November 19: 1 Peter 2 18-25
Key Verse: 1 Peter 2 :21
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
Devotion:
It may sound odd reading about servants and the bible talking as though we are servants, but in a way, we are just that. There are people in our lives who we have to submit to all the time, people who we have to obey. There are many times when those people we have to obey do not live up to what we expect because we have an opinion on how they should be. We may think we would act differently if we were in their place, but we are not in their position.
God wants us to be thankful for everything in our lives. He is in control of things and is allowing us to be in the positions which we are for a reason. He is preparing things for us ahead. It does not mean we are going to face terrible times in our lives! Maybe He just wants us to know about situations so we can help someone else in that situation when they get there!
We need to keep Christ as an example on how we should be. We need to try to keep our head above everything that is going on around us so we can be prepared for things ahead. Whilst we may not be servants, we all do continue to do things for others. We need to show them we are willing to do things so they can be encouraged to be more like us as we try to be more like Christ. Christ showed us the ultimate way by allowing Himself to be nailed to the cross because of what we have done. He did not do any evil. He did not break the rules. He acted properly all the time. He made the right decisions based on God's Word. We really do need to try to be more like Him.
There is nothing better in life to encourage a person to change than a good example. If we try to change people through bad examples or through force, we will probably not reach their hearts. We need to be examples which they can follow. We need to show them love and commitment before they will do likewise. Who said it was going to be easy?
Points to Ponder:
Do you do the same things as your friends?
How good an example are you of Christ in your life?
November 18: 1 Peter 2 13-17
Key Verse: 1 Peter 2 13
Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme
Devotion:
I am sure all of us do rebel at some things, be them against ordinary people or even the law and politicians. We seem to find it in our heads that we are above some of the rules of the land and we do not care to keep them! But God would have us to follow the local laws unless they work against Him.
Our society does seem to be getting deeper and deeper into sinful things and the laws are beginning to show our nature by allowing things which God does not want us to do. Back in the days of Daniel (and before) men were warned against honouring God for fear of the death penalty. But Daniel gave us an example which we should be living up to – praising God above all else!
But that does not mean we can make up rules so we do not have to follow the law of the land. We are warned here that breaking the laws of the land and working against the king or queen are not what we should be thinking. We should be upholding the laws, being an example to others so they can see we are not only loving, but law abiding. God knows of the evil doers whom are plotting laws to try and trip us up and He allows such things to give us strength to face what does lay ahead.
God wants us to uphold the law when it comes to supporting police and other authorities. We are not to hide criminals (be it criminals against the country or just against a friend) for if we do that, then we are being just the same as that criminal. We need to make sure we uphold God's laws whilst all around us are changing them to suit themselves. We need to show people God's laws are worth keeping and they need to embrace them as well. Some Christians try to bend God's laws so they can avoid laws within their countries. This is not what God has in mind for us. He wants us to do our best to make sure we keep them and encourage others. Not break them and tempt others!
Points to Ponder:
What rules do you regularly break?
Do you always think of God's rules?
November 17: Luke 6 27-36
Key Verse: Luke 6 35
But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
Devotion:
Whilst it is true we continue to have arguments and continue to war nation against nation, Jesus reminds us we are to love our enemy. Ordinarily this would cause us to doubt things in our minds, but the more you think about it, the more you begin to realise that loving your enemy is more than just trying to make them friendly!
Think about the groups of people whom we stick together with? How often is it someone new joins in or how often is it you look for someone new to be friends with? We are creatures of habit and continue to mix with those we know rather than going out to find new friends. We continue to concern ourselves with those who we are friends with and block out so many others not knowing their needs.
Christ made sure He knew peoples' needs and He made sure He did something about it. It was not just a case of healing the infirm, but making sure that people with spiritual and emotional needs were supported as well. He made sure people knew they were doing things wrong and that they needed to get back to the truth and worship God. He made sure others knew this so they could try to act more like Him.
As He said, what good is it if we only mix with those who do not need anything. How will we every help the needy? How will we ever make friends? How will we ever convince people we are actually Christians! If we want to do any of this, then we have to make sure we are the ones who go out and show people what we can do with God's help. We need to convince people we are serious about God so that they will be encouraged!
Points to Ponder:
What did you do the last time a stranger did something for you?
How often do you do things for God without Him having to ask?
November 16: Matthew 5 43-48
Key Verse: Matthew 5 48
Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Devotion:
One of the hardest things to do as a Christian is to continue opening your heart to those who persecute / mock / ridicule / despise you in some way. Whilst it is true that during a war you will be fighting the enemy, God does not want us to simply hate people because of who they are or what they stand for. We may face people who will make our life difficult just because we are Christians. To those people we should open our lives so they will see God's amazing love shine through us. We may face people who will want to kill us just because they think their religion says so. To those we need to show the love of God.
Whilst we may not personally face people from these groups, we will face people who just don't like us for some reason. That reason may be because we have turned them down before or we have just said “no” to them! These are the people who we should be concentrating on. They build up some element of hatred just because of a small thing we have done in their life. If that were to stay with them, then they would be blocking out a whole part of their life just for that one thing which has happened.
“But”, I hear you say, “They started it...” Oh how easy it is to set the blame on the person who we believe should be shouldering it! We may well be right in our physical judgement, but we are also serving spiritual judgement on them. We have no right to serve spiritual judgement on anyone – we are the ones who are indebted to Jesus for what He has done for us. We are the ones who should be bowing to God's judgement.
We need to be more like Christ in our ways otherwise others will not be able to see Christ through us. Being more like Christ can only encourage people, whereas by being “human”, we are serving them with a judgement which only Christ should be carrying out!
Points to Ponder:
What do you do when you argue with friends?
Do you ask God to guide you with your enemies?
November 15: Mark 8 13-21
Key Verse: Mark 8 21
So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”
Devotion:
What is your first reaction when someone tells you something you don't believe? Do you simply turn them down, or do you turn around and ask them to prove it themselves? Our lives are full of times when we are faced with unbelievable instances, be them things we see and don't understand, or hear and don't think possible. God has given us an amazing reference book which is full of descriptions written down, not just by one person but by multiple people. Yet we have problems believing...
It is not just us! The chief priests of Israel had issues with believing Jesus. They knew the scriptures told them of a Messiah who was going to come and do miracles, but they did not want to believe that Christ would come to us as a lowly carpenter’s son. Every step of the way they would try to trip Him up so they could have something against Jesus. They would continually try to force Christ into situations which would force a decision on Him. They continued to temp Him.
Each time Christ would respond with what is written in the scriptures or would reprove them by reminding them of something He had done a few days or weeks earlier. Christ wanted to make sure He was not on call to do tricks, but that He was there to do things when people needed Him to do things. There was (and still is) no way He would perform tricks or miracles on demand. Yet if there is a genuine need, He has no problem with doing a miracle at any time and any place!
We must continually remember our God is a Just and Faithful God who will continue to do things for us as they are required. He continues to look after us as our parents do. He continues to love us. He continues to make things possible – even when we do not remember to ask. What we need to do is remember it is Him who is looking out for us and that He is our God, no matter what other people try and come up with!
Points to Ponder:
So you always believe your friends? Are they always truthful?
Do you believe God can do anything? (the answer is in the Bible)