March 14: Psalms 147 2-6
Key Verse: Psalms 147 3
He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.
Devotion:
Have you noticed when people get found guilty of doing something wrong, they go out of their way to try and get out of having to pay for the crime? People will go to extraordinary lengths to try and escape punishment! But when people are told of a punishment which will happen in the future, at an uncertain time, and are still allowed to roam free whilst they wait for that punishment; they tend not to bother about finding out how to get out of it – because they still think they are still free… People who are truly convinced they have sinned and they will have to pay for that sin through death will do whatever they can to be able to get out of that punishment. Because they find out in their hearts about the crime and the punishment, they know then they have to find a solution. That solution is surprisingly easy!
No matter what sins we have committed, we will never find true satisfaction in doing any of them. Just as we will never find satisfaction, Christ cannot abide them! Each one of us who are able to see we have done things wrong must be willing to come forward with a broken spirit or heart. We must know within ourselves we are broken, we have separated ourselves from God because of what we have done. Each of us must then be willing to come forward with a contrite heart. That is to say we should be willing to give it all up so we can please God again. Unless we are willing to beg for forgiveness for what we have done and continue to do wrong, we are not convinced within our own hearts that we have done wrong. It is only when we truly admit to our faults that we are then able to come forward in all sincerity.
It is that sincere moment in our lives which Christ lovingly waits with all patience for. At that moment we are asking for forgiveness with a sincere heart. Our spirit is realised to be broken. We are willing to come forward and do what is required… But all we have to do is to ask for His forgiveness, believing He will do exactly that because He is the Son of God. How simple…
Points to Ponder:
Do other people accept your apology when you don’t mean it?
Do you think God will accept your apology if you don’t mean it?
March 13: Matthew 5 3
Key Verse: Matthew 5 3
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Devotion:
If you wanted to be able to describe yourself, where would you start? Would you start by listing your good points, or by listing your bad points? Would you start by listing the things you are able to do correctly, or the mistakes you have made? Most of us would go for the positive approach so we could talk ourselves up, so we could sound good or even better than we are. Many people try to go for jobs by describing all manner of things they think they can do rather than what they have actually done… No matter how much of a storm we talk up about ourselves, when people get to know us, the truth will come out pretty quickly and they will see us for what we are. No matter how much we think of ourselves, we can only do a certain amount of things before people see through what we have said.
If we are willing to acknowledge what sort of person we are in the beginning, then people will not be disappointed when they find out what sort of person we are by the things we do. If we are able to admit to our faults up front, people will not be surprised when we do things the way we do. If we are willing to admit to our shortcomings, people will not be disappointed in us. But admitting to those shortcomings can be very difficult. Social pressure dictates we talk ourselves up and make a good impression before we can be accepted. What that so called good impression entails is probably a few lies in the beginning!
If we were in debt to the tune of a few million pounds, we would probably be totally helpless. There is no way I could make up that sort of money. That sort of debt would cripple many of us both economically and emotionally. But if we are willing to admit to it and there was someone willing to help, we would not have to look back in angst… If we are willing to admit to the fact we are in debt to Christ for our lives and that we are spiritually destitute we make a step forward. If we then accept Christ as our Saviour, we are once again no longer in debt – forever. Admitting our failures is the first step forward!
Points to Ponder:
How would you describe your spiritual state?
How much have you admitted to Christ?
March 12: Philippians 1 7-11
Key Verse: Philippians 1 11
filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Devotion:
Can our love for others ever be compared to the love that Christ has for us? Whilst our love will always seem to fail us at times, Christ’s love will never cease nor fail. But what we should be doing is trying to extend our love towards others as Christ extends His love towards everyone. He has set us the ultimate example and we have to live towards that – He knows we will never show as greater love as He has, but that does not stop us from exercising our love! I am talking here about true Christian love, the love we should have for one another and not just for partners.
