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February 2: Luke 2:25-35
Key Verse: Luke 2:27
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
Devotion:
There are some things we meet in life which we know are the truth and we accept them without question. There are other things we know to be untrue and yet they stick with us and upset us again and again. Simeon knew He would not die until after he had witnessed the Messiah with his own eyes and this was that day. He was not told by a big announcement Jesus was coming but was led by the Spirit to come to the temple at that time.
God continues to talk to us and try to persuade us to be at the right place at the right time; whether we listen and obey or continue on in our busy lives is another thing. God wants us to try to be aware of the Holy Spirit at all times and to listen for those small prompts to be at the right place at the right time. He has many things planned for each of us and some of those will be amazing times.
Some will announce an end to something you love doing; I loved being in London serving the local community and I truly miss being there – especially in these dire Covid times, but God has a plan. Simeon knew this was something very special but knew it was a signal for the end. His warning to Mary was also very unsettling. She was warned her heart would be pierced in the future.
God does not say we will have a life without sorry or pain but we will have the comfort of knowing we know Jesus personally and we have a home with Him in Heaven when the time comes. What goes on here on earth before that time may be hard to handle or to accept; we simply need to look to the future!
Points to Ponder:
What hardships have you faced last month?
Are you looking forward to what God can do this month?
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February 1: James 1:19-27
Key Verse: James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Devotion:
How often do or have you zoned out whilst in a class or lecture? One of my failings is allowing my mind to wander when I should be concentrating on listening or reading; my mind wanders off on a tangent and I lose an hour when I begin to come back to what I should be doing!
God does not want us to listen “blindly” to what is being said or what is in our bibles. God wants us to apply what we hear and read into our lives so we can become better people. God wants us to read or listen with intent – to discern what we are hearing or reading and then to make a conscious effort to apply what we learn into our lives!
If we take a recipe and follow the words exactly, there is a good chance we will get a good meal in the end; but if the recipe does not list everything exactly as required, then it may be hit-and-miss as to whether we do get something god in the end. This is where experience and advice from others comes in – if we try to make our own rules, things may not work as expected, but when we follow advice from others who have been there, and discern this is good advice, then we will have better luck.
So, when you read your bible verses today. Don't just skip over them and then expect me to give you all of the information required – there is no way I can expand enough in these short devotionals for you to get the very best wisdom. God wants us to go through His word, take on board what others are saying and then go to Him for an insight delivered to you by the Holy Spirit!
Points to Ponder:
How well do you read God’s Word?
How well do you meditate on God’s Word?
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January 31: Proverbs 13:16-17
Key Verse: Proverbs 13:17
A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.
Devotion:
I have always been taught it is best to live with the truth all the time because when you try to deceive others, that deceit will be found out one way or another. The longer you try to hide the lies, the more stress you bring upon yourself and the more likely you are to slip up and let people know what you are hiding!
That being said, so many people do try to hide behind lies – far more people than you realise, including ourselves. We do like to expand on the truth and bend the truth, but this is only bringing deceit into our lives and there is no long-term solution for deceit! So much so, when we find someone who is always willing to tell the truth and share the truth, we find it a pleasure to be around them... unless we are trying to hide the truth in which case we get found out!
When we know this, we should be acting to expose the truth always and to be willing to share that truth with everyone around us. The more we see the positive side of the truth, the more we learn it is the best answer and we turn toward having the truth in our lives. The more we do that, the more others get to share the truth and the more they are willing to live in the light of the truth as well!
God wants us to continue sharing the light – His light, brought to us by Jesus Christ and continuing with the Holy Spirit every day. The more we share this light, the more others will see how pleasing it is to be in the light and they too will shy away from the darkness. It’s Sunday – share the truth with someone else today, be it your own life or the life of Christ, be willing to tell the truth!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you think you bend the truth?
Will you try to express truthful things today?
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January 30: John 9:1-7
Key Verse: John 9:6
After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.
Devotion:
Why would Jesus put mud on the eyes of the blind man? I don’t know if you have ever god mud in your eyes – I have a long history of getting things in my eyes when I was small and still seem to get things in my eyes nowadays! It is not comfortable and certainly not something you would ever equate to getting better or healing!
