- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 979
March 1: Daniel 9:3-11
Key Verse: Daniel 9:3
So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
Devotion:
Daniel had studied the words of the prophet Jeremiah and knew what God wanted him to do – not in every single thing in life, but as a whole. Part of that knowing is to obey what you know God wants and to listen for further instruction as God leads you forward in your life. Daniel knew he did not have to stand on street corners shouting about God, or preaching at the temples, but to follow God’s instructions where he was at that time!
When God calls us to be disciples, it is most often calling us to be disciples where we are living and not to go to the other side of the world. God wants us to be Christians where we are so our communities will get the most from His Word.
When God calls us, it will probably not be to own a nice house and have a good job so we can be upstanding citizens in our communities. God calls us as we are and how we are so we can be examples for Him as ‘normal people!’ God wants us because we want to believe in Him and to follow Him. He does not call us because we can have an extravagant life living for Him!
And, when God calls us, He is not going to give us a big advance in our salary so we can buy things for people – no matter how big our hearts are! God calls us as we are, whether we are rich or poor, healthy or sick, tall or short, male, female or otherwise. God calls us to be there for others. Sometimes we need to step forward and be willing to show God how willing we are by spending more time in prayer, more time in fasting and less time promoting ourselves!
Points to Ponder:
What would be the ideal way God could use you?
He is calling you as you are right now!
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 931
February 28: Romans 4:13-15
Key Verse: Romans 4:13
It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
Devotion:
You may look back on many of the Old Testament stories and think it was all about what the people did which allowed them to get closer to God and you will probably find many people who would encourage you to believe that side of the stories; but when you get to read the stories properly and in context, you find out people all had a choice as to what they would do.
God still gives us the choice and what we end up doing is really a display of our belief and our faith. We could try to be as righteous as possible and expect to get to heaven because we are good – but that is not going to fly with God. He looks inside your heart and Christ will judge you according to your faith. If you have faith Jesus is willing to save you from your sins, then He will do so because that is His promise to you.
But if you think you can work your way into heaven by doing all the right stuff, wearing the right clothes and saying the right words, then you are sadly mistaken! It is and always has been about our faith and our beliefs. Is this when you start getting scared and wonder if your faith is strong enough to get you into heaven? Don’t be! Jesus has explained how the smallest of amounts of faith can do so much and that is what He is looking at!
We don’t have to be spiritual giants in order to get to heaven. Just a small amount of faith in the right direction can get us directly there. Jesus came to die for all who are willing to ask Him into their lives. We may not have the faith some of the people from our bibles have shown, but we do have a firm promise from Christ He is willing to save us if we believe. Nice and simple!
Points to Ponder:
How much faith do you think you need?
Do you know Christ has already done enough for your faith?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 838
February 27: Matthew 5:38-42
Key Verse: Matthew 5:41
If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.
Devotion:
How do you react when someone does something you don’t like? Do you jump up and swat them because they dared to do something you disliked? Do you just ignore them and continue doing what you’re doing? Or is something in between?
We all react differently to circumstances in which we find ourselves and there is no clear-cut answer as to how we should behave – at least that is what we like to believe because it makes our life easier if we can react differently according to who is doing things against us! God has different ideas to how we should react and encourages us to be the same with everyone we encounter!
We should be trying to show people we depend on a God who does not change and one way to do that is to be more like Him and not change our ways according to who we are mixing with. God wants us to show a Christian face to everyone we encounter in our lives, not because we must be different but rather so we can reflect a bit more of God in our lives.
When we are described as being lights, it is not our light which is shining out for people to notice but the reflection of Christ which people should notice. When we look up at the sky we see a sun which is shining bright because it is a great burning star. But we also see the moon which is nothing like that, but still shines – not by itself but because it is reflecting the sun. As disciples following Christ we need to be more like the moon and reflect the shining light of God in our lives, for everyone and unchanging with everyone!
Points to Ponder:
How do you react to wrong doings?
Will you try to allow others to see a reflection of Christ instead of a ‘self-reaction’?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 872
February 26: Jeremiah 18:18
Key Verse: Jeremiah 18:18
They said, “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let’s attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says.”
Devotion:
When we dare to bring God’s Word into a place where it is in short supply, we are going to have to face opposition from the people who like to think they are in charge. It may be they have seized power in some way, gain strength through fear or take command because nobody else wants to – but that is all they have, the illusion of themselves being in charge.
