October 6: Galatians 4 8-16
Key Verse: Galatians 4 14
And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
Devotion:
Can you remember the time before you trusted Christ? Can you remember what you used to get up to? Or maybe you had a time where you simply did things the wrong way after you trusted Christ as Saviour...
I can remember getting up to all sorts of things. I can remember times where I would try to deceive or defraud people and even thinking about how good I was at doing things wrong! By looking back at times like that I can visualise how I was controlled by the bad things in life. I can look back and know that I was rotten on the inside... But, I can also look back in the not so distant past and see when I have done things the wrong way. I can see what I have done wrong. I can see the temptations I have given in to – because I was too weak to put up a fight and because I did not ask for help... it seemed like I would not need help at the time!
We are so lucky we live in a time where God has forgiven our sins. We are so lucky we do not have to pay for those sins. We are all in the same boat – don't ever think you are the only weak one who gives in to things that are not good. Don't ever think you are alone in this world. But there is also no need to dwell on the things we have done. Christ has said He will separate us as far as the East is from the West from those sins, so put them behind and move on knowing they have no more hold on you!
Jesus is always with us. He promised to leave the Holy Spirit with us for as long as we live on earth. The Holy Spirit cannot do any evil. The Holy Spirit cannot tempt us. The Holy Spirit CAN protect us and guide us because our sins have already been washed away.
Points to Ponder:
Do you marvel at how modern detergent washes so well?
God’s power and mercy go deeper than we can imagine!
October 5: Psalms 106 8-15
Key Verse: Psalms 106 13
They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel,
Devotion:
I’m sure many of us will remember the words from the parable about the farmer sowing seeds which fell on ground of various states, but how many of us will remember Jesus’ explanation of the parable? Sometimes we forget just what The Word of God is. We put our bibles on the table or chair and forget about them for a while... What are we doing? We are putting God's Word aside. We are turning our back on God. Bit scary when you think about it that way!
Just like the sower sowing seeds on ground which was stony or too hard, we too listen to Gods word when we are in church or hear other people talking about it; but then we put it aside or forget about it before too long. In the same way the people of Israel soon forgot about what God had said to them and even what He had done for them.
When we receive the Word, we should take it and make sure it has the best possible environment to live and grow in. After all, it is not much use sowing seeds on a road and expecting them to grow... But that is exactly what we do in our lives. We take in a little bit and then open up our lives to all the temptations around us expecting the Word to continue growing inside us even though we do not feed it.
We need to prepare ourselves to take in more of what God does in our lives. We need to think about what He does so we can understand how much He is trying to do for us. We need to understand this all and part of that is remembering the past and living for the future with God.
Points to Ponder:
Would you eat a loaf of bread that was left out in the rain?
Do you expose your “daily bread” to more than rain?
October 4: 1 Corinthians 10 6-13
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 10 13
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Devotion:
If you think that we are surrounded by more temptations than the people in the past then think again! If you think that we are the first to be tempted by amazing things, think again! From early history, people have been tempted by things that look better than they are. And that is it! Things look better than they really are and that is why they are called temptations!
We are tempted by things which look good, by people who look good, by things others do which look good... But when we start to analyse exactly what they are up to we start to see the flaws in what they do. We start to see what they are doing may be good to do, but in fact may be bringing temptation on others or spoiling things for them!
There is nothing worse than tempting others! By doing something that is “good” but not right, we are giving others a stumbling block. This may be something as simple as bragging about a new toy you have, or as complex as showing someone how to break a code to get something they are not allowed to get at.
If we are going to give into the temptations, we are going to be controlled by those very same temptations. God may be forgiving and loving, but when His wrath is kindled just a little, we will see how powerful He really is. History has shown us so many times where God has “told people off” the hard way, brought people through things, given people so much more than they deserve; but still we seem to think is will never happen to us! God has not given up on this world and has not left it to see what is going to happen; instead He is continually watching over us.
Points to Ponder:
Have you ever been in a car which is driven by someone who cannot drive?
Giving into temptation is like giving someone else control!
October 3: 1 Peter 1 6-9
Key Verse: 1 Peter 1 7
that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honour, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
Devotion:
It is hard to convince anyone what you have in God is better than any precious gold they have in their bottom drawer. But the clincher has to be: “What good is your gold when you die?”.
We are kept by the power of God. We are strengthened by The Holy Spirit. We are encouraged by reading His Word. We are promised a future that will last forever. All we have to do is have faith in God and believe He is going to keep His promises (like He has in everything so far). Show Him love like He has consistently shown us in everything we do. We are the ones who are destined to meet Him face to face. We are the ones who are going to receive every joy we can ever imagine.
So why do we let the world get us down? Why do we allow small temptations like money get to us? Why do we let the “ugly green monster or jealousy” reign in our lives? No matter how pure man can try to get his gold, no matter how many times he tries to perfect diamonds, no matter how much he tries to attain perfection... Man is limited by the environment that we live on. Man cannot hope to get any further than earth (and space, in time)...
Unless we put our faith and trust is Jesus. Unless we believe in the promises. Unless we trust that Jesus will return. God has already paid the price for our sins – why carry them!
Points to Ponder:
What is your most prized physical possession?
How does it compare to eternal life?
October 2: James 1 11-12
Key Verse: James 1 12
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Devotion:
Have you ever noticed how we always complain about the weather in England? When it is too wet, we complain. When it is too dry, we complain. When it is too cold, we complain. When it is too hot, we complain. When it is just right, we complain about it not being right enough! Weather does not last that long – although there are those around the world who experience continued tropical rain or hurricanes! When the rain comes, it is to water the plants that need it. When the sun comes out, it is to give life to the plants. When the snow comes, the whole country stops...
Just one hitch and things break down, falling down around us. When the sun shines for too long, grass turns yellow (something that is quite normal in dry countries). Everything is dependent upon things being just right. But if things were just right all the time, then when something did go wrong, everything would “break down”. Because England does not get a lot of snow, they are never prepared for any snow and cannot cope with it!
God allows temptation in to our lives so we can gain strength from it. By knowing what is wrong, we are able to avoid it, or to dissolve the situation before it gets out of hand. God does not place the temptation there, but may well allow it to strengthen us. If we had a good snow shower every 2 weeks, then the UK would be prepared for it and be able to cope with it.
We are allowed to be exposed to temptations so that we can realise that there is one that can help us to avoid them. One that can help us to overcome them. One that is able to give us strength and wisdom enough to fight them. Not learning from bad experiences or temptations is a choice we make for ourselves; but learning can be a whole lot easier and more productive if we listen to good advice while we go through the temptation.
Points to Ponder:
Who do you call when the water pipes start leaking in the house?
Who are you going to call for help when you face temptations?