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August 16: Mark 12:18-23
Key Verse: Mark 12:23
At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?
Devotion:
How many times do you question what God does? How many times do you think about things which are happening in this world and blame God? How often do you try to impose wordly limits on God?
Most of us do limit things according to earthly limits and standards – because we don’t know any better and we need to impose some sort of order on things we don’t quite understand! God is not limited by wordly standard and His rules for us in Heaven are not going to be the same rules as we have here on earth…
We do get caught up in trying to explain things in terms of what we currently understand instead of accepting God and Christ are not limited by our understanding. When we pray for things, it is normally within limits we can understand… why do we continue to insist on limiting God? Well, because we don’t know any better!
God wants us to release ourselves from these limits and focus on God and what He has promised for us and allow Him to work the miracles He does. They are called miracles because we don’t understand how they can be done. Why then do we limit those miracles by our standards? Is it because we are afraid of what God can do? Is it because we want to be able to explain things?
These Sadducees started to try and question Jesus in order to trip Him up on theology; after all, they did think they knew more than Him because they had studied longer than Jesus had – or at least they thought they had! They tried to apply earthly laws, limits and rules on a situation which would ultimately be played out in Heaven! God is the one in control of what happens in heaven and not us. We just need to trust in His promises and allow Him to show us the way there!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like to be in control of things?
Do you try to control what God can do in your life?
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August 15: Mark 10:23-31
Key Verse: Mark 10:28
Then Peter spoke up, ‘We have left everything to follow you!’
Devotion:
What have you done in the past in order to get something you really wanted? I’m talking about physical things here – you know, the stuff we shouldn’t be talking about! When I was looking for the car of my dreams many years ago I was fixated on getting a BMW 5 series because it was just perfect in my eyes. New, they were beyond my wildest dreams. Used they were still out of my reach being roughly double what I could afford! But I kept on looking at watching and waiting. One day I spotted a car on an online auction site which was being sold by a person who had not sold anything before.
Alarm bells rung all over the place! But after a few days of digging and research I tracked the number given down to a car servicing centre in London. One other person had bid on the car so I left it until 2 minutes before the end of the auction and adding a few pennies to the end of the price I got the car for roughly half what I should have paid for it.
When we really want something, we go out of our way to find ways of obtaining it. So why then do we ignore our spiritual wants and needs? Why do we ignore what is going to happen to us when we do finally die on this earth?
Jesus wants us to aim for the very best we can achieve. Jesus wants us to put everything we have into seeking that goal. Jesus wants us to desire to be with Him in heaven more than anything else in our lives. If we are willing to do that, He is willing to give us more than we ‘lose’ here in earth! Why settle for second best when we can have more than we deserve and want!
Points to Ponder:
How much do you want to be with Jesus?
How much have you put aside to be with Jesus?
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August 14: Mark 10:13-16
Key Verse: Mark 10:14
When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Devotion:
I think if I were a young parent during this time I too would be trying to bring my children to Jesus to have Him bless them in some way. It’s what we do as parents; we want the best we can give to our children and that includes being a child of God!
The disciples, on the other hand, were still caught up in the ways of society at those times with children being told to be quiet and behave. I can still remember being told by some adults children should be seen and not heard. Thankfully my parents did not hold that fast for me unless I was misbehaving! Jesus wanted every person who was willing to be able to come to Him and be blessed when they could – this included saints and sinners, adults and children, everyone!
I think these verses also ring loud and clear to me because I have spent the last two decades doing Christian children and youth work and have always been open and honest about God with those who have come into contact with me. I find it very difficult to not show people I am a Christian because this is my life and I cannot hide it in a hole or behind a bush! Children should not have to grow up thinking they need to hide their Christianity!
Yes, there are many countries around the world where Christians are not generally accepted because of other religious beliefs held by fellow countrymen, but this should not stop people from getting to know Jesus. This is what Jesus is fighting for in these verses – to do away with the worldly views of what children should be like and to allow them to grow as Christians who rely on Jesus in everyday life.
Lets stop making this a thing which only happens in youth clubs but something which is embedded in our communities!
Points to Ponder:
Do you allow children to freely worship Jesus?
Are you showing children they can be free to worship Jesus?
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August 13: Matthew 14:31-33
Key Verse: Matthew 14:32
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
Devotion:
A few things had to happen before Jesus calmed the wind which was making life more difficult for the disciples. The first was they had to recognise Jesus for who He is, not as some sort of ghost or unknown entity, but as Jesus Christ the Son of God, friend of sinners and friend of ours!
Then Jesus had to ask Peter to do something, not just anything but something special which would take courage. Peter had never walked on water, but because He saw Jesus doing it, He wanted to do the same and wanted God to allow Him to do that! But Peter had to want it more than the fear he had inside him… He had to take that first step out of the boat!
