Thursday 19 Apr 2012

Thursday Reading: Isaiah 49:1-6

Key Verse: Isaiah 49:4
4  Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.

Devotion:
So many times we look at our bibles and we separate the New Testament from the Old Testament as though one were out of date and the other more in line with today. But God gave us the whole bible and not just a few pages or half a book! He gave us the complete works so that we will know that He has continued to uphold His Word toward us from the beginning of time through to the future that we look toward. God wants us to know that we can thoroughly depend on everything He has for us.

Whilst many may say that the Old Testament is full of hard to read books, it will only take a short while of you reading both Old and New Testaments to see just how much we have to depend on both together. The Old Testament points forward to the events of the future and the New Testament points back to the Law of the past. They are required side by side to make a complete book. So when we look for encouraging words about working for God we also need to seek out that advice from the Old Testament.

Israel (and us) were continually reminded of the things that were required of them but we also need to know that God’s Word has not been changed between Old and New but rather supports the New through the Old and visa versa. God has required work from His followers from the beginning of time. He set Adam and Eve in charge of the garden of Eden and not just to be people who would live there without a care in the world. God has impressed on us throughout time that we do need to be willing to work, not just to stay alive but to make this world a better place!

He wants us to be able to do things for Him and with Him so that He will be glorified through us. He is not going to make Himself visible to everyone because He cannot face the sinful lives that we insist on living. Instead He wants us to be able to change so that others can see the difference that Christians require in our lives. God wants us to be a part of this world but He wants us to separate ourselves from the evil of this world so that He can be given glory for accomplishing the change in our lives.  He also wants it to be a continual work and not just a flash in the pan things that we do once a week or once a year!

Points to Ponder:
Do you work full time?

Are you giving God your best full time?