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7 September: Psalm 1:1-6
Key Verse: Psalm 1:3
Like a tree planted by streams of water bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither, whatever they do, it shall prosper.
Devotion:
As we continue on through this season of remembering God's creation, celebrating all he has done for us and remembering he put us in charge of this earth, we still need to be reminded where we get our daily bread from.
I'm not talking about the slice of toast, butter and marmalade you may like in the morning (yes that is quite 'British') but the food for our souls.
Our souls need food just as our physical bodies need nutrition to survive. When we go without our daily bread for our souls, we become weaker inside and we may well give in to the troubles and temptations of the world around us.
But when we ground ourselves in God's word we are more like a tree planted closer to water. It will be able to draw on the abundant water supply to grow and provide for others.
Points to ponder:
Do you find yourself lacking in spiritual strength to help others at times?
Are you continually feeding your soul from God's word?
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6 September: Isaiah 55:12-13
Key Verse: Isaiah 55:12
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Devotion:
I think one of the song we shall sing today in church will be centred around these words, not because this verse is what shall be read out, but because of the love it is centred around.
When we sow seeds of doubt, doubt grows around us. When we sow seeds of love, love grows around us. The stuff which comes out of our mouths will do more in the lives of the people around us than we first realise.
The more we begin to see just how our words affect others, the more we will start to think about the words we say and the actions we take. God wants us to stop and think before we say and do!
The closer we act to the life of Jesus, the more the people around us will think like the way we act and thus more like Jesus. We are not just disciples, we are his examples!
Points to ponder:
What was he last thing you talked about to the people around you?
Do you think it was what Jesus would have wanted to hear?
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2 September: Luke 6:1-5
Key Verse: Luke 6:5
Then he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.’
Devotion:
I can remember times in my life when I learned something new and it was like a shock to the system because I had always believed in the old ways I was used to.
Far too often we get stuck in the ways we do things and we do not ask why, we simply do without asking. Jesus wants you to ask all the time, to check you are doing things right, to question why you do things the way you do.
He does not do this to make you a rebellious person, but to make sure you are not just doing things because someone said so!
Jesus came to upset the apple cart, to stop people from blindly following tradition and rules made by mankind. He wants us to do things because we want to do them for God, not because the rules say we must!
Points to ponder:
Do you follow the rules without question?
Will you trust Christ instead of regulations!
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4 September: Luke 5:33-39
Key Verse: Luke 5:34
Jesus said to them, ‘You cannot make wedding-guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you?
Devotion:
The more people think they are in charge of a church or a congregation, the more power they think they have and the bigger their ego becomes. A hard thing to hear, but one lived out on too many occasions!
God wants us to be servant as well as leaders. He want us to share what we have with the people around us to show them an echo of his love for all of us. If we become egotistical we leave behind the love of God!
God wants us to be blessed so we can pass those blessings on to the people around us. He does not want us to be blessed so we can show off!
The leaders in the synagogues at this time were all about the rules and regulations, keeping people in line through harsh ruling and God could see his love evaporation from the land...
Points to ponder:
Are you leading with a scorched earth policy?
Will you share God's word like gentle rain?
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3 September 2026: Luke 5:1-11
Key Verse: Luke 5:5
Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’
Devotion:
I love the way Jesus would use everything around him to reach out to people, whether it was in a persons home healing them or out in a boat on a lake near the shore teaching people. He took what was at hand and used it for God's glory!
When Simon first questioned Jesus, it was out of experience and probably exhaustion too. He had been fishing to no avail, and this carpenter was telling him where to fish and when!
When they pulled in two boat loads of fish he had no problem listening to Jesus after that! Did it really need that deed to get Simon to listen properly to God?
Many a time we are too caught up in the world as we understand it that we lose sight of the world as God sees it; we limit his power by what we think instead of by what God actually knows!
Points to ponder:
Are you struggling because you can't see it?
Will you step forward and trust Christ!
