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March 17: Matthew 20:20-28
Key Verse: Matthew 20:26
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant
Devotion:
Have you been in a place of work or an organisation where the people who knew the right people seemed to get the better positions or jobs to do? I am sad to admit I have been in far too many jobs where this still goes on, but when you find a job where they truly look at the work you do and not who your parents were or what sort of car you drive, then you will be a whole lot happier to work for them!
When the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus to try and get her sons in positions of authority or social standing, Jesus was quite straight with her – it is God’s choice where they should be and not anything to do with the physical world or friends of friends etc. Jesus wants each person to get the respect they deserve and not what they can pay for!
Although the young men had been brought up to think they could be righteous people, Jesus warned them they would have to be willing to give just as He gave, to live as He lived and to be humble in doing any of it! Their mother, on the other hand, wanted a favour for her sons rather than them earning their positions in life. Whilst we cannot blame the mother for wanting the best for her sons, they were learning Jesus is Just and does not give in to social standings.
If we want to have any position in our churches, we should be willing to work from the bottom and not to jump in at the top just because we went to university or because our parents had positions in church. Each of us should be willing to serve the community and the church people before we can expect anything from them. Jesus came to serve His Father by being willing to serve mankind in any way possible.
Points to Ponder:
Do you expect rewards in life?
Are you willing to give rewards first?
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March 16: Matthew 20:17-19
Key Verse: Matthew 20:18
We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death
Devotion:
Have you ever faced a certain end? I’m not talking about facing a certain death, but any outcome which was certain to happen… We tend to over-react when things are not going well and many of us will only see the negative outcome ahead; if you are of a more optimistic outlook, then you may see the hope you have in a positive outcome and aim for that goal instead of the horrors which can await you.
Sometimes we are faced with very difficult decisions to make because we are facing outcomes which are bad on all fronts. But, ever the optimist, I will always try to see the way forward which gives me the most hope; and, yes, I know that can be annoying to others people who don’t get to see the hope I see in most things, but there is always hope.
Jesus outlined the terrible things He was going to have to face. He knew this was all going to happen in Jerusalem, yet He still wanted to go there – knowing this was the way forward which would bring the hope we need in our lives. He knew of the terrible things he would have to face, but he also knew of the terrible things which we faced if He did not step forward! That is the love He has for us – He stepped forward knowing what He was facing!
He knew He would be raised from the terrible death He was facing. He knew this was the way He could be our perfect sacrifice so we would not have to carry on making sacrifices for ever sin we committed. But, in order for Him to be our perfect and final sacrifice, we do have to step forward with humble and contrite hearts, admitting to the sins we have done and asking Christ to be our Saviour to cover those sins with His blood.
Points to Ponder:
Do you face any horrible things in your life at the moment?
Will you admit them to Christ and ask Him to intervene on your behalf?
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March 15: Isaiah 1:18-20
Key Verse: Isaiah 1:18
‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
Devotion:
We often think of forgiveness as being a moveable line or amount; we can forgive some people for virtually anything, but for others we will accept their apology but still carry a grudge against them! God does not have a measure for forgiveness, His forgiveness is total and forever!
If does not matter what sin we are talking about either. It could be something we did which does not affect anyone else, but we know it. It could be something which affected the whole community, but we did it anyway! I know I have broken rules in the past which have affected many people and potentially been measured by more money than I have earned in my lifetime… We always have measures for everything in our lives!
To God, sin is sin, no matter how big or small we see it as, it is sin and it is wrong! If we want to be forgiven for that sin, we have to bring that sin into the open before God and ask Him to forgive us for what we did wrong. Sometimes it is going to be easy for us to admit to it, but more often than not, it is going to be hard for us to admit to it – because we don’t like admitting we are wrong. When we do bring it forward and Christ accepts our admission, those sins will be removed from our lives once and for all (at least in God’s eyes they will be forgotten)
But when we don’t want to admit we have done wrong, we have to carry that guilt around with us all the time. Those feelings are going to hound us for the rest of our lives – only Christ will be able to release our guilt, which is why we need to bring them to Him in the first place!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like admitting to sin?
Will you trust Christ to forgive you?
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March 14: Psalm 79:8-9
Key Verse: Psalm 79:8
Do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.
Devotion:
How many times have you got into trouble because of what someone else was doing; the only real thing you are guilty of is being there at the same time? There are always arguments from both side about who is guilty and how people can be guilty just because they were there with the guilty party at the same time. This is why there are laws and lawyers who uphold or keep those laws on our behalf when we get into trouble or are defending ourselves.
