Saturday Reading: Mark 4 26-29
Key Verse: Mark 4 27
and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.
Devotion:
One thing that I still do marvel at is people who can see how a garden is going to look in their minds when all they have is blubs, seeds, cuttings and some bare ground! For me, I have to let things grow to see what they look like before I can plan where I think they should be. I suppose if I sat down and learned a bit about plants I too could imagine how things would look like, but we are still at the mercy of God…
We do not know if the seeds that we plant are going to grow or not. I have been disappointed many a time by seeds that do not grow or only sprout a few skimpy stalks when they are supposed to grow all bushy or fleshy! So, no, I don’t have green fingers so for me to be able to keep a house plant alive for more than a year is quite an achievement (and I have done that!)
When farmers plan what crops they are going to have, they plan ahead and hope that the weather is going to turn out just right so that the seeds will grow into the correct sized crops at the correct time; again they are at the mercy of God as to whether things will plan out just right. They have to have faith that what they are doing will work out. But when it comes down to the harvest they have to keep an eye out for the correct time to harvest so that they can have the best possible crop and not have to waste anything because of damp weather or other outside factors.
We don’t know the time when the farmer is going to come round and harvest the crops (unless we know a thing or two about the crops and harvesting). I have been amazed some years when I have gone to work and come home to find all the fields around the house cut down and cleared. Too late to get that picture. Too late to have one more look. Too late to see the harvest. But then some years I have watched late at night as they bring in the harvest!
We do not know when Christ is going to return for His final harvest; but God does. We don’t know what time of day it will be; but God does. We don’t know the size of the harvest; but God does. We know the time is getting closer, so be ready, be prepared!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like watching harvest time near you?
Don’t wait and watch the harvest, be part of it!
Friday Reading: John 3 1-8
Key Verse: John 3 8
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
Devotion:
One of the big questions young people ask me is how do we know if someone is a Christian or not. I find this a very disturbing question because it means that there are many people out there who are just not acting like Christians because the youth cannot see any difference in them! But there is nothing new in this, no big revelations here, because people have done the same thing for many years and will probably continue to be the same this year as last!
When Nicodemus came to Jesus to find out how he could be saved, the words that Jesus answered with catch some people out because they too try to take things a bit too literally. Jesus was not saying that people would have to be physically born again because that would be a bit strange, not impossible for God, but strange! Jesus was trying to impress on the people the importance of having the Holy Spirit in their lives, and not just as a once off but continually.
When we have God in our lives, He changes us from the inside out and as He changes us we change on the outside; that is, people get to see a difference in our behaviour because of the difference that God is bringing into our lives. That difference should be what people are excited about and why they should start asking questions about what has changed us. Nicodemus saw the change in someone and was seeking the truth now. If we do not allow others to see a change in us then we are not living our lives with Christ!
The change in us may be as hidden as a gentle breeze or as violent as a gale, but it will be able to be seen by others as they notice the change in us. God wants to encourage others through how He changes us. If we are not willing to change when God calls us, then we are not going to be very effective witnesses for Him. Don’t fight Him every step of the way, but rather invite Him in to bring about a change in you that will encourage others to find Christ.
Points to Ponder:
Do you fight God as He brings change?
Will you allow others to see that you have changed?
Thursday Reading: 1 John 5 18
Key Verse: 1 John 5 18
We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
Devotion:
I have used these verses before but never looked at this single verse by itself; one which many would find hard to accept without it being explained and placed in context. Just because we are born again does not mean that we are never going to sin again because we are still the same sinful people that we were before we were born again; the difference being that we have been forgiven of that sin. So why should our bibles have words like this?
When we are born again, that new man is not a sinful man but one that is born of the spirit; but we still live inside this sinful body, the one that continues to find sin! It is the old nature that continues to sin and not the new born again nature. When we are born again we have the Holy Spirit come to dwell with us and the only way that can happen is if we do not have sin because God cannot abide sin. That mean the new creature is sinless but living in a sinful body; but the sinless part can have the Holy Spirit dwell within. With God the Spirit dwelling in that part of us we will effectively be keeping ourselves because of the Holy Spirit and not because of ourselves.
