Tuesday Reading: Acts 21 10-14
Key Verse: Acts 21 13
13 Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Devotion:
I really do marvel at the courage and faith of the apostles! I look at what I am willing to give up and then see how far short I fall when I see what they have already given up and what they were willing to give up… which all points to the amazing love that Christ showed us by giving up so much more than that!
It is easy to say that we will give things up for a good cause, but to be able to stick to the words that came out of our mouths is a different matter. When we are faced with the physical danger or torment that comes our way when we try to fulfil our words, we cave in most of the time and try to find an easy way out. I have learned the hard way that giving up and looking for a short cut or easy way out is just not going to please God. He will continue knocking on our doors until we are willing to listen and to do what is right!
Jonah found out in a very extreme way that God means what He says. Paul was willing to go that extra mile because he had realised just how much Christ had done for him. When we grasp the significance of all that Christ has done by giving His life, we too should be willing to do what it takes to please God. Don’t start panicking and running in the other direction already! God is not going to ask each one of us to get bound up and tortured! All He may ask us to do is to be good and faithful servants, working for Him… but we must be willing, not just do it because it is our duty, but willing to do it without murmuring!
I think back on the times when I used to complain like mad when my parents told me to tidy my room or do my homework. Maybe that is why they went grey quickly! Imagine what it is like for Christ when He asks us time and time again… “Will you read your bible?” “Will you obey my law?” “Will you help your parents?” “Will you smile from the inside?”
Points to Ponder:
Are you able?
Are you willing?
Monday Reading: Mark 8 34-38
Key Verse: Mark 8 35
35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
Devotion:
When Christ walked amongst mankind, men saw a truth within Him that they instinctively knew was the absolute truth. Everywhere that He went, people would flock to Him to hear the gospel, to be healed and to get to know their Messiah. But how many of them were actually willing to give it all up and follow Christ? This is the same problem that we (mankind) has faced from the beginning… when we do get to know the truth, many are not willing to forsake all for that truth even though we know it as the truth.
That really does sound so strange when you read it like that, or write it down like that, but man still wants to be in control and not give full control to God. God is all powerful and all knowing and He alone is the one who should be guiding our every footstep – but we insist on trying to do things our own way instead. I’m sure that most of us would agree that men in particular always like to think that they are in control and lift themselves up when things go right. But what happens when things go wrong? Well, we turn around and blame everything else around us! And no, it’s not just men…
Christ highlighted this by reminding us that no matter what we are able to gain here on earth, nothing will compare to having eternal life! What good is it going to be if we can gain all the riches in the world if we are only going to lose everything when we die? Why not aim for the riches that Christ wants to give us in heaven, those same riches that we will keep for eternity? No they may not be gold watches or the like, but I would rather have a smile on my face for eternity than have a gold watch for doing my bit on earth!
We need to stand firm and show all people that we are not ashamed of being called Christians; that we remain strong in God’s Word, upholding the truth and giving that truth to every person that is willing to listen. God has given each one of us the gift of the gospel so that we can share it with others. He has done that for a reason and for it to be a blessing to each one of us for eternity!
Points to Ponder:
What do you strive after in life?
What do you look for from God?
Sunday Reading: 1 Corinthians 9 19-23
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 9 23
23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings
Devotion:
The apostle had the highest office in the church, a position given to Him by Christ Himself, but that did not make him boast about it; instead he wanted to do the same as Christ did and become like a servant to mankind. Being in a high position was not what this was all about, the goal was to reach others with the gospel of Christ. Throughout history we have seen religious institutions lift up themselves and promote their own power to be rulers over mankind. In some cases they have done it whilst labelling themselves as servants just to gain trust – but history has shown that they were all levelled by God’s Word.
No matter how much man tries to lift himself up, he will always fall short because he is full of corruption and sin. The sin, like a cancer, will always show itself over time and will always break down the mortal body. Christ taught this truth to the apostles so that they would not be under any misguided or envious ideas that they could attain anything more than what Christ gave them. Let us never forget that what we have is a gift of God and nothing more!
