- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 853
July 18: Psalm 23:1-6
Key Verse: Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Devotion:
King David knew God. This does not mean he was perfect. This does not mean he did not sin against God. It meant he knew God personally because he was in a personal relationship with God. Because of this, he was able to write these words which we use to encourage ourselves in times of great adversity!
Jesus continued to tell the truth about what happened, what was happening and what was going to come in the future. He told it at the right time to others by listening to God and obeying Him. David, at the time of writing this, was close to God and knew he had to listen closely to God. When he listened and obeyed, good things happened and he felt the power of God in things he did.
If we are willing to listen closely to God and to obey His requests, then we too will feel the power of God through the things we do. This is what Jesus promoted and what has been written many times before in our bibles. This is the power of God working through people around the world and throughout time. I love David’s description of this power he experienced.
His words ring true: even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil! Why, because God was with him and walking by his side. The more David relied on the power and wisdom of God, the more he was able to do and the more people got to hear about the power of God through him. God wants us to be these beacons, ready to shine and willing to obey God’s will in our lives.
Points to Ponder:
Are you willing to obey?
Will you tell someone how good it is to be with God?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 862
July 17: Mark 10:32-34
Key Verse: Mark 10:33
‘We are going up to Jerusalem,’ he said, ‘and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles
Devotion:
Have you ever had to tell someone close to you some very bad news? It is not easy to tell someone something you know they are not going to want to hear! And even harder when it is to tell someone something unstoppable is going to happen which will end up in a life being lost. Jesus was trying to break this news to the disciples without them losing faith in everything because He knew it would not be the end – despite it being the end of His physical life.
Jesus wasn’t going to broadcast this to everyone because God wanted them to see a human being raised up from the dead in no uncertain terms! If they knew of it before hand, they would have come up with some excuse for it to be trickery instead of reality. God does not deal in tricks but in the truth!
Jesus especially did not tell any of this to anyone who would report it back to the chief priests – they were the ones who would be largely responsible for all this happening! Jesus was not going to give them any reason to stop what they were going to do; how else would He be able to be the ultimate sacrifice for everyone.
When we have to tell someone any news, it should always be the truth and we should trust God to show us how best to tell of this news. From the very best news about Jesus, to the very worst news about family members passing away, we always need to be truthful and open. God showed us this through Jesus being truthful with everything in His life and about God as well.
Points to Ponder:
Do you try spare people the truth sometimes?
How could we believe Christ if His Word was not the truth?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 876
July 16: Matthew 10:5-8
Key Verse: Matthew 10:6
Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
Devotion:
When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples, He gave them authority of many things, to do miracles just as He had been doing, and to teach the people about God. But He did not send them out to all the gentiles; rather He sent them out to the Jews, the lost sheep of Israel. Why would He exclude most of the population of the area?
Jesus was sending these twelve disciples to get the Jews into action. Up until now they had been slowly wandering away from God and taking things into their own hands, making the own rules and not following the prophets as they should be. Jesus knew how urgent it was to get the chosen people of God back on track.
Often, we look out and we try to find the people we think who need the gospel more than others – we tend to look away from our homes and out toward people who we think have not yet heard about God. Quite often God wants us to focus on the people around us rather than those on the other side of the country or world!
When Jesus said the gospel was going to be told to all the people, He did mean everyone; but at this time He knew the importance of focusing on the people who had forgotten themselves. Sometimes it is the Christians who need a bit of encouragement or guidance. Sometimes it is the people in church who need that word from God. We don’t always have to take it to someone new all the time!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like telling others about God?
Have you told the people in your household?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 879
July 15: Philippians 4:15-20
Key Verse: Philippians 4:17
Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.
Devotion:
Depending on what mood you are in and how your journey is with God, you will come out with a differing view of the words in this passage! So, what is my take in my journey today?
The Apostle reaches out to the people in the church of Philippi with words of encouragement and thanksgiving. He started off his journey on his mission around the area to try to open up God’s Scripture and Christ’s love to the people who were in need - everyone who would listen! He was very grateful to the church of Philippi for the support he had received ever since he had been there. He had faithfully stepped forward as Christ had requested and had not saved up enough to make sure he could go places before going – he went and trusted God for support.