As we go through the words Jesus spoke here we begin to realise it is the circumstance and the way forward which makes a big impact on what people remember. If Jesus had simply healed the man who was blind from birth, would it have got so much attention? Would people remember it? Jesus knew exactly what was needed for people to remember what was happening here!
The pool of Siloam was also remembered, and people cling to things and places where the extraordinary has happened – it gives us something to focus on and something tangible to believe with. Jesus knew it would be a much bigger impact if He stuck mud in this mans eyes so he would have to wash his eyes out properly. The act of doing something would make more people believe in what Christ could do!
Similarly, God may allow something into your life which you feel is unfair or even unjust, but the results and the outcome will be remembered much more due to the extent of what has happened. My faith has grown so much more since I was in hospital and brought back from near death a few times. Not something I would wish on anyone and not something I want to repeat – but I know how much God did for me and how much He comforted me during those times!
Points to Ponder:
What will it take for you to take notice?
Do you really want to go through bad times to see God’s grace?
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January 29: Matthew 26:47-50
Key Verse: Matthew 26:50
Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.
Devotion:
I wonder what the disciples really went through in their hearts and minds during these few minutes when the crowd of people came to arrest Jesus. This was the man they had been following every move of for a few years and it was all about to come crashing down around them. I must say I could probably relate to the disciple who reached out with a sword instead of words – but Jesus quietened him and brought back the words.
One thing we often forget is Jesus reaching out to His betrayer, Judas, and calling Him friend one last time before being taken away and abused so horribly. When we think of the things we say and do in our lives, we often get caught up in the words and think Christ could never forgive us because we went that step too far even though we know Him...
But, even when we press one too many buttons and we kick the proverbial sand in Jesus eye, He is still willing to stop and look us in the face to say: friend. Jesus is willing to forgive us no matter what we do; and we need to remember that and depend on it too, believing He is going to call us friend and forgive us.
No matter what you have done in your past, no matter what you are doing right now in your life – if you step forward and ask Christ to forgive you, He will. He looks into your heart and not into your past. He looks forward and waits for what you can do with Him. And with Christ we can do anything!
Points to Ponder:
Are you standing scared before Christ?
Will you ask Him to forgive His friend - you?
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January 28: Matthew 26:36-41
Key Verse: Matthew 26:38
Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Devotion:
As we see so many people dying from this pandemic, we are allowed to lament and grieve and mourn. God does not say we must keep a stiff upper lip and not show our emotions. Jesus Himself went to Gethsemane to grieve over what was happening and what was about to happen. It is allowed.
What God does say is that we should comfort those who do mourn, even mourn with them – allow them to come to terms with their losses and just be there for them. The disciples were very tired and fell asleep when Jesus went ahead to pray alone. When Jesus returned He questioned their falling asleep – not because He was cross with them daring to fall asleep whilst He was grieving, but to draw light to their purpose.
I have had several people in my immediate family catch the virus and thankfully they have and are making a good recovery. My heart goes out to those who are less fortunate and lose their loved ones or their own lives to this terrible virus. I have now, like almost everyone will do, lost both my birth parents and that was hard; but losing a loved one to anything other than natural causes brings on new depths of grief.
Why not try and make a difference by being “awake” for someone who is mourning, being there as a shoulder to cry on. Why not make a difference by calling someone who is going through a rough patch (that opens up so many calls we can make at this time!) Being there to support someone can make all the difference to them.
Points to Ponder:
Do you know someone who is struggling?
Will you give them a call and offer them help?
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January 27: Isaiah 49:14-17
Key Verse: Isaiah 49:16
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.
Devotion:
It’s horrible to feel alone. The feeling of being alone when you know there is a crowd ‘out there’ cannot be expressed in words – it's something which dwells deep inside you and only comes out when you do feel singled or left out. I have been to large gatherings of Christians and felt alone in the crowd, not because I am surrounded by people who don’t care but because I am missing something...
I love these words penned by Isaiah so many years ago – they are so valid and so meant for times like these we find ourselves in now. We are separated from our loved ones to try and keep others (and ourselves) safe from spreading or catching this virus and that makes us feel alone. But one thing we can always count on is God being with us, every minute of every day!
