September 20: Luke 5 27-32
Key Verse: Luke 5 31
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
Devotion:
When Jesus chose the people who were going to be His disciples, He did not go to the local churches and colleges to find the best and brightest. He went to the people who would make the biggest difference in society. In this case, He came to Levi (or Matthew) who was considered to be the worst of the bunch because of his bad dealings with the taxes he collected. The Pharisees and teachers of the law (the ones who thought they knew it all) were put out that Jesus would dare to go and have a slap-up meal with the people considered to be the worst!
But Jesus was not there to smooth things over and pacify the Pharisees; He was there to proclaim the gospel and make followers out of the people who would then go on to make the biggest differences in their societies. Is it any wonder then that He would ask us to do the same – to go out to the winners who needed it?
I love the way Jesus justified His actions by saying the people who need to see doctors are not the people who are well, but the people who are sick. We, the sinners, need to see our doctor (Jesus Christ) so we can be changed and healed from the inside out. Some may look at us in a strange way when we reach out to the people who need Christ most in their lives, but when we are called out to go and do so, who are we to argue with the Holy Spirit?
We may well get blamed for going into the sick and infirm, the poor and lonely, the despised and rejected; but unless we are willing to do so, they will not get to hear about the hope they have in Christ Jesus. Jesus was willing to make a sceptical of Himself so others would get to learn of the Messiah who was living amongst them. We need to listen to the Holy Spirit and go out to reach those who others may be avoiding because God is the one who does know who are the best people to reach out to!
Points to Ponder:
How often did you listen to your parents when they told you to do things?
How often do you really listen to God your Father?
September 19: Isaiah 61 1-7
Key Verse: Isaiah 61 1
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners
Devotion:
Do you think you find it difficult to pray for certain people? What makes it difficult for you to pray? How about telling others about Jesus? How about telling your family the gospel story? The prophet says here how the Spirit of the Lord is the one who enables him to do things; this is exactly what Jesus said would happen for each of us too – the Holy Spirit would enable us to do and say things.
I find it difficult to say things to other when they are saying things against me or despising what I am trying to say in one way or another. I have learned to turn things over to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to guide me in what I say and when I say it. No, I don’t always listen, because I am stubborn and allow my feeling to get in the way at times – but I know God knows me better than anyone else and know He is always trying new ways to guide me. If I do continue to get tongue tied, it is normally because I have not spent enough time listening…
God wants us to reach out to the people who do not have hope in their lives because they are often the ones who will listen; if we can show them hope, they are willing to stop and listen. This does not mean we stop preaching to the rich and famous, just don’t expect a nice easy ride when you do try to reach them – they are more likely to be side-lined by things going on in their lives which they have learned to look out for quickest.
God wants all people to be reached with the gospel. Those who turn their backs on Him because they are caught up in worldly pursuits are going to need to have their eyes opened – sometimes the best way is by them seeing the biggest change in others who have got to know Christ. Seeing someone turn their lives around from a life embedded in crime and deceit to an open and honest life can make a big impression on others; we need to reach them just as much as our friends and families. Allow people to have their lives released from being captives of this world!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you tell others about Jesus?
Have you tried living your life so others see the difference?
September 18: 2 Timothy 4 1-5
Key Verse: 2 Timothy 4 2
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
Devotion:
We do have more of a duty than to just talk nicely about Jesus and a God who loves everyone; we have the duty to tell people the truth about things which will also mean telling them about the things they should not be doing. It is not an easy job to tell people when things are wrong, but without them knowing the difference between right and wrong, they do not have much hope of getting to understand Jesus and His ways.
Do you find it easier to believe someone who always says the same thing, or someone who tells you different things all the time? Yes, quite subjective I know, but by in large we do find it much easier to believe someone if they don’t keep changing the story they are telling! But blindly believing someone just because they repeat something time and time again is not right – we need to discern what is right and wrong by comparing it with something which is known to be the truth.
But where do we start to find out the ‘base’ truth? By continually comparing what people say with what others say, we can normally find common ground and agreements between the slightly different stories. You may notice the different letters/books in the bible do say things in different ways, but there is common ground where things agree and we can discern what is true from that. Just as lawyers try to find common witness statements to find out whether subjects are innocent or guilty, so should we be doing the same.
With this in mind, we then have to be careful about what we say to others. If we tell one person one thing and another something else, they may talk to each other and find out we are telling different stories. Should they be expected to believe us? What happens when someone says they don’t believe us? Should we give up and move on? Patience and persistence are two things I have grown to learn and exercise daily when talking about God to others. Take you time talking to others so you do not confuse them by talking at them; share the gospel carefully and diligently!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you give up telling others about God?
Do you always tell people the same thing – there is only one truth!
September 17: Matthew 13 10-16
Key Verse: Matthew 13 15
For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.
Devotion:
Do you hate it when people talk ‘Christianese’ at you? It is not going to help anyone understand God if Christians talk in their own code or language. I Know the Jews would do that during the war to prevent the Germans from knowing who were Jews and who was not, but when we are trying to talk to others about Christ, we need to be able to speak to them in a way they will get the big picture!
It is not our job to forgive them. It is not our job to take away their sins. That belongs to Christ because He is the one who willingly gave His life on the cross instead of us having to pay for our sins with our own deaths. What Christ has asked us to do is to take the message about the gospel to other people who have not heard it yet; the Holy Spirit will then give them the understanding they need when they are willing to listen and see.
The concept of free choice was nothing new but Jesus made sure we would understand it properly by making sure the disciples themselves knew exactly what He was saying. So, how do we go about giving people the best chance at understanding the truth and getting to know Christ? Asking questions is always a good way of finding out what we need to know when we don’t quite get it. If we don’t ask the questions, how are we going to find out the truth?
Have you ever noticed the worst teachers were normally the ones who just stood up and spoke at you, but the better teachers would get you involved with the talk and even got you to ask questions! When we tell people about Christ, we should not be talking at them and throwing all our latest Christian sayings at them – there is nothing better to turn them off than that sort of attitude. Getting them involved with what you are saying and giving them the chance to ask questions is much better…
Points to Ponder:
Do you like people talking at you or to you?
How often do you ask questions about God?
September 16: Hebrews 3 7-13
Key Verse: Hebrews 3 8
do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,
Devotion:
The writer reminds the Hebrews here of what God had said and done and what the Holy Spirit wanted them to remember – but they would have to try and listen to the Holy Spirit first of all. There is nothing new about listening out for the Holy Spirit; this is how Jesus taught the disciples and how we need to confirm our relationships with God today, just as they were doing so back in the times just after Christ was here on earth.
We will go through tough times and during those times it may well seem a lot easier to go the way of the world instead of stopping and listening out for God and His instructions. It may well sound a better idea to go with the flow and see how many people you can make happy; but it is not what God is calling you to do. God calls us to stand up for what is righteous and truthful, to spread the gospel message and to listen out for new instructions in our lives.
So why do people shy away from listening out for the Holy Spirit today? Because it is easier to go along with something you can see and touch than to rely on something unseen. That is what faith is all about, not just believing in the unseen, but stopping and listening out for what God is trying to tell you. Jesus is not here to give us the words in plain language; but He left behind someone who is trying to talk to us in plain language. The Holy Spirit is here with us and trying to give us our daily instructions.
Stop for a while now and just wait to hear from God; wait to hear what He is trying to tell you today. He is not a God who has written down things and expects you to follow those instructions to the letter – that was written down for the people at the time. But those instructions are still important for us to understand God and to know what to listen for and to look out for. Stop now and listen…
Points to Ponder:
How often do you stop and listen?
Are you willing to obey the Holy Spirit?