February 23: Deuteronomy 32 36-38
Key Verse: Deuteronomy 32 38
Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise and help you, And be your refuge.
Devotion:
Have you seen any of the documentary films about cars crashing and the crash-test dummies they have in those tests? I was pretty horrified at the amount a human body goes through in a crash, even at 40 mph! It is horrific to see the amount a human neck bends when the car hits a brick wall at that speed. It is at those sort of times when you begin to see the frailty of the human body and realise why we can die so easily if we are not careful. It is after seeing such a documentary you start to welcome inventions like seat belts and air bags!
It is not too big a step to start to work out what happens to us spiritually when we are not strong either. All you have to do is to look at the horrors which await us when we are in our unprotected state. We are open to so many things in our lives. Just like Adam and Eve were open to the suggestions of Satan, we are open to suggestions from the evil one too.
One thing we cannot do is to go out to a shop and buy some air bags which are going to protect us from a head-on collision with Satan. We cannot buy anything off the shelf which will physically protect us. What we have to rely on is something so much more safe, something so much more powerful, someone that has so much love for us He does not want to see us attacked in the first place!
We cannot ever hope to be anything like an angel. We cannot hope to be anything like Satan. But what we can do is to rely on someone who is all powerful and will protect us more everything. The only thing that we can buy on our shelves that will help us towards that goal is a Bible.
Points to Ponder:
Are you strong or mad enough to run into a wall as fast as you can?
Do you actively seek God’s protection?
February 22: Galatians 6 1-5
Key Verse: Galatians 6 2
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Devotion:
One of the greatest things about being human is that you have so many more humans around you who can do so much for you! It's not only the fact they are there for company, but they are there to help you out when you need help. I have no other earthly desire that comes close to that of being able to help other people out at some time or another.
God knew exactly what He was doing when he created us. He knows exactly where we are going. He knows exactly what we are aiming for; and that has got to hurt Him, knowing so many of us have turned our backs on Him just because we think we have done things better! Have you ever noticed the more you go it alone, the more other people do not want to help you? The more you go it alone, the more people do not want to be associated with you...
God made us to be together; He made us to be with each other; He made us to love one another. He did all that because of His love for us. The fact that He loved us in the beginning shows right through to the things we have in our lives. For example we are able to choose, we are able to say no and we are able to say yes!
He based His creation on love. That was no accident! He did so to demonstrate what love can do. When we start to realise what love and compassion can do, then we start to want to be able to use the love and compassion He’s given us to its best advantage. When we turn our backs on other people, we find they do not want to help us. When we find we are alone, we know we do not have others to help us when we need or look for it.
Points to Ponder:
What was the last thing you did out of love for someone?
When did you last look at Gods love?
February 21: Proverbs 12 24-28
Key Verse: Proverbs 12 25
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.
Devotion:
I don't know about you, but one of my failings in life is that I do put things off instead of doing them there and then. And, not surprisingly, I have missed out on a few things because of that! And if someone else is going to do something before you, then you may well find they are the ones that will get the blessing out of it.
How many times have you had a friendship break up or even just a disagreement with someone all because you forgot about something, put something off, or did not apologise? Maybe it was with someone you see each day and now there is a awkward silence between you. Maybe it was not you, but them and you are still waiting! Maybe you were given an opportunity to do something for someone and, because you put it off, they got the wrong impression about how you feel about them.
Maybe you don't have my problems and manage to get things done on time. Maybe you still have all your friends because you still write to them all even though you are on the other side of the world. Maybe you are on top of most things in life, but still think that there is something missing or wrong. Whichever way, that is just a lot of maybes and if you have anything that is still undone, then the only way you are going to be able to get over it is to either show the people it affects you are truly sorry, or to make amends now.
God is affected by everything we do. We don't just do things to people and other things, we do everything in front of God and to His creation! He is the one who has done everything first for us and He is the one who does “own the cattle on a thousand hills”. If we do anything against others, then we are doing it against part of Him. And if we don't do something for others, then we have already done it against Him.
Points to Ponder:
Do you “forget” things because it’s easier?
Are you ready to do something positive today for God?
February 20: Matthew 18 21-22
Key Verse: Matthew 18 22
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Devotion:
Have you got someone in your life that just keeps on doing something wrong against you. Maybe you have told them that they are, but they continue to do so, being oblivious to the fact that it is hurting or discouraging you. As a friend, you would not expect them to do something like that. As an enemy, anything could be possible. Whichever way, you are the one who starts to hold a grudge against them for what they are doing. Yes, I'm pretty sure we can all say we have been there!
I wonder if Peter had someone in his life who was like that when He asked Jesus this question about forgiveness. How often are we to forgive people for what they do against us? If someone is going to do the same thing wrong to you almost 500 times, then I don't think you want to be around them! But what Christ was trying to get across to Peter was the fact that it should not be us sitting there counting the number of times people are doing things against us. For as long as we do sit and count, we are building up ill feelings inside of us.
If we are going to simply cast things aside, we will be able to move on more quickly. Don't get me wrong, we should not just be a walk-over! Christ wants us to stand up for what is right! But bearing a chip on you shoulder for a long time is not good for your health! (Never mind the big greasy stain you will be left with!)
Try and think who is the one person in your life that seems to be able to upset you the most by doing things wrong... Think how many times they have done wrong against you... Now think how many times you have told a lie – even a little white one. Think how many times you have “borrowed” something and not returned it. Think how many times you have turned your back on others. Think how many times you have thought badly about your parents or family. How many times have you “skipped” church? Try and add them all up... because each one of those things was done against God. He has already forgiven us! It should be so easy for us to Forgive others.
Points to Ponder:
Do you count your blessings?
Or are you stuck counting your faults?
February 19: Hebrews 2 1-4
Key Verse: Hebrews 2 3
how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
Devotion:
We only have to look back at history to study out where the truth lies. We only have to look back in history to find the villains. We only have to look back in history to find the heroes. But how many times do we look back in history to try to find out who was telling the truth at the time?
We often find books and papers written by people who lived in troubled times, under dictatorships, or under tyrants. These books and papers are used as reminders about how people were ignored just because they were not doing what was expected of them at the time. People do not like those who speak up about the truth when they themselves are trying to cover it up under a string of lies.
And then there are times when the truth remains covered up by governments and organisations just to keep themselves in power. But when people do find out the truth, they instinctively know it. They uphold it from then on, and they try to follow the examples laid down by that truth. The Bible was written by many people many years ago. Each one of them being inspired by God to write down the truths they did. Each one of them written down as a reminder for us to be able to compare the past with that which was written down, and to know about the truth, and to know about what is going to happen in the future.
How can we believe the Bible – simply by looking back at the truths which have been told in the past and comparing it to the truth we know happened in the past. If we can believe what others write in other books – then why can't we believe what has been inspired by God Himself!
Points to Ponder:
How many text books did you believe in school?
How many revisions have some of those books gone through?