May 29: Ephesians 4 17-24
Key Verse: Ephesians 4 22
that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
Devotion:
Even though our task is to take the Gospel with us wherever we go and that means getting to live and mix with the people we are trying to reach, it does not mean we have to live as they do. We must be careful not to judge others and blame them for things just because we don’t do things their way, but we must also be very aware that living with people does mean we will get used to the way they live and that can allow us to drop our guard at times.
God does not want us to give in to the ways of the people around us because He has separated us from those ways by calling us out to work with Him. That does not mean locking yourself away in a monastery to make sure we are not tempted – though some of us may need that at times! God knows that our minds can be persuaded to fold and give in. God knows that our minds are easily influenced by others. That is why He encourages us to live a life that is separate from those ways.
God can give us the power to resist those ways and encourage us to live for and with Him; but some of our best evangelism may be done whilst we are with the enemy rather than tucked away in our own private world. We need to trust Him and obey Him and that also means trusting Him when we are at our weakest point mixing with the enemy. So long as we know it is God’s strength that will allow us to resist and work His ways and not our own ways.
Putting aside our old ways and working with God’s ways may not be to our liking at first, but we will quickly learn this is the only way we can work with Him and avoid the pitfalls of our old lives. It was in our old lives where we were not walking with God. It was in our old ways we were trapped and needed a Saviour. Allow God to guide you in His ways so you can be the best you can for Him!
Points to Ponder:
Do you go back to your old ways?
Do you trust Christ to lead you forward?
May 28: Romans 15 7-13
Key Verse: Romans 15 9
and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, ‘Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name’;
Devotion:
The Gospel is meant for everyone. How often have you been caught up in the trap of thinking that the words you are hearing in church are just meant for you or just meant for those people who were bold enough to come out to church that day? Have you ever got a message ready to tell people and focused it on the people you thought were going to be in church? Have you ever written something down knowing full well that people who love God will ‘get it’?
I think I have failed on many occasions to include everyone in my talks, devotions and other musings; but God is the one who has called me out to reach out to many more people than are in our local churches. Just as He called out each of the disciples to teach the Gospel to all people, so He has given us the same commission – to go out into all the world with the Gospel.
I like the way the apostle picks out a selection of verses from various prophets and leaders of the people of Israel to show this is what God intended all along. The religious Jews of the time may well have got it into their heads that this was all meant for them alone, but God said otherwise. Christ came to give this message to many people and certainly did not limit His talking to the core church at the time; He came to give the message to all of us, both Jew and Gentile.
But the key here is not to make religious people out of the non-religious people but for us all to come together and glorify God. This all points to the fact we are God’s children and need to point everything we do to the glory of God. Christ gave us everything on the cross so we can bring that glory to God in the full knowledge that what we are doing is correct and righteous. The Holy spirit came for us all as well so we can all have a wonderful life with Him, glorifying God above all else.
Points to Ponder:
Do you focus your ‘preaching’?
Is God asking you to reach out more?
May 27: Matthew 13 31-32
Key Verse: Matthew 13 32
it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’
Devotion:
Do you like to do puzzles or competitions or play games? In each case you are either pitting yourself against another person by competing against them, or you are pitting yourself against the person who wrote the puzzle for you to do. This is the basis by which we get to learn and expand our knowledge and wisdom beyond what we are born with. The more we are able to interact in new ways the more we learn and the more we can pass on to other people.
We do not have to be the greatest of scholars or theologians in order to be able to pass on the Gospel to others. If you are able to remember just one verse in your bible, you can use that verse to go out and teach others. You do not even have to be able to read – you may be listening to this devotional through the Android app and getting it to talk to you while you drive or stroll down the road… the important fact is that you are hearing just a little bit more about God through His Word.
I really do love to be able to read my bible in various translations, read up what theologians have said about the verses, and then sit and think about what they all say and what they mean. God is good and He does explain many things to me, but if I am over tired or distracted then I do find it hard to understand what is being said. Don’t worry, this appears to be quite normal because I know I am not the only one!
But it does take that first tiny little seed to be planted out so it can grow. A seed by itself is of no use, but it does have great potential. When that seed is used and planted, the potential then starts to become of use. The more that seed grows the more potential it has to be used by others. The more that potential gains, the more likely it will be used by others. So you see, that tiniest of seeds in the beginning may seem to be totally useless by itself, but once used it becomes great!
Points to Ponder:
Do you feel of little use?
Are you willing to read a little more?
May 26: Matthew 13 10-16
Key Verse: Matthew 13 16
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
Devotion:
If you could point to a single point in time when you began to understand the bible or really got to grips with what the bible contains, when would that be? I don’t think I could point to that single time because it was quite a while ago, but each time I do study God’s Word I get to understand a bit more which draws me closer to God!
I think if I were Jesus I may well have got very disgruntled with the way people were ignoring and rejecting Him; thank goodness I am not because we would all be in a terrible state! Instead Jesus continued to show us His awesome love by showing grace and mercy when we certainly did not deserve it. That same grace and mercy continues to be extended toward us and over us.
Getting to grips with your bible is not going to be like flipping a coin or switching on a light switch. I read and heard quite a bit before I began to realise these words were written for my understanding as well as all the people around me in and out of church! I do like to go through the verses now and see how they link up between the Old and New Testaments. This is just one case where scripture is being quoted from the Old Testament by Jesus. In this case Jesus is quoting a couple of verses from Isaiah 6, but not to show the people they are being rejected because of their ways, but to point to a way where they can be healed from their transgressions!
We are lucky enough to have so many people that have been able to study the scriptures and open them up in a wonderful way for us. It was not that many years ago when the church refused to allow the common folk to have direct access to the bible. Because I have grown up in a society where access to the bible was encouraged, I find that very strange. But I see around me many people discouraging us from reading the bible and these people are in influential positions in our communities. Jesus wants the doors to be opened so people can come in to learn the truth; but unless we choose to open the doors, we stay locked out by ourselves…
Points to Ponder:
Do you read your bible?
Are you sharing your bible?
May 25: Psalms 78 1-8
Key Verse: Psalms 78 2
I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old,
Devotion:
God has been trying to tell us the same thing throughout time; trying to get us to see there is one God and one church which He through Jesus established. Here, through a Psalms written such a long time ago, we see God speaking through a faithful few trying to reach out to the many so they can understand just how He feels about us and the way we act toward Him. Despite all the open, honest and loving advice He has given us over time we still continue to break His heart.
What would you think about a person you really liked who did nothing but ignore you? Would you go out of your way to try and get their attention so they would listen to what you had to say? What would you do if they said they would date you and then ran away before anything happened? What would you do if they got married to you and then cheated on you? Would you walk away after they broke your heart the second or third time?
I know these seem unfair questions because we don’t like to think of the bad side of any relationship, but what is your relationship like with Christ? Time and time again God tried to get the attention of generation after generation of people who simply ignored Him or turned away from Him. Generation after generation have been given the scriptures, shown His love, experienced His love, and many still choose to turn away and go after excitement or other distractions.
Any relationship needs both parties to continue working toward keeping it together and strengthening it through mutual love and support. The more love and support that is put into the relationship, the stronger and longer lasting it will be. What God puts into the relationship is absolutely everything! What we need to do is to tell others about this wonderful God who loves us beyond anything we deserve or expect. Only then can others get to know this God for themselves…
Points to Ponder:
Do you love God?
Do you share that love?