Sunday Reading: 1 Corinthians 9 19-23
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 9 23
23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
Devotion:
How many times have you tried to stand up for Christ and found that you got put down even more than normally? Have you then been rejected by those close to you? If we think back on the times when we have told others that we were Christians we can probably come up with much the same story – whereby they call us a few names and then ignore us or even shun us. How effective can we be if we are going to be put out by those around us? How effective are we going to be when we are not actually being able to talk to others about God?
There are going to be times when we do need to stand proud to proclaim God and His Word so that others can see that we are serious about what we believe; but there are also times when we have to fit in a bit more so that we can reach those people who are ‘sitting on the fence’. Now I am not saying that we should all give in to the world and do worldly things – far be it that I should turn anyone away from God. We are reminded over and over again what the Israelites went through when they walked with the world instead of walking with God, so let’s not go there at all!
What I am saying is that we need to be more of a friend to those around us than an enemy! When we stand proud and tell everyone that we are Christians we need to make sure that we do it in the right manner. How would you like someone to come into your home and shout about how wonderful their way of doing things is and how useless we are? That is certainly not going to make you want to see what they are on about – instead we will probably shy away from them and go back to doing our own ways; indeed we may even go as far as making sure that they know that we went back to our own ways just to wind them up! And so it is if we go in with all guns blazing.
Yes there is a time when we have to stand up and be firm, but there is also a time when we have to be calm and talk to people at their own level. God does not want us to alienate people from His Word because we annoy others. He wants us to show others that there is a right way and a wrong way. Most people will not see that they are doing anything wrong until you get down and show them the right way – but it does not mean that we have to berate them for their ways just to open their eyes. We do have a hard task taking God’s Word with us, but trust Him to guide you!
Points to Ponder:
Do you wind people up with your ways?
Is your God, your guide?
Saturday Reading: 2 Peter 1 16-21
Key Verse: 2 Peter 1 19
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
Devotion:
How many times have you listened to something and wondered how on earth the person speaking can have ever come up with the conclusion that they have? Have you ever wondered whether the person talking has ever heard themselves saying the things that they do; as to whether they would be able to spot the seemingly silly mistakes they are making as they speak? That is the great thing about being in possession of the truth – you can spot the mistakes all around you!
The Apostles were in a very good place in that they had eye witness accounts of the things that Christ was doing. But the more that you are able to go through your bibles, through God’s Word, the more that you will begin to realise that the whole book is an eye witness account of everything that God has done for man from the beginning of time! The books in the Old Testament are the eye witness account of what happened to Israel as God continued to try and get them to do what was right. Not only have we got the laws written down but we also have the account of what those very people did when faced with those laws.
As we then move into the New Testament we find that the disciples were given that same Word to follow and they also had a constant reminder in Christ that they had to follow those laws. They did not have to fight terrible wars and face walking through rivers and seas that were stopped by God; they simply had to follow Christ in His physical presence… and yet not all were able to do that.
It is God’s Word that we have. It is God’s Word that is that light for us now. It is God’s Word that now leads us. It is God’s Word that has been proven and is now the truth that we can stand on. Allow that Light to shine before you so that you can see where God wants you today and tomorrow…
Points to Ponder:
Do you see what lies ahead?
Are you allowing God’s Word to light the way?
Key Verse: 2 Peter 1 19
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
Devotion:
How many times have you listened to something and wondered how on earth the person speaking can have ever come up with the conclusion that they have? Have you ever wondered whether the person talking has ever heard themselves saying the things that they do; as to whether they would be able to spot the seemingly silly mistakes they are making as they speak? That is the great thing about being in possession of the truth – you can spot the mistakes all around you!
The Apostles were in a very good place in that they had eye witness accounts of the things that Christ was doing. But the more that you are able to go through your bibles, through God’s Word, the more that you will begin to realise that the whole book is an eye witness account of everything that God has done for man from the beginning of time! The books in the Old Testament are the eye witness account of what happened to Israel as God continued to try and get them to do what was right. Not only have we got the laws written down but we also have the account of what those very people did when faced with those laws.
As we then move into the New Testament we find that the disciples were given that same Word to follow and they also had a constant reminder in Christ that they had to follow those laws. They did not have to fight terrible wars and face walking through rivers and seas that were stopped by God; they simply had to follow Christ in His physical presence… and yet not all were able to do that.
It is God’s Word that we have. It is God’s Word that is that light for us now. It is God’s Word that now leads us. It is God’s Word that has been proven and is now the truth that we can stand on. Allow that Light to shine before you so that you can see where God wants you today and tomorrow…
Points to Ponder:
Do you see what lies ahead?
Are you allowing God’s Word to light the way?
Friday Reading: Isaiah 8 17-22
Key Verse: Isaiah 8 20
20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Devotion:
Have you ever tried to use a torch that has a flat battery? How many times have you given it a smart hit on the side to try and get those last few milliamps of electricity to leak out of the batteries to give that last glimmer of light? Once those batteries have been exhausted you are left with a weight and not a torch – or at least that is all that it is good for now.
