June 23: Philippians 4 10-13
Key Verse: Philippians 4 13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Devotion:
How much do you show respect to your elders? Do you open doors for the elderly? Do you help them when they are struggling? Do you go out of your way to stop and help others? It is a sad reflection on our modern society to see so many young people ignoring and disrespecting the elderly. I don’t say this as a complaint because I am getting older but as an observation of the actions of many young people around me toward those whom I respect and help.
I’m not sure if I would expect the young people to open doors for me or to help me across the street when I am older, but it just seems like it is a part of my life and not a part of their lives; one I am trying to teach them to bring back into their lives. Christ teaches us to love one another. That does not mean we need to buy people things and shower them with gifts, chocolates and flowers – though each of those can be seen to be a sign of affection. It means being there when they need a little help, being there when they need support, being there when they need someone to talk to and being there in unexpected ways for them.
I am truly thankful for all God has allowed into my life, from my early life in Zimbabwe, to my life here in England, for my children and for my friends and family. I thank Him for the good things that have happened and also the troubled times through which I have learned so much. But most of all I thank Him for the times when I have seen how much He has given me strength to get through the tough times.
I know what it is like to have money and spend far too much. I know what it is like to have none and wonder how I am going to last another day. Each one of those days has taught me how much I need God in my life and how much I can still do for others no matter what state I am in myself. I now try to help where I can, love whom I can and support anyone I can – because I know Christ has done this all for me!
Points to Ponder:
Do you find yourself weak at times?
How much strength do you draw from God?
June 22: Ezekiel 36 24-32
Key Verse: Ezekiel 36 32
Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!”
Devotion:
Have you noticed that God will still bless you even when you have done things wrong? Have you noticed how He does not turn His back on you even when you have turned away and gone off on your own? How can God then continues to bless you and keep you safe? The simple answer is that He knows your heart and He knows what you are capable of, so He plans ahead to allow you to see how much He loves you… just so You can tell people of His love once again!
Don’t forget God. Don’t reject Him. Look for the blessings and count them to see He has not forgotten you and He continues to be there for you. Look for the steady and solid rock which is not moving even when we reject His ways because we want our own ways! God has not moved away and He has not allowed His kingdom to crumble just because we have – He will always be our rock and our Saviour!
I like to spend a day just looking for the things God has done for me when things get rough. I like to take a step back from everyone around me yelling and shouting about all the trouble and strife to see how God has not moved but is still holding up the righteous ways when I am mixed up in the rubble of trouble. I do love God and I say that out loud to make sure I hear it and realise it. Just thinking it in my head does not make it real, but saying it out loud in my prayers brings it home to my heart.
Be real about what God can do in your life, but don’t close the door just because you think you have done something wrong. Keep the door open and allow the truth to come in and see the blessings God is trying to encourage you with today. Sometimes I get torn between what I want to do and what everyone else wants to do; at times like that I turn to God and trust Him to show me a way forward where we can be joyful together and still praise God!
Points to Ponder:
Do you try to do things for God?
Have you tried just doing God’s will?
June 21: 1 Kings 18 33-39
Key Verse: 1 Kings 18 37
Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
Devotion:
Elijah was under no doubt God was going to do something real to convince the people they were trying to worship something false. He was also under no doubt God would show the people nothing is impossible with Him. The priests who were following Baal were numerous and they had failed to raise their own god’s attention no matter how far they were willing to go to get that attention. Elijah, on the other hand set the altar up and then stood back while he made his earnest request to God.
Elijah did not make the ideal surroundings for fire, quite the opposite in fact. He did not give God a hand by doing everything he could to support God. Elijah left it to God after putting subtle reminders down in front of all the people of Israel about their heritage! God wants us to know He has been with us from the beginning and continues to uphold His ways despite what we do in our lives.
Nothing is impossible with God and He continues to show us through daily life, through the whole universe and through the tiny little things in our own lives. We just have to look at the truth and believe in what He has done and what He is doing. Yes it is hard to not get caught up in the world and to not allow worldly ways to take over, especially if we think we can give God a helping hand just to make sure things happen. That is not what God is asking us to do.
God is asking us to trust in Him and in His ways. If we listen carefully to what He wants in our lives we will get a whole lot further with Him. If we are willing to do what He wants instead of trying to force Him to do it our way then we will get more support than we realise. It is God who is God and not man. Let us give Him the glory for what He can do instead of trying to invent glory to show other people how good our gods are!
Points to Ponder:
How confident are you at talking to others about God?
Are you actually trusting Him to guide you?
June 20: 1 Kings 18 25-29
Key Verse: 1 Kings 18 29
And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.
Devotion:
How confident are you of a friend answering your call for help? I know it is very subjective because I did not say what sort of friend of what sort of help – but most of us would like to think friends would help us out in our hour of need without having to ask loads of questions or waiting for some sort of recompense! If we call out a plumber or an electrician, we expect them to do the job we called them out for, and to do it properly… so what do you expect when you call out to God?
This story about Elijah challenging the priests of Baal is a wonderful story of faith as well as being a demonstration of God’s power! But it is also a story about the failure or hopelessness of trusting in human created gods. Sometimes we can want something so much we will make a little god of this thing or action allowing it to take over our lives as we try to justify something just because we want it to be so!
These prophets of Baal had convinced themselves they were correct and that Baal would deliver them when no human could. The only thing they could not see was anything we create cannot be greater than us… Any creation of ours is a creation by us and not something God has done for our benefit. Any creation by us is just that and nothing more! How can we lift it up to the realms of God?
We were created by God. However you wish to think we have been created we cannot escape the truth we are unique in the animal kingdom. When we try to mimic creation we fall very short of the mark as we copy other people or ideas to come up with something which has already been done by others. Nothing we create will come to life because we cannot breathe life into something dead – we can change life or take it away, but we cannot create it!
Points to Ponder:
What would you create a new species like if you could?
Would you love them enough to give your life for them?
June 19: Judges 6 28-32
Key Verse: Judges 6 31
But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!”
Devotion:
How many times have you given in to do something you know is not right just because it is easier to give in than to stand up and fight for what is right? I know I have caved in many times in my life and I probably will do many more times. Don’t lose confidence just because it does not look easy. Don’t say yes when you mean no. It may be that it is our word which will give someone else the courage to stand up with you and make the difference when it counts.
There has to be a catalyst that starts the ball rolling and there has to be some support to keep it going. If we are not willing to be the catalyst then maybe the support will fade away and we will lose a whole lot more than just time and energy. Giving a bit of time and a bit of energy to make a difference for someone else is what will count!
Gideon was the catalyst and what he did was to pull down the altar of Baal to show people they could stand up for God. If we think our faith is not strong enough or we think we are not brave enough, we too may well stand by and not do anything like the rest of the people. But if we ask God to give us courage enough to make a little difference, He will make sure we have support to make a big difference. Gideon was not brave enough to do it during the day time, so he did it at night time; but that act was enough to make others stand up and say ‘enough is enough!’
Joash stood up and declared Baal worship as being wrong. Everyone knew it already, but nobody had the courage to stand up to the people who were condoning it. Once that step had been taken, more people stood up and did what was right. More people turned back to God and God was given the glory once again. Gideon knew more trouble lay ahead, but he was willing to trust God in the end – it just took him a while to gain that courage… God gave it to him!
Points to Ponder:
What things do you turn a blind eye to?
Will you ask God for courage to stand up?