared with the disciples who in turn shared it with the people until everyone had enough to eat. This is the same way He wants us to share the living bread – His Word – with others. He wants to give His Word to us and wants us to share that Word with others until we all have enough!
Points to Ponder:
Do you willingly take of Christ’s living bread?
Do you willingly give of Christ’s living bread?
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November 30: Romans 10:12-15
Key Verse: Romans 10:14
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
Devotion:
Paul was given the task of going out to tell the gentiles about Jesus and to give them the same opportunity the Jews were being given to get to know Jesus. Today the gospel is going out to everyone around the world, and every one of us is given the same chance at calling on the name of the Lord to be saved… Saved from what? Saved from the destination each one of us has chosen without knowing it…
Does it sound like a catch 22 situation to you? How can we be saved from something we don’t know we have got ourselves into unless someone tells us about the situation in the first place! This is why we are given the task of going out into the world and telling people about Jesus. He promised every one of us would get the chance at hearing about Him and each one would be given the choice to believe in Him or to reject Him. How are people going to know they have a choice until they are given the choice?
This is why Jesus gave out the call for everyone to go and tell someone else the gospel story. As we start heading toward Christmas time, we often get too caught up in the celebrations the world has put in place; we forget the real reason why we have Christmas. Our time is here now to step forward and tell someone else the true story of Christmas and to give people the choice we were given!
Not all the Jew made the right choice. Not all of us will make the right choice. But we do need to be given the right to make that choice by being told the truth. We made our choices because someone spent time telling us about our choice. Who are you going to tell the truth to this year?
Points to Ponder:
Will you spend time listening to the true Christmas Story?
Will you give someone a chance by telling them the true Christmas story this year?
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November 29: Isaiah 2:1-5
Key Verse: Isaiah 2:4
He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more.
Devotion:
These verses tell of the promise coming true – the day when the people of Jerusalem are going to be living out the result of the promises they got from God; the day they see their promises for themselves. I don’t know if you have ever been able to experience a promise coming true in such a way as to give you more joy that you have had in a long time!
This time being talked about is a time when Jerusalem will prosper in many ways, not just a time when they will experience freedom, but a time when other nations are going to come to them for many reasons. When things go wrong in your life, where do you turn to? Is there a person, group or place where you can go and be guaranteed of getting the help you need? Most of us will not have that place where it is guaranteed, but most will have a place where we can be sure we will get some form of help!
The prophet is talking about a time when the Lord will be the one in charge, helping those who need help, guiding those who need guidance and supporting those who need support. This is going to be the time when people will realise God’s promises are true – but it will also be a time when many will come forward for help because they will realise the world has not given them what they need.
If we continue our walk close to God, then we will get the help, guidance and support we need to move forward. If we take heed of that help and guidance, the support we get will be so much more meaningful! We will be rejoicing in the Lord – or as the prophet writes, we will be walking in the light of the Lord!
Points to Ponder:
Where does you help and support come from?
Will you try to focus on what God is trying to do in your life?
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November 28: Jeremiah 33:14-16
Key Verse: Jeremiah 33:14
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will fulfil the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.
Devotion:
Jeremiah had many dire prophecies which the people had every reason to be afraid of; they were facing a dire period during which the armies of Nebuchadnezzar were descending on Jerusalem and many people were going to be captive to the Babylonians. But these few verses show the people some hope, not for the immediate future which is most certainly death for many, but for the future when a Saviour is going to come!
How sure was Jeremiah? He bought a plot of land right before the Babylonians were invading; not because he had hope it may be safe on his own land, but as a demonstration of the hope for the future of the Judeans. This was like a demonstration by him for the people to see how sure the hope in the future was!
Just as Isaiah had prophesied, this prophecy was to say someone would come who was of the lineage of David. People must have been distraught during the Babylonian Exile because they saw the end of the Davidic dynasty – they thought it was the end of the line of David. But God’s promises are built on the truth which would eventually come out at the end of the time of exile.
These words are often hard to hear for us at this time of year, not just because we have much shorter days and winter is fast approaching, but because of the many losses people do face at this time of the year. But the hope these words give us can still give us hope for today too. We too are called to share words of hope at this time more than normal – we too need to give people hope of a good future with God!
Points to Ponder:
What hope do you find in your bible?
Will you share that hope with someone?
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November 27: Psalm 145:17-20
Key Verse: Psalm 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Devotion:
I love the Psalms because of the personal messages delivered through them; these are messages which come from the heart and are real! This Psalm continues to tell us of the goodness, righteousness and faithfulness of our Lord. No matter what is happening in life, no matter how far we go or how upset we get, God is always there and always looking out for us.
We may have to face some extraordinary things in our lives, not because God has caused them, but because human beings have chosen to make bad choices and we all end up paying for those bad choices. We may not know some of them are bad choices at the time, but still we end up in bad places or having a really bad day! Have you noticed how all the people around you also go through those same times – you have not been selected out of a crowd for things to go wrong – stuff just happens!
When we are honest with our feelings and honest toward God, then we will begin to see the honest and caring responses He gives us. When we are fooling ourselves or being selfish about things, we don’t get to see the real truth because we are too caught up in our issues to see the truth!
The Old Testament is full of stories about how God destroyed wicked people and that is the major picture we get from reading the scriptures – if we close our minds off to reality. You see, God has been trying to show people the right ways for many many years, but we get so caught up in the issues we only remember the bad parts or the things which make for exciting reading or hearing about! God tries to protect us through various means – if we listen, we know He is there guiding us. If we don’t know God, we get caught up in the tragedies and lose sight of the truth showing how He cares for us – all we remember is people being harmed or destroyed… we end up thinking God is destroying people...
Points to Ponder:
What do you remember from the latest news you listened to?
Have you tried to think how God was guiding people at that time?
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November 26: Luke 21:29-33
Key Verse: Luke 21:33
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Devotion:
Have you been watching the leave change colour around you lately? In my flat I have one tree out the front on which the leaves turned yellow and seem to all fall off in a couple of days, and yet one at the back which seems to be waiting for something else before it sheds it’s leaves! We can, in general, look at the trees and bushes and know roughly what season it is from the colour of leaves or how fast they are growing…
We can watch various things happening in our lives and and lives of people around us and, again in general, make educated guesses as to what generation those people are or even what part of the world they come from… These are all things we learn by constant observation year after year, or we are taught about them in school and grow to remember those facts.
How many facts do you remember from God’s Word? I used to think I was pretty useless at remembering facts because I would always do badly in exams. I started to think there was something different about my mind! But when I started reading through God’s Word and studying it, I started to remember all sorts of things. I have gained a lot of confidence in my life because I was able to remember things and apply them into my life and even tell others about them too!
Jesus wanted people to know many truths which they had corrupted over time and so He would teach people in various ways so they would remember the truth. We now have so much of what He taught written down in many different languages in our bibles. We can study what He taught and pass on that information to others. Some words tell us of the good things which happened, some tell us of the bad things, whilst others tell us of things which are yet to happen. Take head of those words because they remain unchanged!
Points to Ponder:
How much do you read your bible?
Will you make a plan to read through the bible next year?