Monday Reading: 2 Peter 3 10-13
Key Verse: 2 Peter 3 13
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Devotion:
One of the things I have always struggled with is seeing people try to amass as much as they can on earth and not to be able to use any of that when they die! The more people collect and build up in treasure the more I expect to see them keel over and leave it all behind! It’s nothing personal because I know that I went through a stage of buying all sorts of things that I did not want and I know that I still like to be able to get my hands on technology or gadgets; but it is no longer a need in my life.
Don’t get me wrong, I am still a geek at heart and I love playing with gadgets, love reprogramming phones, love making computers do things that others are amazed at; but my heart is focused on trying to please God more than please myself or please mankind. My kids have learned to put up with my ways and know that they won’t get much from me in the end but I also know that they look to me to continue working for God! For that reason I am immensely proud of them!
The apostles were told of the end times when Christ would come to renew everything and they did not mince their words when talking about the new heaven and new earth that was to come. They were proud to be able to tell others about what Christ had taught them and proud to promote Christ in every way they could. They were proud of their Father in heaven and wanted people to know Him like they did. They did not go round telling the world about how God owned everything and was rich and was the biggest and the best; they just lifted up the truth for what it is!
God wants each of us to know the truth and to be proud that we can look forward to that same truth that He has taught us about. We do not know the date or time when He is going to return, so we should be ready for that return right now. We do not know when our time will be up, so we should be doing the things we ought to be right now and not waiting for others. We should be reaching out to those around us and lifting them up to God because He is the one who can change their hearts.
Points to Ponder:
Are you ready?
Are you sure about that?
Sunday Reading: Isaiah 65 17-19
Key Verse: Isaiah 65 17
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
Devotion:
The one thing that God does try to continually remind us of is that we have a secure and beautiful future with Him in heaven; as long as we are willing to accept that He is the one true God and that He has done this all for us. There are so many distractions in this world that we struggle to keep our eyes on the truth unless we do have that truth with us always. I know that with the advent of mobile devices it is much easier to have a bible with you at all times, but I am talking about having Christ with you rather than the bible.
From the beginning we were promised that we would have a counsellor, a comforter and that he would love us continually. Christ reiterated that promise when He told the disciples that He would not leave them alone even though He was just about to depart to heaven! God does not want to leave us alone to have to fend for ourselves but would rather we took Him with us every step of our lives; that way He can encourage us, enlighten us and keep us safe from this world and all it has against Him.
God has done this all because He has loved mankind from the beginning. He gave us dominion over all living things and entrusted us with the upkeep of things. He asked us to take care of what He has given us and asks us to take care of those around us too. The more I am able to work with people the more that I can see how frustrated God must get but I also see why He loves us so much too. We may think we are strong and that we are able to go up against the enemy, but we are weak and need His help every step of the way. The only way to do that is to allow Him to be with us constantly.
As we draw closer to the end of another calendar year, we start to remember all the things that have happened over the year and we start to look forward to a new year starting. I challenge you to look upon this new year as a year when you too can make a difference to someone else’s life, a year where you can go beyond what is required and give to people something special – love. I’m not talking about a love from afar but one where you stand by the other person and lift them up when they fall; just as Christ does with you!
Points to Ponder:
What happened to the year?
Are you aiming for a better year?
Saturday Reading: Isaiah 43 16-21
Key Verse: Isaiah 43 19
Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
Devotion:
How many times have you felt really down in the dumps because of what has happened in the past? Have you been able to move on from some horrible things in your past, or are you still hanging on to them? Whilst we could argue from both sides, that it is right to remember the things from the past and that it is right to forget about them. God points out that in cases where we are being held back, we need to look forward.
I started a new venture a few months back (now43.org.uk) where we are looking forward because what has happened in the past is holding people back. We are bringing new ideas to the table as well as showing people that God’s Word does not say that we must remain the same all the time. Yes, God’s Word does remain the same and God will never change, but we live in a world where everything changes all the time. In order to make sure that we do get the most from God’s Word, I believe that we have to re-apply it to the world as it is now.