Many would like to say that life is what you make of it but in truth, life is what God has given us. What we make of our life is going to be dependent on how much we are willing to give back to Him in servitude. God would that we level ourselves with those around us to show that they do have the same opportunity of knowing Him that we do. If people can see that we are only different because we know Christ and not because of any position that man would uphold, then they will be more encouraged to find that same truth.
We will never truly know just how much Christ gave up to be a man. Yes we will have eternal life and an incorruptible body to live that life; but as to knowing just how much He gave up, we will be constantly learning for all eternity. We are not gods. We will never be gods. Let us live for our one true God, and Him alone!
Points to Ponder:
What position do you hold in life?
Would you give it up for God?
Saturday Reading: 1 Corinthians 10 32-33
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 10 33
33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
Devotion:
It is impossible to please all men all of the time. It is hard enough to please your friends, never mind the people who just do not seem to want to be pleased by you! If we take these words literally we come up against a problem because Jesus certainly did not please everyone all of the time; but what Jesus tried to do was to do the best for all people all of the time. Whilst we may not be able to do that in that we do not know what is best for everyone, Jesus was and is able to do that.
What we should be doing is trying not to work against people, trying not to upset people, trying not to upset God and the church. If it were possible for us to do that then we would be able to keep the peace at all times; but it is not possible for us to please everyone. In those cases we need to aim to please God first of all. He is the one who should be guiding our footsteps and as long as we are listening to Him then we should be able to get closer to doing what is best for the people around us.
So many people are focused on what is best for them and what they can get out of life. That is not what Jesus was showing others when He was here on earth. Jesus was always doing the will of God and always willing to try to please others. It was only when those two conflicted that He would do the will of God in preference to pleasing man. That is the example to which we need to try and work towards.
If we alienate ourselves from the people around us then they are not going to be able to see God and His ways through us; we change the focus from being toward God to being toward us and that is wrong. Showing people compassion and love is what Christ was doing. Sometimes that would upset some people because they could not see God’s will; but Jesus was focused on God’s will and tried to make sure that people saw that instead of their own ways. Yes it is hard to please everyone, but if we cannot do that, pleasing God is what does count.
Points to Ponder:
Do you upset people regularly?
Do you upset God regularly?
Friday Reading: Matthew 18 1-6
Key Verse: Matthew 18 6
6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Devotion:
If you have had the privilege of working with children or youth then you will know where Jesus was coming from when He spoke these words. In general children do not have a desire to be the one in authority; yes they all like to be “king pin” so that they feel important, but they do not want the weight that comes with having authority. They want to be able to be themselves and to enjoy what they can when they can. They don’t want to have to think about all the dangers and responsibilities that come with what they are about to do; but they do want to feel totally safe doing it.
They need a protector who is willing to stand up and show them that they are in safe hands and that they can go out and enjoy themselves. As they grow older they begin to accept more responsibility – and if they do not then they are not growing up, despite getting older! We must know that we have an authority and that we should obey that authority. Christ is that authority in our lives and we all need to look up to Him as God over all.
If we are going to grow up then we have to start accepting some of the authority that Christ is going to give to us because that comes with growing up. We have to exercise that authority and prove it as well. Christ does not just let us run riot if we say that we follow Him; He will make sure that we do listen to Him in our lives and that we do allow others to see that authority through us.
Christ wants us to be like children in accepting His authority without question. He wants us to learn and know that authority. He also wants us to teach that authority to others whilst they are like children. He wants us to bring others up to respect the authority and to grow in it like we should be. He has not brought us up to take over His position nor to lift ourselves higher than the position He has given us. We need to be careful, even as we mature as Christians, not to overstep the bounds.
Points to Ponder:
Do you recognise authority?
Is Christ your ultimate authority?