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April 6: John 13:1-11
Key Verse: John 13:10
Jesus answered, ‘Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.’
Devotion:
Depending on where you are in the world today could be known as something like Maundy Thursday, Holy Thursday or Thursday of Mysteries. Whatever you know this day as, it is the day Christians commemorate some of the things Jesus did before being taken away; one of them being the washing of the feet of the disciples by Jesus. We may cringe a little at the thought of having to bow down and wash someone else's feet, but give a thought to Jesus back then...
We tend to walk around with shoes and socks or stockings to protect our feet and hence our feet are kept in a reasonable condition. Back then most people would be wearing some form of open sandal and walking around the dusty streets and paths would mean a whole lot of dirt would collect, and on hot days that may well mix in with sweat! Whilst I’m sure they would have cleaned their feet to some extent after coming into the house, things would still not be like nowadays!
Jesus did not do this because of the state of their feet but rather because of the state of their souls – and not the souls of their shoes! Jesus knew the state of each of the disciples. He knew what they were going through and He knew what they were about to face. That was of more concern to Him right now than the string of events which would be coming His way! That is love!
Peter did not want to have his Lord stoop down to wash his feet, so he objected to start with. But when Jesus hinted it was of more importance than anything to now Peter wanted Jesus to wash everything! But Jesus told him it was the single act of washing a single part which would make the whole clean. Jesus knows that cleaning us is going to be an ongoing task because we will continue to sin, but it is the first act of cleaning which proclaims us as clean forever!
Points to Ponder:
Do you get tied up in worrying about your sins?
Jesus has forgiven you the first time – that is enough!
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April 5: John 13:21-30
Key Verse: John 13:21
After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, ‘Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.’
Devotion:
We could say that we can imagine what Jesus was going through when He was telling the disciples about what was to happen, but I really do not think we can imagine what He was going through. How long had Jesus know this? How long had He continued to teach and nurture Judas knowing He was going to do this? And what made Jesus continue to include Judas in everything!
When Judas was finally uncovered as the one who was going to betray Jesus, it was not done in a manner in which we would expect things to happen… In the Western World people make films and tell stories about how evil people are found out and killed or put in prison and yet Jesus continued to show love to Judas at all stages!
Jesus continued to show love and mercy to all people He met, no matter what they were doing and no matter how badly things were going. He tried to make sure everyone was given access to true justice and also the Gospel so they would be able to make informed choices guided by the truth and not passions and hate!
We like to think we allow the truth and justice to reign, but so much of the time we give in to the temptations of greed, desire and hatred instead of allowing people full access to the truth and real justice. Christ knew what He was facing was not going to be the truth or real justice, but He also knew this was going to be the only way in which He would be able to pay for the sins of the world and allow people to be forgiven no matter what they had done in the past.
Points to Ponder:
Do you allow truth and justice to come to the front?
Will you give someone a chance today and see if they make the right choice?
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April 4: John 12:23-26
Key Verse: John 12:24
Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Devotion:
How many times in your life have you put off doing something because of the first big step you have to take, you know, the one which is “stopping the world from turning!” I say that with jest because I too have been putting off things because of the first big step. I am glad I have take the first big step and now feel more at ease with everything which faces me now.
These words from Jesus, I think, were an encouragement to the disciples to show them the first step is the hardest to take. They would be facing a life of servitude when He had gone back to heaven, and it would be that first step which would be the hardest to face because of what Jesus went through. But once you put your mind at rest with what you are facing and the knowledge God is with you every step of the way, the rest of it seems to make more sense!
There are many things in life we can relate to in order to find encouragement, and sometimes those things do help us to pluck up the courage. I know now it is the fact Christ is going to be on this journey with me every step which is giving me the strength and courage to carry on. The world and the people we get to mix with may well throw all sorts of spanners in the works – because people are human. Most humans make silly mistakes without thinking of the consequences.
When God asks us to give up our lives to follow Him, it is not the physical act of laying down your life but the spiritual act of giving up on your pride to make something of yourself. God does not need a raft of popular people who think the world of themselves; He needs people who are willing to put aside their own desires and willing to pick up on the needs of others!
Points to Ponder:
What is holding you back?
Will you take this first step today?
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April 3: John 12:1-11
Key Verse: John 12:5
‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’
Devotion:
One of the things you will always face as a Christian is the people who will object to you spending money on anything to do with the church! They don’t do it because they care any more about other people than you do but because they care more about money than any people! When Jesus said the love for money is the root of all evil, this is the aspect He was probably thinking about.
