September 30: John 3 18-21
Key Verse: John 3 21
But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.
Devotion:
It is true that each of us has a choice as to what we are going to do with our lives. Those choices may not seem like fair choices because we either choose to follow others rules, or follow our own rules. But it is not the here and now which we should be concerned about – and we seem not to be, until it is too late!
We have been reminded many times (such as in Mark 13 33) that we do not know when Christ is going to return. So if we know not, then we need to be prepared right now! And in order to be prepared, we need to know what is in store for us in the future. Christ explains it in fairly simple terms, we are either not condemned or we are condemned! That gives us a fairly simple choice to make because it is black or white!
It is that first choice which many find hardest to take – to be able to put the world behind them and to step forward into the arms of Christ. We have a hard time letting go of our surroundings because we have built up what we think is a safe surrounding. We don't want to leave those safe surroundings because we think by leaving them we will fall into deeper problems... but what can be any deeper than being condemned by Christ! For as long as we continue to hide in the darkness, we fool ourselves into believing we are safe from our surroundings... just because we cannot see them!
This is why we have our Bibles – so we can gain an insight into what is there waiting and lurking where we cannot see. We not only start to realise what is there that we should be afraid of, but what is there which we can rejoice in! Once we find out the difference in the world around us with and without Christ, we can seek the truth (Christ) and put our faith and trust in Him – thereby gaining access to everlasting life. So the only way to make sure we are ready is to open our eyes to the truth and grab hold of all of it with Christ's help!
Points to Ponder:
What do your friends do that scares you?
Are you ready for Christ's return?
September 29: Titus 2 1-10
Key Verse: Titus 2 10
not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
Devotion:
Some rules that we have to face in life seem too harsh for us to follow whilst others seem too minor for us to even think about keeping. But if we were to start ignoring rules, then we may as well ignore random ones or even all of them rather than to think we have the wisdom and knowledge to be able to choose the right ones! Our history as humans has proven that we are no good at choosing the right rules! We always seem to get carried away with what we are up to and break a few more rules along the way!
That is why the Bible is full of minor rules and guidance as well as having the major 10 commandments. If we only had the 10 commandments, we would find ways of getting round them – we always look for a way round the law rather than obeying it blindly... That is our sin nature...
Read through verses 2 to 6. Each verse gives encouragement to do the right thing. But notice also each verse is linked with others – we are not to try and go it alone, for doing that would be like trying to wade over a deep river. We are to do things together, encouraging each other – trying to live as a body of believers, not as individual believers. How are we to do that? Through following God's Word...
It is not hard to pick on others and point out what is wrong in their lives – but it is hard to admit to our own faults. Finding fault within ourselves, admitting those faults and taking them to Christ is our first step. Then listening to Christ and changing our attitude towards those faults is the next step – but without Christ, we cannot understand how to change. If we try to describe to others how they should change without bringing God into the conversation, then we are fighting a losing battle from the start. But if we are willing to show others a perfect example, Christ, through us, then we are going in the right direction. Asking Christ for that help so we can be examples for others to see is a step we can all take which may seem a very minor step, but has far reaching consequences!
Points to Ponder:
How would you rate yourself when compared to others?
Have you ever considered yourself when compared to Christ?
September 28: James 1 13-18
Key Verse: James 1 14
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
Devotion:
So many people start to question religion of any kind when things go wrong in their lives. Christians are in that very same boat; many people do turn around to God and ask Him “why?”, as if He were personally responsible for what is happening to us. We know Christ is our God and He is walking with us daily – so long as we are walking with Him. To walk together takes two people!
We will not have to look very far into our lives to see the points where we have made a sharp turn away from God just so we can take pleasure in something we know within ourselves is not right. We are created with the desire to seek out God. We are created with the desire to seek the truth. We are created with an inherent knowledge that God is real and that He is our creator – yet we choose to bend the rules and the truth until it fits into our own little world. Then when things start to go wrong, we turn around and blame God for it!