God has ultimate authority over everything in our lives and He could do whatever He wanted to do despite our wishes. But He chooses to give us the choice as to how we live and what we listen to. When people lose sight of God in their communities, they start to focus on the people who seem to have some element of strength and they may even follow them even if that means going against what they know is right.
God will always uphold righteousness and will always keep to His word no matter what we do, face up to or say. God wants us to be able to trust Him because He does not change. He wants us to know we can depend on His truth always. If we are willing to live up to that truth and promote it, we will be able to show people they too have a choice.
They may not choose God’s way when we introduce it to them because it may conflict with what they desire. People do not often make the right decisions when they are faced with free choice! I know I chose the wrong path when I had free choice – but I’m glad I came back to the right path eventually when it was shown to me once again. Maybe we are the next generation to show people what they know already but have chosen to ignore for now!
Points to Ponder:
What sort of person do people think you are?
Do you think God would agree?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 988
February 25: Esther 5:1-3
Key Verse: Esther 5:1
On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.
Devotion:
I have never met a King or Queen in person, but I have shaken hands with a person from the Royal family; only because they were chancellor or dean of the department at the time! But when we meet people who are important in society, we are required to act in a particular manner in front of them.
Even though Esther was Queen at the time, she still could not walk in on the King and talk with any authority – that authority had to be handed to her or given to her. When she wanted to meet with the king she had to get dressed accordingly and wait in the outer chamber to be called just as any other person would. Her patience paid off and she was granted access to make a request of the king. Not only that, but because she acted rightfully and dressed accordingly, the king granted her any request she wanted (within reason!)
Her request was not to demand anything great but to request putting on a banquet for the king and Haman. Yes, she had ulterior motives because she wanted to show the king the corruption which was happening right before him; but she did it with the uttermost respect and humility.
When we come before God, we should be willing to come before Him with respect and humility, not demanding, but ready to ask. God wants us to be able to come to Him with our requests and to show Him the respect He deserves. For that, He, like the king here, is willing and able to grant us far more than we can imagine!
Points to Ponder:
How do you approach God?
Will you humble yourself before your God to ask Him for help?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 897
February 24: Acts 1:15-26
Key Verse: Acts 1:20
“For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: “‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, “‘May another take his place of leadership.’”
Devotion:
Can you name a person in your life who has shown you the gospel but is no longer alive? Two of my favourite people to name are Billy Graham and Ravi Zacharias! Both these men have died within the last few years and both have allowed me to become the Christian I am today through what they have said and written. I first got to know how much Jesus loves me during a Billy Graham crusade in Africa (for which he was not actually present) and the recordings of Ravi Zacharias have been an inspiration to me during tough times.
God calls us all to reach out to others and He is constantly calling new people. How would we get to hear the gospel unless new people replaced the people we used to listen to? How would we grow in faith if we did not continue to hear God’s Word? Sometimes we need to stop and listen to what God is asking of us. Sometimes it is us who need to step forward and fill the gap left behind by a person of God.
God calls both men and women to reach out to others; and yes, that is clearly written in the bible! Let's take Deborah for instance! She was called by God to be a church leader, a prophetess, a judge to the Israelites. Don’t be put off by what other people say should be happening or the rules people lay out saying it is what the church demands. God calls the shots here and God alone!
Matthias was called to fill the gap left by Judas because he had been with the disciples and following Jesus. It was not just the twelve disciples. It was all the people who continued to follow Jesus’ teaching and wanted to draw closer to God by learning directly from Jesus. When Judas died, the disciples wanted to fill the gap and they chose someone who had been with them and was willing to take on the mantle.
Points to Ponder:
What is God saying to you?
Will you obey what God is asking of you?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 897
February 23: Psalm 34:15-18
Key Verse: Psalm 34:17
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
Devotion:
I am sorry this comes out late today, but I got carried away with things yesterday and did not get round to updating the devotionals until now! But as I go through the words in this Psalm, I am reminded of just how much God continues to care for us. Though the words here are for those who want to do what is right with God, it is for the people who fear what could happen that I lift up my prayers for.
We know God cares for us because we know He answers our prayers. We feel the love of God as we bathe in the peace He showers over us in times of need. We love others because of the love He shows to us and we try to live as best we can for Him – just because of His love for us. But how did we get here? How did we realise the peace which really does go further than we can understand?
We must have reached a breaking point in our lives when we reached out to God and begged Him for forgiveness. This could have been a time when we were at our lowest and even thinking of taking our own lives; or it could simply have been a single thought which made us realise life could be different... It was God who came to meet you and not you having to find the secret passage or hidden treasure...