But what about being guilty just because of something in your past which you had no control over? I once went along for an interview at an aircraft design and manufacturing plant but was not allowed to enter the plant because I was born in the wrong country! Yes, it was a civil defence establishment but I was not made aware of any requirement to not being born in a neighbouring country…
We are going to face these sorts of issues in our lives and we have to work with them to get by. Whilst some of the laws we come up against may not seem fair, they are designed to cover the vast majority of cases and not the insignificant one off's. God is a just God and will uphold the law at all times. But He is also just in that He will not see us being punished for something we are not guilty of – at least according to His laws. I’m afraid man's laws have many holes in them and we will get caught out by them from time to time!
Call out to God to ask for help and not just the strength to endure. He is merciful even if He is just and holy. When God does help us, we need to tell people how He is helping us so He gets the correct glory for all He is doing and not just our luck of being able to escape from circumstances.
Points to Ponder:
Do you give God the glory?
Will you stop and take time to see how much God has helped you?
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March 13: Genesis 15:1-6
Key Verse: Genesis 15:5
He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’
Devotion:
What is stopping you from having faith in God? I know we all say we have faith and we will obey God and all the rest, but when push comes to shove and we are faced with hardships beyond what we think we can handle, things tend to break down and our faith can falter. We are not alone! Abraham, or Abram as he was then, also doubted and so did his wife. They contrived to have a child with one of the maid servants just to be sure they would have a child!
But God wanted Abraham’s faith to be more than he realised himself. God told Abraham in no uncertain terms the child he would have between him and his wife would be the heir to the throne. That child would be the one who would start off a family tree which would number greater than all the stars in the sky which Abraham could see with the naked eye!
We should not put limits on the things God can do or will do for us. I have learned this by being in hospital and seeing all manner of things unfold before me. I have seen people of no faith lose hope in everything and wonder what life is all about. I have seen people with solid faith having it tested in hospital as they faced things they did not want or expect. But the best is watching someone step back and place their faith in Christ and wait patiently for their prayers to be answered!
Waiting patiently on God is the measure of our faith. If we are willing to allow the clocks and everything else keep on turning while we stay still, then we will see our prayers answered in ways we can look back on; these moments will solidify our faith in God above anything else in our lives!
Points to Ponder:
Are you struggling waiting on God?
Will you give Him your time while you wait?
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March 12: John 6:32-40
Key Verse: John 6:35
Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Devotion:
I wonder what went through the disciples minds when they heard Jesus talking like this – about being the Bread of Life! This was soon after Jesus fed the five thousand, so they had seen Him provide physical food for the people following them even when they did not have enough. They had been focused on the physical aspect of having bread to eat rather than the daily bread we now think of.
I do like my daily bread – the kind I bake myself using my bread machine – but I also like the daily bread I get by sitting down at my desk and reading the bible before putting these words down for many more to read. When I look back on how long I have been doing this, I am amazed at how I have been able to continue writing stuff for over 2 decades! Yes, I repeat myself now and again, but it is always in a new light.
The Word of God has been given to us for us to learn, remember, digest, meditate on and mimic in whatever ways we can. These are the instructions to life God has given us and how we will always be able to come to Him. Jesus came to earth to support and fulfil the words in our bibles. These all came from God in the beginning and will be with us throughout time!
When Jesus came to fulfil these words, He made sure everything He did was what God the Father told Him to do and everything He said was with God’s backing and blessing. When Jesus was baptised the word of God spoke out loud and declared Him as the Son of God. Whatever Jesus has taught has been the Word of God – our Daily Bread.
Points to Ponder:
How much do you read of your bible each day?
Will you spend an extra few minutes with God today?
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March 11: Ezekiel 18:21-28
Key Verse: Ezekiel 18:21
But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.
Devotion:
I know I have talked about how God is willing to forgive anything we bring to Him, but these verses remind us God has always been this way – He does not change, we just think differently! Ezekiel tell us the words given to him by God: He is willing and able to forgive any sin which is brought to Him if the person willingly turns away from those sins. Why do we have to turn away from them? Because it shows God we have changed in the way we think and are willing to adjust our ways to be His ways instead.
The next few verses tell us He will totally forget our sins when we do turn away from them. This is not something new which would only come into effect after Jesus came, but something which has always been here. God does not change!
The same can be said for a righteous person who turns away from there righteousness and does wicked things – they will get picked out and they will have to face up to what they have done. When they continue to live that wicked lifestyle, they are in the same boat as someone who has always lived the wicked lifestyle. What God is looking for is people who want to change their ways and live a righteous life with Him.