With the Holy Spirit in residence, the evil one cannot and will not touch us; we are safe for eternity! It is the eternal safety that we can praise God for and continue to glorify Him for what He has given us – that sinless part that is eternally safe because of Christ. What a Saviour!
I love to be able to study God’s Word so that I gain a deeper understanding because through that I am able to see how much more God loves us each and every day. Whilst we are wallowing in sin or have sin surrounding us we do find it hard to concentrate on anything God brings into our lives, but when we focus on God we can see Him for what He does within us! God continues to encourage us through Hiss Word, but only when we are willing to take it in – read it! When we leave it to one side we are pushing God to one side and allowing our focus to drift away from Him and toward just about anything and everything else!
Points to Ponder:
What are you focusing on?
Do you give your sinless part time in your life?
Wednesday Reading: Hebrews 10 19-25
Key Verse: Hebrews 10 23
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Devotion:
Happy New Year. I do pray that this year will be a very special year for you where you will be able to realise you faith and that God will bless you for having that grain of faith to start with! We do have to hold on to our faith because it is the hope that we have in Christ which will allow us to see how much He loves us; and even more so when we start to see that depending on our faith works!
God is not slack concerning the promises that He has made toward us and He will make sure that we can see that; but we do have to have faith that He is able and willing to show us in the first place. If we do not then we are not doing anything different from the rest of the world – the world that is leaving Him out of their lives! Let us not ignore each other but come together and build up each other’s faith by through mutual encouragement… There is something very pleasing in knowing that we are not alone in trusting Christ with faith.
It is because of what Christ has done for us that we are able to draw close to Him and live in this wonderful grace that He shows us. It is because of Him and not because of what we can do. If we tried to rely on our own works we would end up falling flat on our faces as we struggle with our own doubt; but when we fully rely on God we find our fears and doubts fade away as He demonstrates His awesome love for us each step we take with Him.
If you want this year to be a year that stands out from the others, then you should be willing to take a step forward and trust in Christ. This does not have to be the biggest step you take in your life, nor some awe inspiring step that you will remember for the rest of your life; this just needs to be a step that you take in faith, trusting that God will live up to His promises just as He has in the past. Don’t take a leap of faith, just take a small step and see what God can do for you.
Points to Ponder:
Do you have doubts?
Have you tried a small step of faith?
Tuesday Reading: Revelation 21 1-4
Key Verse: Revelation 21 1
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
Devotion:
I don’t know about you, but I love the seaside and rivers and lakes… but then those are things that I look to and find peace in my soul about. When we get to heaven that peace will be with and in us for eternity and I will not have to rely on looking over the waters to find it. God has this world in His hands and He is the one who will sort things out properly in the end. We are the ones who have brought chaos into the world and we make all the noise like rowdy kids playing in the park.
God wants us to be able to focus on the things that are to come. He wants us to know that we have an even better future than this playground we are in at the moment. He knows we are having fun but He can also see every little thing that we do wrong as we rush around making a scene. Just like a bunch of kids rushing around at a wedding while all the adults are trying to keep order, we rush round this world not quite understanding how much we are affecting things!
Just like adults trying to shout above the roar of children playing, God is trying to get our attention to show us the right way through our lives. But just like a parent, He is allowing us to play and enjoy our lives as well. He knows that we may well fall over and hurt ourselves once in a while, but He sees the enjoyment we get out of the moments before the fall and allows us to learn each step of the way. Just like those children we will not keep an eye on the clock and we may well be a bit shocked when time is called!
God wants us to be ready so He has told us to be ready. He wants us to be prepared, so He has shown us the way. He wants us to be happy so He allows us to enjoy ourselves. If ever there was a proud parent watching over their children in the park, it is God, watching over us. Don’t kick up a stink when He calls time; just be ready because we will be going home! This year has been another year in the park where God has allowed us a bit more time to play. Next year we may well have to help out with things to get the jobs done; be ready for what God calls you to do!
Points to Ponder:
Have you had a good year?
Are you ready for God’s year now?