This does not mean changing The Word, but changing the way people look at The Word. God’s Word is as up to date now as it will always be and that means we can always apply it to our lives, no matter what generation we are from! We are trying to show the young people here in our community that a life with God means so much more than all the latest hi tech gear and all the latest gadgets. God’s Word gives us life more abundantly than anything like that and it is worth reading and living by.
What Isaiah says here is that God can show us new ways in which we can spread the gospel. He shows us new ways in which we can reach out to others. He shows us new ways in which He loves us; that amazing and unchanging love that encompasses the past, present and future – if only we will look at it and see. So why not talk to someone today about how God does things here and now for you personally so that they will be encouraged to listen next time they hear it!
Points to Ponder:
Are you stuck in the past?
Are you keeping God’s Word with you?
Friday Reading: Psalms 105 1-6
Key Verse: Psalms 105 5
Remember His marvellous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
Devotion:
How often do you tell others about what God has done for you? This is one of the things that we need to do more of and to be less afraid of telling others that we belong to God. The wise men took the news that they found out about and sought the boy Jesus; they would enquire all along the way to find out where they should find Him. The shepherds took the new they found out about and talked to others as well. Just the same, we should be taking what we have learned and telling others of these facts.
This is not anything new but something that God has been trying to impress upon us for as long as He has known us. The psalmist writes these words to remind us that we have to rejoice in all that God does for us and part of that rejoicing is that we must be telling others why we are rejoicing and who we are lifting up. Only then will more people get to know the gospel and more, they get to hear the great joy that we have through what God has done in our lives.
This is a life that we have with God and not one that we have that needs to live up to Him or to do for Him; yes He wants us to worship Him and to glorify Him, but that should be part of our lives with Him as we learn to expand in His grip. It is because of our eternal hope that we have in Him and see in Him that we can rejoice about forever more. Once we set our hearts on something we rejoice in that hope and look forward to it each and every day – just as we would when we love someone dear to us. It is God’s precious gift to us that gives us this eternal hope.
We need to seek Him with our whole heart so that our hope means even more to us; and that hope brings us more joy because of what Christ did for us first of all. It is not because we have been going looking for Christ but because He first gave us the perfect gift and loved us before we knew Him. All that He has done for us goes much further than all our understanding can go as we get to learn that we are His chosen people!
Points to Ponder:
Are you happy with God?
Do you know how much He has done for you?
Thursday Reading: Matthew 2 7-12
Key Verse: Matthew 2 12
Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
Devotion:
Though brief, this account of the wise men searching for Jesus by following the star that appeared should encourage us to do likewise. We may not see stars in the sky that we can follow but we will certainly see indications and encouragement if we look for it. The pictures we have on Christmas cards depict this bright star sitting over a stable and three wise men coming to give gifts to the baby in the manger. This is not what we are told here. Getting to have an audience with the king was certainly not a quick phone call away; they would have had to come walking or on camels or another ride and request and audience and then prepare for that audience… it could have been weeks or months…
Then they would have had to get ready to go searching all around the land for the baby knowing that as they travelled the child would also be growing up. The magi were probably astrologers or would have had astrologers with them so looking up at the stars and checking for differences or planetary alignments was normal for them. If a huge star appeared and hovered over a single place I think many more people would have been gathering at that place to see what was happening.
What was happening was that God was showing them what He wanted them to see and He was trying to guide them to the Christ child. They were shown signs that they would have understood or been able to interpret. They did this and began to be able to listen to God through them trusting more in what they were shown. So when God wanted to warn them about not going back to Herod, it was not a big issue to get them to listen to a dream.
When we obey God and try to listen, we can hear! If we go along with our normal lives and just do things we think we should, we will probably not hear God clearly. He wants to be able to live in our lives and not as someone on the outside shouting the odds trying to get through to us! God is very real and needs to be a constant part of our lives so that we can listen and obey Him, being kept safe and secure every day!
Points to Ponder:
Do you work with God?
Is He having to shout over the noise in your life?