We do feel left behind by God at times. We do feel like He may have forgotten us... because we start to think we are or should be the centre of attention; as soon as the focus goes off of us, we feel left out. Well, just maybe God is so comfortable with the way we are He is silently sitting on the sofa with us watching the movie we are! Just maybe He is walking beside us in the forest as we try to get a bit of fresh air.
Just as we don’t always talk to our best friends, so God is with us. It’s not a case of God is so busy with so many other people He doesn’t have time for me... He always has time for everyone, but sometimes we are so engrossed with the movie or the trees around us that we forget He is right next to us! Reach out your hand and hold His hand – it's there!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you feel alone?
How often do you reach out to hold God’s hand?
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January 26: Matthew 20:20-28
Key Verse: Matthew 20:28
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Devotion:
Zebedee was a prosperous fisherman whose sons, James and John, were called to be disciples by Jesus. We surmise Zebedee believed in Jesus because he made no attempt to stop his sons from following Jesus when they were called. His wife approached Jesus and asked for her sons to be given prominent positions in Heaven, to be sat either side of Jesus!
I think they must have been looked up at in society for her to approach Jesus and ask such things, but Jesus told her He could not give them such positions in heaven because it was not His position to do this. This is God’s realm we are talking about and only God, the Father of Jesus should make such decisions; Jesus was already in His role as the Messiah, the human man living amongst us.
God looks at the work we do here on earth, not the results of the work we do... This seems like a small difference because we view a successful disciple as one who has shared the gospel with many and brought many to believe in Christ... But it is not all about the numbers or who we bring to Christ, it’s about how we measure up to the task given us by God!
God may be calling us to simply bring the gospel to one other person in our lives. He may we calling us to build a community which will in turn bring people to Him. He may be calling us to reach out to a single person who will make a difference in our community. He will judge us according to what He has called us to and not the numbers affected by us!
Points to Ponder:
What is God calling you to do?
Are you really listening to God’s instructions?
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January 25: Proverbs 23:15-16
Key Verse: Proverbs 23:16
my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
Devotion:
I am very proud of my children. They continue to show wisdom in their lives! I know we have all had our rough times and I know they do go through terrible times too – but they continue to uphold righteousness even when I have not shown them the right way! I really do love them and probably don’t tell them enough!
But this is not about me and my children, or about you and your children; this is about God and His children... and not just God and Jesus. We are all called to be children of God, so this applies to all of us! If you have children, then you know the feelings of joy you have when they do something right! Somehow, even though you think it not possible, your love continues to grow for them each day.
We cannot express how much God loves us because we don’t have the words to do so, and yet He continues to love us more each day just as we continue to love our children more each day. So what do you think you do to try and show some of that love back to Him? What sort of things do you do for your parents to show them love?
God should never be taken for granted, though we do from time to time. God continues to love us and we need to love Him back for all He does for and with us. We shouldn’t be doing this out of a sense of duty, but as a child loving their parent because they first loved us. Sometimes it is a phone call at the right time which makes the difference. Sometimes it is a quiet word which makes all the difference...
Points to Ponder:
What do you do to show God you love Him?
Will you take time out today to talk to God and open your heart?
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January 24: Proverbs 8:1-5
Key Verse: Proverbs 8:4
To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.
Devotion:
I can remember my son coming home and inviting me to church – somewhere I had not been for more than a decade! I can remember the pastor knocking on my door on Saturday to invite me to church after I had ignored the call from my son for a few more weeks. I can remember the feeling of being back in church after such a long time away...
God continues to call out to us and to invite us to join in the call for wisdom to flood into our lives. I know there are many reasons we can come up with not to go to church, even more now we are in pandemic times... But when it comes down to it, we are the ones making the choice to ignore the wisdom God has on offer to us.
We really should be listening to anyone who is willing to share wisdom with us... We do have to step forward and make the choice to follow wisdom and to share in the truth. We must make a stand against evil and against lies. We must stop the spread of the rot in our communities and in our countries.
It must start somewhere and that could be a simple invite to a friend – maybe not to come to a physical church service but to listen to one online. Share a devotion with a friend. Play a worship song instead of something else. Read a bit of the bible instead burying yourself in the newspaper. Spread the Good News instead of helping with the gossip.
Points to Ponder:
What do you talk about with your friends?
Do you uphold God’s ways in your life?