Thursday Reading: John 15 9-12

Key Verse: John 15 9

9  As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; continue in My love.

Devotion:

I have used this chapter in devotions many times before, but not these verses; but the time now is ready. I know that My God is Awesome and that He continues to show me so many wonderful things each and every day and yet people around me ask me how I can know that and how can I say that. Well the answer is ‘just because’! Just because I do know Christ as my Saviour and just because I do try to follow Him every day of my life.

It is not a big thing to ask someone to follow the truth and it should not be a big task for us to do it – and yet we have people all around us who are not. I know Christ as my Saviour because I believe it to be true. With that belief comes a deep seated knowledge that this is all the way it is supposed to be. With that knowledge from Christ comes an inner love and peace that I can only brag about because you cannot see it until you know Christ as well.

Is that a very selfish way of looking at things? Well it may seem like it to those on the outside looking in, but I write these things to you on the outside so that you may one day get to know my God as well. I tell people about my God so that they can know Him a bit better. I encourage people to find the truth so that one day they too will know this wonderful, fulfilling peace that I know just from knowing my God. I do not hold it back but share it openly. I do not boast that I have something and they do not but rather share it so they may have it too. Christ wants us to take this truth out and share it with others in whatever way we can. We need to start by reaching out to people and letting them know that there is love, real love, God given, deep seated love that abides within and that lasts for eternity. God has shared that love with us through Christ so that we can take that same love and share it with others. That is the way that the Gospel gets out there – that is the way that it came to you; someone else did something that made a difference in your life…

Points to Ponder:

Do you help others with love?

Do you share God’s love?

Wednesday Reading: James 3 13-18

Key Verse: James 3 15

15  This is not the wisdom coming down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

Devotion:

The one thing we can depend on is that God is not going to promote strife, bitterness or jealousy because those are simply not His ways. If we are faced with these things in our life then we can be pretty sure that they are not from Him but rather from this world and those that seek to disrupt God’s ways. They may not know that the battle has been won already because they may well have not been told the truth about much yet – that is why it is our task to take that truth with us wherever we go. It is not always about preaching the Gospel but sometimes about showing someone that we are different just because we understand and follow God’s ways instead of the ways of the world.

Let us not get caught up in the world’s way of doing things because they have nothing substantial to learn from. We can see this through everything that the world and it’s leaders try to teach us – they build up theories based on best guess scenarios and then tell us that it must be the truth because they think so. Well that is just not good enough for me because I want to know the absolute truth. I know that the only way that I will get that is by studying that truth and taking it with me in my ways and my life. God’s Word is not just something to read and teach, it is a way of life!

The world is breeding confusion through teaching things that have no basis and have no future. God’s Word has been with us from the beginning of time and it continues to tell us the same truth that it started telling us at the beginning of time! If that is not an encouraging sign then I don’t know what is. I trust in that truth from God because I know that it continues to stand up to whatever the world has to throw at it. I stand up for God’s truth because I know it is a better way of life. I stand up for God’s truth because that is what I believe in. I know it has made my life 100% better than anything this world has to offer. Do you?

Points to Ponder:

How much do you get from this world?

How much do you get from God?

Tuesday Reading: 1 John 2 15-17

Key Verse: 1 John 2 17

17  And the world passes away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Devotion:

Last week I let Halloween pass without comment, not so much as I forgot about it but rather that I do not look at it as being anything special anymore. Gone are the days when I was willing to get out there and join in with things; is that because I am getting old? Far from it, the more that I continue my work as youth leader, the more active I become and the more I seem willing to do. It’s just that my attitude towards what I am willing to do has changed as I have grown stronger in God. The closer my walk with God, the less I am willing to get out of His will and the less I am willing to do that I know will not agree with His will.

Having compassion is not just something that we should have one towards another, human to human, because if we lose our compassion towards God then we may well lose our way with Him as well. If we lose that compassion we will be more willing to do things against God and more willing to lose our way from walking with Him. God has given us a description of the life we should try to lead through His Word for a reason; and that reason is so that we can have the best chance at walking on a steady course with Him. Giving in and going along with the rest of the crowd just because they look like they are having fun may well land you in deeper water than you first think.

Once we get over the shock of getting things wrong, or get over the disappointment of not being able to do something, we can then focus on the real side of life. When we do we will see that God has given us a life to lead that will last as long as we will allow it to. In other words it is not up to others as to how long we can live for Christ, it is up to us! We are the ones who have the choice as to whether we live for Christ or whether we give in and live for the world. A fellow youth worker challenged the children yesterday by reminding them that they can still enjoy themselves and they do not have to get caught up in this world and the worldly things. My fear is that far too many children do not have the choice because they are not told that there is a choice they can make. I proudly stand by my fellow worker.

Points to Ponder:

Do you get caught up in things?

Do you think Jesus would join you?

Monday Reading: 1 Peter 3 8-9

Key Verse: 1 Peter 3 8

8  And finally, all be of one mind, having compassion on one another, loving the brothers, tender-hearted, friendly.

Devotion:

Does it seem strange to you that anyone should show you love without wanting something back in return? It is a bit of a worry that we are in a society where we now expect that people should want something in return for what they are giving us – we are bound by this expectation that whatever other do has got ulterior motives and that they should want something in return. Christ did not impose any such restrictions on the love that He showed towards other, nor has He imposed restrictions on anything He has done for us. Love should never seek reward otherwise it is no longer love but a work instead.

Just who we do direct our love toward should not be limited by the fact that we know who will respond and who will show us their love back – again that is not love but something seeking a reward instead. I can honestly say that God has shown me a whole new side to love in the past two years and that is now what drives me forward to serve Him with my whole heart. Yes it is kind of heart-breaking when you show others love knowing that they may well just ignore it or worse slap you in the face with something else – but that should not stop us from showing that love in the first place!

Just because someone has done something bad toward you does not mean that you automatically have the right to do something bad in return. By showing love instead of hatred we will shed a new light into their lives. By showing support instead of taking things away, we show a willingness where everyone else has shown distrust and withdrawn their support. Christ did not turn His back on others; it was others turning their backs on Him that made the rifts. It should not be for gain that we show support to others but rather that we know that eventually we might see them reach out to others the same way as we have reached out to them. Let us show that support so that they can see that it is God that has given us that support and love in the first place; the same God that will extend it to them if they dare to ask!

Points to Ponder:

Do you aim to glorify God in everything?

Do you know He is working for you already?