November 19: Philippians 4 4-9
Key Verse: Philippians 4 8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Devotion:
When we fully trust in Christ, He is able, willing and faithful to give us a peace which goes far and beyond anything we can imagine for ourselves. He is willing to do this because by fully trusting in Him we are able to show others just how much we uphold His glorious name above all else – what better way to give God all the glory? When we are shown so much compassion and love, we need to rejoice in what we are being given so others will see how wonderful it is. For someone who does not trust in God looking in from the outside, they may not see the inner peace we do get – but if we make a noise about it, they will get the picture!
God does not need to be told of all of our worries, troubles and needs, but if we are not willing to bring them to Him then we are not showing Him that we do depend on Him (we are also reminding ourselves and others of that fact too). God knows us better than we know ourselves, but as soon as we stop bringing our requests to Him, we are showing some sort of self-supporting strength or peace that we know will get dashed as soon as heavy weather approaches. Our strength is not in ourselves but in Him.
We need to follow the right path so we do not get side-tracked by the world and all its trimming which surround us. We may think of ourselves as strong and able to resist, but continual erosion from earthly temptations will wear us down to the point where we finally give in. Being dependant on God and hoping in Him always will help to strengthen ourselves against such temptations. Resisting the proud and evil and following the virtuous path in our minds will help us to follow those same paths rather than the earthly paths surrounding us. Let us go forward as an example for others to be encouraged by.
Points to Ponder:
What sort of things do you give in to the most?
Are you constantly bringing God into your thoughts?
November 18: Romans 12 9-16
Key Verse: Romans 12 9
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Devotion:
Are you someone who finds it easy to say “I love you” or one that finds it difficult? Another question people may well confuse with that same question is “are you sincere about it?” We all have our ways of showing love towards others but making sure they know your love to them is sincere, free from deceit and meaningful is the most important part of that love. What is love if it is not shown? What are people going to think of us if we tell them on one hand we love them but then take things from them with the other hand or treat them badly? What are people going to think of our love if we have string attached to it? Our love has to be shown as free from strings, without limit, true, enduring and without expecting things in return – then it can be trusted and believed.
When we tell someone we love Christ, then should show them we have that same love we would show to anyone else. It is no use saying we are Christians if we are not going to act like Christians. Part of being a Christian is showing love without restraints to Christ and to His people, that means everyone! Our duty towards each other can only be summed up in one word – Love. If we do not have love, then we cannot say we are true followers of Christ.
But what good would all the love in the world be without us having that same love towards God; true, sincere, without deceit, enduring, faithful love towards the One who has shown and proven His love towards us. We need to put aside our prideful ways and deceitful thoughts and come to Christ with open hearts accepting His love and returning it too. Being able to show others you are in a loving relationship with Christ will mean more than the words you can come up with to tell them of it. Showing others you love and respect them will allow them to know love and respect without it being empty words.
Points to Ponder:
How do you show your love?
Do you show others that you love God?
November 17: Hebrews 6 9-12
Key Verse: Hebrews 6 10
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
Devotion:
In this letter to the Hebrews the apostle wanted to make sure he was sure they knew what was right and wrong; but in amongst all the writing is this encouragement. You can see a big difference in any person when they know Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Their way of living changes and their actions towards others too, but more than that, their attitude towards God changes and can be seen by others. When we see those changes in others, we can be certain they now have something which is far more valuable than anything they can receive from anyone else – they have God in their lives. There is nothing more encouraging than seeing someone’s life change towards God!
The apostle could see this in some of the Hebrews and wanted to make sure they knew just how important a real relationship with Christ is. He wanted them to remember just how much God would appreciate their new-found respect and love towards Him. He wanted them to know that even though their life was just as secure as the person who has just accepted Christ as Saviour, their labour for the Lord would not go unnoticed. It is hard to keep working hard when you do not think you are going to get any reward. It is hard to find motivation when you think you are working against everyone else, but when we work for Christ, we work for the greatest power of all and we work for the most faithful supplier too. There is no way any of the work that we do for Him will ever go unnoticed!
When we work for other Christians, we are working for Him too. When we are encouraged to do things in Christ’s name, we do them for Him even though the immediate rewards may be to those around us. We may see it as working for others, but our true reward will come from the one who sees the most of our work and that is God.
Points to Ponder:
What would you be willing to work for?
Do you know just how much Christ is laying up in heaven?
November 16: Psalms 33 12-22
Key Verse: Psalms 33 22
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.
Devotion:
If you went round a group of people and asked each one of them what a position of strength was and what would give them strength in a battle, each would probably give you a different answer according to how they looked upon earthly things. Nowadays we may not say a horse would give us strength but rather a tank or a helicopter gunship – but what strength are those things actually giving you? They are probably giving you an advantage over your enemy but if your enemy has equal hardware then you are on equal footing again but with the disadvantage of knowing the first hit will definitely kill rather than maim!
We all like to think we have the best ideas and we will use them to the best advantage in the hour of need. We like to think we know better than our enemies, and even better than our teachers in some cases! But there is One who has knowledge and wisdom far beyond our comprehension and that is God. Each one of our lives is in His hands. He is the one who created everything and maintains everything. Without Him we are but dust. If we want to be sure God is going to look on us with favour, then we have to make sure that we show Him the respect due and fear Him.
Nothing we can do on our own will gain us salvation because salvation is from God through Christ Jesus alone. All those who have a reverential and conscientious fear of Him will go forward believing on His name, Trusting His Word and Hoping in His mercy. In difficult times He will help us. In times of danger He protects us. We may still fall by human standards, but by heavenly standards we are safe and secure. We still live in a world that is bent on destruction so we should not wonder why things go wrong; but what we can do is stand up and show others that we trust in our God and He supports us. We can do that by hoping in His mercy, allowing others to see we do trust Him and stand firm on His Word. He will always give us the peace that “passeth understanding” when we require it so long as our hope is in Him.
Points to Ponder:
What earthly things encourage you?
Do you realise how much God can do for you?
November 15: Psalms 25 8-14
Key Verse: Psalms 25 14
The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.
Devotion:
The whole of this chapter is good to read a few times so you can remember what is being said. We are the sinners, we are the weak ones. Christ is our Rock and our Salvation, and He alone came to earth so He could save people who sin like you and me. Our bibles are here to teach us we have done things wrong; what Christ did was perfect and has shown us our shortcomings. We need to be calmly and humbly come to Him and say we are sorry. We know we can stand on His promises because we have been shown the life He led and the things He did for our sakes. In everything He did we see His endless mercy and promises that were kept.
Yes, there are times when we start to feel alone and we start to think we have either done something wrong or we are paying for something we did not do; but truth be told, God is in control and is preparing us for what lies ahead. We do not know what is around the corner, but He does. We do not know what we will have to face, but He does. When we put our faith and trust in Him, He will do everything in our lives to prepare us for the road ahead. We may not see this until we have faced our troubles or pains, but in the end, we will see His perfect ways.
When we put aside our own earthly views and pick up His ways and follow His guidance out of love, respect and fear, we will see just how marvellous His ways are. When we are willing to humble ourselves before Him and willing to be taught and to follow His divine guidance, then we will be learning the truth and building up our lives in the manner He sees fit. Only then will we be preparing ourselves for what really lies ahead.
We need to prepare ourselves for our life in heaven when we are going to be forever by His side. We need to strengthen our souls for an eternal life with Him. Our lives here on earth may end abruptly or we may continue until we are weak and frail; we do not know the time, but we sure can be ready for our eternal life with Him.
Points to Ponder:
Do you (or did you) trust your parents to feed you?
Are you accepting your daily food from Christ?