Sunday Reading: Psalms 73 1-9
 
Key Verse: Psalms 73 3
3  For I was jealous of the proud, when I saw the peace of the wicked.

Devotion:
Don’t try and deny it, we have all been there when we have been just a bit jealous of those who seem to have all the money and all the wealth and all the trimmings... we may not be jealous for long because we know what we have is going to last forever, but we have probably wondered what it would be like to be in their shoes for a short while. That is where the world has a problem understanding us; they see us as people who have things missing in our lives, for people who do not have, whereas we see them as the people who have something missing and who do not have!

God is just amazing! He is able to give us so much more than the physical that we desire whilst we are here on earth. Just His love alone is able to carry us further than any amount of wealth on earth – something that the wealthy and even the poor find it hard to grasp until they come to know Christ. When I think about how much my life has changed since I started walking with Christ instead of being a Jonah and running in the other direction, I marvel at what He still has in store for me. I can see the things that He changes in my life and the daily lessons that He teaches me. I try to use those lessons to teach others just as He would have me to do.

We must never look at the worldly people and think how nice it would be to be them because when they get to that defining moment in their lives when they have to face up to Christ, they are going to be the ones who are totally undone! I thank Christ that He is was willing to step up and take my punishment even though He did not deserve to, nor did I ask Him at that time! He was willing to do that for me before I knew Him! I don’t know of any worldly person who is willing to go that far for anyone before they get to know them. We are still fickle in that we ‘need’ to know others before we befriend them... So why then do some throw it all away and go with someone just because they look nice? Is that not the way of the world? Leave the world behind and focus on God!

Points to Ponder:
Are you focused on worldly things?

Where is God in your life?

Saturday Reading: Jeremiah 44 15-17
 
Key Verse: Jeremiah 44 16
16  As for the Word that you have spoken to us in the name of Jehovah, we will not listen to you.

Devotion:
It is a sad thing that governments are willing to stand up and say that they will not follow Christianity or will not follow God. If only they would realise the gravity of what they are saying and doing... But that is where man begins to think more of himself than he actually is. When things start to go right we look around us at all the things that are good and we start ignoring God. When we then see others doing things that look good, we no longer have our focus on God and so we lust after what they do and we run off away from God.

No there is nothing wrong with enjoying to the full everything that God has given us because He has given us things for our enjoyment, but when we leave God out of our lives we can expect nothing other than to fall into the traps of the god of this world, Satan, the evil one. If we do start doing that then we will very quickly lose focus on God and lose focus on His ways. Our ways then become corrupted with just about any thought that we can come up with. As that happens we sink deeper and deeper into the mire that we think is good. We will not see how corrupt it is until we have our eyes opened... please don’t let it be too late!

Time and time again throughout history we have seen people, societies, leaders, governments and all sort leave God behind and run off to corruption. When we can look back on things we see the corruption for what it was. When we are stuck in the middle of it we too may well have the wool pulled over our eyes for a while; but that will only be when we too lose focus on God. For as long as we are able to lift up our eyes towards heaven and seek God’s guidance we will be able to see the corruption for what it is. We need to keep our eyes open all the time so that we can see it approaching. When we face a blinkered view on this world we will see only what we want to see. When we start seeing a selected view, we lose our way with God. Lift up your eyes to God!

Points to Ponder:
What do you see around you?

Are you seeing what God can see?

Friday Reading: Proverbs 27 22

Key Verse: Proverb 27:22
22  Though you should pound a fool in a bowl with a bar in the midst of wheat, his foolishness will not depart from him.

Devotion:
There are times when you try to imagine yourself in someone else’s shoes just so that you can figure out why they have done something or why they continue to do things even after you have told them that it is wrong! When I read this verse this morning I just had to comment on it! We are always going to have people who defy logic or defy common sense in this world; just as we will always have people who deny God. That is just the way of the world. The hard part comes when we try to teach those people about God...

I used to love watching the people in Africa pound the corn in a huge pestle and mortar but one thing that we probably don’t ever think of when we watch people doing that is that what goes in comes out. Yes it will look very different when it comes out to when it goes in, but it does not undergo a magic transformation into something else – it remains the same. We will meet many people in our lives that will be exactly the same, we will try to the ultimate ‘bible basher’ and teach them the truth... but what they come out as is going to depend on us. We could bash them round a lot and then see what comes out or we could make a concerted effort to do what is right and be sure of the outcome.

My Dad used to be quite adept at grinding things down in his pharmacy back in Zimbabwe (he probably still is) and he even tried to show me how you have to grind things down and not just bash away – it takes practice and it takes patience. When we are trying to teach others it will be the same thing; we will try bashing away at first and find out that things do not work that way. If we are willing to listen to others and learn the right ways, then we will be much better prepared for the work that lies ahead. We may take in fools who do not know God but we can teach them about God if we are willing to do it God’s way and not our own. He knows how each person will come to Him – we just have to listen to His instructions...

Points to Ponder:
Are you a basher or a grinder?

How often do you listen to God?

Thursday Reading: Proverbs 27 1-2
 
Key Verse: Proverbs 27 2
2  Let another man praise you, and not your mouth; a stranger, and not your lips.

Devotion:
Sometimes spending just one day on a verse from God’s Word is just not enough... Yesterday I touched on not knowing what tomorrow has in store for us and depending on God always. Today I want to look at the other end. Today is the day when World War I ended and it will be remembered in many places because of the truth that we now know behind the Great War. We will remember all the people who willingly gave their lives just so that our countries can have peace, if not for long at least for a season.

When Christ went to the cross for us it was the most unselfish act that could ever have been done. He gave His own life so that we would be able to obtain eternal life through Him. He gave His life in the hopes that we would live our mortal lives in a manner that would glorify Him so that more people would be able to accept His amazing free gift. Christ did this all because of His love for us – not because we have come to Him nor because we have done things right – He came so that we could escape from the sinful lives that we lead.

When a person gives their life so that another may live, that person receiving that free gift of life should never forget it. It is not something to be taken lightly. It is not something that can be changed or undone. No doubt we will hear of the many wonderful and brave things that people have done so that we can have a reasonably free life, but none of that will ever compare to what Christ had to endure for our sins on and before that cross. His single act of love needs to be embedded in our lives so that we will know true love. If we can live our lives hoping to be able to show that we can love others because He has loved us first, then just maybe we will be doing right by God.

Points to Ponder:
Do you remember the battle?

Are you reminding others of all that Christ has done for you?