Tuesday Reading: John 14 12-17
Key Verse: John 14 13
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Devotion:
One of the most amazing statements in our bibles is held in these few verses ad that is that Christ will answer our prayers; but more amazing than that is that God, through Christ will allow us to do so much more than we think we are able. And it is not just some glib statement that some extreme believers can grasp hold of but any true believer: “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do”
I can quite honestly say that I have grown in strength every day with God and not just as an average over the last decade but every single day; because the more that I exercise my faith in Christ by depending on Him and asking of Him, the more I am able to see how much He answers my prayers. It was not too long ago I would ask half-heartedly because I still had doubts that God would answer my prayers, knowing that I was a chief sinner! But the more prayers He answers for me every day, the more my faith becomes sure and the more I ask knowing that He is answering!
This is not about “how much can I get out of God” but rather “how much can God get the glory for answering my prayers”! This is not about some sort of power struggle or a tit-for-tat to see who gets the most – this is about God showing that He is God and that He is supreme! If we think we can get away with absolutely anything that we ask for, then we do have a small stumbling block to get over first because in verse 15 we have “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” God is under no compulsion to do anything for us other than because He has promised to do so when we come to Him in true belief. If we try to bend the rules a little so that they fit into our world a bit better, then we are certainly not following God’s commandments but asking Him to follow ours instead!
God is not going to answer because you are herding Him into a tight spot so that He can only have a single answer. God answers by giving us what is best for us and not by asking us what we think is best for us! When I see God answering my prayers I also see a God who gives me direction and guidance at the same time as bringing me the answers to my prayers!
Points to Ponder:
Do you ask God to do things for you?
Are you listening to and obeying God first of all?
Monday Reading: John 14 25-27
Key Verse: John 14 27
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Devotion:
When Jesus started telling the disciples about the fact that He would not always be with Him, they chose to ignore the hints that He was passing on at the time because they had a great comfort in knowing that Christ Himself was with them and that they could count on His teaching, experience and generally a lot of personal attention. Jesus already knew this and did not press them hard knowing how they would feel if they would suddenly have to face the truth – instead He chose to give them peace at that time and not to have them taxed too much until they could count on the Comforter being with them.
Christ had just promised them that He would pray to God The Father to make sure that they were not left alone and that the Holy Ghost would be with them to give them that comfort when He could not in person. What love and commitment He has shown all of this time that we have remained sinners!
If you have ever found someone in your life that allows you to feel loved and wanted then you have found someone who will bring some sort of peace into your life. That peace and that comfort that you can get from them is something very special and should never be ignored. I can look back in my life and wonder at the fact that I could not see this simple fact when I was younger. I can look back and see so many times when I was given opportunity but wasted it because I was looking to the world and worldly ways instead of looking to God and to His ways. When we look at worldly ways we will not find that same peace as we find when we look at heavenly ways and with Christ’s help.
No matter how much we do get from and earthly relationship it will never be the same as what we can gain from our personal relationship that we can have with Christ. That relationship will not run out from God’s side, will not be found wanting from God’s side and it will never end from His side. We are the ones that break things down, destroy things and generally look to earthly fixes instead of looking to Christ and His ways. I now strive to search out God’s ways and those ways don’t always line up with what I would like – but I know Christ’s ways are perfect like the peace He will give me!
Points to Ponder:
Do you count on Christ’s promises?
Are you receiving His peace?
Sunday Reading: Isaiah 26 1-5
Key Verse: Isaiah 26 3
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Devotion:
I love picking up my old bible and reading through to find the scripture that I have underlined so that I will remember them. It is not so that I will always be able to recount those scriptures whenever I want to – because learning text still seems to be a problem for me, the same as it has always been… But seeing the scriptures will bring back memories that get me searching through God’s Word again! I love being able to bring God’s Word out to people so that they too can see a side of it that I have seen some time in my past.
The thing that strikes me most from these verses is the fact that if we do allow God to be in control of our lives we will find more peace of mind and more wisdom will flow into our lives. This is because when we do place our faith and trust in God we allow Him to work in our lives, to mould us and make us in the way that He knows best. We put aside our own ways and our own ideals (that are flawed) and embrace His ways and His ideals.
