December 14: 2 Corinthians 8 7-9
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 8 9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
Devotion:
Do you think you are a good person? Do you think you are reasonably intelligent? Do you think you can talk well? Do you think you are diligent? How about your grace? Without grace, we are just a good person – we may be very good, but that is all we are. If you insist on only sticking with friends instead of mixing with those that look up or down at you, then you are effectively building up a class system.
You may ask, “why should a king sit and talk with a beggar?”, or “why should a pacifist talk to a murderer?” The reason would be to show they care about other people and not just of their kind! How far would the great explorers have got with the native people if he had all forced them to bow before them? Unfortunately, the answer is quite unclear because of human nature and what has happened in our past!
We seem to thrive on a class system, labelling ourselves in positions where we think we should be and trying to tell others of our new-found positions. We seem to like being put in place and we seem to like to look up at some people... But there are always those that we do not wish to look up at because we think that they do not deserve it! We see them doing things or saying things they ought not to and we break down the position they think they should be in.
What we need is more honest people willing to mix with other honest people. What we need is people to encourage others and not look down at them simply because they may be in a bit of a tight spot! Christ came down to be as a humble human being even though He is God. There was no reason for Him to have to come down and lower himself to our level other than to show His amazing love for us. His aim was to raise our spirits so that we can love Him back... Simple in theory, but hard for us to put into practise.
Points to Ponder:
Who do you look down at? (be honest!)
What view does God has of you?
December 13: John 14 15-18
Key Verse: John 14 17
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
Devotion:
What a loving Saviour we have! He knew what He was going forward to do. He knew what He would have to put up with. He knew He would have to leave... so He made sure we are never left alone! Jesus made sure when He left the disciples, that He would have the Holy Spirit come to be with them and us until the day He returns. Why?
How easily we are persuaded to do things we ought not to do. How easily we give in to temptations. How easily we go astray. If we did not have some sort of guidance we would be wrecks within a few days! We may not be able to see Him, but we know He is here. We know He is looking out for us and we know He lives within us. In other words, we are never alone. How do we know? Through His word, our bibles.
So if the Holy Spirit is always with us, then we are inviting Him to be with us in everything we do! When we decide to tell a lie, He is with us. When we decide to shout abuse at someone, He is with us. When we decide to hurt someone else with words or physically, He is with us. How do you think He feels watching as we go about our “normal” days? We do have a duty to keep God's commandments, if not for ourselves, then to allow the Holy Spirit to live in a decent home!
Christ made sure His life and death would not be left alone. He made sure we will always know the truth. He made sure His Word continues to live forever. He made sure we would always be looked after. Why? Simply because of His love for us. So how do we repay that love? How do we say thank you for everything He has done? He does not expect much other than for us to ask for help and guidance because He wants to teach us. He wants us to learn everything that is right. He wants us to be safe in a world which is being eaten up by evil... We just need to listen...
Points to Ponder:
Are you ever embarrassed by your friends?
How do you think the Holy Spirit feels about you?
December 12: Proverbs 17 7
Key Verse: Proverbs 17 7
Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool, Much less lying lips to a prince.
Devotion:
Whilst the proverbs written by Solomon seem to repeat themselves now and again, each is looking at the same problem from different angles and so we look at some that seem to have been done already. But each has its own reward when read and studied – why else would God have inspired Solomon to write so much?
People who are fools will not be able to run countries. We may like to disagree with that saying there are many rulers out there who are fools, but each of them is in fact quite intelligent. They are there because they have fought their way there and have been successful at what they do. But as with many leaders, the truth starts to show up when they try to rule the country. People see their shortcomings and start to break down their previously elevated views of that person. It does not take too much to bring down a leader.
A fool is not going to listen to instruction. A fool is not going to listen to complaints. A fool is going to assume they always know best. A fool is not going to know the right things to say at the right times. How are we supposed to live as Christians if we act like fools, disobeying God, ignoring His instructions and always thinking we can do the right thing by ourselves?
