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September 25: Luke 9:7-9
Key Verse: Luke 9:9
But Herod said, ‘I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?’ And he tried to see him.
Devotion:
Sometimes people are not going to show their true colour until the unexpected happens... With this pandemic in various states of disrepair in countries all around the world, we are beginning to see many of the issues people are facing in their own countries which we don’t get to hear about.
We don’t often think about why John was not on the scene for too long, even though we have a loving Gospel written about all he was able to do in his short time on earth. We know him as the loving disciple because of the love which is written about in his Gospel; what we don’t get to hear too much about is the hate which was constantly working against him...
Jesus faced a whole lot of haters in His life on earth as well, all because He wanted to show people the truth and true love. I know what I face is nothing in comparison to what they have faced, but people do still get upset with us when we tell them about Jesus. People don’t like to be reminded of the bad things in life or how they have broken the basic rules in life to get where they are...
I am glad the baggage I carry round in my life is small in comparison to many – because I do like to share my baggage with Jesus; after all He has offered to help me with it, always!
Jesus gives us the power to do many things in our lives if we work with Him and include Him in our lives. He wants others to see His love and His power and willingly gives us the ability to spread that love and power! Don’t let the haters shout you down, even when they show their true colours...
Points to Ponder:
Do you care for the needy people?
How far are you willing to go to stand up for those in need?
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September 24: 1 Kings 18:41-44
Key Verse: 1 Kings 18:43
‘Go and look toward the sea,’ he told his servant. And he went up and looked. ‘There is nothing there,’ he said. Seven times Elijah said, ‘Go back.’
Devotion:
What do you do when you pray? Do you throw up a prayer and continue running off in the other direction, or do you sit and wait for an answer? Sometimes we do throw up prayers because we are in a state where we cannot sit and wait for an answer. I don’t think people on the motorway would think too kindly of me for stopping in the middle lane and waiting for an answer from God!
But sometimes we lift up a concerned prayer and then get side-tracked with the small things in life before we have heard back from God; because there is so much happening around us and so much to get on with in our busy days... But hang on, don’t we all have to try to do things differently now? Don’t we have life on pause due to the pandemic which seems to be on the rise once again world-wide?
Ok, enough of a guilt trip... what do we do when we do hear back from God? How long does it take to put down our normal routines and pick up what God is asking of us? I have done a few impulsive things in my life and they have often turned out to be very difficult times, so why must I go back there and face it all again? Because God is asking!
When God says something, we need to listen and trust in what He has said. We need to stop thinking like the politicians and start getting back to living our lives for God. This does not mean rushing back to ‘normal life’ as the world around us descends into chaos from Covid restrictions... it means getting busy and working to help people who need it because of Covid and working safely rather than pretending we are not facing a dire plague!
Points to Ponder:
Are you ready to answer God’s call?
Will you work safely with God?
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September 23: 2 Samuel 12:1-10
Key Verse: 2 Samuel 12:4
‘Now a traveller came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveller who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.’
Devotion:
The more hardships people face around the world, the more there are people who take advantage of the poor to promote their own ways. This may be the way we view things now, but this has been going on throughout time and will continue to happen until people take God seriously!
It is during the hardest of times the true extent of the disparity between the rich and the poor comes out. It is never more prevalent than when the poor are at their poorest and the rich are coasting along as if nothing is happening. Sadly, that time is now. I like the following verses in this passage where Nathan tells king David the ‘rich man’ in his story is David himself! Often, we do not see the damage we are doing until someone else has the courage to point it out.
Instead of rebuking people who are rioting or protesting, take a week to go through what evidence there is to support what they are complaining about; see for yourself how things are covered up. I say a week because, if we glance at the evidence, we will continue to cover it up with our own preconceptions. We need to take time to look over things so we can put aside our own bias thinking and seek the truth.
The same can be said about God. People put aside a relationship with God because of their perceived ideas about religion – something Christians all around the world are fighting against. We need to put aside our learned responses and work toward a love which encompasses all instead of a desire to promote oneself...
Points to Ponder:
Have you ever thought of yourself as being privileged?
Will you spend a week trying to find out the truth about something?
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September 22: Romans 13:8-10
Key Verse: Romans 13:10
Love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.