Almost a week ahead of the Passover feast, Jesus came back to Bethany where Lazarus lived and they all enjoyed a big dinner together as a thank you to Jesus. The sisters Mary and Martha were busy with all the catering and caring for the guests when Mary stopped what she was doing to show her love for Jesus for what He had done. She had acquired a very expensive bottle of perfume which was going to be used for His burial. Judas, the one who would soon betray Jesus for money, objected and commented they could probably live off the proceeds for a year!
Mary wanted to show her love for what Jesus had done and used that perfume on Jesus feet. Nobody else was objecting because this was a show of love and gratitude for what had been done. Judas objected because of his love for money instead of for people…
This gathering had caused many people to come and seek out both Jesus and Lazarus; Jesus for doing the healing, and Lazarus because he came back from the dead! The chief priests objected to this and they started plans to kill both Jesus and Lazarus. They were showing their love was not toward God and others but toward their perceived power over the people; not what Jesus or God was teaching!
Points to Ponder:
How do you show your love for others?
How do you show your love for God?
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April 2: Matthew 21:1-11
Key Verse: Matthew 21:11
The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’
Devotion:
How many times have you aimed high at getting something completed only to find out you cannot quite reach the mark and have to be happy with a lesser result? How many of those times have you been distraught because you could not accomplish your goals?
A lot of times we find out the hard way we cannot go as far as we had hoped we could and we end up having to do less of have less in the end. When you get to that point, what you do next is going to be what counts most of all! If you just accept what has been done and leave it at that, you could be seen as being someone who has been able to attain something, right? But what would happen if you continued to aim high and continued forward with your plan, making slight adjustments along the way.
If you follow any sport you will know what I am talking about here. There is only going to be one winner on any particular day. But if you continue following that sport you will see how the leader board often changes week on week – that is because the people taking part try new things or approach problems in a different manner.
God wants us to be the same in our work for Him. Going in and facing a failing on your first day should not put you off. Going in an only having a partial results should not put you off. We are in this for the span of our lives and not just on the day or hour of the event. Depending on which Gospel you read, this even reached varying levels of success – what they all agree on is that this was just the start of Jesus final entry into Jerusalem. The true success was down to Jesus not giving up and continuing on the path God had set before Him!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you give up because you don’t succeed?
Will you ask God for continued guidance instead of a one off success?
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April 1: Ezekiel 37:21-23
Key Verse: Ezekiel 37:22
I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.
Devotion:
I sometimes wonder what the prophets thought when they were told by God they had to deliver good or bad news – often news which the people would find hard to understand or believe. God will always try to give us a good path to follow, but because we live in the world and are bound by earthly rules and regulations, we often get lost before we can go in the direct God wants us to.
The people of Israel were caught up in many different things because they were in a new country and they were split up into groups or factions; not because they wanted to fight but because of their own desires to be in their own tribal areas. Each group was now in a different area and they no longer had the common focus of following the cloud of smoke or the pillar of light. Instead all manner of things were gaining their attention...
When we focus on things outside of our lives with God we are going to get persuaded from time to time to go off on a tangent to the way God wants us to walk. This is the temptations of the world and the evil one will do all he can to try and make those temptations as big and appealing as possible!
God’s intention was to make Israel an example to the world so people would be encouraged to find God in amongst the failings of the world. Jesus came to open the doors so we can all find a way of avoiding the worldly things. We still have that direction and as disciples we should be the example through which people can see Christ rather than the world!
Points to Ponder:
What sort of example are you in your community?
Will you try to reflect Jesus’ light more in your community?
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March 31: Psalm 18:1-6
Key Verse: Psalm 18:6
In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.
Devotion:
I love reading the Psalms because of the connection I feel through the words of king David; and not it is not because we share the same name! Each of us have had to face things in our lives, some more terrible and feared than others, but still we have had to face things. This is not God tempting us or keeping us on track, this is the evil one working his own ways to try and keep us away from our God in Heaven!
The psalmist starts off by declaring his love to God and reminding us all God alone is the Rock upon which we can stand. I don’t know if you have ever stood in sinking sand but it is a feeling which you will probably not forget: the feeling of a slow impending doom as you literally feel like you are being sucked into the ground every time you move. You feel like there is nothing you can do for yourself, but someone standing close by can be your saviour.
Christ came to be our Saviour, to be the one who can stop the impending doom of the results of our sins in our lives. The more we sin, the more we seem to sink deeper into the evil ones territory. Quite simply standing still and waiting for God is the best you can do. You don’t have to stand quietly and do nothing. You can call out and plead with God – because He is listening!
