December 20: 2 Samuel 15 19-23
Key Verse: 2 Samuel 15 21
But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be.”
Devotion:
How willing are you to give up your position to be a servant to another person? Are you willing to go all the way with them, supporting and being with them no matter what they come up against? Are you willing to put your life on the line just so you can support that person? If we were living in the time of David as a servant then we would be given a choice just as his other servants were given, whether to lay aside their own well-being and take up a position with David who was being persecuted, or to give allegiance to the one who was coming along to take over…
Have you thought about your position with Christ in this same light? Are you willing to give up your own well-being to stay firm to God’s Word? Are you willing to have your own people look down on you because you dare to stand up for Jesus? It is not always going to be an easy journey because many people do not understand what it is to follow Christ. It is not just a case of telling others you follow Christ and then going and joining in with all their fun as normal… it is standing up for what God wants you to do and making sure you stick with it.
Our countries may say that we are Christian. Our communities may say they are Christian. But when they start persecuting you for following Christ’s ways, then they are not Christians at all. Don’t panic and think that God is going to reject you because you think you are not strong enough to stand up for Him… God knows what is in our hearts and He knows what we will get up to. He allowed Christ to come to be with us just the same…
That means that God’s love for us goes far beyond the lack of faith or lack of courage we may think we have. God’s love went before us and set the standard. Our lot is to believe this is God’s will and to act upon it in a manner we can stand up for. God is not going to ask more of us than we can handle.
Points to Ponder:
Do you feel strong?
Will you allow Christ’s strength to support you?
December 19: John 6 60-66
Key Verse: John 6 63
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
Devotion:
Can you imagine knowing what people are thinking, knowing what is on their hearts? I could not imagine anything more scary than this! Being able to understand people and have an intuition of what they are thinking is a gift that not many people have; most of us simply judge people according to things like body language or other tell-tale signs we give away unconsciously. Knowing what is on someone’s heart is God’s domain!
What if you knew exactly what people thought about the Christmas presents you bought for them? What if you knew exactly what people thought when you opened your mouth and said anything? It would seem a bit unfair that we should be given this intuition as a gift and so God does not give it out to one and all. It is for us to give as best we can and to supply as best we can so we can hopefully fulfil as best we can.
Jesus came to give the most amazing present in the world and He knew before hand what people were going to think of that gift. He knew who would take it willingly, who would believe, who would reject it… and yet He still chose to bring it forward as a free gift to everyone. But just because He has given the gift to everyone does not mean that every person is going to accept the gift – even though it is free!
Being willing to give even when you know your gift is going to be rejected is not the best way to start giving gifts. We tend to judge people by their reactions to what we give and what we say. Jesus gave and said the best and did not judge at that time. Yes we are all going to face the final judgement where we will have to give account for the choices we made and the deeds we did; but the gift has still been made available to us without limit. I thank my Lord and Saviour He was willing to come forward and give Himself for us and to us even though He knew I would get things wrong. Rejoice and be happy!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like giving gifts?
Do you like your gifts being rejected?
December 18: John 3 1-8
Key Verse: John 3 3
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Devotion:
As a parent I know I have had some difficult questions asked of me when I have said something to try and pacify my children. The same can be said for trying to teach youth and children as a youth leader; we cannot hope to give them an answer as if we are reading it from a text book and hope they will go away happy… Jesus wants us to learn the truth and to understand it as well. It is no good knowing the words but not understanding them.
The Ethiopian Eunuch was one such person because he had read the scriptures but could not make head of tail of the real meaning without someone to explain. When we learn we pick things up from others as well as from God through the Holy Spirit. We then have to be willing to do the same for other people when they are in need. Don’t be afraid that you do not know the answer because that can be part of the process. Maybe you are being asked the question to allow you to find out the real truth as well.