When we say God is just, we often forget what justness is! If we live the wicked life, we will not be accepted by God until we turn away from that life and repent. If we live a righteous life and turn toward wickedness, we risk being called out by God for what we are doing. If we do not repent and turn away from that wickedness, we will not be accepted by God when the times comes. But, we can turn back to Him and turn away from the wicked things to be part of His flock again.
Jesus cemented this by saying He would be our advocate when the time comes!
Points to Ponder:
Will you ask God to forgive the things you have done wrong?
Will you turn away from those things?
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March 10: Matthew 7:7-12
Key Verse: Matthew 7:7
‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Devotion:
Have there been times in your life when you have dared not ask for something in your prayers just because you think it is not possible, or not probable and you didn’t want to be disappointed? That is not the way God works – He is the God of the impossible and will answer prayers according to His perfect way. If we do not ask, then how will He answer your prayers?
We cannot really imagine just how awesome God is and how much he wants to do for us – but when we start asking for the things which seem impossible and He answers, then we begin to see a new side of God answering the impossible! Don’t hold back on your prayers because you think you don’t deserve it. Don’t hold back because you have done things wrong in the past. Open up your heart and humbly ask God to answer your prayers.
When someone asks us to do something and we do it, it is either because we want to do it or because we can do it. If someone asks us to do something impossible, we generally would tell them it is not possible, but help them out in ways we can. When we bring our prayers to God, we cannot imagine anything which is impossible for Him to answer. Ask!
I love to do things for others, I like helping out where I can and if someone asks I would rather say yes than no. But if someone does not ask, I get a bit lost because I am not very good at telling people’s needs without talking to them and them opening up to me. Now, whilst God does know everything, He would rather you open up to Him and tell Him about everything before you ask.
Points to Ponder:
How many people do things for you without asking?
How many people do things for you because you asked?
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March 9: Psalm 51:16-17
Key Verse: Psalm 51:17
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
Devotion:
Even during the time of great sacrifices, people of God were realising it was not the animal sacrifices which were important, but the heart of the person offering the sacrifice. What good is a named sacrifice if the person offering it has said sacrifice in abundance and would not miss out by sacrificing it?
God wants us to show Him we are willing to offer what we have, what we treasure, so we can know who our real treasure is – not the things of this world, but God. If we are willing to put aside the things of this world and embrace God with everything, we are on the right track to have Him as number one in our lives.
God wants to be able to look after us, to guide and protect us; if we are far too concerned with the things of this world then we are not likely to listen to Him with the right attitude in our hearts and minds. If we are willing to put aside the desires we have from or of this world, then our desire will line up with God’s desire for us to have a better life with Him.
If we are willing to offer wholly from what little we have, God is going to be more pleased with us than if we offer the biggest and best because we can afford it! When we offer wholly from our hearts, we are giving our all and not withholding what we have or can do from God. Do not be afraid to give it all because He is willing to support us through everything!
Points to Ponder:
What do you think God deserves?
Will you try to give Him everything?
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March 8: Isaiah 55:10-11
Key Verse: Isaiah 55:11
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Devotion:
I can remember as a youngster looking at the over simplistic pictures which depicted the water cycle: the rain clouds, the rain falling, turning into streams then rivers then the ocean. The sun warming the ocean and water evaporating eventually being made back into the clouds… What they didn’t tell you about was the water would carry all manner of nutrients and allow so much more to happen. They didn’t tell you about the sun being required for the photosynthesis which allowed the plants to grow and soak up those nutrients – that was another lesson!
When we hear about bibles being given to others we don’t think of all the little things which will come out of those simple acts. We don’t think about the person who will have their eyes and heart opened just by reading the words. We don’t think about the kindness which will grow in the person who hears the words. We don’t hear about the people who will take those words and give them to others. We don’t always get to hear about our God who has planned this!
When I read the bible nowadays, it is mostly in electronic form and the words are not words written by a skilled hand on a sheet of paper, but formed by electrons and shining lights. But those words still take my heart and allow it to grow and spread joy where I can. It is the Author and the words which mean things and not just the ancient manuscripts which were faithfully copied generation after generation.
God has made sure we get to remember enough of His words so we can get to know Him and the love Him. We get to hear the affects of those words on many people over many years. We get to hear how people have submitted to God and been transformed by knowing those words. Long may it continue!
Points to Ponder:
How much of your bible have you read?
Will you think about those words and try to remember them?