God is never going to temp us into doing anything. He is holy and just and cannot tempt us with evil. So when we feel tempted to do something, we know at that point we are turning away from Christ's side. It is our own desire to do so because we think we will have something to gain from it, be it personal or monetary. It is those feelings which turn us away from God towards sin and allow us to get into all sorts of trouble. Even as Christians we still face those temptations and still have to fight them. But if we are willing to allow God to help us in our fight, then we will find it a whole lot easier!
We know God has given to us a perfect gift – His Son – so that we will not have to face the consequences of our temptations we have given in to. But this does not mean we can ignore them and sweep them under the carpet. It is Christ's position, and His alone, to forgive us of those sins – we need to take them to Him before we can see them swept away for us... not by us...
Points to Ponder:
Do your friends tempt you into things?
How many times do you call upon God to help you with those temptations?
September 27: James 1 19-21
Key Verse: James 1 19
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
Devotion:
I am so glad I was brought up to listen and only speak when spoken to. It may sound harsh when your parents say children should be seen and not heard, but if we have a similar attitude taught to us at an early age, then we are more likely to continue working to a similar standard in our lives. Then when we become Christians and realise that this is what the Bible would have us do as well, it all starts to make sense.
I'm not an advocate of not allowing a child to speak, but rather to get them to think about what they are about to say. Too many times we blurt out something in our lives and then want to take back the words or wish we had never said them to start will. Too many times we are putting our mouths in gear before thinking about what we are saying.
Being able to think about what you are saying leads to a better understanding of what you are going to say. It also allows you to not say spiteful and harsh things which you know are going to hurt others. Being able to guide others through the use of good words is much better than pulling them down with one harsh word. It is those harsh words that come out when we get angry... It is not anything to do with God's guidance when we allow anger to drive our lives...
But as you allow anger to bring forward the words, you begin to see just how much comes out of your mouths; words you would not want others to say to you, words that bite at your heart, words which are ready to crush others feelings. The more we reject God's Word, the more likely we are to allow our anger to surface quicker than God's will. But the closer we draw to God, the more likely we are to allow His will in our lives to come before our anger strikes out. It is The Holy Spirit who is able to allow us to see the truth and God's Word that will guide us to do what is righteousness in our lives. Being able to admit we are less than perfect is our first step toward being able to ask for God to guide our tongues; but don’t get yourself down thinking you are not worth it – God says you are!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you speak before thinking?
How often do you turn to God to ask for help before speaking?
September 26: Proverbs 15 13-15
Key Verse: Proverbs 15 13
A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
Devotion:
With our knowledge that Christ is with us and for us all the time, we have every reason to be happy all the time. And if we are happy all the time, then that is going to show in our faces – others will be able to see how we are happy. But if we allow our burdens in life to get us down, we are going to show them even more quickly! No matter how good we think we are at hiding our feeling, our friends will be able to see when we are down and when we are happy. God just needs to look in our hearts...
If we are willing to believe in God, then we are going to want to learn more about Him. We are going to want to seek knowledge and information about Him and to learn what He would have us to do. It will be our own feelings which will draw us closer to Him and to continue seeking Him. The closer we get, the more we understand just how much He has done for us and the happier we will be. But when we start casting doubt on things, we start to dig ourselves a big pit and pretty soon feel trapped within it. The more we pull away from God, the more things we make up to support our own theories so we can live the way we want to. But underneath all of this we know in our hearts it is wrong and that is what causes the anguish and pain.
The more we convince ourselves we are ok by ourselves, the more we draw away from God. The more that we do, the more we are piling up on ourselves. When one single thing goes wrong, we then start to collapse in on that one thing as if it was everything which was holding our lives together. We suddenly find it seems like our world is falling down around our eyes...
But if we have that faith to stand up and know God is with us, then any issue will seem minor when compared to the Rock that is Jesus. Our Rock will hold us steady through even the roughest times...
Points to Ponder:
How many things in your life do you think you cannot do without?
How many things are you willing to give to God for safe keeping?