Devotion:
When Jesus impressed on the disciples how important love is in everyday life and in communities, they listened, and they acted upon it! These are very strange times we are going through where we don’t know whether we should be visiting people or not because of the rate of increase of the Covid-19 virus. But, one thing I have learned from my parents is making sure you are safe and clean in a medical environment is paramount. I look back on my days as a child and now see just why my dad was so insistent on having clean hands (well, everything) in his pharmacy!
I marvel at the way dad was able to reach out to so many people who were ill and continue to supply medicine as best he could. This was not just a job for him but a lifestyle and life choice he made.
I like to think I have picked up on some of his ways as I reach out to the people on the estates around me; God wants us to continue being here for communities and for people in need... but at the same time, He wants us to be safe and well – otherwise we will not be able to do our work for Him!
Love comes in many forms; one of the biggest is loving other people with the utmost respect. Loving them enough to make sure they are protected from the world around them and from sickness. It is only when you hear of someone not being well in your community that your focus is on the sickness which surrounds us all the time.
So today I would like us all to take a bit of time to pray for those amongst us who are not well or face hardships because of sickness, past or present.
Points to Ponder:
Do you keep yourself fit and well?
Will you be more careful as you reach out to your community?
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September 21: Romans 13:1-7
Key Verse: Romans 13:6
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.
Devotion:
None of us like paying taxes, but they are necessary to keep governments running and countries stable. It is not my task to make sure the taxes are spent properly and in the right places, though I should have a say because governments represent the people of their countries; but this does not always go according to plan. So many people are corrupted by the sense of power or the greed of wanting more than they should attain...
God wants us all to adhere to the law of the land so we can all live in peace and under the protection of people who are able to protect us – they in turn need money to do the training required and to prepare for the worst. What we face is a huge fight against evil, against an enemy who wants chaos to reign so he can persuade us away from God and order!
If any country goes too far, God will raise up people who are able to make a difference which will be seen round the world and eventually there will either be enough pressure for the people in power to succumb to, or the world will rebel and set things right – though this does not always go to plan because of greed and perceived fame which cripples people trying to stand for the truth.
It’s always the right time to stop and listen to God for the right way to do things. It is always right to do what is righteous. It is always right to follow God’s instructions, even when we do not fully understand why. If we waited to have exacting proof of every future step we take, we would be crippled and move along at such a snail pace the world would leave us behind. Use your time and knowledge God has given you to the best of your ability and be faithful to your loving God!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like paying taxes and tithes?
Where would your leaders be without money to survive?
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September 20: Luke 7:1-10
Key Verse: Luke 7:8
For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, “Go”, and he goes; and that one, “Come”, and he comes. I say to my servant, “Do this”, and he does it.’
Devotion:
If you have ever been in a place where authority rules, you will relate to this verse. When the boss person says jump, everyone jumps... It’s not a side of our relationship we normally think about or see because this sort of authority is so often linked to some sort of dictatorship; but what we should never underestimate is the authority Christ has over everything!
The centurion was used to giving orders and having people jump into action and He knew Christ had ultimate authority over life and death. His reaction was to plead with Jesus to come and heal his servant, but he did not feel like he was worthy to come and ask this personally from Jesus; so, he sent servants instead.
All this must seem alien to people who have never been in a place like the army or who have never had servants themselves. We like to think of ourselves as being equal in society – though judging by recent riots and protests, this is very far from the truth! This is certainly not the way Jesus wants us to live and will not help us to make a friend out of Jesus whilst we harbour these attitudes...
Even though we are doing so many things wrong in our lives, Jesus is still willing to listen and to come and help us when we call. He is not going to turn us away just because we have been bad in the past. What He is looking at is your heart right now and what it is you desire in your heart. Forget about the worldly wants and try to focus on the love Christ wants us to share with our community...
Points to Ponder:
Who is in charge of your life?
Will you submit to Jesus’ call and obey His will?
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September 19: Luke 9:57-62
Key Verse: Luke 9:59
He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But he replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’
Devotion:
This has been a hard passage to read for me since I said goodbye to my birth mother some years back, but one I did not take much notice of as a youngster. When Jesus asks you to do something or to follow Him, what would you be willing to give up so you can follow His will?
Yes, this is an unfair question, but one designed to stop and make you think. I certainly do not wish to be in the position where I should have to choose between loving my family and loving God. I do not think Jesus would tempt you to make such a difficult choice in life; but if push came to shove, would you be willing to make a choice to follow Christ, or would you back down.