After a bit more studying I began to realise that these verses are not just talking about people finding that peace as they grow with God but rather it is talking about a time when we will find that perfect peace – not just the peace that we find through Christ but that perfect and absolute peace that we will find when we join Him in heaven after the evil one has been banished, never to affect us anymore! Why will it be perfect peace? Because Satan will no longer be able to tempt us, discourage us, touch us or even look upon us! What an amazing thought!
We may not be able to reach that perfect peace whilst we are still here on earth because we are surrounded by evil, temptations, disruptions and all manner of things that may break us. But when we do reach our heavenly place we will find a peace that goes far beyond any definitions we could normally think of. As we grow in Christ on earth we begin to find a peace that God imparts on us; a Peace that goes beyond what we normally expect, but one which we seek after once we know it. It is true. It is real. It is fulfilling. It is pure. So imagine what we can get eventually in heaven!
Points to Ponder:
Do you find peace with Christ now?
Imagine what we can get in heaven!
Saturday Reading: Romans 5 1-5
Key Verse: Romans 5 5
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Devotion:
One of the hardest things I had to learn was having faith in God, not faith as in telling others that I believe in Jesus but faith as in actually depending on Him for things in my life that I would normally look elsewhere for. That faith is not blind faith but it is also not going to slap you round the face and say ‘here I am’! That faith comes from God and through His Word. It has to be built up, nurtured and tested for us to see that it is true faith. God is the one that knows us from the inside so He does already know whether our faith is true or not – but that does not let us off the hook so to speak.
Just because God knows if our faith is real does not mean that we know it deep in our own hearts. That may well take a bit of testing and a few hurdles for us to see that it is real; but it needs to start somewhere and that is in God’s Word. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10 17)
That faith gives us access to a whole lot more than we first realise when we start our relationship with Christ. Through it we obtain grace and mercy from the Lord of Lords! By it we can rejoice that we have so much and can know the glory of God. I changed the words from hope of the glory of God to know the glory of God because that is how we should be looking at it, not as a hope that may or may not come to pass, but a sure knowledge that it will!
But with that does come a bit of uphill, those struggles, those pitfalls, that tribulation! And it may not just be a small bump in the road but a rough ride all the way – how much depends on how much God knows we will be able to withstand. Because what we can withstand will count in other people’s eyes when they look at us and wonder about faith. We do need patience to get through those rough times. When we succeed in getting through those rough times we gain experience which gives us strength and builds up that hope that we have into a more sure knowledge. With that we become more confident and more able to share God’s Word and His will with others. With that we build up this love that Christ wants us to know and live by – His love!
Points to Ponder:
What makes love grow in you?
Can you see how Christ grows that love within you?
Friday Reading: 2 Timothy 1 6-14
Key Verse: 2 Timothy 1 7
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Devotion:
There is nothing like preparing for a week of sharing God’s Word to focus your mind on the things of God and this week is no exception. The one thing that I have learned from writing devotions is that when others tell you how you should be studying God’s Word, it is not just making sure that you read the words but also that you spend time to think about what you are reading. God has given us His Word so that we can learn from it, not as a bed-time story! It is pretty obvious when you think about it, books are for learning as well as for enjoyment.
It is God who has given us that spirit that yearns for Him and longs to learn more about Him in every circumstance. Paul continued to strive to do what was right but he also made sure that he continued in God’s Word; he had learned from God’s Word by studying and prayer. Through that God gave him understanding and allowed him to experience the love that God wants us to find. God allowed His Son to come into this world to show us real love and to give us a greater understanding of what He has for us. He created us with these amazing minds and complex feelings; it takes time to learn.
It is not just by reading God’s Word that we gain this insight into His love for us and His will in our lives; it is also through gathering together with other Christians, praying together, supporting each other and fulfilling Christ’s direction to us. That direction from Christ is that we take God’s Word with us and share it. If we are not going to share it then others may well think that we are ashamed of the faith we claim to have; what could be worse than denying Jesus Christ?
It is Christ who has paid for our sin debt. It is Christ who has given everything for us. It is Christ who has shown us how much we mean to Him. It is Christ who has given us this holy calling that we shout about the gospel and not hide it under a bush. It is not because of what we have done or what we can do but rather what Christ has already done for us. Imagine if we did have to rely on what we could do instead? How many of us would fail before we even reached the first hurdle?
We owe Christ so much for all He has done. Let us therefore take His Gospel with us and share it with love – the love that He has given us.
Points to Ponder:
Are you a greater scholar than Paul?
Do you know why Paul bowed down to Christ?