June 18: Hebrews 12 1-2
Key Verse: Hebrews 12 1
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Devotion:
We don’t often get to see the surrounding of one army by another on the hillside like history books tell us happened, but if you can imagine what it would be like going into a battle alone as compared to going into a battle alongside thousands of others people we will use that vision here. Going to battle alone would not be very encouraging as we looked out over the field at our enemy; we would feel totally lost and weak at the knees!
But, as bad as it is good, being with thousands of other people getting ready to rush against an enemy would give you more strength and encouragement to fight the fight. I personally would not like it, but I know people do find great strength in knowing they have a great army with them. When we go out to face people who we know are going to be against us (because Christ has warned us it will not be easy work) then we are going to find it very hard if we think we go alone, but much easier knowing we have a great army with us.
We actually do have a great army with us when we step forward to take the Gospel message out to others. We may feel like we are alone as we face up to what seems like giants, but we have many people, prayer warriors, angels and God with us! We may think we face unequal numbers but that is only because we have not sat down to see who is with us, we are only focusing on who is against us!
If we only use our blinkered eyes we will only see the enemy before us. It is when we take off those blinkers and look around us we see an army of people willing and able to battle with us. Not all will have the same ways as us. Not all will have the same strength. Not all will fight like us. Not all will look like they are supporting us… But we have an army coming out with us and Christ is the head of that army!
Points to Ponder:
Do you feel like you are alone?
Have you taken your blinkers off lately?
June 17: Matthew 10 21-26
Key Verse: Matthew 10 22
And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
Devotion:
One of the hardest things about working for God is that you get all manner of people crawling out of the woodwork trying to tell you that your work is nothing or that you need to be doing something worthwhile instead. I find that the people who shout against you and cause all manner of things to go wrong are easier to handle because you can see how they are clearly against you; dealing with them is fairly clear cut. But when people come out as if they are in support of you but subtly direct you away from God or toward their own wants, things get strained!
When Jesus sent out the disciples to go and share the Gospel, He did not say that it was going to be an easy ride; quite the opposite as we read here. Jesus warned the disciples that even their own families may work against them and come out fighting them. Being tough enough to stand up to all persecutions is not something that will come naturally to any one of us. We all have our weaknesses and those are the weaknesses that the evil one will focus on to try and break us. That is when we have to call deep and long on our Lord for strength, guidance and persistence to continue on with Him.
God is not going to leave us to fight alone. He will be there with every step we take. But listening out for that small voice as He gently tries to guide us in the right direction becomes increasingly difficult as we hear the shouting and fighting of those around us instead of God’s voice.
Don’t give up on God because He has not given up on you. Don’t try and go it alone when you can have someone help you along the journey. Do spend more time on your knees asking God for His strength to keep you going. Without His strength we will buckle and crumble. Don’t try to be better than God but instead walk with Him and allow Him to guide you.
Points to Ponder:
Do you thrive under pressure?
Are you allowing God to relieve some pressure?
June 16: Romans 14 11-13
Key Verse: Romans 14 12
So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
Devotion:
What happens when we try to tell lies in front of people that all know the truth? We look pretty silly weaving our story when everybody else around us knows that it is all a lie! But that is what so many people are continually trying to do in front of God! They tell their own story to justify themselves in some way in front of God who actually does know everything!
When we do die, we are all going to face Christ and give an account of our lives when He asks us. No matter how good we think we have been or how much good work we have done, if we do not believe in Christ then we are going to be faced with a problem… how do we lie to the truth? It is no small matter that we will all have to face the truth and when we do we will know it as the truth and we will be on our knees.
It is amazing that Christ is willing to forgive each one of us if we do come to Him and acknowledge Him as Lord and Saviour and ask Him to forgive us. It is also amazing that people will see this truth, acknowledge it and yet not extend it to others. God does teach us that we should be willing to forgive other people just as Christ is willing to forgive us, after all we have done more against Him than they have done against us. But this verse reminds us of the next step as it were… we must not put things in other people’s way that will cause them to stumble.
Christ is not talking about putting a brick or banana skin in front of someone; He is talking about the temptations and evil things we show off in front of others that will cause them to do something they should not be doing. This may be as simple as getting someone angry or it may be opening them up to a temptation they have been fighting for a long time. Or it could be the simple lie “don’t worry, nobody is watching!”
Points to Ponder:
Do you care for others?
How many people do you lie to daily?
June 15: Luke 17 1-4
Key Verse: Luke 17 1
Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
Devotion:
There is no sin that is too great for God to forgive other than the sin of unbelief. But that does not give us the right to go ahead and sin more so that we can be forgiven more! God changes our hearts so that we should reject sin in our lives, but we continue to be tempted by the devil and by others so that we will give in and sin just a little bit more. What Jesus is reminding us of here is that we should not think that God is not going to forgive us, neither should we think that just because we do trust Him we will not be tempted.
We live in a sinful world and we should recognise that we will continue to be tempted along with everyone else. We should also not think that we are going to be 100% safe from everything just because we believe in God. God is good and will continue to forgive, continue to support and continue to be here for us; but we live in a corrupt and perverse world so we should expect bad things to still happen to us just like they happen to other people.
If we are standing in a rain shower then we are going to get just as wet as the person standing next to us even if we think we are waterproof. We may know that it is just water and we may know that it will just get us wet, but it will get us wet! Jesus does not build up a fortress around us that the world cannot get through; He builds us a foundation that will never crumble as long as we continue to build on that foundation. We are assured that we have a place in heaven and not a place here on earth!
But if we are the ones who spread the dissent, if we are the ones that tempt others to sin, if we are the ones that give others reason to sin, then we need to start worrying about what God will do to us! We are the ones who give in and do things; God does not give us those things to do, we choose to do them. God does not supply the temptations, but He will allow us to experience them if we choose to. There is no need to give in when we know God can help us through them…
Points to Ponder:
Do you give in to sin?
Do you tempt others to join you?
June 14: Matthew 15 21-28
Key Verse: Matthew 15 28
Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Devotion:
When Jesus was walking the streets with the disciples He made sure that the people on the streets knew who He was. Many probably did not understand the implications of what they heard from Jesus, but those who were willing to open their hearts to God and the scriptures, knew Him for who He was. Our Lord and Saviour was on a mission to fulfil the prophecies and come for the children of Israel to give them their saving grace.
What He was not about to do was to turn away from anyone who was willing to trust in Him, be they Jew or Gentile. Jesus did not turn people away because they were the wrong race, wrong colour, spoke the wrong language or any other weak excuse we tend to use nowadays. Jesus would only turn people away because they would not accept Him for who He was, the Son of the living God!
Grace was not going to be carefully measured out so that it only just covered the correct people and no more, grace was going to be poured out to cover everything and everyone. But still people chose to ignore that grace, reject the grace and live for themselves rather than for God. I thank Him that He has showed me the grace that I do not deserve and has given me forgiveness that I have no right to accept. I thank God that I do not have to try and save myself because I know just how impossible that would be!
Jesus made sure that people would realise that anyone who had faith in Him would be saved. Je made sure that people who accepted Him as Lord and Saviour and told that to others would be accepted into heaven by God the Father. Jesus did this all because of His love for mankind, His love for us, His love for you! It is amazing that Jesus did this all despite the church leaders, despite the Pharisees and despite what we would continue to say throughout history!
Points to Ponder:
Do you accept Christ?
Will you depend on Him?