God lays out this life in front of us all and invites every one of us to come to Him. But He does not lay it down in secret where only the righteous can find it. God lays this life down for all to hear about and all to see. God sends out invitations to us all daily and even reminds us time and time again – because He loves us that much! God wants to be able to bless us all; open the door and invite Him in!
Points to Ponder:
Are you waiting to reach the end of your tether before reaching out for help?
Will you ask for help right now?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 961
February 22: Matthew 25:31-40
Key Verse: Matthew 25:40
The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Devotion:
There is going to be a time when it will be too late to turn away from our lifestyles and follow what God considers to be righteous. We may think we do the right stuff by going to church on the right days at the right times and giving our tithes on time, but what are we actually doing for God?
God asks us to reach out to His people, those around us and in our communities. He doesn’t want us all to go out to foreign lands and be missionaries to new people in different places around the world – God is calling us to be disciples, reaching out to the people in our own communities. When they have enough support to know they are loved by God, then we can step out and reach out to others!
We don’t know who will turn to God and when they will; but we do know we are all given the same chance to do so. God is making sure every part on this planet is going to be given a chance to get to know Him and He is doing this my asking us to reach out to people next to us. The internet has made this world seem a whole lot smaller, but there is still nothing like reaching out with physical help to someone who may be your neighbour.
And before you ask why have I left out the goats and those being rejected by God, it’s because I have used those verses already in the past! We have time now to make the choice to do something for God by doing something for His people. We have the chance right now. Don’t waste it and don’t set it aside saying it will be done tomorrow – just maybe tomorrow will be too late!
Points to Ponder:
What do you do for people in your community?
Did you know God is watching over your whole community?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 925
February 21: 1 Peter 3:18-22
Key Verse: 1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
Devotion:
I think all of us can look back over the past few months and see how many of us have suffered in these horrible times, not because of any fault of our own, but because there is a pandemic and we all have had to do something abnormal for ourselves in order to try and keep safe or to keep others safe. We may even look back and think we have suffered over and over again – but this is nothing compared to the suffering Jesus went through when He came to be amongst us!
We can look forward as the vaccinations kick in and say we have suffered but now see light at the end of the tunnel. We can say we can see an end in sight. We still have to be careful and cautious, but we have hope once again.
Let's compare this to the life we have with God... We have been living under the threat of death because of our sinful lives we have lived and we were coming up to the time where we would have to face up to what we had done. The horrible reality is the price for this sin would be our lives. Then Christ stepped in, so much better than any vaccine, and took that threat of death away by laying down His life for us instead!
As we look forward we need simply accept Christ into our lives, believe He took on the debt for our sins and ask Him to be a part of our lives from now on. Nothing to look back on... Christ willingly stepped forward to take away the eternal death and give us eternal life instead. He did this because of His love for us and continues to show us the way forward – if we are willing to listen to Him!
Points to Ponder:
Have you had a horrible year?
Will you look forward to God’s year with me?
- Details
- Written by: DJ Dave
- Hits: 887
February 20: Psalm 86:1-5
Key Verse: Psalm 86:5
You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.
Devotion:
If you never put your trust in bridges, you would never be able to cross rivers or ravines. If you never put your trust in aeroplanes or ships, you may never be able to visit people on the other side of the world. We physically have to put our trust in some things in life in order to be able to get places in life. But that is as far as we can go if we only trust physical things.
If we want to be able to go places after we die or go places spiritually, then we have to put our trust in spiritual things. Now, because these spiritual things cannot normally be seen, we are in effect putting our trust in things we cannot see. God does not want to have us trust every spiritual thing, because there are some things which are not good for us; rather He wants us to place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ because He has already shown us we can trust Him and He has declared His unending love for us too!
So how do we go about trusting things we cannot see? We have to ask for them and believe God will give them to us just as Christ has promised us. This is our prayers which we need to continually lift up to God, asking Him to fulfil the promises made and to continue to love and protect us as best he can. Whilst we do have issues in our lives and we do get things wrong, we begin to get worried we will not have our prayers answered because we don’t deserve it!
But Jesus has demonstrated how He is willing to love us even before we start to get things right. He is willing to forgive us because we are guilty and not because we think we deserve it for changing our lives in some way. This is God’s gift to us and not something we deserve for what we do...
Points to Ponder:
How often do you speak to God?
How much do you trust God?