January 18: Ephesians 4 7
Key Verse: Ephesians 4 7
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
Devotion:
Each one of us will probably have to face a discouraging time in our lives. Those are the times when we feel most vulnerable, most lost and most alone. Those are the times when we seem to be furthest away from Christ. Those are the times when we probably have been lax in our relationship with Him. In any relationship with anyone in your life, if you are not willing to put in 100%, then don't expect to come out with 100% from them. If you ignore your partner, they may well ignore you; but they will be willing to do what they can to try and spark some interest back into the relationship first. If you ignore Christ, then you are going to feel split up from Him. He will continue to do what He can to encourage you to come back to a right relationship with Him. When He is done with the encouraging and you are walking further away from Him, you may find a few unpleasant things come into your life!
But the thing which is special, is that His love for us will never end. If we try hard enough, we will be able to break up almost any relationship here on earth – not that we would normally want to! Humans have limits beyond which we give up; God is without limits as He continues to do what He can to make sure each of us has the right to a full and proper relationship with Him. He wants us to be in relationships on earth too, but full and proper relationships which take time and effort to maintain.
God's grace is sufficient to cover all of our indiscretions, no matter how bad they are. But He does expect us to be able to depend on Him for strength to avoid those indiscretions after we have come to know Him. Our relationship with Him should give us the strength to continue growing in that relationship so others are going to be encouraged by what we do. Seeing someone totally in love is special. Seeing someone in a full relationship with Christ is special and encouraging too.
Points to Ponder:
Do you get discouraged?
How often do you depend on God's grace?
January 17: Ephesians 4 1-6
Key Verse: Ephesians 4 6
one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Devotion:
It really is so easy to become a Christian, but unless you focus on God, it is not as easy to continue living as a Christian. Each one of us continues to face things every day which will (as we feel) force us to do things we don't want to do. We feel like we get trapped into doing things and then we give in and do them. It does not take too long before we are caught up in something we don't want to do, or we are giving in to those around us just to keep the peace. Why? Because we have probably lost focus on Christ in our lives!
We have to work against our pride first of all to stop ourselves from giving in to those temptations. It is not the temptations we normally have to watch out for, but our pride which will not let us give in to simply saying no. We are faced with situations which stop us from doing what is right simply because we don't want to have to say that we are wrong or face up to someone asking us why we are not doing something – our pride keeps us away... When we are provoked, we need to step back and say no, not blunder in with words before we think!
It is by lowliness, not loneliness, but humility, not just for the second but continuing in meekness that we are able to say no when it counts. By taking a step back from a potential argument and saying we don't want to get involved. We need to step back from people trying to offend us. We need to be willing to forgive and not hold grudges. If we would not be willing to forgive ourselves for things we do, how do we expect anyone else to forgive us for those things we do. Turn the situation on yourself and ask how you would rather it be resolved if it were someone else doing it to you...
We are all God's creation. We only have one God. It is about time that we started acting like it and not fighting over things we are not meant to control.
Points to Ponder:
Do you get provoked easily?
How often do you think you provoke others?
January 16: Deuteronomy 22 1-4
Key Verse: Deuteronomy 22 4
If you see your fellow Israelite’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help the owner get it to its feet.
Devotion:
One of the best ways of showing people who do not believe in Christ that we are committed Christians is to show them brotherly love. Sticking to the rule of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” will be the best example of Christianity they will be able to reflect upon even if they do not want to hear about the gospel. If we would stick to that rule ourselves, we would be able to avert many a difficult situation we find ourselves in.
Christianity teach us to be neighbourly and to be ready to do or show good to all men. That means we should be ready to show those who work against us we are willing to help them when they need it. Why? Not so we might get help from them when we need it, but to show that this is what God has taught us, and even shown us in absolute terms through Christ! We do tend to turn a blind eye or ear when it does not suit us, or when we are faced with someone who has wronged us – but just like the “good guy” in the movies, we need to stick out our hand and offer help to everyone that is in need.
If Christ had picked His friends and rejected those who did not believe, we would all be in a whole lot of trouble. Instead, Christ has given each and every one of us the same chance to be able to gain eternal life with Him. He laid down His life for us all, friends and enemies alike. Every time He met people He gave them the chance at attaining eternal life. He chose the most unlikely people to give the truth to, people who those around Him did not think deserved it. We are the ones that need to sort out our feelings so we can offer our help to all who need it and to help anyone who would reach out for that help. Don't not do it just because nobody is watching...
Points to Ponder:
How often do you turn you back on someone?
How many times do you turn your back on the One that died for you?
January 15: Acts 19 8-12
Key Verse: Acts 19 9
But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
Devotion:
How many times have you been faced with someone who refuses to believe what you tell them about Christ. I'm not talking about the ones who will give you some time to explain and then move on to something else, I'm talking about the few who will continue to argue that there is no God no matter what you say. I'm talking about the ones who will go out of their way to spread gossip about you just because you dared to tell them about God. Or maybe they would tell others how stupid you are for believing in God. I am sure we will all face a few of those people in our lives, but it should not stop us from spreading the gospel.
There is no reason why a single person or small portion of people doing these sorts of things should stop you from continuing to help others to see the light. There is no reason why they should spoil it for the rest of us. The only way to tackle those sorts of people are to continue doing what you do best – encourage other people. If you are faced with people like that who are totally obstinate, move on to new people. They should not be the ones who should discourage you. They have chosen not to believe, and they have proven their choice by doing what they do.
What we need to do is to continue showing others that we care for them. We need to continue trusting in God to supply for our needs so we can continue to spread His gospel. By doing that we become a living example of His love and truth. By becoming that example, others will see His light and truth, even the one who have been shouting you down for so long. Paul was given great responsibility and powers of healing so He could show others some of God's power – he did it all through faith and continued no matter how many people turned their backs on God!
Points to Ponder:
Do people get you down when they put down God?
How often do you show that you live your life for God?
January 14: Proverbs 28 4
Key Verse: Proverbs 28 4
Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked, but those who heed it resist them.
Devotion:
How many times have you asked yourself why the wicked get away with so much? How many times have you asked why the wicked seem so happy? Well, have you ever asked yourself who supports those wicked, and who says they are happy? What you will find is that they are supported by others who are wicked and most often described as successful or happy by others who are just as wicked as them. Those who sin will get caught up with others who sin so they can share in their sin together thinking that they have found comfort or companionship. But when push comes to shove as they get found out, each will go their own way so they will not get caught up in the others misfortunes. Those without a true discernment for the Law will support those who break the law calling them bold. Every wicked man praises those that forsake the law. (Psalm 10:3)
But those who keep the law or stand up for the law will find themselves fighting an ever-increasing number of people who are willing to break it. Laws are being slackened so the wicked can get away with their lot. Laws are being ignored so the wicked can support the wicked. Those who are standing up for the law are fighting more and more who are willing to break it. Why can they not see the folly of their wickedness? Because others are telling them they are doing bold things, making difficult decisions and aiming for better things. People are so covered with their lies that they no longer see the true law – the law that is still there!
We are certainly fighting an uphill battle trying to convince people of the things they are doing wrong. Unfortunately, by pointing out what they do wrong, we make enemies of them because they are put out and upset by the truth. They have too many around supporting them in their wicked ways so they no longer see the truth. The only way they will be convinced is by seeing the truth in action. By seeing the true happiness of others upholding God's law, they will in themselves be convinced by the Holy Spirit who is able to break down their wickedly supported ways...
Points to Ponder:
How often do you see people getting away with wrong doings?
Do you really thing God will cover up the sins of the unbelievers?