Then Peter had to rely on God to continue allowing Him to walk on the water. As soon as we see the impossible or see something we think is too hard to bear or do, we give in and we fall just as Peter did. It is going to be hard and we may well be asked to do something which you think is not natural – but as long as you are listening to God, it is possible!
Then Peter, after He doubted, had to reassert his faith by calling out to Christ and allowing Him to save him once again. The call was real and it came from the heart. Jesus answer was real and it too came from the heart as He put out His hand to grab hold of Peter and bring Him up out of the impossible once again.
Only then did Jesus calm the wind. Not when they were scared the first time, or the elation which followed. Not when they were scared the second time or the elation which followed again. But when they finally rested in God’s power through Christ, He was able to calm the storm for them...
Points to Ponder:
Has God asked you to do something difficult?
Are you ready to finally put your entire faith and trust in Him?
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August 12: Matthew 14:25-31
Key Verse: Matthew 14:30
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’
Devotion:
How many times in your life have you found yourself in a very tight spot and not known any way out of it? I would not wish this on anyone because you feel like your whole world has just collapsed upon you and there is literally no way to go… At least no way on earth to go!
God has made sure we get to know this story about Peter walking on the water and remember it too. It is a story which none of us can normally relate to, but all of us want to happen to! I mean, who doesn’t want to be able to walk on water! But it is a story which has some very meaningful sides and one we ought not to put aside easily.
Jesus walked out to the disciples because he knew they were becoming worried about the growing storm. Some were fishermen and knew all about storms, but that does not mean they were not concerned. But what concerned them more was seeing someone or something walking on the water toward them! Their first reaction was probably what would cross most of our minds, but when Jesus called out to them they knew it was Him. Peter took the step of getting Jesus to prove it was Him and had to live with the consequences!
When Jesus calls out to us, we call back and ask for help and comfort and strength and all manner of things. But we should be careful what we ask for, because Jesus will answer us and grant our prayers. For Peter this meant stepping out of the boat and walking on the water. As soon as he realised what he was doing, he took his eyes off of the Lord and looked at the worlds ways again. That was his downfall.
When we ask help of Jesus, we should expect Him to answer our prayers and then we need to keep our eyes on Him whilst He answers. That is the place we will get our strength and courage from. That is where Jesus is...
Points to Ponder:
How often do you call out to Jesus?
How often do you turn away when He first answers?
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August 11: Matthew 14:22-27
Key Verse: Matthew 14:23
After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,
Devotion:
Jesus spent a lot of time with people, healing, teaching and caring for them. He continues to do this all the time. But, whilst He was here as a human being in the form of Jesus of Nazareth, He needed time to stop and just be with His Father. This is an example for us to follow and one we should hold dear to us. We cannot keep going 24 hours a day and 7 days a week without some sort of rest. God has taught us this from the beginning and continue to uphold this.
God wants us to spend time with Him alone. Not in a big crowd where our own thoughts and feeling somehow get tangled up in the rest of the crowd, but alone with Him. That time alone is special, just as we should spend time with our loved ones to stop and listen and talk, so we should be doing the same with God.
Jesus gave no thought to earthly limitations… well, He obviously did give thought to them because He was here in human form and limited by human limits. But He also knew that so much more was possible when He continued to rely on God for everything. This was a point where He was totally relying on God because He was walking out toward the boat on the water during a squall! The disciples did not think about How God could make things so different.
God is not limited to our world. He does not have to obey the rules of nature. He does not have to give in to the things of this world just because they seem to be unsurmountable! God can and does continue to watch over us and care for us in ways which we cannot understand. So maybe it is time to stop what you are doing. Speak to God. Listen to Him.
Points to Ponder:
How much time do you spend alone with loved ones?
How much time do you spend alone with God?
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August 10: 1 Kings 19:11-18
Key Verse: 1 Kings 19:14
He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.’
Devotion:
How many times have you wondered whether you are the only Christian in your community? How many times have you wondered why nobody else can see they are doing things wrong? How many times do you judge others! Yes, if we are honest, we have all been there and we all judge others at one stage or another. It is not up to us who gets to say who is doing things wrong and who is doing things right… we have law enforcement people and judges to do that in our societies...
But what happens when they seem to be corrupt and the law breaks down? What then! Well, if you haven’t turned to God for answers yet, then you are looking in the wrong place still. Elijah knew the people were doing things wrong and he had warned them against it, but He went to God to seek guidance and help. He did not take things into his own hands – despite knowing they were worshipping Baal and other gods.
God’s response to Elijah was probably not what he wanted to hear either. When we see the people around us doing things wrong we should be praying for God to release them from the places they are in – not in a judgmental way but in a way which shows God you love the people and want them to survive!