The good thing about God’s Word is that that light is never going to be extinguished and it will never run flat. No matter how much light shines from God’s Word it is going to continue to shine throughout history. When we get to heaven we will continue to see the light shining because there is no end to God’s Light. Imagine being able to have a torch that will never run out – and I’m not talking about one of those wind-up ones that you have to keep working at! I wonder, have you ever bought a cheap torch that has promised much and delivered very little?
We are faced with many things in our lives that will promise a whole lot and will deliver very little. We are faced with many people who will promise us the earth but will give us very little. We are faced with choices that we have to make based on what other people will say; and those choices may well be very difficult when we know so much depends on how we choose. Being able to stand firm on a truth that will give us the answer as to what choice we should make is always something that we will hope to be able to find – just to make our choice that little bit easier. If we do not have some sort of wisdom to guide us in our choice, then we are only guessing and not making a proper choice. I praise God that He saw that we would have to face this and that He has given us His Word so that we can identify the truth before we choose all that is wrong just because we knew no better! I praise God that He has given us His Word through which we can find His absolute Truth!
We have to be aware of the fakes out there so that we can choose the real articles. Knowing that there are fakes out there is one thing, but being able to identify those fakes so that we can ignore them is going to allow us to gain a whole lot more!
Points to Ponder:
Are you sure on every choice you make?
Do you know God’s Word is very sure?
Key Verse: Isaiah 8 20
20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Devotion:
Have you ever tried to use a torch that has a flat battery? How many times have you given it a smart hit on the side to try and get those last few milliamps of electricity to leak out of the batteries to give that last glimmer of light? Once those batteries have been exhausted you are left with a weight and not a torch – or at least that is all that it is good for now.
The good thing about God’s Word is that that light is never going to be extinguished and it will never run flat. No matter how much light shines from God’s Word it is going to continue to shine throughout history. When we get to heaven we will continue to see the light shining because there is no end to God’s Light. Imagine being able to have a torch that will never run out – and I’m not talking about one of those wind-up ones that you have to keep working at! I wonder, have you ever bought a cheap torch that has promised much and delivered very little?
We are faced with many things in our lives that will promise a whole lot and will deliver very little. We are faced with many people who will promise us the earth but will give us very little. We are faced with choices that we have to make based on what other people will say; and those choices may well be very difficult when we know so much depends on how we choose. Being able to stand firm on a truth that will give us the answer as to what choice we should make is always something that we will hope to be able to find – just to make our choice that little bit easier. If we do not have some sort of wisdom to guide us in our choice, then we are only guessing and not making a proper choice. I praise God that He saw that we would have to face this and that He has given us His Word so that we can identify the truth before we choose all that is wrong just because we knew no better! I praise God that He has given us His Word through which we can find His absolute Truth!
We have to be aware of the fakes out there so that we can choose the real articles. Knowing that there are fakes out there is one thing, but being able to identify those fakes so that we can ignore them is going to allow us to gain a whole lot more!
Points to Ponder:
Are you sure on every choice you make?
Do you know God’s Word is very sure?
Thursday Reading: Psalms 119 105-107
Key Verse: Psalms 119 105
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Devotion:
Probably the most quoted verse in this psalm, but one that we may well have never considered to its fullest. I know that I have sung songs about this verse and have quoted it and have taught from it before, but today I want to look at it from a slightly different light than normal because today I want to compare it with a few things.
We think of a lamp as being a light that will give light to the path that we walk along. If we think about these words as being spoken at the time they were written then we may think of this as something akin to “Thy Word is a torch to my feet…” where the torch will light up the path ahead so that we know which direction to go towards. We may think of it as a light that is lighting the area around us so that we can avoid the pitfalls and traps that may well be at our feet. Or we can think of it as a brighter light that will illumine the whole area so that we see it for what it is.
Whichever way you want to look at it, the fact remains; it is God’s Word that is going to do the lighting up. It is not the fact that our eyes have got used to the darkness or that we are some way better equipped to see in the dark. It is the fact that God’s Word will show us what lies in the shadows! How else are you going to know the dangers around you unless you open your eyes and allow an external source to show you what dangers there are? Simply switching the light on is often not enough because we need to know about what we are looking at and that is where God’s Word is so very special because it will give us that knowledge!
It is through knowing what dangers there are that we can then say that we will try to avoid them and try to work against them. It is through seeing what is right that we can then see what is wrong – how else are we going to identify that unless we use the truth to show us everything? How else are we going to see what danger there really is unless we find out that it is dangerous to start with? Falling down a hole is not going to help anyone other than those who have to help us to get back on our feet! We need to be able to identify the path we need to walk on and not just the holes we need to avoid. Knowing where the hole are will help us no end, but knowing the best path the walk along will help us even more!
Points to Ponder:
Are you looking at the world around you?
Do you use God’s Word to show you the truth?
Key Verse: Psalms 119 105
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Devotion:
Probably the most quoted verse in this psalm, but one that we may well have never considered to its fullest. I know that I have sung songs about this verse and have quoted it and have taught from it before, but today I want to look at it from a slightly different light than normal because today I want to compare it with a few things.
