December 4: Psalms 127 3-5
Key Verse: Psalms 127 4
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth.
Devotion:
Has anyone ever likened you to an arrow? To my recollection I cannot think of any time I have been described like an arrow (apart from reading this)... How would you describe yourself in terms of an arrow? How would you think of your usefulness in the hands of your parents? Too many times in our lives we think of ourselves first and that is about as far as it gets. When we grow up, things don't change too much either! We still consider ourselves in the light of what we see and not as others would look upon us. In essence, we are quite selfish.
But the writer of this Psalms draws parallels between useful tools in battle and siblings. What use is an archer charging into battle without any arrows. I suppose he could beat someone about the head with his bow, but that would not be too effective! What he needs is a quiver full of arrows. They need not be all perfect. They need not be all the same size. When he is far from the enemy, he would probably want a long straight arrow to make sure the flight is straight and true. But up close, he can use anything because the target is large.
There are times when we think we are of no good, times when we think we let our parents down, times when we think we are just a burden – but think again. We may be the “last arrow in the quiver” because we need to be used up close and the battle has only just started. We may like to argue with parents and others, but there will be a time when we are most useful to them. There will be a time when they have to depend on us and we have to make it count!
Our parents aren't the only ones who can use us... God wants to be able to use each one of us. We may think we are useless in His eyes because we never do what we are told. But given the right time and situation, He can use every one of us. We have to be patient enough to stick around! God has a use for each one of us – just maybe we have not yet got to the point that He wants to use us...
Points to Ponder:
What sort of arrow would you describe yourself as?
How do you think God can use you?
December 3: Jeremiah 1 5-8
Key Verse: Jeremiah 1 5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Devotion:
When was the first time you had to stand up in front of a bunch of people and talk about something? I can remember doing that sort of thing at school as they tried to prepare us for talking to others, but when push came to shove and I had to stand up in front of about 80 people at university to talk for 5 minutes... I realised just how difficult it was! No matter how much we try to prepare for something like that – even if it is a subject that you enjoy – speaking to a whole lot of people who you do not know too well is not easy.
God, on the other hand, is telling us a different story. He is telling us we should not have to worry about having difficulty talking about Him because He will be there with us to put the right things into our mouths. If we are willing to allow Him to guide us through our lives, then He is going to make sure what we see and learn is going to allow us to talk to others for His glory.
Just like He had prepared Jeremiah from before he was born, He has thought about each one of us. He has in mind what each one of us should be able to do, and if we are inclined to actually listen to what He would have us to do and to trust Him to guide us in our lives, then we are going to be successful in our vocation. He has not made each one of us a prophet like Jeremiah! He may well have made us just to tell one other person about God, or simply to show others how we care about God. Each one of us is a child of God.
I'm sure half of the politicians of today would not make half the speeches they do without others writing their speeches or prompting them via a teleprompter. They put their faith in those writers. We can put our faith in a much higher authority so we can talk openly about our faith in God! His Word will explain so much to us, if only we would read it...
Points to Ponder:
How many people do you trust to show you things in life?
How often do you listen out for instructions from God?
December 2: Matthew 11 25-27
Key Verse: Matthew 11 25
At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.
Devotion:
There seems to be quite a difference between people who know what is in the bible and people who understand what is in it! I had a similar problem with some of my school work. I would study the work for as long as the other guys would, but somehow, I just did not get it – none of it would stick. Yet there were other subjects that I would just be able to do without too much thinking. I think it may have been my attitude towards some of the work.
Jesus thanks God for revealing secrets from the bible unto 'babes' or those who are young in it. People who approach the bible as if it is difficult to understand or not the truth will always find it hard to understand. They are the ones who will seemingly fight God's Word for as long as they see it. Yet those that are willing to allow a new beginning and to accept the bible for what it is, will quickly find the answers they seek.
God wants to open His truth to the people who want to learn. Just like your teachers want to teach those who are willing to listen and not bother with those that fight it... If you are one of the ones who talk and do things at the back of the class whilst others are being taught, then you will not find too much of what is being taught will come through to you. You are the one who is rejecting the subject. The teacher is trying to teach the whole class.
If we are willing to listen to what God has to say, then we will quite quickly be able to pick up on the truth and to be able to apply it in our lives. We may well be shunned because we are the 'goodie-goodies' at the front listening in, but we are the ones who are benefiting from His Word! The more we are willing to listen in, the more will be revealed to us by Him! We don't have to be the brains in the class to learn, we just have to have the right attitude towards learning!
Points to Ponder:
Who is or was the noisiest in your classes?
How willing are you to listen to God's Word?
December 1: Matthew 11 1-6
Key Verse: Matthew 11 5
The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
Devotion:
You must have been able to see Jesus coming from a mile off! Not because He was big, but because there must have been a crowd following Him wherever He went! We see similar things happening to celebrities and politicians nowadays – the only real difference being that a sizeable section of those crowds are there to look for scandal!
John obviously heard the news Jesus was nearby when he was in prison and needed to know whether Jesus was the Messiah they had been promised or not. The way Jesus told the couple of disciples from John really sums Him up. He told of His miracles where He continued to show His love for people by healing them of their infirmities. Not just those who had natural problems such as being blind from birth, but those who had diseases which would cause others to shun them. Leprosy was an ailment which required people to be withdrawn from society so it would not spread. Very few people would even take notice of those who were lepers.
Christ also mentioned He preached the gospel to the poor. His meaning was probably both the poor in society and the poor in spirit. But both would again be people that would be overlooked in some manner. Books and teaching were for those who could afford it, for those who had some substance...
No matter who we come across in life, everyone needs to hear about the gospel! Jesus knew the people to reach to give the maximum result. He knew who needed His word the most – those who were furthest from His word. But He also knew all about people’s hearts and how they can always find something to gossip about or to scandalise! His message ends in simplicity. Blessed those who are not prejudiced against Him and scandalized against Him. Blessed are those that will accept the gospel for what it is and not find fault in it or to bend it so that it suits themselves.
Points to Ponder:
Who do you know that most needs the gospel?
Have you asked God to help you to show them just how good He is to you?
November 30: Ephesians 2 19-22
Key Verse: Ephesians 2 19
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
Devotion:
Have you ever felt like a stranger in your own home? Maybe there were too many people and you just felt like you were the only sane person out of the whole lot... Well, you may well get to feel like that over the Christmas period if you have people visiting. But what is a stranger?
A physical stranger is one who is not from the area, but a spiritual stranger is one who is set aside from the others because of their belief (or lack of it). Quite often we will feel like strangers in the world because we see what others are doing and cannot believe they would do things like that, or cannot believe why they cannot see that Christ is real.
Throughout history there have been divisions between people because of their beliefs, many being such deep divisions they have caused wars. Each group of believers have come to their own conclusions about what should be followed and what should be taught. Unfortunately, many are 'modern' beliefs which are made up by man to suit himself rather than God. We do seem to be being overrun by people bending the rules or making up their own rules as they go along.
Jesus Christ came to earth not only to save us from our sins, but to strengthen the church position by being the corner stone upon which the church could continue to be built. He strengthened things by showing the foundation laid down by the Bible could be depended upon 100%. He Himself used the Bible to illustrate how important God is in our lives and how we can all come together as one household with God. God has given us everything we need to be able to be part of that household. He has constructed the house within which we can seek refuge and continues to be the head of that house. Those who are not willing to be part of the household will find themselves as strangers; but welcome strangers. But the best part is nobody will ever take over His household!
Points to Ponder:
Who do you know that is 'the odd one out'?
Are you treating God like the odd one out?