May 13: Acts 26 12-15
Key Verse: Acts 26 14
And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
Devotion:
In many respects we would love to see such a sight as Saul (Paul) being confronted by Jesus. We would love to see how a person could so quickly change their tune as they were confronted by the absolute truth. But in some respects, we are still like Saul in the way we act even with Christ already on our side!
There are always two ways of going about a task that is unpleasant. The one way is to rush into it and to get it over with as soon as possible; just so you can get it over with. The second way is to approach the problem slowly and to make sure you avoid the hard parts one by one so you can reach the goal without “too much damage”. Much like trying to negotiate a big bush of thorns. If you try to rush through it, you will come out with a whole rash of scratches. If you go at it slowly, you will feel every single scratch, but you will probably come out with a whole lot less damage!
We may stand back from the bush and think it is not possible to get through. Or, we may well stand fast and be determined to get through knowing that we will be able to bend most of the branches out of the way. But there is always another way, one which will not always strike us at first. Enlist the help of a friend. Get them to help hold back the branches whilst you get through!
We may think it is difficult to continue as a Christian because of all the thorns of life which stand in our way. We certainly do not want to rush forward because we can see how dense the thorn bush is. The only way we can go through is by approaching life's thorns one at a time and asking Christ to be there with us to hold some of them back. We will not be able to see some of them as we go through, but He can guide us through. He won't be standing on the outside looking in, He will be by our sides helping all the way through. It is that absolute truth, held in God's Word, which we can stand on knowing Christ will be with us no matter what we have to go through. He is faithful to be there even when we give in or fade!
Points to Ponder:
How open are you with your friends?
Do you still try to hide things from God?
May 12: Luke 11 37-41
Key Verse: Luke 11 41
But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.
Devotion:
If you were to have two gifts wrapped up placed in front of you, which one would you choose? Would you choose the one wrapped in shiny paper with the ribbon, or the one wrapped in greasy newspaper? If you were like most people, you would choose the one wrapped nicely and cleanly because you may well fear what is on the inside of the second one.
That is exactly what we seem to want to do with our lives. We would go out of our way to “wrap” ourselves so we look decent on the outside, even when we know we are not so on the inside. If we were brutally honest with God, we would probably have to dress up as urchins or beggars, dirty and unclean! But The Lord knows exactly what we are like on the inside, so we do not have to pretend to be something we are not.
That does not stop us from dressing up to hide ourselves from others! If we dressed up as beggars, then most of the people around us may not even talk to us, never mind entertain us. To be accepted in society today we have to dress in an appropriate manner. I had a job where we could go to work in whatever clothes we liked on Fridays rather than having to dress up smart; I liked that!
When the Pharisee had invited Jesus to dine, he had expected Jesus would wash according to Jewish tradition. He had expected Jesus to act like the other Jews. Instead Jesus ignored the ruling of the canons at the time and followed God's rules. He wanted to make sure people understood that God must come first! His remarks were simple – to rebuke the Pharisees for the way they maintained a glossy outward appearance even when they were not so on the inside. He then made sure they understood God can make anything and anyone clean. He made sure they understood all that they have is what God has allowed them to have and God alone should be thanked for their provisions.
Points to Ponder:
How often do you clean your hands?
How often do you thank God for your food and ask Him to bless it?
May 11: Luke 9 51-56
Key Verse: Luke 9 56
For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
Devotion:
One of the good things about giving time to God and reading His word is that He will show you things you had not thought of before. He will allow you to see things in a different light which will help you to move forward in your life. He will make sure you are constantly being educated as to how to live your life for Him!
How many times have you thought of the disciples as being men who were convicted of God and who wanted to do things just the way Jesus would do them – to be able to show everyone just how good and loving they could be... Well, these few verses certainly show us they were as “human” as you or I. When they were faced by people who were turning them away for no good reason, they were upset and wanted the town to be consumed with fire from above! They were really upset nobody would give them rest within the town!
