September 16: Luke 16 19-31
Key Verse: Luke 16 26
And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
Devotion:
I am one of those people that put things off for as long as possible; I do try to improve things each day, and it is only with God's help and encouragement that I can succeed at this task. But one things that we must not put off is sharing God's Word. This passage warns us of putting things off. It warns us of what will be in store for us if we keep saying no. It warns us of the consequences of saying “I'll do it tomorrow”. One day, that tomorrow will be today, and then when you put it off for another day, it will be too late.
I don't know whether we will be able to see between heaven and hell as it is told here, but for those who do not make it to heaven it is going to be a very long night knowing the morning will never be coming again. I think the torment of knowing you have made the wrong decision is going to be bad enough without having to spend eternity in hell (making no decision is in fact making a decision not to make that decision...)
God wanted us to know His mercy. He sent Jesus, His son, to die on the cross for us all. Jesus wanted us to know His mercy. He gave up His life on that cross for us. Day by day we are shown mercy and grace through all God allows in our lives; if we are willing to share this with others, they will get to learn before it is too late. God wants us to extend our mercy to others so they can learn about Him through our actions.
The Hebrew word for mercy means to cover up or to wipe out in a permanent sense. If we would take on the true meaning of mercy and share it like Christ wants us to we will be able to save a lot of people from being on the wrong side of the gulf between Heaven and hell.
Points to Ponder:
Do you show true mercy?
God’s mercy extends to every living soul!
September 15: Luke 6 32-38
Key Verse: Luke 6 36
Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Devotion:
We often talk about God's bountiful love and mercy. We see how Jesus was able to show such mercy. We see how He showed absolute mercy by going to that cross for our sins. But how much mercy do we show in our lives? Jesus first showed us true mercy so we could understand a bit about what it is. He wants us to show mercy to others. He wants mercy to be a part of our lives, an integral part of our lives.
He warns us we will have enemies. He warns us there will be people out to get us. He warns us there will be people out to deceive us. But He wants us to show mercy to all of those people. Without us showing mercy to them, they will continue to be caught up in their own struggles with darkness. They will continue to be caught up in the shadow of death.
If we went through life without experiencing any hate or love, we would not be able to differentiate between the two. But by allowing us to get into situations where both are shown to us, we begin to learn how great God’s love for us is. He shows us how to share love with people we would not normally mix with. He shows us how He cared for so many even though they rejected Him.
If we can shed a little of that light to others, then we have gone a long way to show them mercy. We do not have to lead everyone to the Lord, but if we can at least show them there is a path they can take, God will use that opportunity to show them the way. God can use everyone, and He does. Each one of us has been given special gifts for doing things, things that one day will allow each of us to reach someone else with His Word in one way or another.
Points to Ponder:
How much compassion have you shared this week?
Do people call you a Christian?
September 14: Luke 14 1-6
Key Verse: Luke 14 4
But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go.
Devotion:
We do not always see the wonders of our Lord. We do not always recognise what He does in our lives. Even when it is plain and simple, we do not always see it. We question when things happen and we question whether it is right to do other things.
Think back a short while to how you got to where you are in your life now. Think back to how many people have looked after you, been in contact with you, set you on the right path. Have you been able to thank each one personally? This is the sort of thing we do take for granted most of our lives; we just assume that there is going to be someone that will be looking after us when we are young. So why should it be any different when we are older? God has promised to be with us always!
Jesus was never shy about showing mercy to those that asked or needed His help. He was not shy about showing mercy to those that did not deserve it. He knew the only way some people would get to know of His love was if He showed it to them with a big slap in the face (not literally). In our scripture today He healed someone on the Sabbath day when others would have said it not possible to do any work.
Sometimes it is a slap in the face we need to start taking notice of what is going on in our lives. We have to make sure we do acknowledge it is God who is our guide, and God who is our provider. If we do not do that, others will never find out the truth for themselves and will never be able to leave the shadow of death they are held within. Jesus wanted others to be able to see what He was doing in people’s lives. He made sure questions would be asked so things would be remembered. He wants each of us to go one step further and show His mercy and power to those around us.
Points to Ponder:
What do you do when someone gives you a great gift?
What have you done with God’s great gift?
September 13: Luke 1 76-79
Key Verse: Luke 1 79
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.
Devotion:
God can use anyone and everyone to take His word out to others. He used Zacharias here to prophesy to others. You may think “So what”, but if you read from the beginning of the chapter, or even back to verses 62-63 you begin to see why it was a bit of a change! Zacharias was mute. He could not talk and he used a tablet which he carried round with him to write things down on. When he wrote down John's name he found he could talk and the first words that came out were praises to God!
God made this happen because He wanted to make sure John knew what he had to do with his life. God used Zacharias to tell John of his task of paving the way for Jesus. John may not have understood at this time but the prophesy would have been taught to him as he understood. God wanted John to go out there are tell everyone it is by the remission of sins though Jesus that we are going to be saved.
It was John's vocation to go out there and to tell others of our wonderful Saviour who was going to follow shortly. His job was simply to take a little light to the dark places and allow those who were trapped to be freed by that light. He was preparing the way for Jesus to come and teach the people.
Each of us probably knows quite a few people that are “caught in the shadow of death” simply because they know nothing more. Are you willing to take a little light to them to show them the way out? You don’t have to bash them over the head with loads of words or force them into church, just love them and tell them how great Christ is!
Points to Ponder:
What are your first thoughts every morning?
How much time passes each day before people begin to see a bit of Christ through you?
September 12: Luke 1 56-63
Key Verse: Luke 1 58
When her neighbours and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
Devotion:
I don't think we will ever be able to understand the joy and excitement Mary and Elisabeth were experiencing when they were both pregnant. But when they got together they knew God's mercy and the people around them understood just how great God was too. I think it was only when they got together and talked things through they began to realise the awesome power of God and the responsibility that had been laid in their hands.
They could have shut themselves away and not have done anything, simply waited until they had both had their children. But they didn't, they wanted others to know of their experience which was just one fulfilment of God's mercy. They made sure other people in their family heard about it, were told about it and knew the truth about God.
We do find it hard sometimes to go out and tell people within our own families about God, but really we do not have anything to fear. We know God is with us all the time and we know He will guide us in whatever we do. We have to trust Him to guide us through our day, not just after the fact but by giving it to Him before we start the day.
One thing we have a responsibility to do is to allow others to know about God's mercy. If people are blind to God's mercy, then they will be blind to God's love. If they are blind to His love, then how are they ever going to believe in Him? By us showing compassion towards other, we can help them to understand a little more about what God is doing in our lives. When people see the joy and peace in our lives they will begin to look deeper and then we can share just how much God does for us!
Points to Ponder:
Do you have a close family?
Do you share your faith with those close to you?