Wednesday Reading: Philippians 4 4-9
 
Key Verse: Philippians 4 8
8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Devotion:
When we fully trust in Christ, He is able, willing and faithful to give us a peace that 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 that 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 that 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 in order that we do not get side-tracked by the world things that 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?

Tuesday Reading: Romans 12 9-16
 
Key Verse: Romans 12 9
9  Let love be without hypocrisy, shrinking from evil, cleaving to good;

Devotion:
Are you someone who finds it easy to say “I love you” or one that finds it difficult? Another question that 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 that they know that you 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 that 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 show as free from strings, without limit, true, enduring and without expecting things in return – then it will be trusted and believed.

When we tell someone that we love Christ, then we have to show them that we have that same love that we would show to anyone else. It is no use saying that 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 that love, then we cannot say that 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 that you are in a loving relationship with Christ will mean more than the words that you can come up with to tell them of it. Showing others that you love and respect them will allow them to know that 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?

Monday Reading: Hebrews 6 9-10
 
Key Verse: Hebrews 6 10
10  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
 
Devotion:
In this letter to the Hebrews the apostle wanted to make sure that he knew that 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 that they now have something that is far more valuable than anything that 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 that 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 that you are going to get any reward. It is hard to find motivation when you think that 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 that 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?

Sunday Reading: Psalm 33:12-22
 
Key Verse: Psalms 33 22
22  Let Your mercy, O Jehovah, be on us, according as we 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 that a horse would give us strength but rather a tank or a helicopter gunship – but what strength is that actually giving you? It is 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 that the first hit will definitely kill rather than maim!

We all like to think that we have the best ideas and that we will use them to the best advantage in the hour of need. We like to think that 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 that 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 that He supports us. We can do that by hoping in His mercy, allowing others to see that 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?