One of the biggest problems for anyone who holds a position of responsibility is resisting the temptation to tell a lie. They look at the situation they are currently in and think they would be able to get out of it by telling a “small white lie”. That leads to further lies to cover up the original one until the hole they have dug for themselves is more like a pit which they cannot get out of! Once a leader has spoiled their position of trust with lies, there is no turning back – how can you trust them in anything else they say from that point on? It is a sad position we find ourselves in nowadays where it is accepted that politicians should not be held to their words! We know that God is truth and He cannot lie – how can we trust anything else?
Points to Ponder:
Who do you think is most likely to succeed in your group of friends?
How much do you depend on God's Word in your life?
December 11: 1 John 5 6-9
Key Verse: 1 John 5 7
For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
Devotion:
It is so easy to skip over verses lightly and read on, but what we need to do is to study God's Word as He has provided it to us so we may better understand what it is He would have us know. The reminder John writes here reflects upon Jesus death on the cross as well as His reason for coming here in the first place.
Out of Jesus side came water and blood giving us a reminder of a few things, not just a matter of science or a miracle. By the water our souls are washed clean, ready for heaven. By the blood, God is glorified. Jesus did not come to simply wash away our sins, but to die on the cross so our sin debt can be paid for once and for all. Nobody else could have done that because Jesus is and was the only human without sin. Not only that, but the Holy Spirit remains with us as our comforter and guide. The Holy Spirit gives us the truth so we may hear it. The Holy Spirit cannot lie and opens our eyes for us to see all things. Why then do we try to hide things from our sight?
The Holy Trinity bears witness in heaven. Jesus has already joined God in heaven as He goes to prepare a place for us. He made sure the Holy Spirit would continue to be with us as well so we can understand His Word. He made sure His Word contained the descriptions that would jog our memories and stir our minds to seek all those things which are true and know it is through the Spirit, water and blood that we know the truth on earth.
If we believe in words which man has written, why do we shy away from what God writes in our hearts? Why do we seek to hide anything from our hearts? Because we think it easier if the world is a bit easier to understand. There are certain things we cannot hope to understand until we meet others in heaven. The Holy Trinity in single existence is one. But by faith we can accept this truth and grow in wisdom.
Points to Ponder:
Which text books do you/did you like reading in school?
Do you seek God's help when you read His Word?
December 10: Matthew 12 30-32
Key Verse: Matthew 12 32
Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
Devotion:
It is very comforting to see the words written down which Jesus spoke - “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven”. No matter what we have done in the past, no matter what we have been up to, whether we have been caught or not... God is willing to forgive us of our sins. He has shown this already by giving us His Son to die for our sins.
Imagine going for a job interview where one of the requirements was you had done absolutely nothing wrong at all in your past. You could go for the interview thinking you had done nothing wrong. They would then look up your past in a great book and they would remind you of something you had done as a child to disobey your parents and because of that, you missed out getting the job. If life were that harsh, then we would never find a position in anything! Fortunately, Christ has access to the list of things we have done wrong in that great book. Before we go for the interview, He would be able to rub out all of our listings from the book so our slate would be clean again!
If we are willing to admit to the things we do wrong in our lives, then He is willing to rub them out of that book. If we try to hide them ourselves, then that act itself will also be added to the book! He is the only one who has paid the price for those listings, and He is the only one who is worthy of removing them from the book.
The only one He is not willing to remove is the one of unbelief... That is speaking against the Holy Spirit. He is not willing to forgive us for that sin for as long as we have it! So it is little wonder He will not entertain prayers of forgiveness for people who do not believe in Him. He wants, instead, each one of us to turn away from unbelief and turn towards Him. Simply believing He was born (why do we celebrate Christmas) acknowledging we do wrong and asking for forgiveness is all we need do to ensure that He will take away all of our sins!
Points to Ponder:
Do you forgive people when they say sorry and mean it?
Isn't it wonderful to know that when we say sorry, He listens?