Sunday 3 Feb 2013

Sunday Reading: Luke 11:21-23

Key Verse: Luke 11:22
22  But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

Devotion:
Sometimes we are faced with things and we are able to overcome them in some way; whether we have God’s help or we think that we do it ourselves we gain in confidence. The more confidence we gain the more we try to go ahead and face even more things in our lives. Whilst we may be thinking that that is exactly what God wants us to do, to gain in strength and stamina so that we may face up to more that lies ahead of us. It is round about that time when we are brimming with confidence that we find that we still have chinks in our armour!

Goliath must have brought great terror to the armies of Saul as he continually taunted them day after day knowing that nobody could stand against him. His confidence was brimming and he did not think that any higher power would enter into his realm that he had built up. When we are on the winning side we tend to build up that confidence and not look for the things that could be against us. Goliath was certainly not looking for having to face a shepherd boy who was protected by God!

Even though we can claim the protection of our Awesome God, we still can become a bit too self-confident in our own ways. It will be at those times when we are thinking that nothing will touch us that Satan will be there trying his best to trip us up. He will be that one that is stronger than we are and that will manage to break us when we least expect it. But even though we may let the side down and fall into the traps set by the evil one, God is above all and all powerful. With God in control we will not have anything to fear; but giving God that control can be the part that we struggle with most of all.

No matter what else we trust in we will find that it spoils, breaks, grows weak, dies or fades away. God never will! He has always been and will always be our God who created us, sustains us and wants us to come back to Him and to give Him the glory for all eternity. It is not a price we pay but a choice that we make to be with Him to be kept in safety for ever more.

Points to Ponder:
What do you regard as your strength?

How much greater is God who gave you that?