July 13: Psalms 65 5-10
Key Verse: Psalms 65 6
Who established the mountains by His strength, being clothed with power;
Devotion:
Stand still and think about the awesome God that we serve. Think about the things that He has done in order to create this world that we live in. Think about the power and might of our Lord as He maintains the universe and hangs the stars in the sky. Think about the power of the wind and waves and yet God is able to control each and every aspect. Think about how Jesus stood in the boat with the disciples and commanded a storm to be still and it did!
And yet God still thinks of us in all that He does. He still makes sure that we can survive. He still brings the water to feed the crops. He still gives sunshine to make them thrive. He still makes sure that we do know His holy name and that we get to hear His Word. He still blesses us in many ways even though we do things wrong. He does this all because of His great love for us!
I don’t know if you have ever been able to stand next to a mountain that stretches up into the clouds or stand above the clouds on a mountaintop and be in awe that the earth stretches through the clouds. Maybe you have been able to do this with the buildings that man has made and wonder how they were able to come up with the ideas and materials to make that happen! But then man has only made a handful of buildings that span through clouds, some of which do fall down because man is not perfect.
What God has made has stood the test of time and continues to inspire us. What God has made is not limited. When God made the earth it was made with all the materials we need to live and thrive on it. What man has made continue to need maintenance and has a finite lifespan. Our almighty God is the one we need to lift up and praise, giving Him all the glory because He has made this life possible for us. Let us change our lives to give Him the due respect. Let us not fight over what we can do but marvel in what God has already done for us all. Let us realise that God is God and man is just man.
Points to Ponder:
Who are your heroes in life?
Are you praising God that much?
July 12: Joshua 1 1-9
Key Verse: Joshua 1 9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Devotion:
When God does something for us we do tend to relax and enjoy what God has done. Sometimes we give in and expect God to do more for us instead of listening to what God spoke to us about in the beginning. I know that God has set a path before me because of so many things that have happened, words given to me and actions around me. Does this mean I should sit back and see what happens? No! It means I need to work toward what is going to happen, expecting it to happen and trusting that God will supply what I need in one way or another.
When God spoke to Joshua it was not a short word to say that everything was going to be fine now that Moses had died! God gave him the same warning that He gave to Moses: you had better listen to what I have to say or things will not go your way. He also warned Joshua that it was not going to be an easy journey because he would have to display courage! If God say you need courage He is not going to smooth your way so that you will not have anything to worry about from that moment onward. What God is saying is that you will need courage to get through what lies ahead, but you will get through it!
God does not leave things to chance to see what will happen. He has planned things and He encourages us to stick with the plan. That may mean coming up against things and people that will make us struggle. But as long as we do stick to what God has asked of us, then we should not need to worry – but we will still require courage! Being a Christian is not always an easy ride because people do tend to get upset with us! But God walks with us!
God wanted the Israelites to try to stick with the law so that it would be easier for them in the long run. He wanted to bless them but knew he could not if they were running off in the other direction. God wants to bless us as well but will not be able to unless we are listening to what He has to say in the first place. When we listen we can hear what God wants!
Points to Ponder:
Do you always listen?
Have you listened to God lately?
July 11: Isaiah 55 10-13
Key Verse: Isaiah 55 11
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Devotion:
Are you struggling with God’s Word? Are you struggling with getting the Gospel out to others? Are you struggling with fitting in God time to your busy schedule? These are all points that we go through in our lives because of the way that we are as well as the lives we lead; it is quite normal for these feeling to surface as we struggle in our lives. We read of our prophets in the Old Testament who struggled thinking they were alone and that people would not listen. We real of the disciples as they imagined people to reject them. This is life!
But as we continue reading through God’s Word we come across passages like this that should kick-start our failing or dwindling strength. We see rain and snow that fall from the sky. The water and ice do not go back up when the shower is complete to come back down again later; the water sinks into the earth, flows down the fields, rolls off the roads, bounces off roofs and goes down drains. Each part of that water goes on a very diverse journey, some going directly where it is needed whilst some goes on torturous meanderings before it gets to a place where it can be used whilst yet more has to go round the cycle and fall again before it can be used.
