March 10: 2 Peter 1 16-21
Key Verse: 2 Peter 1 19
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
Devotion:
When the disciples spoke about Jesus to other people, it was not as we do, by re-telling stories we have heard or read about, it was telling other people about the things they had seen with their own eyes. They are the ones who heard the voice come down from Heaven and say that this man they were watching is the Son of God! They were the ones who witnessed the miracles and listened to the actual words that Jesus spoke. What we have written down is their way of expressing what Jesus said.
The disciples had heard the stories from the Old Testament and would probably have had to learn them at some stage in their lives. Jesus was the one who made those words come to life for them and brought a whole new meaning to the Living Word. Jesus is the one who wants us to hear the word and to embrace it as if we are listening to Him saying those words as well.
We now have the Old Testament which shows us the prophecies the prophets and great men of God shared with Israel. We have the New Testament which shows us how Christ fulfilled the prophecies and taught us more. We can compare the two and get a more sure understanding of what God wants us to know about Him and about Life in general too. Normally we would take someone’s written word as ultimate proof!
But still we throw in doubt where there should be none. We ask for more proof. We doubt because we don’t see. Sometimes it does take faith and someone else’s word for us to learn the truth. Sometimes we do have to believe in what we cannot see or in something someone else has told us about. Jesus is The Word. Believe The Word!
Points to Ponder:
What does it take for you to believe?
Are you waiting for God’s writing on the wall?
March 9: Matthew 10 16-20
Key Verse: Matthew 10 20
for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
Devotion:
I often wonder whether the disciples really took these words in when they first heard them or whether they had to reflect on what they meant after they had been through the mill? God did not hide the fact from any of His followers that there would be tough times ahead – and yet we often see our lives with Him as being all sweet and gentle. Well it’s not like that in the real world and we really need to know that up front otherwise we will get discouraged when things do not go as we want!
I know the seeds were planted in my head a long time ago by a few seniors back in high school because when the tough times did come I half expected them. I did not enjoy them and I’m afraid that I did not stand up and let people know I was a Christian when they first arrived as well. Just like Peter I did not volunteer the fact that I was a Christian until later on in life; I guess what I’m saying is that I did not allow God to speak through me.
I do know that God has given me the right things to say to the right people on many occasions and it is not something you realise until after you have said things. God is trying desperately to use each one of us to reach out to others – if only we would let Him have free access to our mouths!
Being very wary of what comes out of our mouths is also a very good thing. If we let loose with anything that we think is a good idea we will find out very quickly that our so called wisdom is going to hurt others at times because we do not think things through before we talk. If we are willing to go out in the name of Christ then we should also be willing to go out and allow Him to speak freely through us. That does not mean just saying what comes to your mind when it does but first asking God to give you the right things to say, then listening to Him and sometimes waiting until you do have the right things to say before saying anything!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like talking?
Do you let God get a word in?
March 8: Luke 12 29-31
Key Verse: Luke 12 31
But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Devotion:
When things around you look like they are collapsing in a heap, what do you do? Do you seek out someone you know who will be able to help? Do you seek out your parents so they can tell you what to do? Do you throw your hands up in the air and tell God to take care of it? Each of these answers may seem logical or what you may well do, but it is not always right.
When Jesus sent out the disciples to go and teach others about the gospel, He did not tell them how they could make enough money to be able to support themselves when they were out there on mission. He did not tell them how they could earn enough grants to support the work they should do. He told them to go out and not to be afraid of what they may not be able to see. Just because Christ told the disciples this is what they should do does not make it the same that we must do as well. God would love it if we knew that we could depend on Him for everything; but He wants us to succeed!
Jesus compared the work the nations did against what He was asking the disciples to do and told them they are not really comparable! When we work for the world we should expect the world to be able to support us; we should expect to earn the appropriate wage so can gain what we need to survive. But when He asks us to go forward and do something, we should expect Him to supply the means through which we can survive.
That means may be something we have to do to earn money to live. It may mean waiting totally on Him to supply the money. It may mean us relying on what others give to us. Until we step forward and take on the work God has asked of us we may not know how we are to survive: we have to make that first step of faith in Him and His provision before we see the income. I found that a very hard concept to follow until I did it for myself…
Points to Ponder:
Are you working for a living?
Do you understand how God supplies your needs?
March 7: Psalms 34 8-10
Key Verse: Psalms 34 10
The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
Devotion:
The young lions talked about here are probably the same referred to by Job being the wealthy few that are in desperate need of Christ in their lives. The one who are lost in a world of opulence and suffer greatly without realising it. Having all the riches in the world will not buy you happiness because the happiness comes from how you live and not how much you live. God does not want us to be led astray by the wealth and all the trimming it can buy because we as do go down that road we miss out on the real riches of the Kingdom.
If we are offered a fantastic looking meal we will still be able to taste whether it is good. Just because it looks so nice does not mean that it tastes as good (though we have grown used to the idea that well-presented food typically does taste good as well). It is in the tasting we find out the true worth of the food; which brings us to our own favourite foods – they may not look like the class foods served up in the best restaurants, but they are our favourite foods.
God wants each of us to experience a life with Him so we can know just how good life will be in Heaven. Once we do taste how special He can be in our lives we will not want to go back to the old ways. But still many of us do fall and fail and turn back to old ways and leave God behind once again.
The most amazing thing is that God’s love for us will not dwindle just because we stray away. His love will bring us back if we are willing to listen, trust and obey. It is hard to listen when there is so much noise in the world around us, but listen we must. I love the fact that I was able to come back into God’s arms after being away for a couple of decades. And when I came back I knew the love He had for me had never changed. I have changed. I have had to learn. I have had to be humble. But God was and is still here!
Points to Ponder:
Where is your focus in life?
Do you know God’s love?
March 6: Psalms 49 16-20
Key Verse: Psalms 49 17
For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.
Devotion:
I’m not sure who wrote this Psalms but they certainly had an insight into a right and proper relationship with God as being the way to heaven and not anything we can do! There is no way we can buy our way into heaven or pay off any religious leader so that we can gain access to heaven. No matter how much money we build up on earth we cannot take any of it with us after we die; and it’s not just God stopping that but the law of the land as well.
The most we can gain from riches on earth is earthly honour and earthly following. It ends there. It may well be fun having loads of money and we may well be able to do so much for so many people by having that money, but that is all we can do. Our true riches and rewards come after we leave this earth and come face to face with Christ. If we have spent time getting to know Christ, have put our trust in Him and believe in Him, He is the one who is going to be faithful to His own word and take us to be with Him in Heaven.
No matter who we are and what position we have in society, we are all the same when we face Christ. Just as God would look inside the person and not on the outward appearance, so too does Christ. He knows what we are like and knows who we really are underneath all the riches or poverty that surrounds our earthly existence. We cannot hide anything from God and should never try to otherwise we only rob ourselves of our justice.
As the New Testament affirms, it is not money that is evil but rather how we view the money in our lives. We could love the money and that would end up ruining us as we side more and more on the side of money and riches rather than love and honour. Or we could be very effective with how we use the money and become super rich and see it as a reward for the work we do… what we do after that point then shows us our true view of the money. If we turn to it as our goal we turn away from God. It really is that simple. Keep focused on God and He will guide you to sort the money side out properly!
Points to Ponder:
Do you worry about money?
Are you too focused on money?