We think of a lamp as being a light that will give light to the path that we walk along. If we think about these words as being spoken at the time they were written then we may think of this as something akin to “Thy Word is a torch to my feet…” where the torch will light up the path ahead so that we know which direction to go towards. We may think of it as a light that is lighting the area around us so that we can avoid the pitfalls and traps that may well be at our feet. Or we can think of it as a brighter light that will illumine the whole area so that we see it for what it is.
Whichever way you want to look at it, the fact remains; it is God’s Word that is going to do the lighting up. It is not the fact that our eyes have got used to the darkness or that we are some way better equipped to see in the dark. It is the fact that God’s Word will show us what lies in the shadows! How else are you going to know the dangers around you unless you open your eyes and allow an external source to show you what dangers there are? Simply switching the light on is often not enough because we need to know about what we are looking at and that is where God’s Word is so very special because it will give us that knowledge!
It is through knowing what dangers there are that we can then say that we will try to avoid them and try to work against them. It is through seeing what is right that we can then see what is wrong – how else are we going to identify that unless we use the truth to show us everything? How else are we going to see what danger there really is unless we find out that it is dangerous to start with? Falling down a hole is not going to help anyone other than those who have to help us to get back on our feet! We need to be able to identify the path we need to walk on and not just the holes we need to avoid. Knowing where the hole are will help us no end, but knowing the best path the walk along will help us even more!
Points to Ponder:
Are you looking at the world around you?
Do you use God’s Word to show you the truth?
Wednesday Reading: Psalms 119 101-104
Key Verse: Psalms 119 102
102 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.
Devotion:
Once you read through God’s Word and begin to understand it you will probably come to the conclusion that it is going to be a hard thing to follow God’s Laws. If you have not come to that conclusion, then you are either a very strong person or you are fooling yourself! God’s Word is here so that we can know what is right and wrong; that is just one aspect of God’s Word. Without that knowledge of what is right and wrong we would not be able to know that we are going against God’s wishes.
Trying to keep God’s Laws and His ways is probably going to be an uphill battle for most of us because we have grown up in a world where we have been open to so many lies and so much corruption. But just because we see it as an uphill struggle does not mean that it should be impossible for us. God is also the one who wants to stand by us and to hold us as we face those temptations and those struggles. He is the one who wants to lift us up when we fall so that we can try again. He is the one who wants to teach us the difference between right and wrong so that we can best be prepared for what lies ahead.
God’s Word is what will be our guide and our encouragement. It is God’s Word that will open our eyes to what is right and what is wrong. It is His Word that will encourage us from the inside to keep all that is right in our hearts and to strengthen us to face up to those things that we will be able to identify as wrong. God’s Word is the catalyst that will allow us to separate the two through Christ Jesus.
No matter how bitter we may find the first bite as we dig into God’s Word we will be able to see that it is good. No matter how much we do not want to go there and be reminded of the things that are wrong, we need to know them before we can avoid them. No matter how difficult you may find accepting the truth in the beginning, is it is something that has to be accepted before you can move forward with Christ. Once we have accepted God’s Word as the truth then we are able to understand a whole lot more of that same truth. Just as we may find a single catalyst that will enable us to suddenly get to grips with trigonometry or algebra, that same spark of realisation on the truth will allow us to move forward with Christ in our hearts.
Points to Ponder:
Are you stuck in a rut?
Do you know God’s Word can lift you up?
Key Verse: Psalms 119 102
102 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.
Devotion:
Once you read through God’s Word and begin to understand it you will probably come to the conclusion that it is going to be a hard thing to follow God’s Laws. If you have not come to that conclusion, then you are either a very strong person or you are fooling yourself! God’s Word is here so that we can know what is right and wrong; that is just one aspect of God’s Word. Without that knowledge of what is right and wrong we would not be able to know that we are going against God’s wishes.
Trying to keep God’s Laws and His ways is probably going to be an uphill battle for most of us because we have grown up in a world where we have been open to so many lies and so much corruption. But just because we see it as an uphill struggle does not mean that it should be impossible for us. God is also the one who wants to stand by us and to hold us as we face those temptations and those struggles. He is the one who wants to lift us up when we fall so that we can try again. He is the one who wants to teach us the difference between right and wrong so that we can best be prepared for what lies ahead.
God’s Word is what will be our guide and our encouragement. It is God’s Word that will open our eyes to what is right and what is wrong. It is His Word that will encourage us from the inside to keep all that is right in our hearts and to strengthen us to face up to those things that we will be able to identify as wrong. God’s Word is the catalyst that will allow us to separate the two through Christ Jesus.
No matter how bitter we may find the first bite as we dig into God’s Word we will be able to see that it is good. No matter how much we do not want to go there and be reminded of the things that are wrong, we need to know them before we can avoid them. No matter how difficult you may find accepting the truth in the beginning, is it is something that has to be accepted before you can move forward with Christ. Once we have accepted God’s Word as the truth then we are able to understand a whole lot more of that same truth. Just as we may find a single catalyst that will enable us to suddenly get to grips with trigonometry or algebra, that same spark of realisation on the truth will allow us to move forward with Christ in our hearts.
Points to Ponder:
Are you stuck in a rut?
Do you know God’s Word can lift you up?