I learned quickly to admit to my failings and to go and find out. It is no use blagging your way forward because you are doing nothing more than burying a lie, one that will get found out pretty quickly as the young person leaps forward to find out more. Don’t forget that you are probably being asked the question from a mind that is used to exercise and is more able to learn more quickly!
Jesus gave Nicodemus the answer he needed to hear and an explanation that would not make him stop asking but would get him to be eager to find out more. That is the mark of a good teacher, one who makes you willing to want to learn more and not one that will provide answers to shut you up. When you are asked, don’t be afraid to say you don’t know yet. Don’t fob people off with simple answers but be willing to allow them to dig for more as they take each step forward with you. Rejoice in getting to know God better as you walk with people… and love them!
Points to Ponder:
Who was or is your best teacher?
Do you aspire to be as good a teacher?
December 17: Ezekiel 37 1-14
Key Verse: Ezekiel 37 6
I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.
Devotion:
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see such a thing as this happening in real life? I’m sure it was an eye-opener for Ezekiel to have this vision set before him and I’m sure that it was very life like. When I dream it is sometimes hard to differentiate between the dream and real life because it is so very realistic. God is amazing with what He can do, not just for our dreams but in real life as well and I stand in awe of Him always!
God can bring us back to life when we feel so dead, so lost, so alone and so empty! God is the one who can give us hope where there is no hope in this world. God through the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ and in His own might is the one who can fill us with hope in any hopeless situation. We need to remember that and to show this to people when we see them in need. It can be hard enough to open somebody’s eyes when all they see is doom and gloom, but when we show them a little hope, God can fill their eyes and souls with real hope.
We cannot hope to be able to do any of this alone. We cannot hope to be able to bring life or hope back into someone’s own spirit. But when we listen to God as He guides us and tells us what to do, we can do great things, not of our own doing, but as He works through us. Be more like Ezekiel and listen to God as He tells us to bring hope into someone’s life; be confident in doing what God is telling you to do because that is already the plan of action He has… we will just be obeying Him as He unfolds it around us!
When you see colour come back into a friends face, a smile grow on a sullen face, a twinkle flicker in their tired eyes, then you know that God is working through you and you can reach out and do even more. Even you can do more when you listen to God. Even you can bring life back when you obey God.
Points to Ponder:
Are you obeying God?
Do you listen when He tells you to act?
December 16: Isaiah 52 13-15
Key Verse: Isaiah 52 13
Behold, My Servant shall rule well; He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
Devotion:
I do love the way that the prophets have snippets of information about Jesus, His ministry, His life and His death all throughout their writings. This shows us God’s plan was set right from the beginning and has been taught to so many people throughout time; and yet so many still choose to not trust The Word even though it has been shown true. Jesus, even though He was treated as a criminal and the lowest of the low in His last few days on earth, is lifted high above any name and any person today by those who know the truth.
When I see a person whose face shows a history of sadness or a tough life, my heart goes out to them because I know they have gone through so much more than I have. My heart goes out to people who have to continue caring for others who can no longer care for themselves. My heart goes out to people who lay aside their own life to make sure they can serve others; maybe that is why I have no problem laying aside my life for others. I know Christ did exactly the same for me and I will not turn my back on those who come to depend on me no matter what the circumstances.
Jesus faced a whole lot more than I could ever face because He took on the weight of all the sin in the whole world just so we could live a life free from the debt we owe. I love my Lord and Saviour because of that. I love Him in spite of the hardships I face. I love Him because of the hardships I face. I love Him because I can see how much He first loved me especially when I face those hardships. When someone says I should rejoice always, I say no problem even though I may cry out for help as well!
Jesus is our Saviour. He came to set us free from the trap we have laid down for ourselves. He is the only way that we can get to Heaven because it is Salvation through Him that gives us the key to Heaven. If we do not lift Him high above every name there may be many who do not get to see the light because they are so deep in the darkness that surrounds them. Lift up your light today!
Points to Ponder:
Do you use a torch in the darkest hours?
Will you use Christ in your darkest times?