April 3: Psalms 34 1-3
Key Verse: Psalms 34 2
I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Devotion:
We know who this Psalms was written by and when they wrote it and probably why. But it just sounds so strange when you think about it. David was in the hands of the enemy and had no way out, so he acted like a mad man with such good authority that Abimelech was convince he had turned mad and disregarded him. It is one thing to act the fool in front of friends, but to convince an authority is another thing. For delivering him out of the hands of his enemy, by whatever means, David gives thanks to God!
When we come up with an extreme idea to get us out of a situation, do we thank God for giving us the idea? When we have a narrow escape, do we thank God? David knew that God was in control and he knew that He was the one that deserved the praise, even in times like this! He also knew that he would be talking about this to others. There was no way that his narrow escapes would be boasted as his own escapes, but nothing would stop him from boasting about how God helped him escape! Anyone who was willing to listen would get the news and a whole lot of God’s Word to back it up!
David was not afraid of telling others he was a Christians and that God was the one in control. He had no problem making sure others heard about God through everything which happened in his life. How else can we truly give the glory to God other than by telling others what He continues to do for us day after day? He wants us all to lift up our spirits and magnify God in one accord, to allow everyone around us to know that it is God that is in control of our lives and that He alone deserves all the praise and all the glory! The more of us that will tell others of His greatness, the more people will get to hear about Him and the more that He can then work with…
Points to Ponder:
How often do you say thanks?
How often do you thank God?
April 2: 1 Thessalonians 5 16-22
Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5 18
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Devotion:
If we were to give one instruction to another Christian it should be “rejoice evermore!” With Christ on our side, we have nothing to fear and nothing to worry about. Easy to say, but not so easy to exercise… In Christ we have a peace which we can never fully explain or understand, yet we know we have it. In Christ we have the perfect comforter, yet we still get ourselves in a pickle. We are told to rejoice evermore, yet we still fall down in the dumps and panic because we think our life is at an end.
When the going gets tough we need to be resolute in our stance with Christ. We need to continue in our prayers because we should know that He is always with us and will always hear our prayers. When things get tough, we still need to thank the Lord for all He allows to come our way because He alone is the one that knows what we need in our lives. We may be consumed by the terror in our eyes, but He continues to watch out for the whole of our lives. We may be absolutely sure we need something, but when we don’t get it, we still need to thank Him for giving us what He knows is best for us!
When the Holy Spirit comes to live with us, we need to remember that fact and act like it too! He is the one who will be guiding us (when we listen) and He will be the one who tries to give us a positive direction so He can be glorified through what we do. When God’s Word tells us we should not be doing something, we need to stand up and take notice rather than putting it aside because we don’t like what it says this time round! Continue to prove God’s Word by continuing to live it! The more we do live according to God, the more we will see what is right; the more we see what is right, the more we will be able to rejoice because we can then see just how much He does do for us! Don’t get caught up in things contrary to the Bible because they will drag you down without you knowing it!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like it when others are happy to do things your way?
Imagine how we can praise God by simply doing His will!
April 1: Matthew 28 1-8
Key Verse: Matthew 28 6
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
Devotion:
How many times does someone have to tell you something incredible before you believe them? Jesus had told the disciples of the incredible things that were about to happen, yet their faith was not yet strong enough for them to believe He would actually be able to raise Himself from the dead. After Mary and Mary had discovered the tomb to be empty and had returned to the disciples telling them the news, they still had trouble believing it. We don’t have to have trouble believing it because it is all written down now that we can have the proof!
I can just imagine the confusion, excitement, hope and even terror which followed from this first visit back to the tomb. First the initial confusion about just what had happened to Christ. Had His body been stolen? Had someone done the unthinkable? Where could He be? The excitement as they started putting things together to realise just what Christ had achieved! The excitement that He was alive! The hope given to all people who believe in Him; the hope we too will be able to conquer death through Him. And then the terror of all those who had done things against Jesus. If He was capable of this, what could He do to them!
Christ rose on the third day, just as He had promised. This is the day we celebrate that the Lord rose; Sunday, the day after the Jewish Sabbath day. This is the day we now observe as our day to remember what Christ has achieved for us. This is the day He defeated death for us so we may have eternal life with Him. This is the day which has given us all that we need to be happy in Jesus. This is the day we need to be giving Him all the honour and all the praise, showing Him that we believe, trust and obey Him.
He is alive! Come and worship our risen Saviour!
Points to Ponder:
What extraordinary things have people done in your life?
Who but Christ has died for you and then risen for you?
March 31: Romans 9 14-18
Key Verse: Romans 9 18
Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
Devotion:
We quite often have a problem with people in charge because we think what they are doing is not right in some way. There are many cases where it is very clear just who is in the wrong and countries will go up against countries to try and restore order. In other cases, people simply get annoyed with others and take vengeance on them because of their annoyances. But between people, it is always because one side thinks or knows that the other side is wrong. What of God? What happens when we think that God is wrong? What happens when we start to think that God has it wrong because we do not like what is happening?
Well, let’s take a legitimate case where a bank raises interest rates because people are being tempted to put too much on their credit accounts. The rate at which people spend on credit then begins to fall again and people will end up doing the right thing. The people who have already over-spent will not like the fact that they have to spend more in interest, but the move is for their good – even though they cannot see it. I know I have given a very simple argument here and the money markets are far too complex (apparently) but the original ideas are the simplest!
God has all knowledge. There are no lies in Him. He does not make mistakes. We, on the other hand, all do. He told us up front He will have mercy on those He chooses and not on those we think He should. He is the one who knows what is going on, not us. He is the one showing the mercy, not us taking it! He is the one who gives us what we need in order to make our lives better for His glory. He is the one who is going to get the glory no matter what we try to do because He is in control! Stop fighting Him and go with His example and His will. That way we know we are always getting what is best for us…
Points to Ponder:
Have you listened to the Easter Story?
Will you trust our God who gave it all for you?
March 30: Luke 22 39-46
Key Verse: Luke 22 43
An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
Devotion:
Have you ever wondered why certain words or phrases are written down in the bible? How do we know this is what happened? Don’t forget the disciples were with Jesus and they knew a lot more about Him than we do. They were told things during and after the event and they each pieced together a string of events as they thought important to tell at the time. We now have this amazing compilation of what happened!
So why was Jesus praying on the Mount of Olives? Why did He not just rest like the others and have a nap? Because of these simple words in this verse highlighted today. Jesus knew what was going to happen and He knew it all had to be done, and yet He also knew He needed strength to get through this all. What would you do if you knew the time, place and circumstances of your death? Who would you go to in order to find the strength to face your death?
Jesus gave us this example and made sure the disciples wrote these words down for us to remember. Always look to God for strength in any situation. Jesus has told us many times through His disciples how we need to look for Him for strength, how we should give our burden to Him and rely on His strength rather than our own. Why? Because he has already done this all for us and demonstrated His power and might!
How do we go about this? We lift up our prayers to Him. We remember what he has done for us. We meditate on how He has done this all for us. We remember His words to give Him our burdens. We pray and obey. God knows when we are weak and He will be really attentive waiting for our prayers. Jesus went through this all for a good reason!
Points to Ponder:
Do you tend to bottle things up?
How much do you ask Christ for?