When we are able to show our love towards others, we get a better glimpse of our Father’s love towards us. The more we are able to love, the more we will learn about love. If we put love behind us, then we are putting Christ behind us as well. Christ never put His love aside and we should never think of doing so either. Our love should not be for show but should be sincere and real. Christ never did anything just to show off, He did things because of His sincere love for us. If we want to emulate Him in any way, then our love should follow His example.
We must be careful not to be offended by things. I see so many cases where people’s lives have been changed for the worse just because they have been offended by something which was done to them. People carry round grudges because they think they have been offended. Just imagine how much of a grudge Christ would have to carry round if He took offence to everything we do. His grace is sufficient to allow Him to forgive us of our sins so that we may draw closer to Him. His love truly knows no bounds. His example is there for all of us to follow. If we follow His example, He will get the glory that He alone deserves!
Points to Ponder:
How things do you take offence to every day?
How many people do you show love to through forgiveness?
March 11: Proverbs 30 10-30
Key Verse: Proverbs 30 10
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
Devotion:
I don’t know why, but I am yet to hear a preacher get up and go through these verses for their sermon… Odd, but true… We all need to go through verses like these and work out just what they mean to us and how we can relate to them. For our Mothers, wives or partners out there – take an extra look and think on these things. God made us to have companions. God did not want us to be alone. But God also wanted to make sure we were suited together, and we worked effectively together.
Going into a relationship has long lasting affects in your life and needs to be thought about and prayed about. Jumping into a relationship the first chance you get without thinking normally leads to errors, problems and chaos in the end. I don’t think people’s feelings have changed much over time, but our attitude toward feelings and how we show or hide them has changed – sadly, not to the better!
I know the activities listed in these verses do not relate to many of our younger generation, much less to those who have been brought up in cities and never get to see the farm life around in the countryside; but you could substitute a multitude of modern things. Don’t be bogged down with activities but rather think of the love behind those activities. Think of the multitude of different things listed and how well our partners seem to cope with everything!
Guys, stop and look at these verses again… Not as looking for things in a partner, but looking back at all the things your mothers have done for you in the past! I know I can look back and wonder how my parents put up with me at times, and yet the love my mother poured out on us children was simply amazing. Today, I take my hat off to mothers, be it mothers who have since passed or mothers who are still around, mothers who struggle every day, mothers who breeze through life, step mothers who have stepped up to the mark, mothers who have not been able to cope… All of you deserve stupendous medals and all the love we can give you today. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! (in the UK anyways)
Points to Ponder:
Do you appreciate your partner/mother/father?
Do you know what God has done for you?
March 10: Proverbs 30 11-14
Key Verse: Proverbs 30 13
those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;
Devotion:
I think it is pretty amazing that this type of statement can be made at any time during history and will continue to be able to be made in the future too. It is very sad this is so, but there is always, in every age, people who think more of themselves than they are. We are not to point fingers and bring people up, but rather to try and spread the Gospel so all people will be able to find this out for themselves. We may not be fit to judge ourselves, but God’s Word will certainly allow us to see our own faults (so long as we read it) – this is why the Gospel has got to be spread near and far!
Too many people no longer show respect to those who deserve it, be it the local authorities or even their own parents; they no longer care about who is in charge and think they should be allowed to do anything. Unfortunately, this is something which spreads through society by example, faster than God’s Word can. People are more willing to take on the mantle of rebel than they are to listen to the truth! People continue to think they know it all and how they cannot be wrong because they like what they are doing. They think they are OK in what they are doing never stopping to figure out just how corrupt they have become within themselves. I’m sure we can all admit to being there at some stage in our lives too!
There are always people whose pride has taken over in their lives and they can no longer see their own faults. But, even when they do realise their faults, they refuse to admit to them because that would mean people would see the truth about them. Pride is something which will always stop us from seeing Christ. Pride is something that will not allow us to change our hearts because of the fear of having to admit to our faults in front of others. Christ has already taken on all of our faults in front of the whole world! If we admit to that now, we will not have to spend a life running away from the truth!
Points to Ponder:
How often do you get caught up in yourself?
How often do you find yourself having to go back to Christ?