I’m pretty sure Jesus knew this person’s heart before He asked the question and knew they would not follow Him all the time, despite saying so. Jesus has told us He will never ask us to do things He knows we cannot do; this sort of question would be in that category for me!
When we choose to follow Christ, we should be willing to give up the luxuries we have in our life and follow Him no matter the cost. I know I have made difficult choices in my past which have led to what could only be a dead-end; but I have seen God give me options where I saw no options just because I was willing to try and obey Him rather than follow my desires.
Points to Ponder:
When you say you will support someone, how far do you go?
Will you support God all the way?
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September 18: Romans 11:33-36
Key Verse: Romans 11:35
Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?
Devotion:
One of the things we must never get caught up in is thinking we have to do things for God before He is going to do things for us! Jesus came freely to give His life for us before we knew Him. He came to show us His love goes far beyond our comprehension and far beyond what we would expect as anything normal!
God’s mercy goes beyond our failings. God’s faithfulness knows no end. God’s love covers every sin. All we need to do is to accept His love, His grace, His mercy and know His faithfulness is going to continue despite our failings and despite our laziness. We don’t know what He has in store for us until we stop and listen to His instructions. We cannot hope to tell God how things should be done because we do not know all circumstances like God does!
If you are like me and honest about how you know and treat God, He will show you where, when and how He wants you to be. Jesus picked disciples from all walks in life, not because they were available at the time, but because He knew who the best people were to do the jobs in hand. God knows what our strengths and weaknesses are and will continue to give us opportunity to do what we can for His glory.
God is not going to ask you to do anything you are not capable of doing – even if your doubts tell you otherwise. Believe in the almighty power and strength of our glorious God who can do so much more than we know. Trust He has the insight to do so much more. Listen to His instructions and obey...
Points to Ponder:
Do you try to show God how to do things?
Will you give Him more control in your life?
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September 17: Genesis 30:16-24
Key Verse: Genesis 30:22
Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive.
Devotion:
How many times have you ‘given God a helping hand’ so your prayers could be answered quicker? How many times have you picked up your own baggage so you can move forward quicker? And how many of those times have you seen only small gains instead of the expected answer to prayer?
Too often we think we can help God to answer our prayers and we step forward before He has a chance to answer them. We take on the task in hand and we go ahead thinking we are doing what God expects us to do... did you really hear from God before you stepped forward, or did you step forward first?
This is a difficult thing in many of our lives because God wants us to have the faith to step forward and do things knowing He is going to back up all the way so His will can be done. But when we overstep our bounds and take on something by ourselves, we may well find out we only get part of the way there before we start to see things fall apart. I know I have difficulty listening to God sometimes and it is something I do ask help for, a lot!
We need to make sure we are doing what God is asking of us and not bending the rules to see if God will answer a bit quicker. Sometimes it does take patience to wait until God clears the path properly so we can give Him the glory He deserves. I have found the bible to be a constant source of patience for my faith; carry on reading until God makes it clear what you must do in your life. If that is to wait a season, then wait!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like doing things for God?
Are you sure you are not doing things for yourself first of all?
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September 16: Nehemiah 1:4
Key Verse: Nehemiah 1:4
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
Devotion:
I have enjoyed going through Nehemiah each day for a season; so, in summary, let’s look back and see some of the key things we have learned. The key thing I have got from this all is to spend time with God in prayer. Pray when things are unknown. Pray when things are good. Pray when things are bad. Pray when it’s all just ‘normal!’ God wants to hear from us all the time and He wants to talk to us all the time too.
Sit and wait for an answer from God! Far too often we shoot up a prayer and then run off into our lives and expect things to happen all by themselves. Whilst we should always expect God to do things we pray for; we also need to stop and wait for an answer. Sometimes He will want us to do something so the prayer can eb answered. If you think you are no good at waiting for an answer, then try reading through a chapter or two from your bible. Sometimes God just needs us to break away from the world before we can hear Him.
When God asks you to do something, do it! We need to act on what God says otherwise we start failing in our faith as we think God is not doing anything... He doesn’t have to do everything! We must do things too!
Always try to seek out Godly people who are also willing to pray, wait and then act. Together we can work better as a team than by ourselves. Together we can encourage each other. Together we can protect each other. Together we can notice when one of us slips up; we can help each other up so we move forward with God.
Never forget God is your team captain!
Points to Ponder:
Do you spend time each day to pray, wait and act?
Will you wait just a little longer today to hear from God?