Sometimes in our lives we tend to hold back and try to get into a safe place before we start. We don’t like to take risks and we hold back because of that. We don’t get very far with our mission because we have held back all along. But when we step forward and trust God with our lives, He is more than willing and very able to provide for our every need.
This is faith. Faith is stepping forward and trusting God. Faith is not leaping into a fire or jumping off a cliff (physically or metaphorically) to see if God will live up to His promise. Faith is listening to what God would like you to do and stepping forward to do it, trusting God will provide the necessary things along the way. Living by faith is hard, but so very rewarding!
Points to Ponder:
Do you have the strength to live by faith?
Will you trust God with more of your life?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 870
July 14: Ephesians 4:1-6
Key Verse: Ephesians 4:3
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Devotion:
Do you find it hard to live a life as a Christians when you are surrounded by so many people who are doing their own thing and not caring too much about anything else other than themselves? We are encouraged to look out for ourselves and to make sure we live a life we enjoy... but this is not what God teaches us and not what the Bible teaches us!
God continues to try and encourage us to live a life filled with love for one another where we can keep the peace because we know God’s word and we are encouraged by it. It if God through Christ and the Holy Spirit who continues to encourage us to live a life for Him. When we do listen and obey, we find it a lot easier to live with love for each other – this is the way Christ taught us and the way the Holy Spirit encourages us.
We need to focus on God, which means focusing on Christ and the Holy Spirit, keeping abreast of things through reading His Word and listening to Him at all times. When we do focus on God, our lives become more attuned to living His way and keeping Him as the focus in everything we do.
The more we live our lives with God in them, the more we begin to realise He is in everything and we see just how much He has done for us from the very beginning! Don’t wander off down the path which leads to worldly ways and possessions – instead keep God close and allow Him to show us how love and sharing go so much further!
Points to Ponder:
Do you live for personal goals?
Will you try to live for God’s goals today?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 799
July 13: Psalm 25:8-11
Key Verse: Psalm 25:9
He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
Devotion:
It is good to read through God’s Word. It is better to stop and think about what you read from God’s Word. God has set many things in motion to include sinners from all around the world in His teachings. He has made sure the bible is written in many different languages for people all round the world. He has made sure it is printed and spread everywhere... we are all given a chance to get to hear the bible.
What makes the biggest difference is what we do with the words we hear! Do we listen to the words but not hear them because we are thinking of something else when they are read to us. Do we listen and then move on to another topic as soon as we have heard them? Do we stop and think about the words? Do we meditate on the words?
God is good and continues to make sure we all get opportunity to hear His Word. He even gives His word to the most ardent of sinners. But it is the humble who stop and ingest His Word – these are the people who get to learn the most from God’s Word.
When we do hear His Word, we should not just listen, think and meditate... we should try to move forward and change our lives to fit in with what we are learning. Yesterday I was wearing a T-shirt which has the words Pray & Obey on it. When we get to hear God’s Word, we need to take it in and pray for understanding from the Holy Spirit. When He teaches us what we should understand, we should obey His teaching and move forward with Him in our lives. Not just sinners – all of us!
Points to Ponder:
How do you hear God’s Word?
How do you react to God’s Word?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 834
July 12: Mark 6:14-16
Key Verse: Mark 6:16
But when Herod heard this, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!’
Devotion:
How many times have you heard a short passage from the bible and recalled what you thought was important rather than listening to the actual words being spoken? I know I have drifted away many times in church because I have thought I knew the passage – but the more we read the bible and think about the words we are reading, the more we will learn about God and about us.
Jesus was becoming a bit of a talking point. Many people knew about Him and many could probably tell you a story about Him which they had heard before or from someone else. People were talking! But when people talk, the truth is not always passed on – we tend to embellish on the story to suit our own wants or we change things a bit to make it more exciting!
When Herod heard the stories, he even extended the truth a bit in how he retold it! We all get caught up in the heat of the moment and we all tend to say things which may not be the exact truth, or we leave out key parts so the story sounds better! This is our human nature – one which Jesus had to face and fight every day He was here with us.