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2 September: Haggai 2:10-19
Key Verse: Haggai 2:12
If one carries consecrated meat in the fold of one’s garment, and with the fold touches bread, or stew, or wine, or oil, or any kind of food, does it become holy? The priests answered, ‘No.’
Devotion:
One of the things the people of Israel were very hot on was making sure they had loads and loads of rules for absolutely everything to try and make sure they did not do things which God had told them were wrong in some way.
Unfortunately, like a badly taught AI model, they had built rules upon rules upon rules and they were loosing their way in what God really wanted from them
Their rules would make some things clean and other things unclean just because of a touch against something which was unclean. But they dare not say something was clean just because it was touched by something which was deemed holy in some manner!
They were placing higher authority on their rules than on the wishes of God; something we need t be very aware of and avoid going down the same rabbit hole with!
Points to ponder:
Are you putting more emphasis on your rules rather than the wishes of God?
Are you ready to give in to God's wishes in your life?
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1 September: 1 Corinthians 2:10-16
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 2:11
For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God.
Devotion:
As we go a bit deeper into this chapter from our bibles, we see a pattern appearing from Paul and his teaching/writings. Not a patter of self importance or accomplishments, but of giving God the glory for all things!
I love the words he uses here to remind the people he is writing to that it is not through doing things to make himself look good or seem intelligent but rather to remind others exactly where he gets any wisdom and any strengths he has - from God!
The Holy Spirit is his teacher since Jesus went back to heaven to be with God, he made sure we have the Holy Spirit here with us as our teacher and our rock upon which we can stand firm.
The more we realise how much God can and does do for us, the more strength we gain from depending on God. Be more like Paul and rest on the strength of God in the Holy Spirit!
Points to ponder:
How much do you go to the gym to gain strength?
How much do you listen to the Holy Spirit to gain spiritual strength?
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31 August: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 2:5
so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
Devotion:
I do like the approach the Apostle Paul had to writing the the churches in Corinth. He did not want to seem like a pious authority with a great education and boasting of his accomplishments!
Rather, he approached them as a person without great education, but a person who was willing to listen to God and to obey the teaching of Jesus Christ - the teaching God gave to his son!
When we build up our accomplishments or the things around us as if we were the maker or author of things, we will not get any further recognition from anyone other than thank or congratulations for a job well done.
But when we rest of the things of God and what he teaches us to pass on to others, they will be more inclined to look further into things because they can see something which goes far deeper than you accomplishments!
Points to ponder:
Do you do things for self recognition?
Or do you do things to try and bring glory to God?
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August 30: Romans 12:9-21
Key Verse: Romans 12:14
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
Devotion:
One of the hardest things to do may well be to bless those people who are doing things against you! We hear so much about 'an eye for an eye' and such sayings, but very little about love them instead.
You have probably heard it enough times: 'you have to love them, you don't have to like them...' But God says we should also bless them, which means going out of you way for someone who is not on your favourites list!
If we look at social networks, it is easy to like comments from people you like and to block people who you don't like. I fear that social networks have added to the ring of hate more than gossip does!
God wants our love to be genuine, which does mean going out of your way to help someone just because they need help - not because you like them, not because they have helped you in the past, just because they need help!
Points to ponder:
How often do you help your friends?
How often do you help strangers?
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August 29: Mark 8:1-10
Key Verse: Mark 8:6
Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd.
Devotion:
On this day in our church we are getting ready for a community BBQ and teddy bears picnic at our church, a summer event we have started to bring our community together. What with the drought in the UK and fears of wildfires, things will probably look a bit different!
But we trust God to bring people together and to share what we do in our church with everyone and allow them to feel more part of our parish and our church.
Jesus had compassion on the people who had been following him and the disciples for days. Now he wanted to give back to them and encourage them to be a part of his church.
Being a Christian does not mean closing yourself off in a church on Sunday to worship YOUR God. It means bringing people together to share OUR God!
Points to ponder:
How often do you invite people to church?
How often do you share stuff with people even if they do not come to church?