Never get down thinking that what you have said has not landed in people’s minds and hearts. We are the ones who have been given the commission to reach out to the people around us and do the watering. It is God who will make sure that the right words get through to the right hearts at the right time; but if we do not rain and release those words, we are preventing what God has ordained.
When we are ready and willing to do what God is asking, we will begin to see just how much of an affect God’s Word has on the earth around us. Without rain we would not see the green. Without God’s intervention that rain would be useless. But because it is what God has requested, the rain brings forth new life; not all at once but in a sustained pattern where He controls what happens. Give God the right tool to use – He has fashioned the tools, we just need to be willing and ready to be used!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like working?
Are you following God’s request?
July 10: Luke 10 17-20
Key Verse: Luke 10 17
Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
Devotion:
It is difficult for most people to understand the power that was given to these people as they went out to proclaim the Gospel and to warn people of the urgency and certainty of the message Jesus gave them to go with. It was not a case of Jesus telling them to go out and be nice to people and encourage them, making friends and enjoying life; but rather being told to go boldly with the truth and the power of Christ to convert the sinners.
Jesus knew that they would have to rattle a few cages and that is one of the reasons why He gave them power to deliver the word. But the one thing that many people fail to notice is that this was only done because it was done in the name of Jesus Christ. If these people had gone out and done things, they would have been able to go far and do many good things. But because they were going forward and admitting that this was being done under the authority of Christ and in His name, they were able to go even further!
If we want to be able to share the Gospel to the fullest then we have to go forward in Christ’s name and not under our own steam. We should know from experience that we are just human beings and that we can only go as far as our own strength allows. But when we go forward in Christ’s name and under His power and might, we have a limitless supply to drawn on – so long as we know it comes from Christ and admit to all that it is Christ and not us.
Too many times I have seen people do great things and then be so puffed up that they thought to tell everyone that it was their own strength and wisdom that had allowed them to do these great things. If only people would admit that they have had help and give the glory to the people who deserve it, they would get on so much better. The same is true with God. If we do not admit that it is God through Christ and the Holy Spirit, then we are stealing God’s glory!
Points to Ponder:
Do you support people who take your glory?
Do you want God to support you?
July 9: Matthew 11 16-19
Key Verse: Matthew 11 17
“We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.”
Devotion:
We can look at the way that people react to others actions and we can question whether we think things are right or wrong; but sometimes we do get things wrong as well. It could be as simple as not dancing when someone asks you to, not joining in singing when others sing or even answering back when a question is asked. We don’t always see how our actions are going to affect other people until after we have reacted and after they have been affected!
Just because we think our actions at the time are correct does not make them right or even warranted. Jesus upset a whole lot of people because His action were actually righteous but certainly not always wanted. Jesus has the foresight to know what was required at the time, something we lack and something we often struggle with. We can see the same pattern happening to people throughout history as they tried to do righteous things when others around them were trying to hide their actions.
Jesus wants us to be open about what we do but also compassionate about our actions. It is no good sticking to the letter of the law if it is going to upset everyone else. And on the other side of the equation, it is not enough to work toward pleasing everyone because we may well step away from the law and step away from righteousness. God knows we are not going to be able to get it right all the time, but trying to do what is right and living for God’s glory will take us a lot further forward than just the law.
It is no use knowing all the laws if we are not going to keep them ourselves. It is no use keeping every law if we are going to think about breaking them all the time. The law applies to our own hearts and minds just as much as it applies to the way we live. Jesus certainly did not come to earth to try and please everyone. Yes, He came to be your friend; but He came as a righteous friend, one who would point out your mistakes!
Points to Ponder:
Do you expect Christ to forgive you?
Have you tried doing what is right?