March 30: Acts 1 6-11
Key Verse: Acts 1 11
“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Devotion:
Can you imagine what was going through the disciples minds as they spoke to Jesus just before He ascended into Heaven? Can you imagine how their minds were blown away when they did see Him ascend! But Jesus’ last words were words of encouragement and empowerment, and not words just of hope and love.
Too often people just hang on to the words of love, peace, mercy and hope, leaving behind the real message Christ gave to us all. Yes He wants us to know the love, joy, peace, mercy and all the rest; but He also wants us to get out there and put these things into practice! Jesus said to the disciples their role would change from being the students to being the teachers because the Holy Spirit would indwell them to give them the wherewithal to teach people according to God’s wishes.
We do need to remember just how much we can do with the Holy Spirit’s guidance too. This is God being in us in a form we cannot see but can understand and listen to. If, like me, you have always strived to look for eye witness accounts for everything, then saying something like this seems alien – but is not. God really does want us to go out there and tell others about Him and He is going to give you the words to do exactly that!
Taking the first step to come forward and trust God to give you the words is the hardest step to take – because you are stepping into the ‘unknown’ world where you cannot see everything in black and white! But, once you take that step and trust God will be there with you, the Holy Spirit is there giving you what you need to teach others about God. I do like reading through some of the devotions I wrote over a decade ago to see how God was leading me back then – it makes me realise just how much I rely on Him every day.
Points to Ponder:
Do you crave support?
Will you step forward and expect the Holy Spirit to be with you?
March 29: Philippians 3 17-21
Key Verse: Philippians 3 20
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ
Devotion:
As Christians we need to be leading by example – just as Paul and the other disciples did after the death and resurrection of Christ. We have these truths written down for us to read and be encouraged by, but unless we are willing to show others how we are encouraged, what use is it other than ensuring our own place in Heaven? We do have a duty to spread the gospel just as Jesus asked His disciples to do because that is the same message He gave to all who were willing to listen!
We will not be able to reach everyone, but we will be able to reach out to the people God gives us in our communities. As long as we are willing to continue listening to God, we will be placed in the right place at the right time to reach the right person who is going to make a difference! Just as this virus spreads through interaction, our task is to spread the gospel through interaction – not physical at this time, but spiritual and by example.
Paul told the people to keep an eye on others – how apt for these times! We really do need to be the example by reaching out to others where we can and showing them there is always someone who cares. They may not know Christ as their Saviour, but by being an example and showing them His ways, we can encourage them to start a journey where they seek out what we know as the truth and know in our hearts.
This does put a burden on us during these tough times, but we have God who is willing to take care of our burdens so long as we trust Him to do so. We have the comfort which goes beyond the fears of this world and we have strength given to us in abundance by Him which we can always call on. We do this through our faith. If we can give this example of faith to others, they too will be helped and strengthened just as we are!
Points to Ponder:
Do you enjoy the peace and strength you get from God?
Will you show someone else how to get that strength today?
March 28: Hebrews 2 14-18
Key Verse: Hebrews 2 18
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Devotion:
One thing many people cannot get their heads round is how Jesus came to live amongst us as a human being and not as an angel or godly spirit. He did this so He could show He fully understands how we are and what we feel. He went through great temptation, great pain, great sorrow and so much more; yet through it all, He remained faithful to God the Father.
It is possible for us to remain faithful – even though we are weak and seem to give in to things much more than others – it is possible. Jesus wanted us to know we are able to do so much more when we fully place our faith and trust in God. What would He be doing in this time? I’m not sure, but whatever it was it would be the will of God. Jesus listened to God and obeyed whatever He said. Yes, He did question whether it was necessary and pleaded with God on many occasions; but He still obeyed God.
It is the devil who brings all the pain and sorrow into this world. The devil who tries to make us slaves to death and not to life. God wants us to reach out to Him and ask for His help daily so we can have that light in our lives instead of the death hanging over us. Jesus did not come here to make sure His angels would survive but to make sure we, mankind, would survive. This is just one of the reasons why He came as a human being – so we would be witness to the resurrection of a human being!
When we are tempted, especially in these times, we really must reach out to God and ask for His protection and His strength to allow us to get through this period in our lives. We need to be the example others will see and be encouraged by so they will turn to Him and ask for this protection and strength too. God knows! Believe me, He knows!
Points to Ponder:
Do you find yourself giving in to temptation?
Do you ask His for your daily strength?
March 27: Luke 7 11-17
Key Verse: Luke 7 13
When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”
Devotion:
When we lose someone we love, our hearts break and we cry. People around us see the heartache we are going through and feel sorry for us, often-times trying to comfort us in our time of need; because we do need comfort in sad times. As we are spread far and wide in our various homes and places of work, we are not always close to friends and people we love. This probably makes us more aware of our need for love and support from others.
I know some of you will face losing someone over this pandemic and maybe it is going to be the one we love more than anything. I am very anxious I will lose the people I love but I also know there is very little I can do to prevent this apart from staying away from them; and I know there are many of you out there who are even more anxious than me. My prayers and love go out to you all.
So how do I cope? I cope through my faith in Christ. I cope because I know God has me firmly in His grip. Does this mean I am not going to get the virus – probably not. Does this mean I will survive – probably. So what’s the difference? Why do I have so much faith and hope in comparison to many out there?
I have faith and hope that God has all of this in control. Yes, many are going to die simply because many people have not listened to the advice from the doctors and scientists. My dad was a pharmacist and always drilled home how important it was to wash our hands – I am really thankful at this time that I do remember this and know how important it is!
We are in a global crisis where many people are going to die – but many more are going to survive and live to tell the tales. How many of us are going to lift God up high and praise Him for remaining faithful even though we may have wondered off? How many are going to see prayers answered because they have trusted God to answer them? Lift up your prayers to God this evening and thank Him for looking after you!
Points to Ponder:
Do you cry out to God all the time?
Or are you waiting to have Him walk past you before you cry out?
March 26: John 5 19-23
Key Verse: John 5 21
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
Devotion:
Jesus made sure people were told how He would not do anything God, His Father, would not sanction. Jesus made sure people understood how He worked directly with God in everything He did. He made sure He listened to everything God told Him and obeyed God’s commands. Something which struck me was how Jesus was listening to what God was saying then and there, not going by what Moses had said so many years before or by the habit people had got used to doing...
We need to be doing the same by making sure we are actively listening to the latest advice from God – by praying to Him and listening for the answers! Just as people around the world need to be listening to the latest advice from their governments about the state of their countries and the safest way to make sure they are kept safe from this pandemic. Listening to the latest advice has always got to be the right thing to do!
As a modern society we have grown callous in our ways with God because we have continued to do things the way of the world instead of doing things God’s way. The more we get involved with the ways of the world, the more we tend to ignore God because of the peer pressure we have continuously around us. You can think of it as you trying to have a conversation with a friend in the middle of a dance floor where the music is drowning out your every word – eventually you give in and just enjoy the dance… Now imagine 3 of you on that dance floor; the one in the middle is the messenger for talk going both ways and becomes the integral part of every conversation.
We do need to stop and focus on what God is trying to tell us. We will not always hear it because of the ‘volume’ of the world around us, but the more we do listen the more we will be in tune with what God says and the easier it will be to hear Him in the din of the world. Jesus was totally in tune with God the Father and had no problems hearing what He wanted Jesus to do.
Points to Ponder:
How much do you listen to the news and gossip around you?
How much do you separate yourself so you can hear God?