As the psalmist puts it: “I called to the Lord… and He heard my voice!” This is what sets Him apart from everything else in this world. When we call, God listens and He will answer. If we need Him, He will come. We are more valued than the sparrows, the ones who are taken care of by God, the ones who fly freely in the air and feed on the seeds provided by God and drink the water provided by Him too.
Points to Ponder:
What do you do when there is trouble ahead?
Will you call out to Him and wait?
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March 30: John 8:51-59
Key Verse: John 8:53
Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?’
Devotion:
What sort of things do you cling to in your life? Do you always make sure you do a particular thing every day, or make sure you always go to sleep at a particular time? There are many things we do in our lives and some of them give us comfort because we get used to doing them. The people of Israel had got used to doing things in a particular manner because they tried to obey what God had said. Unfortunately what they were actually doing was upholding their rules and regulations more than what God was asking of them!
We too can get caught up in earthly things and lose sight of the things God is trying to get us to do. As disciples of Christ we should be always willing to listen to Him and accept any changes He has for us in our lives – after all He is the one who knows us best of all!
The Pharisees continued to make sure the people followed their rules, making a few of their own along the way to keep people in line with what they thought God meant. There-in lies another issue we have. We like to think we know God and we make up rules or ways of doing things because we think we know what God wants for everyone. The only people we can really apply that to is our own selves. God tells us what he wants, from us, as an individual.
We are all different and we are all made unique. God does not expect us to all be the same and do everything the same way. He wants us to live our lives for Him and be encouraged to be individuals for and with Him. Don’t be limited by what the world says or what the world does – God has His own plan for you as an individual.
Points to Ponder:
Do you listen to God?
How do you share what God says to you?
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March 29: Psalm 56:1-7
Key Verse: Psalm 56:4
In God, whose word I praise – in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
Devotion:
One of the biggest things we face in life is peer pressure and this is at its worst when seen through gossip and social media! Who could have dreamt how such a fun-filled idea could possible turn into ones worst nightmare? I think I have been very fortunate not to get embroiled in too much gossip and social media hates in my life, but I know some people who have been on the constant receiving end just because they are different!
God has made each one of us different and has designed a place in this world for us to be; how we go about getting to that safe place with Him is where the issues have to be faced because we are all different. What one person does may not suit another person and that should be fine. Christ teaches us to love our neighbours, the people around us; but still we face the onslaught!
One of the things I have always tried to teach my family and my friends is that God is the one who is in control and He is not bound by the gossip or social media or anything else for that matter. When we feel overwhelmed we should be reaching out to Him in person. Does that mean we have to be careful in what we say to God to make sure we don’t gossip etc? Quite the opposite!
God wants you to be able to be free to talk to Him about anything which is on your mind. If you feel the world needs to be slapped because of what it has done to you, then take it to God and tell Him. When you are honest and open with God, He can reach you in ways you have not thought about. But if you keep all of that pressure inside of you, it’s going to burst out at some stage!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you talk to God?
How often do you tell Him how you really feel?
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March 28: John 8:21-30
Key Verse: John 8:24
I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.
Devotion:
Sometimes when I read the bible the words linger because of my own situation or my own feelings. This is just one way in which God speaks to us and encourages us to do what is right in our lives. If we live a life which excludes Him, then we are living a life which will not allow us to have a good relationship with Him. There are so many ways in our Bibles in which Christ tried to tell the people how to change their lives without scolding them!
His loves for us runs so much deeper than we can imagine; a love which goes far beyond our understanding of life and love. Some people have asked me why I wear all my different ‘Jesus t-shirts’ and the truth is not just because I want to make a statement to others but also to remind myself daily that Christ is with me all the time.
All of us get carried away with things in our lives, and when we do we go off and do things which we may not normally do. When we get too involved with the world and it’s ways, we tend to get involved with more earthly things and sometimes give in to the temptations of the world around us. Having a daily reminder of how we can live a different life is good. Reading the Bible helps. Meeting with other Christians helps. Helping others helps. But, believing and trusting Christ is the biggest helper of all because that is what gives us the strength to carry on working against the world.
Jesus warning her is to the people and their earthly lives. If they do not believe and trust in Him they will get caught up in the world… Guess what. That applies to us nowadays too. This is not just a historical record of what has happened by a never ending reminder to us all how we should be living with Christ every day!
Points to Ponder:
Do you live apart from Christ?
Will you live a bit closer to Him today?