When we tell stories, we have to stand by what we say because people are going to expect us to uphold our word! So we should be very careful how we tell people stories or we may end up having to extend the truth, hide facts or make things worse because we have to cover up an untruth we have told before – things just keep getting worse and pilling up on our shoulders!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like telling a good story?
Will you stick to the truth when you tell people about God?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 780
July 11: Amos 7:7-9
Key Verse: Amos 7:8
And the Lord asked me, ‘What do you see, Amos?’ ‘A plumb-line,’ I replied. Then the Lord said, ‘Look, I am setting a plumb-line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.
Devotion:
How many times have you read things which don’t seem to make sense until someone explains them to you? At first glance, this could be one of those passages, but when we read it a few times and think about it we may come to a very different conclusion!
God was angry with the people because they were no longer following His ways and had turned to do all manner of things for themselves and for worldly gain instead. Each time God told Amos He was going to do something bad to the people, Amos pleaded with God to not let it be so... why was Amos pleading with God on behalf of a people who did not seem to care for God anymore?
Amos must have seen some good people and for God to do something against all the people would mean they would get into deep water too. Amos knew God had every right to do whatever He wanted, but that did not stop him pleading for the people. When God then showed Amos the Lord standing by a wall with a plumbline in His hand, Amos was a little confused by this.
A plumbline is there to make sure the builders are building walls which are vertical and hence stronger. If they are not vertical, they will fall down more easily when any force comes up against them. God wants us to be strong and upright so we can stand against temptations when they come in. Any walls which are not upright should be torn down and rebuilt to make them strong again – this is what God was saying would happen to the people who were no longer living upright lives!
Points to Ponder:
How do you think you compare to God’s plumbline?
Jesus is our builder who is building perfect walls!
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 767
July 10: Matthew 9:14-15
Key Verse: Matthew 9:14
Then John’s disciples came and asked him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?’
Devotion:
How many time have people stopped you to ask why you are not doing something the way they think Christians should be acting? If it is none, then are you acting like a stereotypical Christian, or are you following what God wants you to do in your life? Sometimes we get too caught up in the way we think we should act and we lose focus on what God wants from us in our lives.
We need to be lights for Jesus – this is not to say we have to be Jesus in the eyes of others, but we should be shining like Jesus did. Jesus set Himself apart from the people because He did things differently. Not because He wanted to rebel, but because He wanted people to see He was not the same as everyone else.
When we say we should be lights for Jesus we should be more of a reflection of what Jesus was like – not as someone who follows an exact set of rules and will not change, but someone who takes into account the people and places around them and does what is right!
Jesus wants us to set ourselves aside from the worldly ways of the people around us and to make people stop and think why we are doing things the way we are! If we simply do as others have done all along, then we are not following the will of God but rather the rules as others think they should be followed...
Points to Ponder:
Do you follow rules for rules sake?
Will you do what God wants you to do instead today?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 793
July 9: Matthew 9:9-13
Key Verse: Matthew 9:12
On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill.
Devotion:
How do you feel when your prayers are not answered in the way you want them to be answered? Do you get upset if your prayers are not answered? How often do you pray for yourself, and how often do you pray for others? Just some of the important questions we need to come to terms with when we look at prayers and how and when God answers them!
But there is another side to things and that is the selfishness or selflessness of ourselves and our prayers! Jesus had no problem going to Matthew and calling him to be a disciple; whereas the people around Him thought this was a terrible travesty because Matthew was a tax collector who had got more out of people than they should have paid – that is how they made their money (much like debt collectors nowadays who get more out of people than the person or company sold the debt for)
Some will say it’s business. Some will say it’s wrong. What God looks at is the heart of the person on each side of the debt. He looks at the person who owes the money to see if they will own up to their debt. He looks at the integrity of the person collecting the money. His focus is not on the money, but the honesty and humbleness and mercy of the people concerned.
When the people around Him complained about Him eating with the ‘sinners’ Jesus turned things around and said these were the very people who needed to get to know God more than the honest and upright people because they were furthest away from the truth to start with. God wants us to serve on a level playing field where we all know the rules and try to obey them!
Points to Ponder:
Do you pray for good people?
Will you pray for someone you consider to be bad?