The message for Elijah was to put in place a new set of rulers who would judge harshly until the people turned back to God. Sometimes we don’t know where to turn because we are fearful of what will happen to the people because of the things they are doing. If we are willing to continue showing love to the people and God, just maybe God will show us a way which will allow people to live in His love.
Points to Ponder:
Where do you turn when things go wrong?
Do you rely on God’s guidance to show you a way forward in your community?
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August 9: Psalm 103:7-12
Key Verse: Psalm 103:11
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
Devotion:
These few verses say so much about God which we take for granted every day. He talked to Moses and made sure people were able to get to know Him when they were not at their best in life! He made sure the people knew He was a just God and told them all about the rules they would have to follow. But His love for us showed even more than all the rules and regulations, proving to mankind He loves us more than any of our faults and problems!
Often we look at the things we have done and we don’t expect others to forgive us for those things. We think we have gone too far and we do not expect people to be able to forgive us. We do the same with God as well! We continue to look back at the problems we have in our lives and the things we have done wrong, expecting God to remember them all and to hold them all against us when we come before Him… after all that is a kind of justice, or at least the kind we know!
God looks past the things we have done, looks beyond what we have done in the past and looks ahead to what we are able to achieve in the future. He does not limit those thoughts by our earthly standards and does not hod on the the earthly barriers we hold up either. God sees the potential in each one of our lives, the true potential we have lost sight of because we are focusing on the things of this world.
The only way which is descriptive enough about how God separates out issues from us is by describing it as far as the East is from the West. If we go north, you will eventually start going South again after you pass the poll, but if you go East or West, you continue on going that direction even though we cover the same ground again eventually. Look at that as being the way God separates us from our sin. We may cover the same ground again, but it is still in the opposite direction to where we came from!
Points to Ponder:
What holds you back in relationships?
What holds you back in your relationship with God?
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August 8: Luke 24:13-17
Key Verse: Luke 24:16
but they were kept from recognising him.
Devotion:
How many times do you look at a picture and wonder why someone has showed you the picture… only to be told they are a famous artist or musician whom you have heard of but never seen! Unless we get to know people in one way or another, we remain in the dark as to who they are and what they can do – we are essentially blind to their abilities… We may hear through someone else they can do things, but unless we can join up the face with the person doing the task, we still remain in the dark!
I bet these two felt a bit silly when they did realise it was Jesus walking with them – but they were too tied up the in woes of the world to realise it was Him. That is how we get sometimes too, we get too bogged down in the things which are going wrong around us and we lose sight of what we have in our hands!
Jesus wants us to take stock of what we have from time to time so we can realise just how much He is doing for us all the time. As long s we continue to allow ourselves to be side-tracked, we often lose sight of what Jesus is doing in our lives. I know this because I have been there and it was only when I looked back on what had happened did I realise just how much God was looking after me!
I can totally relate to these two because I do get a bit too caught up in things and lose track of what is happening right in front of me! You don’t have to rely on me to tall you that, just ask the people around me!
Today, as we continue to have very warm weather here in Europe, take a bit of time to stop and look around you. When I did that earlier I was able to see things like the flowers wilting in the heat – which reminded me I should be taking in my daily bread to build me up and that’s not just my lunch!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you get caught up in things?
How often do you stop and thank God for what He is doing right now?
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August 7: 2 Peter 1:12-15
Key Verse: 2 Peter 1:15
And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
Devotion:
One thing I don’t hold firm to is someone who teaches or preaches at church and then lives a different life at home. Each one of us hold a position of a teacher whether we like it or not. God has given us insider knowledge about Jesus and His love for us so we can teach this to other people. What sort of legacy will you have if you were to die tomorrow? Will people remember you as the ‘bible puncher’, the ‘church person’, the person who was always there or someone who loved openly?
We have very different examples in the disciples, each having their own personalities and each living very different lives in different places. We have examples throughout the old testament of people who lived and loved according to God’s will, but also many people who fell and tripped up in their lives.
God knows we are going to trip up at some stage in our lives, but how we handle those situations may well be what people remember us for. Those times when we were up against the wall may be the times people remember us for and not the times when we thought we were at our best.
Our lives should be open books for people to get to know us and to trust us; not because we go to church on Sundays but because we constantly remind them of Jesus or constantly remind them there is hope because God is with us! God would love us all to be the perfect examples people will remember, but we are not. Just as we have people who fell in the bible, so we may fall. But turning back to God and opening our lives to the people around us so they can see our relationship with God may well be the turning point in their lives as well as our lives.
Points to Ponder:
Do you live a very private life?
Do you know what other people think of you?