What would you do if you were faced with that situation? Say you have been running a race – not quite a marathon because that's going overboard! - but a long race which required you take on water at stages through the race. As you came up to the stand where the water was, you were pushed away and the people there said this was reserved for their own people and nobody else. You knew this was not really the case and you also knew you would have to continue running for another 15 minutes before you got to the next watering hole! Would you barge through and take water, plead with them until they let you, or accept what they say and move on? (I won't attempt to answer that!)
Jesus wanted to make sure the disciples understood they were not above anyone else. They could not impose themselves on anyone just because they were His disciples. They had to make sure they were welcome before finding a place to stay. They had to make sure they did things the right way! If they had done it any other way, they would have given themselves a dubious name which would have been hard to live with as a child of God!
Points to Ponder:
What sort of people upset you in life?
What do you do to show them that you are a good Christian?
May 10: Romans 8 17-18
Key Verse: Romans 8 18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Devotion:
I find learning about history fascinating (though I do like to choose the history that I learn and not have it forced upon me). To learn about the cultures and rules of ancient civilizations is always enlightening. From the very earliest days of human existence, much was laid upon the first born male. Not just because he would get the inheritance and title of land, but that he would be the one looked at to uphold the family name and much else.
When Paul was writing this letter to the Romans, he made sure they would understand what it is to receive God's inheritance by drawing a parallel between it and the first born. He specifically talks of us as being children of God, but extends it by showing that as each one of us is born again, we become an heir to His salvation. Whilst we do understand we will receive our due inheritance (eternal life) just because we have believed in Him, what we must also understand is we take on a bit more responsibility too. With that responsibility will come suffering.
Just as the first born would have to shoulder the responsibility of the family, we have to shoulder the responsibility of upholding God's Word. For what worth would we be if we were to say that we believed, but then showed everyone else we don’t act as if we believe.
When a prisoner is let out on parole, one of the rules is they have to show that they can act like a proper member of society. If they do not, then they will be taken back to prison. It is quite clear in their rules this will happen. We live by this philosophy in many areas of our lives. Why then should we change the rules just because we are Christians? If we are going to say we have been changed, then we should act accordingly. As we act accordingly, we will have to face up to the trials as a Christian and not to go back to our old ways just because we think it is a bit tough at the time!
Christ has showed us what suffering really is like. He does not expect we do the same, but He does expect we do not turn our backs on suffering just because we don't like it
Points to Ponder:
What sort of things do you not like doing in your life?
What sort of things do you not like doing for God?
May 9: Proverbs 13 21
Key Verse: Proverbs 13 21
Evil pursues sinners, But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.
Devotion:
When it comes down to it, sinners have got a tough life on earth. Not only do they have to put up with evil pursuing them wherever they go, but they also have to watch out for the wrath of God. So if you think you have a tough life as a Christian, think of what the unrepentant sinner must be going through – or will go through!
It may not be immediately apparent to either the sinner or to us, but they do have a big problem. As Christians we are assured that Christ has paid for our sins and we do not have any more to worry about from debts because of sin. The sinner on the other hand has a huge weight to carry around with them all the time. That weight is getting heavier by the minute and destroying them from the inside – we need to switch on the lights for them so they can see the heavy burden they have on their backs.
They may think they have the ability to flee their burdens and to run away from their lives – but all too soon, evil catches up and consumes them again. They may think they can run away from the punishment which awaits them at the end of their lives – but God is just to deliver His promises to all. They may think they have “made it” here on earth with all the property and goods they have, but that can only add to the burden which they have. All the wealth they build up here will only help to weigh them down so they find it more difficult to break free from it.
On the other side of the coin we are the righteous; the people who have put their faith and trust in the God who has been patiently waiting for all of us. No longer do we have the “guilty” verdict hanging over our heads. No longer do we have the worry about what will happen when we die (other than earthly death and taxes). No longer to we have the wrath of God waiting for us. And to top it all, God will listen to all of our prayers and will keep us from evil. But it is not the treasures on earth we are aiming for, but the treasure which awaits us in heaven. We may still suffer on earth – but what we will gain in heaven far outweighs anything we will ever encounter!
Points to Ponder:
What do (or did) you fear most in life?
Have you ever tried to imagine a life without any fear whatsoever?